Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 034
Chapter Title: Protagonist of the Era (3)
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Smooth sailing.
That single word summed up the recent situation perfectly.
Once all the schedules were set, the Emperor immediately broke ground on the military academy building.
The news that Eugène de Savoie would serve as principal caused a flood of applicants for the faculty positions, and inquiries from prospective cadets about when they could apply started pouring in.
Thanks to that, I ended up glued to my desk all day, discussing eligibility requirements, selection processes, and the curriculum.
Of course, since I had no ties to the military establishment, my words wouldn't carry much weight on their own. Nearly every decision had to go through Eugène.
"...You say mathematics should be mandatory too?"
"Yes. To be precise, we need to make math related to military operations mandatory. Even just looking at ballistics calculations or logistics, the difference between knowing basic math and not knowing it is huge, isn't it?"
"You're right."
"We should also include hygiene and protocols for dealing with epidemics. In the current war between Spain and Britain, Spain's losses from months of besieging Gibraltar were far smaller than Britain's from disease in Panama."
To be honest, I'm no military expert.
I did serve in the modern military, so I have a decent grasp of general knowledge, but the armies of the 18th century were so different from today's that it barely served as reference.
Still, even from my fragmented knowledge, I could pinpoint what mattered.
"That's a valid point, so I'll push for it. But about the new cadets... Other electorates are showing interest. How do you plan to handle that? Should we accept them or brush them off politely? I haven't decided yet."
"We should accept them, of course."
"It might work for building loyalty, but won't their main goal be learning our advanced manuals? Handing those out freely..."
"Everything in the world has pros and cons. But if they're really determined to steal our training methods, they could find out through other channels anyway. Better to bring them in and control their education ourselves."
The old saying that school ties, blood ties, and regional ties are the strongest bonds in the world holds true now as ever.
Besides, for a major power like an electorate or Britain or France, sure—but for someone from a minor electorate, advancing here would beat going back home. Plenty would think that way.
"More importantly, small electorates couldn't properly implement our methods even if they learned them. They couldn't even afford to build an academy like this one."
"...True. They'd learn it, but couldn't apply it."
"Rather than that, we need to finalize the recruitment guidelines quickly. Ideally, we'd open opportunities for talented commoners to rise, but that's unrealistic. How about limiting it to technical fields?"
"Branches needing specialized knowledge can't be filled with noble officers alone, so there shouldn't be much backlash."
Radical modern-style reforms would only breed resistance, so my changes should stick to what was actually implemented in the late 18th century. That was the safest bet.
Anyway, with things progressing on this scale, no one could ignore my deep involvement in Austria's administration anymore.
I might be young for it, but now that I'd stepped front and center, the momentum was mine.
In politics or business, promising talents who show too much potential early get left alone—they're too risky to touch carelessly.
Now, I just charged ahead toward the world that called my name.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Hofburg Palace, the Emperor's advisory council.
After finalizing the military academy, Charles VI unusually convened another meeting to appoint a new advisor.
Eugène for military affairs, Ludwig for administration, and Thomas Starhemberg for finance.
The top officials in each field sat quietly, awaiting the Emperor's decision.
"I'm aware there's a vacancy on the Finance Committee. I wish to appoint my future son-in-law, Franz Stefan."
"No objections."
"...Pardon?"
"Your Majesty, that..."
Unlike Eugène's immediate assent, Ludwig and Thomas exchanged bewildered glances.
Eugène tapped the report in front of him.
"Franz Stefan von Lothringen has handled matters on Your Majesty's behalf in no small number. Negotiations with Spain and the Netherlands, even the Ostend Company—he's been involved across the board. Frankly, it's more surprising he hasn't gotten such a post until now."
"No, no, Prince Eugène. His Highness Franz is only turning nineteen at year's end. Not even twenty, and a Finance Committee advisor?"
"...If he has the ability, does age matter?"
"Even so, isn't it too soon? And he's not even Austrian-born."
Ludwig and Thomas weren't being exclusionary.
Outsiders like Eugène could rise high with merit, but this speed was unprecedented.
"His Highness is already set to chair the military academy committee, and now Finance advisor too..."
"I'm chair of the Military Committee, principal of the academy, and Field Marshal all at once."
"No one in Vienna compares to you, Prince Eugène. It's different!"
"Let's set aside origins and age—purely on achievements. Is there anyone in Vienna more suited for Finance advisor than Franz Stefan? I can confidently say no. The results speak for themselves."
The irrefutable facts silenced the room.
The Emperor raised his hand to cut through the atmosphere, sensing their unspoken That's true, but...
"Do you think I'm arbitrarily placing a child in a key post?"
"...No, Your Majesty."
