Tyranny of Steel

Having successfully conducted the first instance of trade between the old and new worlds. Berengar and his men immediately departed to prepare the goods they intended to exchange for food. Somehow, Kahwihta had convinced her father to allow her to stay in the Austrian outpost. She fully intended to master the German Language before she returned home to her family.

With not much work to be had, Berengar took time out of his schedule to teach the native girl the German language, not just in verbalization but also in reading and writing its script. Despite her humble origins, the woman was a quick learner. After studying the language of her newfound gods for some time, she could now communicate with her benefactor to some degree. 

By now, she had learned Berengar's name and the origin of his people. He honestly did not need to exaggerate that much to convince the woman that the Austrian people were, in fact, deities; after all, the tales he spun of railways, steam-powered vessels, massive structures, and the many other impressive feats of his Kingdom was enough to convince the native woman that the so-called Kingdom of Austria was a blessed land of great prosperity and power. 

Unfortunately, with the Austrians' arrival, pestilence had occurred in the land; before long, Kahwita developed feverish symptoms, and Berengar became quite concerned. After all, he knew that this woman lacked any form of immunity to the diseases he and his men had unwittingly brought over from the old world.

Thus, Berengar was tending to the sickly woman while waiting for Honoria to return with more men and supplies. As a precaution for facing unknown illnesses in the alien land of Vinland, the Austrians had prepared many herbal remedies to aid in all kinds of conditions he and his men might encounter as part of the journey. 

With the initial outbreak, Berengar had ordered his medics to bring a portion of the supplies to the Mohawk village, and treat anyone who showed symptoms of the flu. In doing so, he hoped to save at least a few lives from the pestilence he brought to the new world. 

At the moment, Berengar was brewing up an herbal tea alongside a pot of chicken noodle soup as he kept a careful eye over the native woman who lay naked in his bed. As part of her treatment, he had prepared a damp towel and placed it over her head.

Despite appearances, Kahwihta was not in the worst condition possible; in fact, she was doing quite well. However, she was entirely unaccustomed to influenza, and thus she felt as if she were dying. In reality, she had a mild case, primarily because of the effective natural treatment she had received from Berengar. Something the other tribes would not lucky enough to experience.

The woman lay underneath the fur covers as she coughed lightly into the air; after doing so, she had a bitter expression on her face as she revealed her thoughts to her deity.

"I fear that I will not be able to witness the grandeur of your divine Kingdom. My only regret in this life is that I failed to prove useful to you..."

Berengar held onto the young woman's dainty hand with a warm smile on his face; he shook his head as he informed the native girl of her current condition.

"You will have plenty of time to establish diplomatic ties with the local tribes. Your condition is not as bad as you think it is; you have a high chance of surviving this illness. Rather, what you should be concerned about is the effect this illness will have on this land as a whole..."

Disease in itself was an ugly thing, especially when it came in the form of a virus. Influenza could rapidly spread and was one of the leading causes in Berengar's past life for the decline of the Native American peoples. 

Unfortunately, there was no natural way to stop it. It was something that accompanied the Germans when they visited the land. Berengar, like much of his men, had become accustomed to this disease that was mainly the result of domesticating livestock.

While Berengar and his men had brought such animals with them, they carried the disease, and by simply contacting the natives, had begun its spread. Thus when Kahwihta heard her people were also suffering from this unknown illness, she felt her heart bleed.

The fact that these foreigners could spread disease seemingly at will act as further proof in her mind that they were, in fact, gods. This disease was the wrath of the golden-haired gods and had come about as a result of the Algonquin's folly. Fortunately for her people; they had sided with the Austrians, and in doing so, ensured their protection from the pestilence they brought with them. 

Of course, Berengar had no way of knowing that the girl was thinking about this and instead felt like she would blame him for her people's suffering. Despite this, he did not apologize; whether it was the Austrians who spread this disease or some other population from the old world that reached the Americas, such a thing was simply inevitable. 

Thus, Berengar did not dwell on the subject and instead fed the girl the soup and herbal tea, which immensely helped her condition. After finishing her meal, Kahwihta fell asleep, leaving Berengar with some downtime; as such, he exited his quarters and approached his soldiers, who were currently on guard.

"What's the current status of the flu?"

The officer scratched the back of his head beneath his helmet as he updated the King on the ongoing plague that spread across the land.

"Our boys are fine; we've taken preventative measures and have effectively countered its effects. It is honestly a mild variant, at most a few sniffles here and there. Those who are showing symptoms receive regular hydration and herbal remedies. 

However, for whatever reason, this variant's effect on the natives has been devastating. Only a few weeks have passed, but our scouts report that thousands from among the known tribes now lie dead. When we contacted the Mohawk, it was already in our systems and began to spread to them.

Unfortunately for them, the moment we left the village, the Mohawk Chief departed on a diplomatic venture to the other tribes on our behalf. In doing so, he unwittingly spread the disease to the other native populations. This could prove very useful to us in the long term.

With the rapid spread of the flu, the natives' numbers will dwindle, allowing our fortress to remain secure. So long as we bring in more men and supplies, we could theoretically turn this into a self-sustaining military outpost with limited support from the fatherland."

Berengar nodded his head in response to his captain's suggestion. Though it was a horrific event for the native Americans, to the Kingdom of Austria, the spread of influenza within the new world was a serious tactical advantage.

Of course, it would only increase after they had imported livestock. Ultimately, this was a fate that could not be avoided. Upon seeing his Monarch's reaction, the Marine Captain had another question on his mind, which he immediately inquired about. 

"Your majesty, if I may ask, what exactly are the supplies being brought over on the next voyage?"

In response to this, a wide grin appeared on Berengar's face as he explained the mission he had tasked Honoria with. 

"It may be a few months before they arrive; after all, several ships need to be retrofitted, but I intend for a larger fleet of frigates to ferry troops and supplies over—everything from livestock, agricultural technology, and building supplies to military equipment and munitions.

This primitive wooden fort will be rebuilt into a proper star fortress, and our dock will be capable of containing several ships. We will begin implementing fields outside the defense in the spring and raise livestock so that you men can have some fresh meat. 

This fortress will act as our first military installation in this New World and as our first colony. For now, it will remain a highly regarded secret within our Kingdom; only those with enough security clearance will know its existence..."

This response by the Austrian King only filled the officer with further questions, who immediately asked for clarification to his curiosity.

"Who will work the fields? Surely you do not expect us to do so?"

When Berengar heard this, he chuckled before responding to the man's question.

"In time, some natives will come to revere us, especially after they see that were are unaffected by the pestilence that we have brought into this land. The survivors from the tribes that are not aligned with us and have not received our "blessing" will come seeking shelter, and when they do, we will put them to work in the fields. Their payment will be a portion of the food that they grow, shelter to live in, and protection provided by the Austrian Military. 

In the coming years, I intend to replace these savages with Austrians. In the meantime, you and your soldiers are free to take as many of the local women as you want as concubines. Just remember, while we may bring diseases with us that these people are not immune to, it is possible that they have diseases which we are not familiar with as well.

You should all be very careful who you sleep with. If you think there is even remotely a possibility that a girl is sick, don't bed her... Spread the word, if any of you fuckers contracts an unknown disease, I will quarantine your ass here in the new world for the rest of your miserable lives!" 

The Captain immediately nodded his head in understanding as he heard the words of his King. He would ensure that he would well inform the men stationed in Vinland about the potential risks of disease and the consequences for their actions.. Thus, while pestilence ravaged the land and the people who dwelled within it, Berengar and the Austrians planned to take advantage of the crisis.