Tyranny of Steel

Brandt gazed upon his shiny new belt while he sat in the locker room with an excited look on his face. He was only eighteen years of age, and yet today he was the Middleweight champion of the world. Naturally, it was not just an exquisite belt that he received with this successful title fight, but also a substantial paycheck.

The most popular sports in the Reich were combat sports, and they were broadcasted across the fatherland, and all of its colonies. In fact, there was only one sport more popular than kickboxing, and that was kampf, which was this world's version of mixed martial arts. With so many people spending their hard earned cash on pay per views, tickets, and merchandise. There was a substantial amount of money to be made in the ring.

The paycheck that Brandt would be walking away with today, was worth the roughly five million marks, which was the equivalent of two hundred and fifty million us dollars from Berengar's past life. He was now a wealthy man, and yet, compared to the Reich's most elite citizens, his personal net worth was laughable.

Still, he could easily provide a nice life for any woman he fancied. That is, except for a small handful of women who were well above his station in life. Still, from the moment Brandt first laid eyes on Zara when he initially moved to the fatherland for work four years ago, he could not help but fall for the girl. Now she was more beautiful than ever, and he wanted more than anything to make her happy.

It did not take long for Brandt to receive word from the girl's father. In fact, no more than fifteen minutes had passed from the end of his title fight, before a representative of the kaiser approached the young man in the locker room. This servant of the world's most powerful man gazed upon the kickboxing world champion as if he were some piece of refuse before speaking the message he had been ordered to convey.

"The Kaiser invites you to the Royal Palace this Friday afternoon for lunch. You are to be on your best behavior, and do try to find something appropriate to wear. Why don't you?"

Brandt's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. The Kaiser had requested to meet with him? He must have been watching the fight, and heard his public declaration of love for the man's daughter. The prizefighter was surprised that his words were taken so seriously. After all, he had spoken them in the heat of the moment, and thought that nothing would come of them.

Though he did not expect much from his upcoming lunch with the Kaiser, Brandt decided that he would at least he prepare for event, and thus, the newly crowned middleweight champion returned to his lodgings, and spent the next week making sure everything was perfect for the big day.

A week passed and Brandt arrived at the Palace's gates nice and early, a full thirty minutes before the hour of the meeting with the Kaiser. He was made to wait at the entrance under the scorching sun until the appointed time. Naturally, Brandt knew that this could only mean that the Kaiser was not pleased to meet him. Still, he stood at the gates until he was finally escorted into the palace. Where he was led into the great hall.

Berengar sat upon his gilded throne, with a stoic look on his face. Over the last week, he had tasked Linde with finding out everything there was to know about his guest, and needless to say, Berengar was not the least bit impressed.

Aside from Brandt's rather exceptional kickboxing record, he had proven to be average or below average in nearly every other metric in life. Still, Zara had a crush on this man, and would never forgive her father if he forbade her from meeting with him. Thus, for the sake of formality, Berengar was now forced to entertain this commoner in his own home.

Brandt kneeled before the Kaiser, as he well should, and did not say a word, waiting for the man to speak of his own volition. The fact that he had not been presumptuous enough to introducehimself marginally improved Berengar's perception of the man, as he continued to sit in silence for five whole minutes before instructing his guest to rise.

"You may rise..."

Brandt did as he was instructed, and still did not say a word, until Berengar got up from his seat and walked towards the dining hall.

"Come, lunch should be ready by now, and we have much to discuss."

With that said, the two men exited the dining hall, which was entirely vacant aside from themselves. Berengar sat down at the table, as he motioned to the servants to bring forth the meal, which they immediately did. Once properly seated, and drinking from a liter of beer. Berengar began to speak. Though his words had slightly startled his guest.

"Brandt Zehntner... Eighteen years old, born in Neu Wien, Lindeheim, and was among the first children born in the colonies. Your father was stonemason, and your mother a seamstress. You have seven siblings, all of which still reside across the pond.

During your youth, you were educated in the colonial school system, where your marks were below average. Until finally, after turning the age of fourteen, you dropped out of high school, and moved to the fatherland in search of work.

