"Your Majesty, today I saw the future of the Imperial Navy."
Late at night.
Kaiser Wilhelm's office.
"We must immediately adopt this 'Dreadnought'!"
'Just hours ago, he was half-dead with exhaustion, and now he's bursting with energy.'
Schlieffen couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Admiral Tirpitz, who had been passionately extolling the virtues of the "ultimate battleship" for hours.
Who could have predicted things would unfold like this?
Even Schlieffen himself hadn't seen it coming.
"Hans Jo..."
That Eastern boy who saved the Kaiser's life.
Now, he was the most controversial figure in Berlin's social circles. Whether praised or vilified, his name was on everyone's lips.
Schlieffen, like many others, was deeply curious about this boy.
After all, it was unthinkable that Kaiser Wilhelm II would allow an Asian into the palace.
For Germans familiar with the Kaiser's usual disparaging remarks about Asians, it was beyond belief.
Yet, when the rumors about Hans were confirmed, Berlin erupted as if struck by a bomb.
Schlieffen felt that even the Battle of Königgrätz (Sadowa) from his youth hadn't stirred such fervor.
Some claimed the Kaiser had gone mad. Others spread scandalous whispers, suggesting the Kaiser was indulging in proclivities akin to the ancient Greeks.
So, when Schlieffen received the Kaiser's invitation to a banquet, he resolved to see this "Hans Jo" for himself.
Part of it was curiosity. But he also considered that if this Eastern boy posed any threat to the royal family or the German Empire, he wouldn't hesitate to use force to expel him.
"Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but that's impossible."
Yet Hans Jo defied Schlieffen's expectations.
No, he surpassed everyone's expectations.
Since Bismarck's dismissal, few had dared to openly contradict the Kaiser. Yet Hans did just that.
At their first meeting, he seemed merely a polite boy, but his boldness was impossible to ignore.
Schlieffen decided to protect Hans, shielding him from Tirpitz's wrath.
It was purely out of interest—he wanted to know what this boy was thinking, why he was so audacious.
Then, Schlieffen was stunned again.
Hans Jo was no ordinary Eastern boy.
He was, without question, a genius.
In truth, Hans was just an ordinary person with the memories of someone from the future. But to the unaware Schlieffen, he was something far beyond a mere child.
Moreover, Hans's suggestions for the army addressed Schlieffen's most pressing concerns.
Lately, parliament's bookish, battle-ignorant members had been pushing to cut army budgets in favor of naval expansion, much to his frustration. Hans's proposals were a breath of fresh air.
"I want him!"
Schlieffen's long-dormant hunger for talent roared to life.
Even within the German Empire's military, few could devise strategies like Hans's.
Hans was a genius who had to serve the army. Where else could such talents be put to use?
Of course, if the ordinary Hans heard this, he'd object vehemently. But to Schlieffen, Hans's opinion didn't matter.
Schlieffen himself hadn't planned to become a soldier, yet he'd risen to Chief of the General Staff.
"Do well in whatever you do"—wasn't that the way of things?
"Pity he's still too young."
If he were five years older, Schlieffen would have sent him to the military academy, no matter what.
Schlieffen stroked his chin, mulling over plans that would likely make Hans's skin crawl.
"But this 'Dreadnought,' this new type of battleship—it hasn't been tested in combat!"
"New weapons are always like that. Besides, the concept has existed for a while!"
While Schlieffen was lost in thoughts about Hans, Chancellor Bülow and Tirpitz were locked in heated debate.
The Dreadnought.
A revolutionary new battleship proposed by Hans, unlike anything seen before.
Though it was unclear why it bore an English-style name, theoretical simulations suggested it was a monster no existing warship could match.
With superior speed, overwhelming firepower, and unmatched accuracy from long-range guns, the Dreadnought's design made current battleships seem obsolete.
Even Schlieffen, a navy outsider, had to admit it was the "ultimate battleship."
This was why even Tirpitz, after hearing Hans's explanation, began singing its praises and demanding immediate construction.
His earlier slurs about Hans being a "yellow monkey" were conveniently forgotten.
Chancellor Bülow, however, urged caution.
Schlieffen didn't care much either way, as long as army budgets remained untouched.
"And the cost of building a Dreadnought could be twice that of existing battleships. Where will the funds come from?"
"Cancel the planned Brunswick- and Deutschland-class battleships. Redirect their budgets to Dreadnoughts. We'll build fewer ships, but given their power and value, the sacrifice is worth it."
"Even so, the risk is too great. If it fails…"
"Enough, Bülow."
"Your Majesty?"
Bülow's heated argument was cut off by the Kaiser raising his hand.
It seemed the Kaiser had made his decision.
"Admiral Tirpitz."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Immediately halt all new battleship construction plans. Tomorrow, summon the entire Navy Ministry leadership. I will personally discuss the Dreadnought with them. And Chancellor Bülow."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Fear of failure achieves nothing. Hans is right—we're the latecomers. Following others' footsteps won't let us catch up. Now is the time to take risks."
"…Your Majesty speaks wisely."
Though Bülow's expression showed reluctance, he wouldn't defy the Kaiser's will.
Schlieffen knew Bülow too well to expect otherwise.
"Schlieffen, what's your view?"
