Chapter 520: A Dreaded Peace
Berengar stood in the ballroom within his Royal Palace. At the moment, Austria was seeing its first instance of peace since the days before Berengar"s ascension to power. After nearly six years of constant warfare, Austria could finally say they were not officially engaged in any conflict.
While there had been years where no major war occurred that Austria took part in, the kingdom still had its hands, and troops in foreign battlefields supporting their allies, such as the Hussites and the Granadans. Technically speaking, there were currently Special Operations units such as the Jaeger Regiments and the Jagdkommandos that were busy engaging in peacekeeping operations within the Sultanate of Granada.
However, this was not officially an armed conflict in the traditional sense, more of providing security to an allied region filled with unrest. As far as the Austrian public was concerned, their Kingdom was not involved in any ongoing wars, and that was something to celebrate.
As a result, Adela, who is the Minister of Cultural Affairs, put on a ma.s.sive feast in her husband"s honor, and that of the soldiers who have shed blood for the sake of the fatherland. At the moment, various n.o.bles, wealthy entrepreneurs, and a few high-ranking military officers were all gathered in the Royal Palace feasting on fine dining, and drinking their fill of wine.
As the King of Austria, Berengar was forced to endure polite conversation with a variety of people, most of which behaved in a sycophantic manner, which he found displeasing. Despite his actual thoughts, Berengar acted as if he enjoyed every moment of the conversation.
By now he was dreadfully exhausted from pretending to be somebody he was not, and had walked to the balcony for a quick smoke break. He pulled out a hemp cigarette from the container within his jacket and lit it as he smoked his troubles away.
The young King of Austria smirked at the full moon, which illuminated the night sky above as he thought about all the things he had done since he was reincarnated into this world. Even if his social obligations were tiresome, it was nice to have a break from the years of brutal warfare he had led, or so he thought.
However, as Berengar was alone with his thoughts, he thought about all the souls that he had reaped in his tenure as a warrior king, including that of his only brother. His smirk turned sour, and his hands s.h.i.+vered. One memory in particular haunted his mind, and that was the time where he was alone in the dark, wounded, and trapped by his brother"s attempt to claim his life during that cave-in at mining town.
Without realizing it, a single phrase escaped his lips as he gazed off into the night sky.
"Never again..."
From the moment the king reminisced about that dreadful past, a river of foul memories he had suppressed throughout all these years flooded his psyche. The thunder of guns, the sound of steel tearing through flesh, the gasps of men who drew their last breath. It all came together in a symphony of war, one that consumed his senses. As he was struggling to find clarity of mind and control over his emotions, he heard a voice calling out to him.
"Big brother... Big brother! Hey Big brother can you hear me?"
When Berengar finally recognized these words, his mind snapped back to its normal confident and ruthless state, suppressing any guilt and revulsion that had burdened him the moment before. As if his battle fatigued mind had recovered in an instant, he turned around with a smile on his face to see the sight of his younger sister, dressed in an azure blue gown, with white leather heels.
Henrietta had a tint of concern on her pretty face as she gazed at her precious elder brother who seemed to have recovered from whatever trance he was in just moments before.
"Big brother, are you alright?"
Berengar seemed to have completely forgotten the overwhelming sense of dread he felt just moments prior and instead took one last drag from his hemp cigarette before tossing it to the ground, and stamping out its light.
"I"m fine Henrietta, I was just thinking about all that I have done to come to this point. Nevermind that, is there a reason you needed me?"
A pretty smile formed on Henrietta"s luscious pink lips as she grabbed hold of her brother"s hand with both of her own before leading him inside the party.
"Come dance with me!"
Berengar smiled as he followed his little sister onto the dance floor. He grabbed hold of her waist with one arm and her hand with the other and led her through the waltz, which had become the signature dance of the Kingdom of Austria ever since Berengar introduced ballroom culture.
After a while, the music slowed down, and those who were still on the dance floor began to slow dance. Berengar found himself in an awkward situation as his sister wrapped her arms around his neck while dancing with him. However, he chose not to say anything. After all, his wives were busy entertaining his guests on his behalf, thus the least he could do was enjoy the moment.
Henrietta eventually broke the awkward silence with a question that had been on her mind.
"It must be weird for you..."
