A Decisive Blow (2)

"Your Imperial Majesty! How could you abandon us?!"

Kaiser Franz Joseph was in excellent health, save for becoming a bit more stubborn and sleeping in later than he used to. Oh, and his absolute, unwavering trust in Stahl. From the Kaiser's perspective, where could he find a more loyal subject than Stahl? He had occupied the throne for an unimaginable span of time—rivaling even Queen Victoria—yet no one had ever been able to cure the insomnia and obsessive-compulsive tendencies brought on by his political burdens. But Stahl had swept away those political headaches by resolving the Hungarian and ethnic issues in one fell swoop. And that wasn't all. He had even gifted the Emperor hobbies that perfectly suited his tastes, like mass games.

During his days as a graduate student, Stahl had learned exactly what hobbies stubborn, old professors loved, and he introduced every single one of them to the Emperor. From calligraphy to bonsai and orchids... they were all perfect hobbies for someone with obsessive-compulsive tendencies! Now, Franz Joseph spent his days obsessing over the precise thickness of each brushstroke. With his insomnia and compulsive habits cured, he no longer woke up at the crack of dawn at 5:00 AM to work. If the Kaiser slept in or was late these days, it was safe to assume it was because of his hobbies.

"When did We ever abandon you, Hötzendorf? Why do you speak such nonsense? Ah, look at this. Behold Our calligraphy."

"N-No... Your Imperial Majesty! Calligraphy is not what is important right now. Our great ancestors built this nation and fought for the Kaiser. How could you allow Stahl to plunder the lands of us nobles?"

"Hmm? Stahl plundered your agricultural land?"

"Yes, indeed—"

The Kaiser cut Hötzendorf off mid-sentence and asked sharply, "When?"

"What do you mean, when? Is he not establishing the Austrian Agricultural Cooperative as we speak?"

"Indeed. We heard he is 'purchasing' the land at a very reasonable price. We believe Ernst von Koerber of Our court handed over his lands this time. Minister Leopold did as well. In return, they received a vast sum of gold, not to mention temporary positions as Cooperative Leaders until the next election."

Hötzendorf gnashed his teeth. The two figures the Kaiser had just mentioned were Czech-Bohemian nobles. Their careers leaned closer to bureaucracy than the military. Ernst von Koerber, in particular, had amassed his wealth from railroads rather than traditional aristocratic estates. Since they had no agricultural land to lose and stood to gain immensely by aligning with the Cooperative, they had undoubtedly jumped ship.

"Y-Your Majesty... Though it may be a land purchase for now, it is obvious that Stahl will eventually join hands with the Reds and confiscate our lands. And will it stop at agricultural land? He will surely seize all of our real estate!"

"They said the exact same thing when the Hungarian Agricultural Cooperative and the Bosnian Agricultural Cooperative were established."

"But Hungary... was that not practically plunder?!"

The Kaiser abruptly stopped moving his Eastern brush and stared at Hötzendorf. Franz Joseph had grown old and suffered from a chronic cough. Yet, Hötzendorf vividly remembered the Kaiser who used to glare at him with tiger-like eyes for merely violating a few minor regulations. Only then did Hötzendorf realize his slip of the tongue. The majority of the Hungarian nobility had been traitors, and their lands had been legitimately acquired by the Cooperative, which was funded by the Imperial Family itself.

"I-I apologize..." In the end, Hötzendorf had no choice but to retreat without uttering another word.

While Austrian nobles like Hötzendorf and Beck-Rzikowsky flew into a blind rage, Stahl's appeasement strategy proved surprisingly effective.

"Wouldn't it be better for our family to align with Stahl's Cooperative as well?"

"Stahl is quite moderate, all things considered. Though our lands won't be hereditary forever... if we become Cooperative Leaders and amass vast capital through investment and development, that too could be a way to preserve our family's greatness."

"Look at the Hungarian nobles. The few who remained even had their positions in the Revolutionary Guard guaranteed, didn't they?"

Surprisingly, the inheritance of high-ranking military, bureaucratic, and political positions was common. Even in the United States, which prided itself on being a democratic republic, political dynasties were frequent—even well into the 21st century. Prominent examples included the Bushes and the Kennedys. In Great Britain, power was practically hereditary as well, at least until Winston Churchill pulled whatever stunt he did in the Far East.