"The army will fully support Your Majesty and the navy's decision."
Since the plan didn't touch army funds, he had no reason to object.
"On a personal note, if we don't act now and build the Dreadnought first, we risk falling behind. Britain and other powers won't sit idly by."
Since the Battle of Tsushima, Britain had already begun discussing Dreadnought-like concepts.
To Schlieffen, if Germany didn't move now, Britain would likely develop it first.
"Well said! If Britain builds a Dreadnought first, Germany will never catch up!"
Bang!
The Kaiser slammed his fist on the table, as if vowing never to let that happen.
"Understand? This is a race. We must act before the British realize the Dreadnought's value!"
"Your Majesty is wise!"
"Let's give it everything we've got! This is our last and best chance to seize naval supremacy. We cannot let it slip away!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Late at night.
Though the air outside was cold, the Kaiser's office burned with fervor.
-----------------
"Hans, do you know how shocked I was today?"
While Wilhelm II discussed Hans's proposal with Bülow and others in his office, Hans was getting a stern lecture from Empress Auguste for his actions at the banquet.
"What you did today was utterly rude and reckless. I know you thought it through, but you must consider the occasion, timing, and manner when expressing your ideas."
"I'm very sorry, Your Majesty."
"Sigh. Thankfully, it didn't cause a major issue."
"…"
"Please, don't do this again—for your own sake."
"I'll keep that in mind, Your Majesty."
"It's late. Go rest. And don't forget to apologize to His Majesty and General Tirpitz for your rudeness today."
"Yes, ma'am."
Hans bowed to the still-sighing Empress Auguste and hurried out of the room.
Whew. Why did that feel more exhausting than speaking at the banquet?
"But things went fairly smoothly overall."
Though Hans didn't know what Wilhelm II was discussing in his office, he was confident the Kaiser would accept the proposal.
After all, even someone as foolish as Wilhelm II would understand the importance of Germany building Dreadnoughts first.
If he couldn't grasp that after Hans's explanation, he wouldn't just be foolish—he'd be unfit to be human.
"Schlieffen and Tirpitz seem to like me, too."
Though Chancellor Bülow remained skeptical of Hans, gaining the approval of those two was a significant victory.
Especially if he could build a good relationship with Schlieffen, it would help immensely when developing new weapons for the German Empire's military in the future.
"But Britain's still a concern."
While Anglo-German relations hadn't completely collapsed, cracks were forming.
Britain was growing wary of this ambitious, rising power.
If Germany built Dreadnoughts first, Britain's reaction was predictable.
"Britain probably won't act rashly for now."
They were still preoccupied with the Russian Empire's southward expansion—the great Eastern bear.
They didn't have much energy to spare.
But three years from now, after the Russo-Japanese War ended and Russia's "Great Game" with Britain concluded, Britain would swiftly turn its attention to Germany.
"That's a problem for later."
Even if Dreadnought construction started immediately, it would take over a year.
And Germany's complex diplomatic situation wasn't something Hans could easily influence. For now, he'd focus on building strength for future challenges.
"Hans."
"Your Highness?"
As Hans reached his room's door, he saw Crown Prince Wilhelm standing there, apparently waiting for him.
What did the Crown Prince want with him this late at night?
To be honest, Hans and the Crown Prince weren't on good terms. Wilhelm had always shown subtle—or not-so-subtle—disdain for him.
This was the first time he'd ever initiated a conversation.
"Just escaped from Mother?"
"Yeah, she gave me quite a scolding over the banquet."
"Well, Mother's a good person, but she's strict about mistakes. That said, I found what happened at the banquet pretty interesting."
"You're too kind."
"What? No, I'm not praising you. But I'm not criticizing you either."
The Crown Prince scratched his head.
What was this, a Schrödinger's compliment?
"Just saying I'm seeing you in a new light."
"What do you mean?"
"You know I've never liked you. Honestly, I kind of hated you."
Hans didn't need an explanation to understand why.
"But at the banquet, you dared to contradict Father to his face—and convinced him. Honestly, that was impressive. At first, I thought you'd lost your mind."
"Haha…"
"I could never do that in front of Father. You might not know, but in Germany, fathers are both revered and feared by their children."
The Crown Prince spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction, a bitter smile crossing his face.
His father, Wilhelm II, was doting with his youngest daughter, Sissy, but ruthlessly strict with his sons.
For the Crown Prince, defying his father was unimaginable.
"It's not much different where I'm from. Human societies are pretty similar."
"Really?"
"Yeah, though my parents passed when I was young, so my memories are hazy."
By the way, Hans had no parents in this world. He explained that his "parents" had brought him as a baby from the Qing Dynasty to Germany but died of tuberculosis—an incurable disease at the time.
He couldn't exactly say, "I woke up and found myself in Germany," so he made up this story. Surprisingly, it worked well.
"Anyway, it was nice talking to you."
"Same here."
"Let's get along better from now on. I'll tell my younger brothers to ease up, too."
Ignoring you is kind of a hassle anyway.
The Crown Prince added with a light chuckle.
An unexpected turn of events.
But a good one.
If he could get the Crown Prince and the other princes on his side, it would be a huge advantage.
"Oh, Hans."
"Yeah?"
"Do you like football?"
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