Tyranny of Steel

After hearing the Kaiser ask him about the situation in Iberia, Adelbrand sighed heavily before taking a large swig from his drink. It was only after several seconds of nonstop drinking did he place his cup down before complaining about Hasan.

"I tried. Lord knows I tried to convince him otherwise. However, the fool is dead set on expansion. He does not think about consolidating his gains, and instead wants to conquer more land. I warned him, if he invades Morocco, the people in Spain and Portugal will rebel.

At first Hasan agreed, but when the Emir of Morocco insulted him, by insinuating that he was your bitch, the esteemed Sultan decided it would be a brilliant idea to march his army into Morocco and prove to its ruler that he could conquer North Africa on his own."

I have little doubts that he will win, but in the meantime, the only thing keeping the Iberian Catholics at bay is the threat of another German invasion. However, our small amount of troops in the region will not be able to deter them for long. It is only a matter of time before the catholics rebel against Hasan's rule."

Berengar had a stern expression on his face as he heard this. He had invested a substantial sum of money and blood into reuniting Al-Andalus in exchange for control over the straight of Gibraltar. He did not want this investment to go to waste. Thus, he had decided to consult with the man most familiar with the Iberian theater about his opinion.

"So, how do you suggest we proceed?"

Adelbrand took another giant swig from his beer before responding to Berengar's question.

"At this point, there is little of the Granadan Royal Army that remains in Iberia. If we do not send support now, rebellion will occur. The only thing preventing full-scale revolution is the five thousand or so support personnel we still have in the region, maintaining peacekeeping operations."

Berengar did not immediately respond to this opinion, instead he contemplated his options carefully. If Hasan responded to such a petty provocation with war, then it demonstrated that he was not fit to rule over Al-Andalus. The man had yet to have a son, and if he were to die in Morocco then, it would leave Ghazi as the heir to the Throne. 

Berengar could use his authority over his son with Yasmin and declare himself regent of Al-Andalus, where he would micromanage the nation with the support of some local advisors until a point where his son was old enough to claim ownership of the Sultanate.

The problem with this plan was that Berengar would never risk Yasmin's love by assassinating her brother. Though she planned to put her own son on the Iberian Throne, she would not kill her foolish younger brother to do so. She merely expected him dying young because of his stupidity. 

Upon thinking about it for some time, Berengar nodded his head and gave Adelbrand his response. 

"Very well... I will deploy a division to Iberia. Their job will be to maintain the peace of the region by any means necessary. Which leaves me with one question for you. Do you wish to continue to oversee operations in the Iberian theatre, and act as my personal advisor to the Sultan? Or do you wish to return home to the Fatherland and oversee the defensive operations of the war that will soon take place in our lands?"

Adelbrand understood the hidden meaning behind this question. Berengar wanted him to replace Eckhard, after all the previous Field Marshal who acted as the second in command of Berengar's Land-Based Forces had retired, and now ruled over Prussia as its King.

Until now, Berengar had not replaced Eckhard's position. Out of all of Berengar's greatest Generals who had been with him since before he established himself as a monarch, Adelbrand was the only one left who had not retired from the military in favor of politics. This meant that Adelbrand was the most trustworthy General Berengar had left and wanted the man by his side in Kufstein. 

Though Adelbrand would not be officially promoted, as the only rank above that of Field Marshal was the Reichsmarschall, which Berengar maintained as the Kaiser. He would unofficially be second only to the Kaiser in terms of land-based operations. The prospect was daunting, as the man did not feel he could adequately replace Eckhard. However, Berengar's next words thoroughly convinced him. 

"Adelbrand, you have served me for many years, and have been the most important factor in our victory in Iberia. You have earned the right to return to the fatherland, take a few wives, sire a few heirs, and command my armies from the safety and comfort of the capital. I understand you wish to see things through in Iberia, but Reconquista is over, and someone else can be assigned to the region to maintain peacekeeping operations. You belong here in the fatherland..."

