Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Rebellion (3)
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“Cough! Cough, cough! Your Majesty.”
The uninvited guest who had suddenly shown up at the New Palace in Potsdam, Field Marshal Waldersee, leaned shakily on his cane with his trembling body and barely managed to greet Wilhelm II.
Compared to the last time they had met, Waldersee looked gaunt, his face deeply lined—he appeared gravely ill.
Honestly, it wouldn't be surprising if he dropped dead right here and parted ways with this world.
‘Come to think of it, Waldersee died in early 1904, didn't he?’
Just looking at him, it was clear his days were numbered.
He'd probably be in a coffin in two or three months for his funeral.
But why on earth had Waldersee dragged himself here?
With his body on its last legs, it would be better for everyone if he just let go of any lingering attachments to the world and passed quietly.
‘According to the attendant earlier, it's about the situation in Southwest Africa, right?’
The only event in the Southwest Africa colony around this time was the Herero rebellion we'd just been discussing.
Was he planning to insist, like Chief of General Staff Schlieffen, that Wilhelm II exterminate the Herero people?
It seemed absurd that he'd drag his sick body all the way from Hanover to Potsdam just for that, but with Waldersee, it felt scarily plausible.
People on the brink of death often saw nothing before their eyes.
‘Too late for that, though.’
Wilhelm II had already backed off a step after my warning that he could end up treated like the Devil of the Congo, Leopold II.
Telling Wilhelm II now to slaughter every Herero in sight, just as Waldersee had done in China, would only backfire.
So I relaxed and decided to watch what this dying field marshal had to say.
“So, Field Marshal. What brings you here today?”
Wilhelm II spoke first.
He made no effort to hide his annoyance as he addressed Waldersee.
Clearly, the sudden visit from the old marshal with one foot in the grave was just as unwelcome to Wilhelm II.
But unlike his usual self, Waldersee showed no reaction to the Kaiser's attitude and slowly answered his question.
“Cough...! I heard something terrible has happened in the Southwest Africa colony. The blacks... I mean, the Herero have rebelled, haven't they?”
“That's right. But it hardly seems like something for a retired general like you to worry about.”
“Cough, cough! When it comes to serving the fatherland, what does rank matter? Please consider it the final advice from an old man who has long served the Empire. Cough, cough!”
Waldersee coughed repeatedly, struggling to breathe.
Wilhelm II sighed at the sight but waited patiently for him to speak.
Apparently, even the narrow-minded Kaiser was showing some patience this time, since it was billed as his last piece of advice.
“Cough! Cough, cough! Your Majesty surely plans to suppress the rebellion...?”
“Of course.”
Once Waldersee caught his breath, he spoke again.
“Ahem...! Then who do you plan to appoint as the commander in charge of the suppression?”
“Hm. Originally, I intended to appoint Major General Lothar von Trotha, per Chief of General Staff Schlieffen's recommendation. But with the Chancellor's opposition and after some thought, I've put it on hold for further deliberation.”
“Is that so...?”
Waldersee glanced briefly at me as he said it.
He seemed to think I'd persuaded Wilhelm II again. Which I had, but still.
“Cough, cough! Then may I recommend one man to Your Majesty as the right person to suppress the Herero?”
“You? I figured you'd insist on Trotha.”
Chancellor von Bülow and Chief of General Staff Schlieffen eyed Waldersee suspiciously, sharing the same thought.
And understandably so—Trotha had served under Waldersee in the Eastern Expeditionary Force during the Boxer Rebellion.
Given their actions in original history, their personalities and tendencies must have meshed well.
Even I had expected Waldersee to push for Trotha as commander, so his unexpected words left me unable to grasp his intentions.
What was this guy's game?
To figure it out, I focused intently on the conversation between Wilhelm II and Waldersee.
Waldersee smiled in a way that didn't suit him, like a kindly old man, and addressed Wilhelm II.
“Heh heh, if Your Majesty hesitates to appoint Trotha, there must be good reason... Cough, cough! But the man I recommend is someone else.”
“Ahem. Who might that be?”
“Cough, cough, cough! Ahem... It is Baron Hans von Choi, right there beside Your Majesty.”
“?”
‘What did this old coot just say?’
Waldersee's sudden statement made me wonder if my ears were playing tricks.
And Wilhelm II seemed just as stunned, asking again with an incredulous look.
“Hm. I must have misheard. Say it again, Field Marshal. Who do you propose as the overall commander for suppressing the rebellion?”
“Cough, cough! Baron Hans von Choi here. I recommend Baron Choi as the commander for suppressing the rebellion, Your Majesty.”
“...”
Silence fell over the room as Waldersee repeated my name.
My pupils dilated wildly as I screamed inwardly.
‘Has this geezer lost his mind now that death's knocking?’
He was recommending me to lead the suppression of the Herero rebellion.
No one else—Waldersee, of all people.
It was the most ridiculous thing I'd heard all year.
Though it was still less than a month into 1904, there was no doubt his words were utter nonsense.
“Field Marshal Waldersee, you don't look well at all.”
