Chapter 6 Your Majesty, This Is a Slap in the Face!

Potsdam, the Saxon Empire, Sanssouci Palace.

The Rococo palace, hailed as the ‘Saxon Versailles,’ appeared quiet and solemn under the cover of night. However, this tranquility was soon shattered by the sound of hurried footsteps.

An encrypted telegram from the Kingdom of Aragon front line, after two hours of transmission and decryption, was finally delivered to the study of Albert II, Emperor of the Saxon Empire. Arriving with the telegram were the rushed Helmuth Ludwig von Moltke (the Chief of the Imperial General Staff) and Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg (the Imperial Chancellor). Young Moltke’s uncle, for context, was Old Moltke, a military genius of the Saxon Empire.

Although Young Moltke’s personality was relatively weak, since serving as Albert II’s aide-de-camp, he had consistently outperformed many more capable individuals in various respects, ultimately rising to the position of Chief of the Saxon Empire Army General Staff.

Inside the study, the fire in the fireplace burned quietly, illuminating the Emperor’s slightly fatigued face. Albert II took the telegram offered by his attendant and quickly scanned its contents.

As his gaze swept across the first half of the telegram, the supreme ruler of the Empire’s face instantly darkened, his fingers grasping the paper turning slightly white from the force. But as he continued reading, his taut facial lines gradually softened, and the attendant standing nearby even heard the Emperor’s relieved whisper:

“As long as he’s been rescued, as long as he’s been rescued…”

Albert II placed the telegram on the table and leaned back in his chair, letting out a long sigh.

An Imperial Lieutenant General captured by a hostile force in a foreign land would not just be a military failure; it would be a terrible diplomatic disaster and a media storm. Thankfully, the worst-case scenario had been averted.

“Your Majesty, the Britannians’ actions are a blatant trampling of the Empire’s dignity!” Young Moltke’s voice broke the brief silence in the study. Although not a tall man, his crisp gray military uniform gave him a commanding presence.

“Ambushing our Military Observation Group without a declaration of war is not just an insult to the Saxon Army, but a direct challenge to your authority as the Emperor of the Empire!” Young Moltke took a step forward, his voice filled with unconcealed fury.

“We must make them pay! The Kingdom of Aragon is crucial for extending our influence southward and must not fall into the hands of the Britannians! If the Royal Army they support wins, Britannian influence will be pushed right up to the Empire’s doorstep!”

The Imperial Chancellor Hollweg, who had been silent, spoke up opportunely. His tone was more subdued than Young Moltke’s, but his words carried no less weight.

“Your Majesty, the Chief of Staff is correct. From a political standpoint, Crown Prince Alfonso studied in the Empire and advocates adopting the Imperial industrial development model. He is already our most ideal ally. More importantly…”

Hollweg paused, dropping a bombshell.

“The latest exploration reports indicate the discovery of what may be the largest Luminite Ore vein on the entire continent of Europa, located in the southern mountains of the Kingdom of Aragon. Therefore, the nature of this Aragon Kingdom civil war has fundamentally changed.”

Luminite Ore! Albert II’s eyes instantly sharpened. He understood perfectly what this meant. The lifeblood of the Saxon Empire’s technology route, the one it relied upon to compete with Britannia and Gaul, was this very mineral. A mineral vein—the largest in Europa—was enough to completely tip the balance of power across the entire continent.

He also clearly knew that it was because of the discovery of this mineral vein that the Britannians had intervened in the Kingdom of Aragon’s civil war. Indeed, if the Gallic Republic weren’t currently busy suppressing large-scale colonial uprisings, that nation—which also borders the Kingdom of Aragon—would absolutely have entered the fray!

As for why two nations that primarily followed the Magitek route would suddenly covet Luminite Ore? The reason was simple.

If a mine is exploited, it empties. This was especially true for Aetherium Crystals, which fell to the planet as extraterrestrial meteorites. Their reserves were nowhere near as plentiful as the planet’s native mineral species. After years of unrestricted mining by the Britannians and the Galls, the Aetherium Crystal reserves had dropped dangerously close to the red line. Therefore, these two major Magitek nations had already been considering adjusting their technological development routes, and the mineral vein discovered in the Kingdom of Aragon was like a pillow delivered in their sleep.

Albert II frowned, then temporarily set aside these thoughts and turned his gaze to his Chief of Staff.

“Helmuth, if I give you free rein, what is your degree of confidence? Also, one more thing. If we launch an offensive, will it be considered a declaration of war against Britannia?”

