Tyranny of Steel

While war was being waged across the other side of the world. The city of Kufstein, no, the entirety of the German Empire, sat in a level of peace and security that few civilizations could possibly understand throughout the history of human civilization.

Though a small military action had taken place in India, that lasted less than seventy-two hours. The Reich was enjoying a level of peace and prosperity that it had never seen before. New inventions came out every day, and the modern luxuries allowed for substantial ease of comfort.

Today Berengar was sitting in his physician's office with his shirt off. His well-defined muscles spoke to the level of physique he worked effortlessly to maintain, despite his lean appearance. After only three years, his bio-chemists had come up with the world's first vaccine, and it was the cure to an especially nasty virus.

With a slight nudge in the right direction, the brilliant minds of Aldo von Passau and his team of chemists were quickly able to produce a vaccine for the smallpox virus. After extensive human testing on those prisoners whose crimes were deemed so heinous that they warranted a sentence to a black site, the smallpox vaccine was now deemed safe enough for widespread inoculation.

Naturally, the Kaiser was the first man to receive this vaccine, and he was confident enough in his scientists' ability to produce an effective countermeasure to the virus he feared the most in this world. Ewald prepared the injection before sticking the hyper-dermic needle into Berengar's left biceps. After distributing the vaccine into the Kaiser's bloodstream, he swiftly withdrew the needle and disposed of it into a proper medical waste bin.

Berengar smiled as he moved his arm around, knowing that the smallpox virus no longer presented any danger to his life. He then gave an order to the doctor to prepare a dose for each of his family members.

"Now that I have been inoculated, it is time for you to inject the rest of my family with the vaccine. I will not feel at ease until we are all protected from such a horrific disease!"

Naturally, Ewald did as was instructed, and began with the Second Kaiserin. It was evident by her position in line how much Berengar was concerned over Linde's safety. After her, the rest of his wives went in order of their position within Berengar's household, followed by all the Kaiser's children. Aldo watched as the royal family was bestowed immunity to the smallpox virus, and commented on the miracle of vaccine technology.

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"It may not seem like it at this moment, my Kaiser, but without a doubt, this would have taken many more years of research if you had not pointed us in the right direction. The people of Germany have you to thank for this heavenly medicine which shall prevent the smallpox virus from claiming their lives."

Berengar smiled as he heard this before shaking his head in disagreement.

"I gave you but a small hint it was your efforts, and that of your team, which made this a reality. I suggest you work on a polio vaccine next. With the resources at your disposal, I have no doubt that in the coming years you may very well find the cure for many ailments which affect small children. So if you don't mind me asking, how long will it be before you can produce enough of these small vaccines for everyone in the reich and its colonies?"

A smile formed on Aldo's lips as he heard his Kaiser's praise, causing him to bow respectfully before responding to all his questions.

"You honor this humble servant with your praise. I assure you, if you deem polio to be a concern, then we will work on curing that next. However, with our new understanding of virology and vaccine technology, which is all thanks to the teachings you have left us, I assure you we will be able to wipe out most of the heinous diseases that affect our population within the coming decades.

As for your question regarding the manufacture and distribution of smallpox vaccines, within the next five years at the latest of our entire population will be inoculated. By the time the following decade comes around, the smallpox virus will be entirely ineffective against the German population."

Berengar merely smiled and nodded his head as he heard these words. Though it was his basic understanding of human biology and disease that laid the groundwork for virology, it was the brilliant minds of the Reich's many scientists who had accomplished this monumental feat in human history.

In fact, with Berengar's rise to power, he was able to bypass the centuries of scientific repression that were supposed to occur with the timeline, and bestow upon his people an immediate understanding of math, science, and engineering that it would normally take a millennium to discover.

Thirteen years ago, Berengar introduced the general population of his family's lands to an undergrad level of understanding within the core fields of academics. As time flew by, the exceptional minds of Austria, and later Germany as a whole, were able to fully understand this knowledge and expand upon their selective fields at an exponential rate of growth.

With unlimited resources funnelled into academic pursuits, along with the free sharing of all knowledge between the scientific community, the German Nation was able to excel at a rate that was unimaginable. To think that not even fifteen years after reincarnating into this world, Germany would develop the means to eradicate deadly diseases. It was shocking, even to Berengar, who had laid the foundations for this rapid growth.

He could only gaze in astonishment as his family received the first approved doses of the smallpox vaccine, which would make it so that the German people never again suffered such a horrific disease. Berengar struggled to imagine what this world would look like when it finally reached the era of his past life.

Ultimately, Linde broke him out of his daze as she walked over to her man and wrapped her arms around his neck before passionately kissing him in front of his entire family. She had a sultry voice as she whispered in his ears.

"To think you would gain the power to eliminate disease, sometimes I wonder if you really are a god? For what mere mortal could possibly achieve all of this in a little over a decade..."

Berengar scoffed as he heard this. Though he was without a doubt the most powerful man on the planet, he was still just a man. If not for the aid of those like Aldo and Ludwig, he would never have accomplished a fraction of what he managed to achieve in this life, even if he lived to be a hundred and fifty. Thus, he responded to Linde's statement with one of humility.

"I am just a man, even if I am an extraordinary man... Everything I have accomplished is not only thanks to myself, but the tireless efforts of the German people as a whole."

When Aldo heard these words, he felt like he was about to cry tears of joy. Despite being the reason a man like him could develop such powerful technology, the Kaiser was still as humble as a man in his position could possibly be.

Aldo could only sigh in defeat, knowing that even if a man more brilliant than the Kaiser were to succeed him, that man would never have the character which made Berengar so beloved by his people. The aging chemist could only mutter his thoughts beneath his breath, too fearful that his superior might react the wrong way.

"There will never be another man like you... My kaiser."

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