Tyranny of Steel

Berengar sat behind his desk. In front of him was a troubling report, which was gathered by the Department of Naval Intelligence. Standing before him was none other than his Grand Admiral Emmerich, who had handed the dossier over to his emperor.

"I'm sorry, my Kaiser, but it appears your third wife Honoria has gone a bit rogue in the development of her colony. As you can see in great detail, we have confirmed the mass implementation of slave labor. She has used her privateers for the most part to round up and force the natives into bondage. 

Her excuse for such actions was that she found herself alone in a hostile land, incapable of defeating the enemy while expanding upon the settlement. Thus, she has used some unconventional methods to increase labor and decrease threats to the colony.

I know you are morally against slavery, and I thought it was best to bring you this news in person. As for how you wish to handle the situation, I will leave it to your discretion." 

Berengar sighed heavily as he gazed upon the report sitting front of him. He silently flexed his fingers in contemplation while wondering what to do about this scenario. After several moments of silence, Berengar sat upright in his chair and poured himself a chalice filled with wine. He took a few sips before asking a question to his Grand Admiral.

"Do you know why I outlawed slavery, Emmerich?"

Emmerich shook his head silently, allowing his Emperor to respond to his own question.

"First and foremost, I enacted such a law to prevent any German citizen from ever living a life of total servitude. I deeply care about my people and their standard of living. However, there is a far more important reason that I outlawed slavery. Is it morally dubious? Perhaps, but then again, sometimes such evil is necessary in the foundation of an Empire.

No, I outlawed slavery because of the long-term ramifications it will have on our society as a whole. To put it simply, slavery, especially of a foreign population, will foster dissent within our society in the coming generations. 

It will not be long before slavery as an institution becomes wholly obsolete. As we advance in technology, we can and will replace most forms of labor with machines. When we finally achieve such a level of technology, what do we do with the leftover slaves?

It would be unjustifiable to outright terminate their existence, and shipping them back to their homelands would be an absurd expense. What if we have conquered their homelands? Do we give them a small portion of land to live on and decide their own fates?

We certainly can't integrate them into our own society, for if we did such a foolish thing, our enemies could easily foster their internalized resentments towards our people, and our society as a whole, creating a rather sizeable minority filled with potential insurgents. Naturally, that would be a security risk, one I am not willing to subject my people to for the sake of the delusional idea that we can all just peacefully coexist within shared borders. 

Do you know why Rome was so stable during the Principate? It was because they obliterated the cultural identity of every population they conquered, and forced them to bow to Rome as their rulers. Educating future generations to live their lives in service to its Empire as Romans. Such are my efforts in Bohemia. 

The fact that Honoria has enslaved the locals of South Vinland and forced them to work until their deaths is a considerable concern for the future prosperity of the colony. She has made a mistake that most political leaders are guilty of. Sacrificing long term stability for short-term profits.

I will handle this matter by educating my wife about what it means to rule effectively, and I will discipline her for her foolishness. However, make no mistake Emmerich, my moral outrage over slavery and my concern for the wellbeing of foreign populations is just about at the bottom of my list of priorities. I am running an Empire that spans across the Atlantic. I do not have the privilege to rule with morality in mind.

It seems I will have to visit this colony personally in the near future. However, I can not just up and leave Kufstein now that the Empire is finally united. Thus, in the coming days, I will covertly recruit potential colonists and ship them to the New World so that the colony can have a proper workforce. As for how the New Colonial Governor will dispose of the slaves, I will leave that to his discretion. 

As for my wife, inform her she is to return home to the fatherland as soon as her replacement arrives. She has been absent from her son's life for too long, and I fear the boy will soon believe Linde to be his true mother. After all, that little vixen has been the one taking care of him in Honoria's absence. 

Also, inform Honoria that she is to be ready and willing to accept her punishment when she returns home. Slavery is not just a morally questionable practice. As I have previously outlined, it has a significant impact on a Nation's long-term stability, and I will not have my Empire's integrity threatened because of my wife's greed."

Having been so thoroughly lectured by his Emperor, Emmerich had a lot to think about, especially if he wanted to rise through the ranks of the Imperial German Government one day. After some internal debate, the Grand Admiral realized, after listening to Berengar's long-winded speech, that there was much he could learn from the man. Thus, he humbly bowed before his Emperor as he accepted the task of delivering a simple message.

"Yes, my Kaiser, though allow me to ask a question before I depart, if you will."

Berengar took a sip from his chalice as he nodded his head before giving the man permission to speak his thoughts.

"Speak..."

Emmerich wasted no time as he asked that which he was curious about.

"Tell me, who is it you have selected to rule over the new colony in your stead, and have you decided upon a name for the region?"

Berengar smiled as he placed his chalice down on the table. After doing so, he folded his arms before leaning back in his chair. He had a relatively smug expression on his lips as he answered the Admiral's question. 

"Firstly, I have come up with an appropriate name for the colony. I will name it New Swabia, and as for the man selected to preside over the region as Colonial Governor, I have a man in mind who has proven his loyalty time and again over the years. His track record as the Count of Chur is quite impressive, and if not for his efforts, Switzerland may have been a far more difficult annexation.

Since then, he has presided as a minister in Switzerland's affairs and has aided my friend Ludwig in his duties as ruler of the land. If not for Ludwig's exceptional service to my realm, I would have named Rayner as the Grand Duke of Switzerland. Instead, he can take solace in the fact that I now reward him for his years of loyalty and support by naming the man as Grand Duke of New Swabia. Do you have any objections?"

Emmerich quickly shook his head. He thought Rayner was an exceptional candidate for the role and looked forward to the progress the colony made under his reign. Although there was another point that confused the admiral, and he quickly voiced his concerns.

"Who will be in charge of the armed forces dispatched to protect the New Colony?"

In response to this, Berengar merely chuckled before answering the question.

"There's a list of General Candidates who have been with me since the early days of my conquests. I will choose one of them to fulfill the role as the leader of the Colonial Auxiliary in the region, I will do the same for Arnulf, for too long he has acted as the man in direct control over his colonial forces, that is about to change. 

I will work with my Generals to select a new crop of soldiers who are willing and eager to travel to the colonies and fight for our expansion. From there, we will form the Colonial Auxiliary Forces, which will be composed of a few regiments for each colony. For the time being, there is no reason to deploy a full division to the new world that would simply be overkill. 

After saying this, Berengar stamped the documents on his desk and dismissed his admiral. It was only after the man had departed that the Emperor poured himself another glass of wine. As he sat back in his seat and gazed upon the setting sun, a frown formed on Berengar's face as he reflected on the conversation at hand. He sighed heavily before expressing his thoughts aloud.

"Damn it Honoria, you just couldn't help yourself, could you?"

After saying that, he finished his drink before getting back to work. Now that the Empire was unified, there was much that needed to be done, especially in the restructuring of the old nobility.