Before the man could respond, the waitress returned with the food they had ordered, and a pretty smile on her face. She quietly handed the two men their meals before asking a question to Adelbrand. 

"I'm sorry to bother you sir, but my brother is in the Army, and I just had to ask, what theatre are you in command of?"

Berengar smirked as he dug into his food, waiting for Adelbrand to finally say some words to the girl, who was aggressively pursuing him. Adelbrand gawked in silence for a few moments before he cleared his throat and answered the woman's question.

"The Iberian Theatre..."

The woman gazed in shock at the man and covered her mouth before making a comment.

"Then you must be Field Marshal Adelbrand. I am your biggest fan. Can I have your autograph?"

The woman took out a fountain pen and her notepad and handed it to the man, where he awkwardly signed his name. After saying receiving his signature, the girl held her notepad to her chest before speaking more with the man.

"My brother is in Iberia. He has told me how bravely you have led your troops to victory in the region. He says without you, there was no way that the Granadans could have won the war!"

Adelbrand was slightly flustered as he heard this, and Berengar merely goaded him on. 

"Oh yeah, that's right. I heard it was Adelbrand who led the defense of Granada when the peasant crusaders marched onto its borders. I also heard it was he who sacked the city of Toledo and killed the King of Castille. After all, it's not like the Kaiser did much other than sit back in the city of Granada and enjoy the company of its princess." 

The moment the girl heard this, her expression sank before chastising Berengar for his words.

"What do you know? I heard the Kaiser was brilliant when he was in Iberia, personally leading the cavalry charge like a conquering hero! However, after he left, the war fell to Adelbrand's hands, and it was he that played a pivotal role in ending Reconquista. Shame on your for insulting our Kaiser. I have half a mind to report you to the local authorities for suspicion of treason!"

Berengar struggled to contain his laughter. It appeared the girl was also a fan of his. Thus, he played a prank on her as he called the girl's bluff with a cunning smile on his face.

"Go on then, call for the authorities. I'd like to see what they have to say..."

The girl was so flustered by Berengar's errant behavior that she was about to run away and call the city guards when Adelbrand stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

"He's just kidding. My Kaiser, you're torturing the poor girl, you should be mindful of your position..."

Berengar wore a shit-eating grin when he saw the woman react to his title. She was astonished. Though she knew the man looked like the Kaiser, and was hanging out with Field Marshal as an equal, she simply believed there was no reason for the Kaiser to visit her family's humble beer house. She trembled over her words before bowing respectfully to Berengar.

"K...Ka...Kaiser, please forgive me for my rudeness! I did not know!"

The moment she said these words, the entire atmosphere turned silent as everyone gazed towards Berengar. Realizing that his cover had been blown, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a can of pomade, which he used to slick back his hair. After doing so, he placed his eyepatch over his head, which was concealed within his nearby coat, and attempted to calm the girl down.

"Relax, I was merely joking. Besides, you have nothing to worry about. It makes me proud that my people will defend me against slander. I'm sorry if I caused you any mental anguish. Well, it looks like things have gotten awkward, so I'll just head out."

After saying this, he reached into a coin pouch and placed an Austrian Gulden on the table. The girl's eyes grew wide as she saw the money the Kaiser was leaving as payment. It was far more than such a humble beer house could ask for. Berengar patted Adelbrand on the shoulder before leaving behind his parting words. 

"Adelbrand, do think about my offer. I will be returning to the Palace for now, feel free to drop by whenever you have an answer..."

After saying this, Berengar left the bar, where everyone was stunned at the scene they had just witnessed. The Kaiser had been sitting in such a humble establishment and drinking among them the entire time, and nobody had noticed.

Some of the older people in the crowd simply smiled and reflected on the days when Berengar personally taught them how to read, write, and do basic arithmetic. It brought a smile to their faces, knowing that despite the vast increase in power that he had obtained over the years, Berengar's good nature had not changed.