Tyranny of Steel

Berengar stood within the great hall of the Majapahit Palace, where a middle-aged man sat upon his golden throne. The man stared at the German Kaiser, who he had heard so much about from the lips of his errant daughter. Upon seeing the man in all his glory, Suratman had to admit, he was slightly disappointed. 

Berengar had shown up in his imperial regalia, with all the bells and whistles on full display. First impressions were important, especially to the father of a girl you were screwing. He could have worn his military uniform with his sleeves rolled up and his collar unbuttoned, but he had chosen to display the prestige that he was afforded as the Kaiser of the Reich. 

The Majapahit King carefully observed Berengar's appearance before speaking his thoughts on the matter in the Sanskrit tongue. He did so because he believed Berengar would not be able to understand his words. 

"So this is the mighty Kaiser, whose armies are so vast they can cover all land beneath the sun? I must say, when I first heard of such a man, I had assumed he would be more fearsome..."

Berengar remained utterly silent when he heard these words. He was in his thirties now, but he still looked young for his age. Perhaps it was good genetics, or perhaps it had to do with his diet. Either way, the man looked no older than his late twenties. It was because of this youthful, and princely appearance that Berengar did not give off the impression of the world's most powerful man to those who first gazed upon him.

Anggraini pouted when she heard her father's words and quickly scolded the man for his rude remarks. As someone who had witnessed the power of the reich first hand, she could not fathom anyone being stupid enough to make such a crass remark about the Kaiser's appearance. Let alone her own father.

"Father, you would do well to remember the German fleet that sits across the Malacca strait. Even though you are King of these lands, it is not appropriate to be so rude to the Kaiser. I suggest you mind your words carefully when you speak to him in a language he can understand!"

In truth, Berengar was not the least bit offended by the man's statement. His youthful appearance was actually something he took pride in. Thus, he raised his hand to silence his concubine before speaking in the Sanskrit tongue, an act which surprised the both of them.

"There's no need for the man to mind his manners. He's right. My appearance is far from that of what most people would think of me when they consider the power that I wield. I fully admit I am far from the most intimidating looking man. Though I may not be a fearsome person to look at, I assure you that with a stroke of the pen I could condemn any Kingdom on this planet into oblivion..."

It surprised Suratman when he heard Berengar speak in the Sanskrit language with such fluency. He felt deeply ashamed for the words he had spoken prior, as he was unaware that the Kaiser could comprehend them properly. After several moments of silence, the Majapahit King raised his voice with a stern look in his eyes.

"Why are you here?" 

Berengar smiled when he heard this before raising two fingers as he expressed his reasoning for visiting the south-east Asian empire with a carefree expression on his face. 

"I came here for two reasons. My first reason for visiting this Kingdom of yours was so that I could see my son with my own two eyes, who, until this day, I had yet to meet. I must say, though I have not been with the boy for long, I already approve of him. 

As for the other reason for my visit, to put it simply, King Suratman, I have come to discuss the threat which the Japanese Empire poses to your borders. Are you aware that as of this moment, the Imperial Japanese Army is waging war across the island of Mindanao? Soon the entire region will be embroiled in conflict, and you will lose a valuable trading partner. 

If the nobles beneath your banner are not yet convinced of the threat that the Japanese Empire poses to your sovereignty, then I would suggest that they look towards the east and carefully observe this conflict. 

Your Kingdom has no chance of defending your isles against the Japanese Military, unless you can seize absolute control over both the nobles beneath your banner, and the vassals who swear fealty to you. So I have come with three proposals that I think you will find interesting..."

The Majapahit King gazed upon the Kaiser with a shred look in his eyes, he was entirely unaware that the island of Mindanao had been invaded by the Japanese, but if this was true it was the excuse he needed to rally his vassals beneath his banner, and assume direct control over his Empire. Thus, he slowly nodded his head as he spoke the words.

"Go on..."

Berengar smiled upon hearing this simple phrase before speaking of his propositions, which he knew that Suratman had no way of rejecting.

"First, Princess Anggraini and our son Darma will return with me to the Reich as a permanent ambassador to my Empire. This is non-negotiable. I intend to raise my son in an environment that will allow him to thrive in the future, and as great as your Kingdom is, it is a far cry from the Fatherland.

Second, I demand that you recognize my claim over the Australian continent. As we speak, my agents are sailing to the region so that they can plant our flag on its soil. It would not only be beneficial to my Empire, but yours as well to support this claim.

Lastly, I suggest that you allow further cooperation between our armed forces. I will continue to supply your army with weapons and training, so that by the time the Japanese set their sights on Borneo, your forces can be adequately prepared to repel them."

Suratman gazed upon the German Emperor with intense focus. By the tone in Berengar's voice, the man was essentially giving an order to the Majapahit King instead of making a friendly request. However, after seeing the massive steel warships that existed across the other side of the Malacca strait, he could successfully say that if there was one man who could walk into his home and give him orders, it was the Kaiser. 

After several moments of silence, Suratman nodded his head in agreement. Now that he was aware of the Japanese Invasion of the Philippines, he could use it to his advantage. With further German support, he would successfully be able to centralize his authority, something which the Majapahit King greatly desired. 

"Very well. I will agree with these demands of yours. However, I must say that I am greatly displeased by your tone. Still... I will admit that I need your support if I even have a hope of holding off the Japanese when they finally decide to invade my lands. If you don't mind me asking, how do you know they will attack Borneo first?"

Berengar wore a smug smile on his face as he answered this question in a rather cryptic manner.

"Let's just say there is a resource on that island that is critical for the development of Empress Itami's armed forces. One that she won't be able to get her hands on anywhere else. Thus, I am fairly certain when she finally decides to attack your Kingdom, she will do so by landing her troops on Borneo first..."

Though Suratman did not know how Berengar knew this information, he did not immediately reject it as if it were false. Instead, he considered it in earnest for some time before nodding his head in agreement. 

'Very well, consider me convinced. I look forward to working with you and your Empire in the future. Please stay. I have arranged a feast for your arrival. You should enjoy your time here in my lands to the best of your ability..."

Berengar simply smiled and nodded as he spoke the words that immediately came to his mind.

"I thank you for your hospitality."

With this said, Berengar would enjoy the rest of his evening, drinking, and feasting to his heart's content. 

---

If you enjoy the novel and want to support my work, please consider donating at https://ko-fi.com/zentmeister