Chapter 814 Death of a Hero
The Marines of the SMS Emmerich stood on standby, as their commander led them through the harrowed halls of the Governor"s villa. Not long ago, word had come over the wire for the arrest of Arnulf von Thiersee and his wife Kahwihta, as well as the Colonel in charge of the local Colonial Expeditionary Forces.
The order had come from the Kaiser himself, and because of this, these brave men would drag Arnulf back to Kufstein even if they had to fight against an army to do so. Luckily for them, Colonel Bartolde Von Tettingen was so ashamed about what had happened in Berenwalde that he handed himself over into the Marines" custody without incident. His last orders to his troops was to a.s.sist the Marines in their efforts to arrest the Colonial Governor.
Thus, the governor"s mansion was surrounded by an army of roughly five thousand men, who ensured there was no escape for the man inside. Arnulf gazed out the window of his study and saw the staggering sight. He sighed heavily, as he realized he was most likely about to be executed. He gazed upon his loving wife and their young son with regret in his eyes before opening the door and allowing the marines inside.
The Marines were already stacked outside, prepared to engage in combat with Arnulf"s bodyguards. However, after clearing the room, they were surprised to find that such men were nowhere to be found. Arnulf simply gazed upon the Marines and placed his hands above his head before kneeling on the ground and accepting his fate. Shockingly, the marine did not just stop with arresting him but immediately called for the arrest of Kahwihta as well.
"Take his b.i.t.c.h as well. The Kaiser wants to speak with them both in person!"
The woman screamed and struggled as the marines separated the child from her arms before escorting him out of the building.The boy was too young to fully comprehend just what was going on. However, he would never forget the sight of his parents being dragged out in chains by heavily armed white men.
The captain in charge of the Marine company gazed upon Arnulf with contempt as he loaded him into the vessel. The plan was to immediately return to Kufstein after apprehending the prisoner. He could not help but scold the traitor for his actions.
"Three hundred Germans are dead because of your love for these savages. That"s more casualties than we suffered in the war against the Catholic World!"
It shocked Arnulf to hear this. He was not even aware of the wars the fatherland was fighting; they were so frequent and brief that he lost track. The man was completely unware that Berengar had just returned home from his war against the Papacy and was quick to inquire about it.
"The Papacy is gone?"
Despite his question, the marines remained silent as they constantly guarded the prisoners. The journey to Kufstein would take roughly two weeks, but in the end, they arrived safe and sound. When Arnulf stepped off the docks, he could not even recognize the city of Trieste.
So much had changed in the years since he had been tasked with looking after the colony of New Vienna. Factories spewed smoke in the air, as they manufactured goods with their steam powered devices, and trucks drove through the streets transporting goods from the steelyard to the s.h.i.+pyard.
Lights lit up the streets, and busses carried people across town. It was as if he had stepped foot into an entirely new world, one that transcended everything he had previously believed to be true. Kahwihta was even more astonished, as this was her first time visiting the fatherland, and because of this she finally understood why she had first considered Berengar and his soldiers to be G.o.ds upon their first visit to her homeland. This level of civilization was simply awe-inspiring.
The people walked by the streets, not even recognizing Arnulf as the marines lead him into a prisoner transport truck. It had been so many years since the people last laid eyes on the once proud general that they had forgotten what he looked like. Especially since many of them had never seen his face to begin with.
The truck stopped at a military train yard, where Arnulf and his wife boarded the vehicle under the supervision of the soldiers. After several hours, they arrived in Kufstein, where once more the sheer volume of progress that had been made in Arnulf"s absence surprised him. Ultimately, the colonial governor was handed off to the Reichsgarde outside the Palace where he and his wife were escorted into the study of Berengar"s palace.
Berengar was already waiting for the man while dressed in his military uniform, with Linde by his side. There was a stoic expression on his face as he nodded towards the guards, silently dismissing them from this meeting.
In all honesty, Arnulf was deeply worried after being taken directly to Berengar. He expected to be rotting in a cell awaiting a trial rather than having a face-to-face meeting with the man who ruled over the vast German Empire.
In the next second, the doors were sealed behind him and all the man"s questions were answered. Berengar did not hesitate to pull a small vial out from his coat pocket and place it on the table. The sunlight shone through the clear liquid within the gla.s.s case, giving Arnulf a good idea about what was inside. He gulped the saliva that had pooled up in his mouth as the Kaiser scolded the man for his actions.
"I am giving you a choice on how you die Arnulf... If you drink this poison, I will spare your wife and child, and I will blame your death on the natives, along with all of those who died because of your foolish actions. You will be remembered as a hero of the German people who died valiantly in defense of the colonies.
Or, I can take you, and your wife, through a brutal trial, where the two of you will most certainly be convicted, and lined up against the wall to be executed by a firing squad. Your sins will be revealed to the public, and your son will become the greatest enemy of the German people. I would not be surprised if the citizens of New Vienna take it in their own hands to murder him after what you have done...