"Thomas, as Finance Committee chair, do you find Franz's abilities listed here lacking? If so, I'll heed your view."
"Well... er..."
Thomas Starhemberg, a committee veteran of over a decade, had never faced a question this hard to answer.
"...This... um..."
"Why can't you answer? Just say yes or no."
"Your Majesty, forgive the impertinence, but are all these feats truly His Highness Franz's alone? Your Majesty gave no hints or guidance... is that certain?"
"Yes. Lately, I'm the one seeking his counsel."
"Good heavens..."
A sigh escaped naturally.
From Thomas's common-sense view, this defied belief.
It wasn't just the platinum jewelry or glassmaking profits—impressive, yes, but secondary.
What captivated him was Franz stabilizing and expanding the Ostend Company through cooperation with Spain and the Netherlands.
He'd even roped in other electorates for more reliable shipping logistics and joint large-mirror glass improvements, forging natural alliances.
If Thomas knew about military supply hoarding, timber sales, or maritime insurance dominance, he might have fainted.
Even so, Franz's talent was on another level.
Not that Thomas denied it—he just couldn't believe it.
"...If all this is true, Your Majesty's appointment is flawless."
"Then it's decided. Franz Stefan will be Finance Committee advisor."
With the chairs' approval, all procedures were complete.
"Ah, Eugène? Brandenburg Electorate is sending Friedrich as envoy for my birthday celebration. Probably to spy on our academy, no?"
"What else? Since when has the Brandenburg Elector cared so much for Your Majesty's birthday?"
"Exactly. How should we handle it?"
"Friedrich has spoken with Franz twice and they're on friendly terms. Best to leave it to Your Majesty's prospective son-in-law."
Franz might have thought, Shoving the tricky stuff my way, huh? But the Emperor nodded approvingly.
"True, the boy's eloquence is exceptional. He knows Friedrich well, and as one of the academy's key figures, he's perfect. Settled, then."
"Hahaha! Indeed. Your Majesty, try handing him any tough issues ahead. Solutions will come pouring out—it feels great."
Thus, Franz's meteoric rise was sealed, slightly diverging from his own wishes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Your Highness Franz! What a pleasure to meet so soon!"
"Didn't expect you in person—happy to see you too."
"Of course I had to come myself. We discussed it in Regensburg, after all."
Others might think Friedrich came for the academy... well, partly true, but our first topic wasn't that.
"Father gladly accepts your proposal."
"Wonderful. Thank you. You must have conveyed my terms well."
"It benefits us clearly—why refuse? And with us dominating Baltic trade, you'll gain much as our partner."
"Exactly. Austria and Prussia can be good friends going forward."
To be true Romans, you need civil wars like folk festivals—but Prussia didn't have to be the opponent.
Though unspoken, Prussia's growing Baltic share would draw British pirates' ire.
A little meddling from me would amplify it, blocking Anglo-Prussian ties.
In every sense, my wish for friendship was 100% sincere.
"I agree. Father wants me to build Prussia strong against Austria, but must we oppose each other?"
"Not at all. There's friendly rivalry too. On that note, I'd be happy to show you our academy's curriculum."
Hiding it tightly was hard anyway, and this was less than a tenth of my reforms.
Sharing now posed no risk—instead, fostering Friedrich's growth would check Britain and France.
"As expected! I knew you'd understand. People like Father, distrustful of others, lose out here."
"Agreed."
His fervent gaze fixed on the distant fields.
Friedrich clenched his fists, envisioning the future, launching into a speech.
"Lately, I've been embracing diverse views to broaden my thinking. Why do we Germans lag behind France and Britain? Lack of capacity? No. It's the Holy Roman Empire's disunity."
"Yes. France rallies around its king—we don't."
"Meeting you opened new possibilities. If Prussia and Austria unite to forge imperial solidarity! The Empire would wield unmatched power."
"Absolutely. The Empire has that potential."
"Uniting it requires shared values or identity. Like viewing all German-speaking lands as one community..."
Right, right. You get it... Wait, something feels off.
"But others won't stand by. We Germans might need to unite once to crush France and Britain. Maybe fight both at once..."
No, Friedrich—no! One misstep there is Lebensraum!
"Ahem! Ahem! That's distant future—shall we discuss nearer term?"
"Ah, right? A bit far-fetched, yeah."
I'd forgotten: In war, Friedrich was a rational monster; normally, impulsive and emotional.
"Yes. Back to the academy? Prince Eugène and I agree officers need more than command skills to win wars. So..."
No way it'd happen, but I needed to rein this runaway train early.
My Empire couldn't tolerate words like world war, Lebensraum, or Anschluss.
Absolutely not.