Hearing Albert II’s question, Young Moltke pondered for a moment, then answered seriously:

“Your Majesty, please trust the training, courage, and discipline of the Imperial soldiers! As for declaring war… Since the Britannians chose to wage war without a declaration, why should we be constrained by such hypocrisy?”

On this point, Albert II had few objections. Over the years, conflicts between the Empire and Britannia and Gaul in the African colonies—over resources and territory—had never ceased. Bloody armed clashes were commonplace. If a formal declaration of war were required every time, the entirety of Europa would have been plunged into chaos long ago.

“Continue.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. If we do launch an offensive, the troops dispatched to the Kingdom of Aragon will commence operations in coordination with our allies, the National Army and the International Brigades!” Young Moltke’s lips twitched involuntarily as he mentioned the International Brigades.

“The International Brigades…” Albert II’s eyes flashed with a complex expression when he mentioned the force. “I recall you recently informed me that the eleventh batch of International Brigades volunteers had completed assembly and entered the Kingdom of Aragon by land?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The International Brigades forces within the Kingdom of Aragon have now reached the size of seven brigades.” Young Moltke nodded. His feelings at this moment were as complex as Albert II’s.

These volunteers, who responded to the slogan of ‘breaking monopolistic hegemony and sharing civilizational progress’ and came from all over the world, were not professional soldiers. However, their fighting spirit and sheer fearlessness commanded Young Moltke’s respect and a hint of fear.

Although this International Brigades force was organized by the Saxon Empire, which largely took care of their basic armament, logistics, and transportation needs—making the two sides close ‘allies’ in a sense—he had often wondered if one day these workers, farmers, teachers, and other so-called ‘progressives’ would, for some reason, turn their guns on the Saxon Empire.

Chancellor Hollweg stepped forward at this time. “Your Majesty, due to the extensive press coverage of the International Brigades, the Social Democrats who spearheaded this effort are becoming increasingly brazen in their actions, even organizing several large-scale demonstrations in some cities! I must remind you that these left-wing elements will always be a time bomb for the Empire.”

“I am aware of that, but at least for now, we still need these ‘International Volunteers’ to maintain the situation in the Kingdom of Aragon.” Albert II sighed. As the heir to the House of Wettin, he was well aware of the threat posed by domestic left-wing forces.

“As for those Social Democrats… let them jump around for a while longer. We must first focus our energy on the military situation in the Kingdom of Aragon.”

At this, Albert II finally made up his mind. He stood up from his chair, walked to the large map of Europa, and fixed his gaze on the area bordering the Kingdom of Aragon and the Saxon Empire.

“I authorize the troops already in the Kingdom of Aragon to coordinate with our allies and launch necessary military action! Give the Britannians a taste of their own medicine!”

“By your command, Your Majesty!” Young Moltke snapped to attention, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

“However…” Albert II’s tone suddenly shifted, and he lightly tapped Seville on the map with his finger. “I regret sending General Mackensen to command the fighting in the Kingdom of Aragon. Draft a joint transfer order in my name and the General Staff’s, ordering him to return home to recuperate.”

Young Moltke was taken aback. He couldn’t understand why the Emperor would call back the battle-hardened Mackensen at such a critical moment. After all, changing generals on the eve of battle was considered a great military taboo.

Before Young Moltke could ask for a reason, he heard Albert II continue:

“Lieutenant General Mackensen is not just an Imperial General; he is the Empire’s most precious ‘Living Fossil’! He should be reserved for a true total war, not a localized conflict.” The Emperor’s voice was calm and clear. “Furthermore, we cannot afford the cost of losing such a general in the Kingdom of Aragon. For a small-scale, localized war… it doesn’t require a furious offensive, but a more stable hand to prevent the situation from deteriorating further!”

Albert II turned to Young Moltke. “My Chief of Staff, do you have a recommendation for a new commander for the Aragon Kingdom Expeditionary Force?”

Young Moltke considered it briefly, then quickly provided an answer: “General Maximilian von Prittwitz, Your Majesty.”

“Are you certain he is up to the task?”

“Yes. While he is not as outstanding as General Mackensen, his command style is steady and measured, and he is skilled in defensive counterattacks. Assigning him responsibility for the Aragon campaign should ensure its success!”

“Prittwitz…” Albert II repeated the name to himself, finally nodding. “He shall be the one. Issue his appointment immediately, and order him to depart for the Kingdom of Aragon front line at once, to relieve General Mackensen!”