Tyranny of Steel

Nearly six months had passed since Adela's birthday, and Berengar had long since returned to his home, where he continued to oversee the construction of his city, the transition of power, the expansion of his armies, and of course, the progress of industry. It was now winter, and Berengar stood in the middle of his newly constructed Reichstag, which operated as the chamber for his House of Commons. Seated within the room were the many men who had been deemed intelligent, capable, and charismatic enough to represent the interests of the Common people of Kufstein.

The Young viscount was giving a powerful speech to the lower house of his legislative Branch about Kufstein's achievements since his father had voluntarily abdicated, leaving him control of the entire territory.

"Over the past several months, we all have worked tremendously to enrich further the lands in which we call home. Thanks to the Chemistry department, we have been able to refine a large amount of TNT, which has been instrumental in rapidly expanding the operations of the many mines within the Viscounty, which have fueled our growing industries. Bringing us a significant degree of autonomy and wealth!"

The ears of the commoners who were now elected officials of Kufstein's transitional government listened intensely to Berengar's impassioned speech, carefully paying attention to each word spoken as if it was being uttered from the voice of God.

"The mighty walls which shall secure the future of the City of Kufstein have been fully erected, constructed from steel-reinforced concrete blocks; they shall provide safety and security for every citizen who dwells within them for many years!"

Several of the Congressmen nodded in approval; the investment into the walls was considered of dire importance and had been the first among many rapid changes that have come to the region.

"As far as defense is concerned, we have amassed three whole infantry battalions, 2 entire artillery battalions, and a full Cuirassier battalion to act as the First Field Army of Kufstein. Forts have been constructed among the inhabited regions of the Viscounty and are fully garrisoned, as is the City, thus adding a great degree of protection to the lands and its people! I dare say the City of Kufstein could be laid siege to by an army of a hundred thousand men, and we would still be the victors!"

The House of Commons was all too familiar with the Army's funding and was fully supportive in the endeavor. Even though the government was originally supposed to be a mixture of the USA and Great Britain from Berengar's previous life, the Constitution was already redrafted four times to the point where it now greatly resembled the constitution of the German Empire from that timeline. However, the primary differences being in regards to the degree of authority in which the head of state held, which was significantly more than the Kaiser from Berengar's past life, and the succession laws which remained elective, albeit with more protections in place to ensure a peaceful transition of power from one Viscount to the next, and to avoid any form of corruption within the electorate. In essence, Berengar still held significant authority as the Viscount and could do practically whatever he wanted as long as it was within reason. In truth, the Parliament acted more as a means to alleviate the heavy burdens of work that Berengar had to endure rather than act as a way to limit Berengar's authority.

Berengar continued his fervent speech as he began to transition from the topic of defense to that of housing.

"Thanks to the ongoing efforts of our construction team, a series of affordable and comfortable tenements have been erected to reduce the horrendous conditions in which the common people have had to endure as a result of our rapid increase in population, and urbanization. With proper plumbing and sanitation, we have significantly reduced the risk of an outbreak of a dangerous disease."

Every one of the members of parliament had a look of pride on their faces as many of their families were living in these wonderful apartment complexes, which had sprawled up and replaced the slums in which the City had previously been plagued with. They continued to listen to Berengar as he moved on to the topic of Agriculture.

"Our agricultural initiatives have proven to be a resounding success as the serfs have been liberated, and the farmers who chose to remain in the fields have been given the tools and knowledge necessary to tend to their fields with a minimal amount of labor while resulting in the greatest yields possible. The harvest this year was multiple times larger than any in the history of Kufstein! As such, we have stored plenty of grain to sustain our population for the years to come."

The last topic in which Berengar had addressed was the field of public education.

"Under the Department of Education, schools have begun being constructed in every inhabited region, and we have seen a rapid rise in literacy rates. We will continue to work hard to provide the knowledge and resources that both the young and the old need to succeed in the path they choose in life! As such, I implore every one of you to do your best in the upcoming year as many of these directives are still incomplete and will need your assistance. I ask this of you all so that we may turn this land we call home into a land in which we can all be proud of!"

With his closing statements, the entire crowd of parliament rose to their feet and erupted in applause and cheers. Not a single man had stayed seated, as that would be a sign of disrespect to the man who helped transform Kufstein into what it is today.

While Berengar was basking in the glory of his accomplishments, far to the north in the capital of the Kingdom of Germany, the time had finally come. The old monarch laid lifeless on his death bed; his reign had come to an end. With his passing, the stability and peace he had brought to the Kingdom of Germany and the many fractured realms that it comprised of would come to a brutal end. When the pretenders who had sought to press their claims to the Throne became aware of this information, the German world would be embroiled in the fires of war. No region was safe now that the King was dead, not even Kufstein...