Before you give me an answer on how you wish to die, I want you to entertain my questions. I suppose I should start with, what the h.e.l.l were you thinking? Despite knowing my orders, you deliberately acted against them. You signed treaties with a bunch of stone age savages that came at the expense of your own people. Have you no shame?"
This was a lot of information for Arnulf to take in, and he sat in disbelief for several moments. Though Kahwihta wanted to speak up on his behalf, Berengar"s murderous glare kept her silent. In the end, Arnulf could only glance at his wife with a warm gaze before uttering his response.
"They are also my people..."
It took Berengar a few moments to understand what Arnulf was saying. It was just so preposterous to him that he could hardly believe his own ears. After several moments of silence, Berengar broke out into a fit of rage as he slammed his fist on the desk before scolding the man for his stupidity.
"They are a bunch of backwards savages who would have murdered, raped, and enslaved our people in the most brutal fas.h.i.+on had we not shown up with such an overwhelming display of force. Your peace, that you are so prideful of, is built on nothing but the fear these savages have of you. Or am I wrong?"
Upon uttering these last words, Berengar"s fierce glare landed upon Kahwihta, who flinched beneath his fury. Arnulf looked at his wife with a pleading gaze, but she could not return it. Everything Berengar had said was true. Her people most likely would have murdered, raped, and enslaved the German settlers in a fas.h.i.+on so brutal it was downright inhumane had the Germans not displayed such overwhelming violence in their initial landings. She remained silent for some time, before Berengar insisted she reveal the truth.
"Tell him.... Tell him right now! He deserves to know the truth. After everything he has done for you, you owe him that!"
Arnulf was a victim of a timeline where a technologically advanced German Army forced the native tribes into submission upon their arrival in the New World. From his perspective, the tribes had been mostly peaceful, and even willing to work with him. However, they did not have the knowledge of Berengar"s past life, where the native American tribes were some of the most barbaric savages in human history.
Take the Commanche, for example. They used to butcher babies, and roast men alive after capturing them. The Anasazi were at one point fierce cannibals, such savage behavior was commonly found among all the tribes in some variation, which is one of the reasons the Europeans looked upon them with such disdain upon first contact.
From Berengar"s perspective, he was looking at the native peoples of North America as the savages who invented scalping, not as the domesticated slaves they had become under his rule. Kahwihta was naturally aware of how her people felt about the Germans, and what they would have done to them if they had the power and thus she could only lower her head and admit the truth with tears in her eyes.
"It"s true... What he says is true. If my people, and many of the other tribes you have negotiated with, had the power, they would likely do what he has said."
Upon seeing the defeated expression on Arnulf"s face, Berengar handed him the poisonous vial before making one last statement to the man he once considered a friend.
"Drink this, and you can be absolved of your sins. Your wife and son, however, they will live, but they will be forced to watch as my armies march forth and eradicate every single tribe living in the vicinity of my colonies. Someone has to play for the blood that has been spilled by your hands, and unfortunately for you, that is the savages you are so fond of."
Arnulf thought about the situation for several moments. He had nothing but lament in his heart. In the end, he gazed upon Kahwihta one last time before downing the whole vial as if it were a shot. The man, who was once considered one of Germany"s greatest heroes, slowly faded away in the arms of the woman he had given his life to appease. As Kahwihta cried over the fresh corpse of her husband, she glared at Berengar with murderous intent before screaming at him in a voice so shrill it nearly shattered the gla.s.s.
"I hate you!"
Berengar was cold, as he stared at the lifeless body of one of the few men in this world he had ever considered being a friend. There was not the slightest hint of emotion on his face as he responded to the woman"s wails with a bitter remark.
"This is your doing, and you will have to live with that guilt for the rest of your life. You are free to return to New Vienna, but I doubt you will find it to be as welcoming to you as it once was. I am a man of my word. By the time you return home, my armies will already have ravaged the lands. Killing every man, woman, and child who shares the same savage blood as you. Go forth and gaze upon the destruction you have wrought. Now get the h.e.l.l out of my sight before I change my mind."
With that said, Kahwihta was escorted by the Marines back to New Vienna. In the coming days, Berengar would need to work hard to re-correct the narrative of what had happened. Aside from the soldiers of the German Army who had taken part in the battle, few of the Berenwalde Militia survived the attack. They could be coerced into maintaining their silence, in exchange for the expansion of their lands, and proper compensation.
The reason Berengar had spared Arnulf"s image by convincing him to commit suicide was not because the two men had once been close friends, but because on the eve of victory day, the idea that a hero of the nation would turn traitor, and march an army on German Citizens would only stain the nation"s pride. Something that needed to be avoided at this point in time.
Thus, after dismissing Arnulf"s widow, Berengar silently as he lamented the loss of his friend. Linde had witnessed the entire event, and though she tried to comfort Berengar in his time of need, he was not in the mood. He desired nothing more than to be alone with his own thoughts, where he would remain seated in his office until the dawn rose on the next day.