Berengar snapped out of his uncomfortable daze when he heard this and immediately questioned just what his sister was referring to.
"What is?"
Henrietta frowned when she heard this response. Either Berengar was deliberately playing dumb, or he was not as quick-witted as she thought. Until now, she had tried to divert her attention from the strange moment she had witnessed on the balcony, but her inquisitive nature, and her care for her elder brother, ultimately forced her hand.
"This peaceful era we find ourselves in. For the first time in a long time, you don"t have a war to fight, or you are not looking for the next conflict. You are here, in the land of your ancestors, enjoying the safety and security that you have provided in your realm. Yet, I can tell by the way you look at everything that your mind isn"t here... not entirely.
I know nothing about war, or the horrors you must have suffered out there fighting for our family"s position in this world. I know also that you have to present an image of strength to your wives, your soldiers, and your kingdom. However, I just want you to know that when you"re with me, you can be yourself and if you want to, you can tell me about anything that is bothering you."
Upon seeing her brother"s complicated expression, and the silence that remained between them after speaking her piece, Henrietta pouted before accidentally letting her thoughts slip.
"Or not..."
Upon hearing the dejection in his little sister"s voice, Berengar sighed before revealing what truly haunted him.
"It is not the blood and death that keeps me up at night, it"s the peace that follows."
Henrietta had a look of confusion on her pretty face as she asked for clarification on her brother"s statement.
"I"m sorry... I don"t follow."
Berengar looked around as he continued to dance with Henrietta before elaborating further on what he meant.
"I have spent so many years, either at war, or preparing for the next one, that during the moment, when I"m on the battlefield, taking another man"s life, I feel no guilt, no remorse, no dread. In fact, unlike most men, I enjoy the simplicity of war. There is me, and then there is the enemy, and the enemy wants to kill me, so I must kill them first. It is as simple as that...
Here at home, in the Palace, in peace, it is not so simple. At the moment, I am finally free from the chaos of battle and now have the time to think about all that I have done and what I have endured. I know that what I have done, no matter how brutal it was; I have done it for the sake of my people.
I also know that if I want this fledgling Kingdom that I have built to survive, then I must continue to act ruthlessly in the face of my enemies. But I have so many enemies, and no matter how much blood I have already shed for the sake of my kingdom, I know that it pales in comparison to what awaits in my future. It seems that G.o.d, in his cruel sense of humor, has destined for me to play the part of the villain. So I must ask you... How can one man endure the hatred of an entire world alone?"
Henrietta could not prevent the tears from streaming down her face as she heard the burdens that weighed her brother"s conscience. She immediately hugged him tightly, and placed her head into his chest, wiping her tears on his tunic before looking up at him with her azure eyes.
"You are not alone! You have me, and you have your family! Who cares what the rest of the world thinks about you? You are creating a better world for our people, and I know that the people of your Kingdom adore you. That is what truly matters! The rest of the world be d.a.m.ned! You are not a villain, you are the hero that our people need! You are also my big brother, and I love you!"
When Berengar heard this pa.s.sionate speech come from his little sister"s lips, he felt as if all the anxiety he had felt since returning home from the last war had melted away. Henrietta was right about one thing: he may be a warlord, a tyrant, and the devil incarnate in the eyes of the rest of the world.
But to Germany, and its people, he was the hero they needed to lead them from the darkness of the feudal age, and if a few million people needed to die to achieve this, then so be it! A new sense of clarity overwhelmed Berengar"s mind as the fatigue washed away. In its place, a renewed resolve to build a lasting Empire took over.
A smile appeared on Berengar"s face, as he kissed Henrietta on the forehead before thanking her for her insights.
"You"re right, Henrietta, about everything. I can"t believe I let my emotions get the better of me. I thank you for your advice, and I promise to speak to you in the future if I ever find myself with any doubts."
Henrietta did not hear a word he said, instead her brain was fried after receiving her brother"s kiss on her forehead in front of so many people. It was fine if he wanted to show his affection in private, but they were in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by society"s elites. What if they misunderstood the nature of their relations.h.i.+p?
Berengar paid no mind to this line of thinking and instead finished the dance with his dazed sister.. After it was over, he returned to his guests in a much brighter mood than he had started the evening.