While working in construction, you were able to provide for yourself quite well. Where at some point during your time in Kufstein you began training part time in kickboxing, before having your first fight only six months after first stepping foot in the gym. Finally, after stringing together a few exceptional finishes on the regional circuit, you were called up to the big leagues, where you have competed ever since.

Due to the fact that mandatory conscription ended with the German-Japanese War, there is no record of military service, nor any attempt at enlisting.

Your Hobbies include alcohol, hashish, and psychedelic mushrooms. That is when you are not spending your spare time at your local message parlor. Of which your favorite whores appear to be Arabian girls, specifically those who dye their hair blonde. Did I leave anything out?"

Contrary to what Berengar was expecting, Brandt did not appear the least bit shocked to hear his pathetic background so blatantly spouted out at him. Instead, he calmly took a sip of his beer while washing down the piece of rouladen he had just swallowed.

Knowing that the Kaiser did not approve in the slightest of his background, Brandt did not even attempt to sugarcoat his past, and nodded his head while responding to Berengar's evaluation of him with a stoic look on his face.

"That sounds about right..."

Berengar's brow raised when he heard the man so nonchalantly answer his question. He had basically pointed out that aside from his expertise in fighting, Brandt was essentially a bum, and yet the man did not appear the least bit perturbed. Previously, Berengar had no interest in this low-class kickboxer, but now he had to admit he was ever so slightly intrigued, and thus posed his next question to the young man.

"So... Knowing all of this about your past, I can't help but ask why do you think that you, of all people, would be an appropriate match for my daughter? I mean, you did not even attempt to explain the reasoning for your errant behavior."

Brandt sighed in response to Berengar's words. As he placed his beer stein back on the table, he then cast a gaze towards the world's most powerful man and began to speak in a somber tone.

"What exactly do you want me to say? I am everything you believe me to be. I won't sit here and make excuses for my actions, or my hobbies, for that matter. If you don't approve, that is fine. You have every right to do so, and I never asked for your approval in the first place.

Let me make something abundantly clear. I admire your daughter more than anything in this world. After all, she is a brilliant young woman who has already accomplished things in her short life that few men will ever be able to compare to.

I am also attracted to her, and have been since I first laid eyes on her when I first moved to the fatherland at the age of fourteen. And so in a moment where I felt like I was at the top of the world, I blurted out the only thoughts I had on my mind; not expecting anything to actually come from it. At most, I hoped my comments would generate some public interest to increase my popularity so that I can negotiate a higher payday for my next fight.

I know full well that I am undeserving of a princess, especially one as exceptional as Zara. So I thank you for your hospitality, but I regret to inform you that I never once expected you to treat me as a sincere suitor. The fact that we are even having this conversation goes to show how protective you are of your daughter, and I truly envy that. So I apologize if I caused you any heart ache with my carelessness, but if you are just going to sit here and insult me, then I believe we are done here..."

It surprised Berengar when he heard Brandt's words. Few men in this world had the gall to speak to him in such a blunt manner. But everything the man said was true. Berengar had indeed invited Brandt to his palace, solely so that he could point out how the young man was completely undeserving of his daughter, and to make him feel ashamed for even asking.

However, unlike every man who had ever sought to win Zara's hand in marriage. Brandt had not once broke down, and apologized for not being good enough. He had not spun some sob story to explain his less than ideal actions in life. Nor had he sucked up to Berengar in an attempt to curry the man's favor.

Instead, Brandt owned his actions, and told Berengar to politely go fuck himself if he had a problem with the way he had chosen to live. To Berengar, this was quite refreshing. There were literal Kings and Emperors in this world who would balk in the presence of the Kaiser.

And yet, this mere commoner, this simple kickboxer, had held no punches, and instead spoke his mind, without fear of retaliation, despite knowing fully well just what kind of trouble he could be in for speaking to his Kaiser in such a rude manner.

Thus, after several moments of awkward silence, Berengar broke out into laughter. He looked over at Brandt, who still had an expression as cold as ice on his face before speaking the words that neither of the two men ever expected him to say.

"I think I'm starting to like you... So you want to marry my daughter, huh? Prove to me that you are worthy of her, and maybe, just maybe, your dreams will come true..."

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