“It was remiss of me not to consider my health.”
“We'll send the imperial physician later. Go home and take care of yourself, Field Marshal.”
Chancellor von Bülow, Chief of General Staff Schlieffen, and Wilhelm II all looked at him with pity and spoke in turn.
They clearly thought, like me, that the old man had gone senile on his deathbed.
No one in the room took his words seriously.
“...Your Majesty. I am in earnest.”
“You're really recommending Hans?”
A bit miffed, Waldersee raised his voice.
Only then did Wilhelm II realize it wasn't a bad joke—Waldersee was genuinely nominating me—and looked utterly bewildered.
And who could blame him? Waldersee usually couldn't stand me.
I had no clue what was going on either, so the Kaiser was no different.
Wilhelm II said,
“I hate to say it myself, but I know you clearly disliked Hans, Field Marshal.”
“...When a man's time comes, he sees things he never noticed before. Cough, cough!”
Waldersee gazed wistfully out the window, as if struck by sage-like wisdom.
Had death really addled this old woman's brain? Or was it another scheme targeting me?
‘Definitely the latter.’
There was zero chance Waldersee, facing death, had a change of heart and was acting out of goodwill toward me.
People didn't change that easily, based on my experience.
Waldersee was clearly trying to lure me into a trap again.
As I grew certain of that, Schlieffen challenged him, insisting it made no sense to put me in charge of suppression.
“But Field Marshal, we can't put an army in the hands of Hans—who's had no proper military training—Colonel, no, Baron!”
“Cough! Of course, I'm not saying give the baron command of the troops, Schlieffen. Just dispatch him to Africa as the responsible overseer.”
In other words, send me to play political officer.
But I had zero intention of going to Africa.
The Russo-Japanese War was starting next month.
To resolve the Herero issue, I'd have to ship out with the suppression force to the Southwest Africa colony and stay there at least until summer.
I didn't have time to brawl with Herero rebels in Namibia when I needed to monitor the Russo-Japanese War closely.
“...Not a bad idea, in its own way.”
Then I heard Chancellor von Bülow mutter.
I immediately approached him and protested in a low voice.
“Chancellor! Have you lost your mind? You're not seriously considering sending me to Africa just because Waldersee suggested it?!”
“No, if you're overseeing the suppression, we can at least be sure no massacre like we feared will happen.”
“That's true, but still no. I absolutely can't go. It's obviously a trap—why would I walk into it like an idiot?”
“I agree with you.”
Schlieffen came over and whispered to me.
He seemed to have forgotten his earlier sulk when I didn't back him up; his face was unprecedentedly grave.
“Waldersee isn't suggesting sending you to Africa out of goodwill. Especially not to an unpredictable battlefield.”
“Yes. There's definitely some plot brewing.”
I nodded and glared at Waldersee.
I wasn't falling for such a shallow trick.
So I was about to refuse the position outright.
But Wilhelm II beat me to it with words that left me flustered.
“Hm. Hans has never disappointed me so far.”
“???”
My easily swayed Billy had already flipped to Waldersee's side!
Ignoring my panic, the Kaiser grabbed my shoulder proudly and said,
“So he'll handle the suppression just fine, as the field marshal suggests.”
“No, Your Majesty...”
“Haha, don't worry, Hans. You're not commanding the troops yourself. Just properly oversee that things go smoothly.”
Wilhelm II's eyes brimmed with trust in me, making my head spin.
I recalled my mother's words from my past life.
She always told me to aim for average.
Too poor was a problem, but too good made life exhausting.
This was exactly that.
My track record so far had caught up to me.
‘If Wilhelm II puts it like this, I can't refuse. Damn it.’
Refusing would deeply disappoint my hotheaded Kaiser.
And that would hit me hard.
Despite my youth, I'd been able to influence Germany's foreign policy thanks to my abilities and Wilhelm II's trust.
Undermining that trust and favor now would throw a red light on my plans to intervene in the Russo-Japanese War and prevent Germany's diplomatic isolation.
I couldn't let that happen.
“Hans. Can I trust you?”
“...Of course, Your Majesty.”
I nodded to Wilhelm II, effectively agreeing to go to Africa.
Bülow and Schlieffen looked worried, as if asking if I was sure, but there was no helping it.
‘This damned old hag. Pulling this until the end, huh?’
Seeing Waldersee smirk vilely, muttering something like “just as planned” from a famous cartoon, I gritted my teeth without thinking.
‘Go ahead and try. I'm not playing your game.’
Whatever his scheme, I'd smash it, survive, and return to Germany.
If Waldersee was still alive, I'd laugh in his face; if dead, I'd mock his tombstone.
So I set off for Africa right away... no, not quite.
To suppress the Herero rebellion, the German Empire planned to dispatch 10,000 troops to Southwest Africa. Organizing and preparing to transport such a large expeditionary force would take considerable time.
The earliest I'd set foot in the Southwest Africa colony with the suppression army was late April.
While I busied myself preparing for the Southwest Africa campaign, the long-awaited guns of war finally thundered across East Asia.