Tyranny of Steel

Berengar sat at a bar beside his friend and Field Marshal. While Adelbrand was dressed in a rather exquisite uniform that was appropriate for a man in his position, Berengar was dressed like a common paratrooper, with a submachine gun wrapped around his back. At first glance, one would assume that Berengar was just a common footsoldier, that is, until they gazed upon the Reichsmarchall tabs on his collar and shoulders, as well as the red stripes on his trousers. 

The Kaiser was chugging a beer, as if it were the greatest form of replenishment, before explaining how he just jumped out of a plane to his old friend. 

"I'm telling you, it's the best feeling in the world. The only thing that could make it even better is if the enemy were firing upon us as we descended! It is honestly not like anything you have ever felt before!"

When Adelbrand heard these words, he merely shook his head and smirked before taking a sip from his own beer. After doing so, he scolded Berengar for his behavior.

"Over my dead body, am I ever letting you drop into a fucking war zone! We are no longer fighting the same kinds of wars that we were ten years ago where personal skill determined who survived. If what you say is true, and this Japanese Empire has the weapons you think they do, you will get yourself killed without ever seeing the man who took your life. The modern battlefield is no place for emperors! So why in the hell are you dressed up as a paratrooper? And what the hell did you mean by stopping here on your way to Cairo?"

Berengar chuckled as he finished his drink. Afterwards, he signalled for the tavern wench to pour another. She was a Moorish woman despite her line of work and cast a friendly smile towards Adelbrand before handing over two more mugs of beer. 

"For you, these are on the house." 

Berengar scoffed when he heard this before, looking at the woman as if she had offended him. The busty beauty gazed back at him with a glance that said "go fuck yourself" before Adelbrand sent her away. After she was gone, Berengar scoffed once more before expressing his thoughts.

"It's like the people here forgot what I did for them!"

Adelbrand merely rolled his eyes in response to this before taking another gulp. After doing so, he commented on Berengar's appearance before shifting the subject to something more pleasant. 

"You could trick your own people with that getup, never mind her, don't change the subject, tell me what you're doing here, and why you're headed to Egypt!"

Berengar chuckled before reaching into his satchel and pulling out a letter. He quickly handed it over to Adelbrand before commenting on the document.

"Right, I meant to give this to you when I saw you, but I was so pumped full of Adrenaline I kind of forgot. To put it simply, Adelbrand, you're coming home..."

The man gazed at Berengar in shock before ripping open the letter and reading the official summons, which was stamped with Berengar's seal. He could not believe that the day had finally come. 

"You mean it? You found a replacement for ruling over this country? I can finally return to Austria?"

Berengar nodded his head while responding to Adelbrand's questions. 

"I need my best General to help me plan something big. In the past, I promised you Eckhard's vacant position before the situation deteriorated in Iberia. The offer still stands if you want it. Naturally, if you accept, you will be working in Kufstein, but the commute between the capital and your hometown is short enough by train that you can live in Salzburg full time if you wish. 

As for why I'm headed to Cairo, my archeology department has dug up something interesting in an old tomb that needs my immediate attention. So I will be in Egypt for a few weeks before returning home. I figured I'd make a little detour and give your summons personally before setting out. By the time I return, you should be properly adjusted to civilized life and no longer have to deal with this primitive shithole."

There were practically tears in Adelbrand's eyes as he heard the words he had been longing to hear for years. He immediately hugged his old friend and thanked him before taking another swig of his drink. After doing so, he sighed heavily in relief. 

"It'll be good to go back home. It's been too long. Hell, the last time I was in the fatherland, I had to do something shameful but necessary. That stupid bastard. What the hell was he thinking? I know it was not easy for you to do, but thank you, thank you for letting me be the one to put my pathetic brother out of his misery." 

The Kaiser's expression sank when he heard this. The two men stared in silence for several moments before Berengar raised his glass in a toast.

"To the Kinslaying club, I finally have another member to share my woes with..."

Adelbrand nearly chuckled when he heard such a crass remark, but suppressed his desire to do so as he clanked his mug against the Kaisers. The two of them shared a brief drink before staring off into space while dwelling on what had happened.

Two years prior, after having his first visit to the fatherland since his elder brother Wolfgang had assaulted the First Prince. Adelbrand had made a request to Berengar that if the fool was still alive, then he should be the one to kill him. 

Berengar pulled a few strings with the justice system, and allowed Adelbrand to have one last conversation with his elder brother, who was a shadow of his former self after being in a labor camp for so long. In this conversation, Adelbrand had vented his sheer hatred of his brother for abandoning him to defend their homeland against the Bavarian Army by himself.

After saying just how much he despised Wolfgang, Adelbrand plugging his brother's skull with a 9mm. The body was buried in an unmarked grave behind the labor camp, where most who died within its walls were entombed.

The silence between the two men went on for nearly a minute, where it was Berengar who broke it once again. 

"You should know that his ex-wife and kids are doing just fine. Luckily, Ava was able to divorce that idiot before you killed him. I know it doesn't mean much, but at least she won't have to bear the shame of being a sentenced traitor's widow.

Her kids are doing fine. For a while, they lived in my family's old castle, but I ended up buying a villa for them to stay in. Ava is hopeless, but luckily she has a full staff to help raise her kids. Adela also drops by when she can to help out.

You will be happy to hear that though the little buggers may be your brother's kids, they don't share his defective mind, or that of their mother's. You should visit them some time, you know when you get back. They need a real father figure in their life, and I don't see ava remarrying any time soon. Who knows, maybe you can do her favor and take her as one of your wives!"

Adelbrand was silently nodding his head in agreement about Berengar's entire speech until that last part. He could not help but gaze at Berengar in complete shock before pleading with the man to spare him such agony. 

"Please, not her... You... You know as well as I do how she is... Don't make me marry her!

Berengar sighed when he heard this and shook his head before expressing his thoughts on the matter.

"If you're not even willing to marry her, then she is doomed. It's a shame, she has such a nice rack..."

The two men remained silent after these words were spoken for a total of three seconds before they broke out into laughter. After a few moments of calming themselves, Adelbrand asked the next most important question on his mind. 

"Pardon my ignorance, but since when does an archeological expedition require your presence? I'm curious. Just what did you find?"

Berengar merely scoffed as he swallowed down another gulp of beer before responding to his friend's question.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you. If you're curious, you can accompany me, but I can't guarantee your survival..."

Now it was Adelbrand's turn to scoff as he voiced his sarcasm about the whole situation.

"Right, I must have forgotten just how dangerous archeology is. You know if you don't want me to go, just say it."

Berengar reacted in a manner which Adelbrand did not expect. He quickly slammed his mug onto the countertop before pointing towards the Jaegers, who were standing guard.

"Listen, there is a reason that my bodyguard consists of men from the Jaeger Regiment. This is no laughing matter. I could very well die in there. You have no idea what lurks in the shadows of this world. If you want to come, you can come, but I'm telling you to think about your position before you do something so dangerous."

Adelbrand gazed over at the soldiers that Berengar had opted to take with him, and only now realized that they were not members of the Reichsgarde, but were special forces operatives whose primary task was direct action against hostile forces. After realizing how serious Berengar was, Adelbrand scoffed once more before responding to Berengar's claims.

"If what you say is true, then I can't possibly let you go alone. I'm coming with you. Better make room for one more on that plane of yours!" 

Berengar merely took another sip from his drink before responding to Adelbrand's words.

"Just so you know, if you do kick the bucket, I'm telling your widow that this was your idea."

In response to this, Adelbrand merely smiled and raised his glass before making a snarky remark.

"Likewise!"