Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The Ultimate Battleship
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"Your Majesty. Today, I have seen the future of the Imperial Navy."
Late at night.
In the Kaiser's office.
"We must introduce this 'Dreadnought' immediately!"
'He was half-dead earlier, and now he's flying high.'
Schlieffen couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Admiral Tirpitz, who had been raving for hours about the 'ultimate battleship' Hans had mentioned.
Who would have thought things would turn out like this?
Even Schlieffen himself hadn't anticipated it.
'Hans Choi...'
The Eastern boy who had saved the Kaiser's life.
Currently the most talked-about figure in Berlin high society, for better or worse.
Schlieffen and many others were curious about the child.
And for good reason: it was none other than 'that' Wilhelm II bringing a yellow-skinned man into the palace.
To Germans who knew well the Kaiser's usual eccentric remarks about Asians, it was utterly unbelievable.
But when the story about Hans proved true, Berlin exploded like a bomb had gone off.
It wasn't as intense as the Battle of Königgrätz that Schlieffen had experienced in his youth.
Some said the Kaiser had gone mad, others spread rumors that he had fallen into pederasty like the ancient Greeks.
That's why Schlieffen accepted the Kaiser's banquet invitation—to see this boy 'Hans Choi' with his own eyes.
There was some curiosity, but if this Eastern boy seemed like a threat to the imperial family or the German Empire, he planned to mobilize the army to drive him out.
'Your Majesty, forgive me, but that's impossible.'
But this boy named Hans Choi was beyond Schlieffen's imagination.
No—better than expected.
It had been a long time since Bismarck's dismissal that Schlieffen had seen someone openly defy the Kaiser like that.
His first impression was just a polite child, but his guts were certainly commendable.
So Schlieffen protected Hans from the enraged Tirpitz.
It was simple curiosity. He just wanted to know what this child was thinking, stepping forward like that.
And Schlieffen was surprised once again.
Hans Choi was no ordinary Eastern boy.
He was a heaven-sent genius.
In truth, it was because a future soul inhabited a child's body, but to Schlieffen, who didn't know that, Hans was already something beyond a mere child.
On top of that, personally, he liked how the boy had scratched an itch for the army.
The civilians in parliament had been nagging that the army should make some concessions for naval construction, so it was refreshing to hear such words after a long time.
'I want him!'
Schlieffen's eyes gleamed with desire for talent, something he hadn't felt in ages.
Even within the current German Empire's military, few had strategy proposals of that caliber.
Hans was a talent who absolutely had to join the military.
No—he was a talent the military needed.
How could they not use that genius for the army? Where else would it go?
Of course, if the ordinary Korean man Hansu heard that, he would vehemently object, having no fond memories of military service.
But to Schlieffen, Hans's own will was irrelevant anyway.
Schlieffen himself had never planned to become a soldier, yet here he was, Chief of the General Staff.
You get used to it once you start.
'It's a shame he's still just a child.'
If he were five years older, Schlieffen would have pulled every string to get him into the army officer academy.
Schlieffen stroked his lips regretfully, thinking something that would horrify Hans.
"But this 'Dreadnought' new battleship hasn't been proven in practice, has it?!"
"That's how new weapons are. Besides, the concept itself has existed for a while!"
While Schlieffen was lost in thoughts about Hans, Chancellor von Bülow and Tirpitz were still locked in heated debate.
Dreadnought.
The revolutionary new battleship Hans had proposed, one that didn't exist until now.
He didn't know why he used a British ship name, but in theory, it was a monster existing battleships couldn't match.
How could sluggish current battleships counter a Dreadnought that moved faster and unleashed overwhelming firepower and accuracy from long range?
Even to Schlieffen, a naval layman, it was clearly the 'ultimate battleship.'
That's why even Admiral Tirpitz had praised Hans and sung its virtues the moment he heard the explanation, demanding immediate adoption.
He seemed to have forgotten calling Hans a 'yellow monkey' earlier.
But in contrast, Chancellor von Bülow advocated caution.
Schlieffen didn't care as long as the army budget wasn't touched.
"Moreover, building a Dreadnought will cost twice as much as existing ships. Where do we get that budget?!"
"Cancel the planned Braunschweig-class and Deutschland-class builds and redirect those funds to Dreadnoughts. Of course, the number of ships will decrease due to costs, but considering the Dreadnought's power and value, it's worth it."
"Still, the risks are too high. If it fails..."
"Enough, Bülow."
"Your Majesty?"
"I've heard enough."
The Kaiser, who had been silently listening to Tirpitz and Bülow's debate, raised his hand and cut Bülow off mid-sentence.
He seemed to have finally reached a decision.
"Admiral Tirpitz."
"Yes, sir!"
"Halt all new battleship construction plans immediately. Tomorrow, summon all naval executives to the Navy Office. I'll discuss the Dreadnought with them directly. And Chancellor von Bülow."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"If we fear failure, we achieve nothing. Hans is right. We're latecomers. Blindly following won't close the gap. Now is the time for bold moves."
"...Your Majesty's words are wise."
