Chapter 67
Chapter 67
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Seal Den (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Before the war broke out, I had sent letters to acquaintances scattered far and wide.
Among them was the Army Air Corps.
From Manfred and Senior Cadet Student to fellow cadets from the academy, and even high-ranking officials I'd built rapport with through Dr. Junkers.
The letters contained various messages, one of which was this:
[...Therefore, please refrain from strategic bombing using fighters or airships as much as possible.]
Planes aside, airships at present could carry barely over one or two tons of bombs at most.
Needlessly buzzing Paris or London in dribs and drabs would yield no real gains and leave us watching helplessly as they bolstered their anti-air defenses.
But neither High Command nor the Army Air Corps had infinite patience, so in the end, they had to unleash a strategic bombing run with these pitiful paper airplanes that couldn't even qualify as sparrows.
That led to agonizing over the most powerful and efficient single strike under the current circumstances.
"If we must do strategic bombing, we should target Paris, not London."
"Oh, Rommel. Weren't you the anti-bombing advocate?"
"With everyone screaming to bomb everything, who would listen to a mere major saying no? We've dragged it out this far—that's doing pretty well."
In a discreet meeting with Falkenhayn, I laid out my thoughts.
"London inevitably requires crossing the North Sea or the Channel; if the weather turns even slightly foul, disaster strikes. Better to aim for Paris."
"But wouldn't it feel great to drop bombs on those arrogant bastards who taunt us while fighting across the sea?"
"The bombs airships can carry won't even take out a single factory. No need to provoke the pirates needlessly, either."
"By that logic, Paris is the same. What's so great about bombing Paris?"
Falkenhayn looked unimpressed at my suggestion to spare the pirates who'd made fools of him at Ypres.
But what could he do if it was displeasing? Anyone could see bombing Paris made more sense.
"The Eiffel Tower radio station in Paris keeps hampering our operations. In the short term, neutralizing it would be ideal if we plan to target Ypres again soon."
I glanced around and whispered conspiratorially.
"There's also the matter of our secret weapons. Security's held so far... but who knows about the future."
"..."
Falkenhayn nodded slightly after a moment's thought, so I raised my voice again.
"Fighters can't escort all the way to Paris due to range, but they can go halfway. Unlike London, Paris has key targets clustered together—government offices, rail networks, communications, military command."
"...Sigh. You want me to convince OHL again. Not easy with them pushing like this."
"Logistics is eating out of my hand, so they're following the Chief of Staff's orders to the letter. Just tough it out a bit."
"Tch, fine. I'll consider it positively, so get back to work."
"Thank you, sir."
I saluted as Falkenhayn waved me off dismissively.
Good. This should keep the airships from heading to London and ending up in Dragon Palace.
The Dragon King could have those seals as tribute.
Lost in such idle thoughts as I turned to leave,
Falkenhayn suddenly exclaimed as if struck by a brilliant idea.
"Ah! How about dropping the new weapons we're developing right on Paris?! That'd shatter their will to fight and make them surrender..."
"Don't talk nonsense, seriously."
What kind of madness was this?
I hammered home the disasters that would ensue into the Chief of Staff's ears and stormed out.
Germans were hopeless like this.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The German Empire's military airships fell into two broad categories.
Army or Navy.
Obviously, to deliver a devastating blow to Paris, we'd need to scrape together every Navy airship as well, but...
"No thanks. I refuse. Unless it's London, no airship support. If the Army insists on Paris, we'll go to London on our own."
"..."
The problem was that these seals were itching to head to Dragon Palace.
With friction arising from the Navy like this, Falkenhayn—now mistaking me for a genie—tossed me straight into the seal den with orders to persuade them.
...His intentions were transparent enough.
Anyway, with no Navy connections, I wasn't treated like a genie here but like dog chews.
"Ha. Haha. Minister, wouldn't it be best for us to cooperate where we can? Drop bombs on Paris first, then London next..."
"Then let's hit London first. We'll help with Paris after."
"..."
The Grand Admiral and Navy Minister, Alfred von Tirpitz, drummed his fingers on the desk while glaring at me.
He made no effort to hide his boredom and displeasure—pure seal rudeness.
Forcing a smile, I tried to negotiate somehow.
"Please don't be like that; for mutual benefit..."
"Then show me magic to make the Royal Navy vanish."
"..."
I shut my mouth again.
Tirpitz started by smirking and brushing off my words, but gradually his smile faded until he slammed the desk.
"That's your problem!! Treating our Navy like shit every day, then coming hat in hand demanding support when you need something!!"
"Ahem."
"And now?! Sending a pissant major to mock us outright?! Falkenhayn, that son of a—!!!"
Ah, so he'd seen through Falkenhayn's scheme.
I thought seals wouldn't notice... no, no. Gotta figure out how to persuade this guy somehow.
But I couldn't conjure dreadnoughts out of water, so it was tricky.
Time to placate him first.
"Would Chief of Staff Falkenhayn send me for such a childish reason, especially when we're on the back foot? He trusts me, that's why he made me his proxy."
"Hmph."
"That means I have broad discretion... Isn't that good for the Navy too? Tricking a mere major like me into sending a few airships could net you huge gains."
"Trick you? The genius everyone's praising everywhere?"
"..."
Fame had its downsides.
Without it, they'd dismiss me as a fool and show openings; with it, they got wary first.
Tirpitz eyed me with a mix of contempt and caution.
"Don't try any tricks. Give me a proper proposal. But! If it doesn't satisfy me, you'll get thrashed and booted from this room."
"..."
His growl at the end still invited negotiation, confirming the Navy wanted something out of this.
The pressure so far was just aggressive bargaining.
I feigned distress, hemmed and hawed to buy time.
As Tirpitz's curiosity grew, I pulled documents from my briefcase with resolved caution, like it pained me.
"Sigh... I didn't want to bring this out."
"No mere papers will settle this."
He dismissed it but leaned in anyway.
Hooked.
Still sighing regretfully, I explained.
"These were ideas I planned to patent through a contract with Krupp."
"...U-boats."
U-boats—submarines, in other words.
World War I was also the submarines' grand debut. Unlimited submarine warfare and all that fame.
Figuring they'd come in handy someday, I'd compiled U-boat ideas in those documents.
Simple ones from me, complex ones with expert input.
"U-boats only gained traction two months ago, and you've got this many ideas already?"
Tirpitz stared blankly at the papers, then furrowed his brow warily again.
His wariness was right and wrong.
They were plagiarized, sure—but patents that didn't exist yet. One perk of being a regressor.
"Yes, from safe mine-laying devices to submarine designs and sonar detection systems... various ideas compiled."
I pretended to hesitate, fiddled with the papers, then made to take them back.
"Sigh... forget it. Using private assets for official business feels off."
Tirpitz's eyes wavered in conflict, then surrendered to desire as he urgently shouted.
"Wait, wait wait!"
Thud. He slapped the desk to pin the papers down.
I feigned surprise and looked at the minister.
"Yes?"
"Don't be hasty; let's talk more. Heh, public or private, who better than me to handle Navy-related documents?"
Like his outburst never happened, Tirpitz forced a grin and offered me a seat again.
He even seemed a bit anxious.
"Sit. So, what's this? Sonar detection?"
Tirpitz.
A whopper. I'd landed a monster fish.
"...Hoo."
...But it unraveled too easily, so now I raised my guard.