"In any case, once Archduke Franz Ferdinand ascends the throne, we won't have any room to maneuver. Those Austrian country bumpkins are still desperately clinging to their manure-scented land."

"That is the limit of those Austrians. Isn't it about time we Czechs took the reins?"

"I must meet with Representative Stahl soon. Since things have turned out this way, why don't we ask him if he can establish a separate Czech Agricultural Cooperative?"

"Splendid!"

Whether in the military, administration, or politics, nobles were inherently political creatures. Many possessed a beast-like instinct for sensing the flow of power and preserving their own authority. The response was so overwhelmingly positive that even Stahl was taken aback. This was the result of pricing the land slightly above market value and handing out temporary Cooperative Leader positions like candy. There were already countless nobles who had wanted to align themselves with Stahl from the beginning. However, many had delayed their visits due to the prejudice that Stahl disliked nobles (which was about half true), while others had simply been waiting for the right opportunity. Thus, contrary to Stahl's expectations, an immense crowd of aristocrats flocked to him. Consequently, while the defection of the military nobility was minimal, a massive wave of non-military and non-Austrian nobles rushed to join.

"...It seems we didn't need to worry as much as we thought."

"Actually, I am worried for a completely different reason right now."

"Hmm? Why is that?"

"The vast fortune we amassed from the war boom might run dry."

"Do you think I don't know how skilled you and Adolf Hitler are at swindling people with bonds? Do not worry too much."

Although it required several times more capital than I had initially anticipated, there were plenty of nobles eager to invest in the newly established Austrian Agricultural Cooperative just to get on my good side.

"The cost is one thing, but... I am also worried that unqualified individuals might secure those temporary Cooperative Leader positions."

"That would indeed be a problem."

In the end, my only option was to run a ruthless audit team, just like we did with the Hungarian Agricultural Cooperative. Stalin, who was wrapping up the land reforms, would return soon. Although Stalin himself seemed to want to remain in Poland... strangely enough, he and Trotsky had hit it off. The two were supposed to be like oil and water, but whatever the hell I had done, they had grown surprisingly close, even calling each other 'comrade.' Of course, once a real power struggle began, they would be at each other's throats and their relationship would end in disaster. But weren't they comrades during the Russian Civil War, at least initially? Keeping those two together made me feel strangely uneasy.

"I should bring Joseph Stalin back and have him oversee the Cooperative's audits."

"Hmm? Stalin? Doesn't he seem better suited to being a military officer? Besides, I heard he is determined to run in the Bosnian Agricultural Cooperative elections once the war is over."

"...I assure you, auditing is far better suited to Stalin's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠true talents. And I doubt he will dislike the work either. If he waits a little longer, he will have his chance to run in the election for the Austrian Agricultural Cooperative Leader."

Charles had traveled all the way from Alsace-Lorraine to Austria, following Stahl while caring for his elderly mother, who could barely move. Charles was relatively fortunate compared to others; he was quite fluent in German. Even so, settling down in Austria was no easy feat.

"Another day wasted."

"Charles, come on, why don't you just head to the front lines with me? I heard from the guys who joined the Revolutionary Guard as mercenaries, and the pay is insane."

This was indeed true. The majority of male immigrants from Alsace-Lorraine had thrown themselves into the war as mercenaries. Doing so not only granted them official Cooperative Member status but also lined their pockets handsomely. After all, the most elite soldiers fighting in Serbia and Italy were those from Alsace-Lorraine.

But Charles shook ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his head. "You want me to do that shit again?"

"You've done it once. Why can't you do it twice?"

"Yeah. Once is fine, but a second time is too much."

In the end, the only thing Charles could do was resort to manual labor. But even manual labor jobs weren't plentiful. What kind of construction boom could possibly happen in the middle of a war? Yet, in the year following Stahl's triumphal parade, everything changed.

"M-Mr. Charles! Please, won't you come work at our oil refinery?"

"I heard you have experience on construction sites. Please come to our refinery construction site!"