Chancellor von Bülow bowed his head in response.
His expression was still uneasy, but he wouldn't defy the Kaiser's will.
That was the Bülow Schlieffen knew.
"Schlieffen. What are your thoughts?"
"The army will fully support Your Majesty and the navy's decision."
It was being built with already allocated budgets anyway.
No reason to oppose.
"Moreover, as a personal opinion, we risk danger if we don't seize the Dreadnought now. Britain and the other great powers won't sit idle."
Britain had begun serious Dreadnought discussions after Tsushima, but the underlying concepts already existed.
To Schlieffen, if they didn't act now, Britain could develop it first.
"Quite right. And if Britain gets the Dreadnought before us, Germany will never catch up!"
Bam!
The Kaiser slammed his fist on the desk in passionate refusal to let that happen.
"Understood? This is a race. We must strike first before the British realize the Dreadnought's value!"
"Absolutely, Your Majesty!"
"Everyone, devote all efforts to this. It's our last chance, the perfect opportunity to seize naval supremacy. We cannot let it slip!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Late at night.
The outside air was cold, but the Kaiser's office blazed with heat.
"Hans, do you know how shocked I was today?"
After Wilhelm II went to his office to discuss my proposal with Bülow and the others.
I was getting an earful from the Augusta Empress about the banquet incident.
"What you did today was extremely rude and reckless. Of course, you must have had your reasons. But even good intentions require the right time, place, and method."
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty."
"Sigh, you're fortunate it didn't cause a major issue."
"......"
"Please, never act like that again. For your own sake."
"I'll keep it in mind, Your Majesty."
"It's late. Go rest now. Don't forget to apologize to His Majesty the Emperor and Admiral Tirpitz for today's rudeness later."
"Yes."
I bowed to the still-sighing Augusta Empress and quickly left the room.
Whew. Somehow, this drained me more than shouting at the banquet.
"Still, things worked out somehow."
I didn't know what Wilhelm II was discussing in the office now, but the Kaiser would ultimately accept my proposal.
Even he must realize how crucial it was for Germany to pioneer the Dreadnought.
If he couldn't grasp it after my explanation, he'd be beyond stupid—inhumanly so.
"Schlieffen and Tirpitz seemed to like me too."
It was a shame Chancellor von Bülow still eyed me suspiciously, but winning those two was profit enough.
Especially getting close to Schlieffen would help with new weapon development for the German military later.
"Just worried about Britain."
Relations between Britain and Germany hadn't fully soured yet, but cracks were forming.
Britain feared the rising, vigorous new power that was Germany.
And if Germany pioneered the Dreadnought-class here?
Britain's reaction was obvious.
'Britain won't move immediately.'
Britain still had to deal with the massive Eastern bear, the Russian Empire creeping south.
But that leeway wouldn't last.
The moment the Russo-Japanese War ended in three years, concluding the Great Game with Russia, Britain would turn its guns from Russia straight to Germany.
"I'll think about that when the time comes."
Even rushing Dreadnought construction would take over a year minimum.
Germany's grim diplomatic situation wasn't something I could recklessly touch now, so focus on building strength for then.
"Hans."
"Crown Prince?"
Arriving at my door, Crown Prince Wilhelm stood there, apparently waiting.
What brought the Crown Prince here so late at night?
The Crown Prince and I weren't close. If anything, he openly disliked me.
Honestly, this was the first time he'd approached me.
"Finally free from Mother?"
"Yes. I got quite the scolding for the banquet."
"Hm. Mother's kind, but strict on faults. Anyway, I found that moment quite interesting."
"Y-You're too kind."
"What? No, not praising you. Not scolding either."
Crown Prince Wilhelm scratched his head as he spoke.
That's some Schrödinger's cat talk.
"Just wanted to say I see you differently now."
"Pardon?"
"As you know, I never liked you. Quite the opposite."
The reason? Obvious without saying.
"But seeing you not only defy Father openly at the banquet but convince him instead... Honestly, impressive. Though at first, I thought you were crazy."
"Haha..."
"I couldn't do that in front of Father. You might not know, but in Germany, fathers are figures of respect and fear for children."
The Crown Prince gave a wry smile, displeased with himself.
Father Wilhelm II was doting on his sister Sissy but extremely strict with his sons.
So rebelling against Father was unimaginable for the Crown Prince.
"It's not much different in my homeland. Places where people live are surprisingly similar."
"Ha, really?"
"Yes. I left so young, memories are fuzzy."
For reference, my fabricated backstory: non-existent modern parents brought baby me from the Korean Empire to Germany for some reason, then died of tuberculosis, near-incurable in this era.
Couldn't say I woke up in Germany, so made-up, but it worked surprisingly well.
"Anyway, good talk."
"Likewise."
"Treat me casually from now on. I'll tell my siblings too."
Getting tired of them ignoring you.
Crown Prince Wilhelm added with a chuckle.
Unexpected.
But ultimately good.
If the Crown Prince and princes sided with me, it'd be quite reassuring.
"Oh, right, Hans."
"Yes?"
"Do you like soccer?"