Charles was dazed. He had never once regretted coming to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. No matter how impoverished life was, even if he couldn't eat his fill, he was still able to live a dignified human life. He might eat one less slice of bread today, but in return, he received movie tickets and cold medicine. That was a trade-off he gladly accepted. But now...

Is this really happening during a war? Why on earth is the economy booming like this?!

Once the war devolved into a complete war of attrition, an unprecedented economic boom swept through the Austro-Hungarian Empire. No matter how much they produced, the demand was endless. Even goods intended for domestic consumption were entirely swallowed up by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠export demands. Under these circumstances, the Austro-Hungarian Empire faced a bittersweet dilemma. They were experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime boom, yet they desperately lacked the labor force to run their factories.

"H-Hey! Weren't you unable to find a job because you couldn't speak German? How did you get hired?"

"...They just told me to show up. Then they tossed a German textbook at me."

"My goodness."

"It's not just me. Take a look around Vienna. Haven't you noticed?"

Only then did Charles recall the foreigners he had run into on the streets of Vienna. During a war, the movement of people usually grinds to a halt alongside the flow of goods. When the Serbian front was in a state of chaotic back-and-forth, fear of espionage had made it difficult to spot a single foreigner even in a cosmopolitan city like Vienna. But now... Russians, Ottomans... people fleeing unstable domestic situations or arriving as war refugees were pouring out in droves, heading to work at the factories.

"Wait, isn't that dangerous?"

"What is?"

"They could be spies... and... well, usually when a massive crowd of refugees gathers, trouble is bound to brew!"

"As expected, you're a sharp one, Charles." But Charles's friend shook his head. In truth, refugees had been pouring in for a while. Initially, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had blocked them. Even in peacetime, accepting a massive influx of refugees was no easy task, let alone during a war. But right now, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was in no position to give a damn about refugees, public order, or any of that nonsense.

"The companies are even setting up German language classes. There's absolutely no issue getting them to work."

"But isn't it still risky?"

"Ha... you still don't understand this Empire, do you? What does it matter? If they're Polish, they can just go to the Polish border. If they're Muslim, they can go to Bosnia. Simple as that."

For the longest time, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had suffered precisely because of its multi-ethnic nature. Yet, in this crisis, that very trait acted as a shock-absorbing breakwater. Was the country unstable because of its diverse ethnicities? Well, if it was going to be unstable anyway, why not absorb a massive crisis like a 'refugee influx' ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into the pre-existing, manageable friction of a 'multi-ethnic state'?

"In any case, since you're fluent in German, Charles, you're practically a premium asset. That's why job offers are pouring in for someone who was just sitting at home clipping his toenails."

Only then did Charles realize the magnitude of the opportunity before him. In that case... do I really have to stay in a factory? I could become a bureaucrat or even a politician! Charles was highly literate, capable of both reading and writing. He even spoke French, the lingua franca of diplomacy. Back in Alsace-Lorraine, as a mere mine worker focused entirely on surviving day-to-day, he had never had the luxury of dreaming.

"That's it. I'm going to become a bureaucrat."

"A bureaucrat? Hmm... it won't be easy. But since you're smart, Charles, there's no reason you can't do it."

Of course, watching everyone else rake in fortunes at the factories while he spent his days buried in books was a bitter pill to swallow. But that period of waiting was finally over.

"H-Help me!"

"How are we supposed to survey the agricultural land? And they want us to run the next Cooperative Member elections in the middle of all this?!"

"Accounting! Hire more accountants, please! We can't keep up with the donations!"

The popularity of the Austrian Agricultural Cooperative had exploded beyond all expectations. Because it had been established so abruptly, the chaos was even worse. The entire Empire was already suffering from a severe labor shortage, and anyone qualified to work as a low-level civil servant was busy in the factories trying to meet the endless export demands. Seizing this opportunity, Charles had successfully secured a position at the Austrian Agricultural Cooperative. And so... he joined the horde of administrative zombies in the temporary Cooperative headquarters.

"Ugh... Mother, save me."

"But isn't it wonderful that you're earning five times more than before?"

"Should I... should I just go to the front lines?"

He should have realized it when he saw the parade of bureaucratic zombies marching through the streets during the triumphal ceremony. This was far more brutal than actual warfare.