314 – Playing with Fire in Switzerland (2)
There is something in common when movies and dramas show the process of corrupt politicians falling.
If his mistakes are revealed and he is in a big crisis, he will resign in order to admit his mistakes and ask for forgiveness, rather than saying he will pay the price.
By blaming all of his sins on his subordinates, he claims that the fault was the fault of his subordinates, and that if he did anything wrong, it was simply that he mismanaged his subordinates.
This method may be helpful in prolonging his political life for now, but in the future, it makes other subordinates who served him faithfully fearful that he too will be thrown into trouble, and that fear eventually leads to a stabbing in the master’s head. .
If you honestly ask him to die for you and promise to protect the family and clan you left behind, I will move to sacrifice your life for him.
Do you feel that your superior, whom you have served faithfully for years or even decades, might abandon you in an instant for his own safety?
The feeling of betrayal, anger, and resentment will be so strong that it cannot be described, and this is the only thing you will think about at the point when you realize that you will be abandoned.
‘If I’m going to be abandoned, I will use everything I have to destroy that bastard first.’
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If you do that, you can at least relieve your unfair feelings, and if you are lucky, you can survive while maintaining your status and wealth.
“For the Reich Empire, Count Bern is a traitor, but for the Principality of Switzerland, he is a hero who almost succeeded in daring to assassinate His Majesty.”
When the emperor heard me, he frowned and clenched his fists.
“When viewed as a soldier, he was a truly capable person.”
According to the Chief of Staff’s analysis of the war in Switzerland, if it had not been for the activities of the 7th Division and I, the Imperial Army that participated would have been annihilated and the Crown Prince would have been taken prisoner alive.
This is a disaster for the empire, but it is an indescribable good news for the Principality of Switzerland, following the survival principle of ‘other people’s pain is my pleasure’ on the European continent.
“The Duke of Switzerland purged such a person. For over three years, he risked his life in hiding in an enemy empire in order to succeed in his plan to capture His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince. “Then what will the counts of Switzerland think when they hear this news?”
When His Majesty heard what I said, he exclaimed with admiration.
“…… You must feel a tremendous sense of betrayal. At the same time, it must be truly scary. The crazy man who threw away the person who devoted himself to the principality like a broken shoe in order to capture me, who was the crown prince of the empire, is their master, and they never know when he might abandon himself like that too. In that case, yes, I would want to start a rebellion.”
If a rebellion breaks out within the Empire, it is a great disaster for the Reich Empire, the Marquis Jaeger family, and me personally, but if a rebellion breaks out in another rival country, the Principality of Switzerland, it is the greatest good news.
And the larger the scale, the more advantageous it is for our empire.
When people hear of this plan, people with a humanitarian mindset will ask me how I could think so viciously, but what is most important to me is the national interest of the Reich Empire, not the human rights of the Swiss people.
I say it was because it was necessary for the imperial army to survive, but after winning the Battle of Jungfrau, all 2,000 prisoners were executed.
“Even those who have no intention of starting a rebellion can be persuaded with just a few words.”
“How? “Let me be specific.”
“First, I plan to visit Count Ticino of Ticino Canton. “I plan to visit him and praise the army he led for its outstanding performance in the Battle of Jungfrau, and express my condolences on the death of the Count of Bern.”
After hearing my words, His Majesty spoke with a bit of sarcasm.
“You’re trying to give that damn guy a subsidy on his way there. “You’re a really nice person too.”
“There is no family to receive the condolence money anyway, so wouldn’t that be tantamount to ridicule? After gaining at least some sympathy from Count Ticino, I plan to try my luck secretly. “Whether he can trust his current master or not, and if he doesn’t think so, whether he has any intention of joining the Reich Empire.”
Count Ticino does not trust the Empire, and your Majesty and I do not trust the Count, so if you ask him why he recommends joining the Empire’s side.
That was to somehow stimulate the anger that was sleeping deep in his heart, or rather, on the verge of boiling over.
“I will definitely refuse any offer to join the empire. Instead, he will appear concerned about the Duke of Switzerland’s behavior. Because the Count of Bern was a loyal subject of Switzerland, and the two were old friends. And seeing his attitude, I would encourage treason.”
If Count Ticino was in the right spirit, he would naturally not be able to cut off my head as a diplomatic missionary.
From the moment I recommend treason against my master, I become a spy rather than a diplomat.
In that case, there will be no excuses even if Count Ticino kills you, so if he shows no signs of shaking, he will just run away.
It seems unlikely, but natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis rarely occur, but we prepare just in case.
It would be foolish not to prepare for a situation where Count Ticino might decide what to do.
“Do you think there is a possibility that they will refuse if you invite them to rebel?”
“Wouldn’t a good commander always be prepared for the worst? But this time, if the Empire encourages him to revolt, he will definitely rise up. Because if he refuses, I will send a secret letter to the Duke of Switzerland and tell him that Count Ticino seems to be a bit dissatisfied.”
At that moment, His Majesty looked at me with an expression as if he had seen a devil somewhere.
Actually, the mere thought of being caught talking behind the back of a manager who does not have the authority to fire me gives me a chill down my spine.
What would happen if such news were to be relayed to a crazy duke who, if necessary, purges even loyalists who have done nothing wrong in the final stage of a suspicious disease?
The Count will undoubtedly point his sword at the Duke in order to survive the madman who killed his friend, the Count of Bern.
However, it is obvious that if only Count Ticino moves, the matter will end up as just an incident, so we will have to involve others as well.
“As soon as Count Ticino moves, the Reich Empire must prevent the Francoist Republic from interfering in the Swiss civil war based on the previous peace treaties concluded with other countries. That way, the civil war will last for a very long time, and even if they disapproved of the Duke of Switzerland, those who would not be able to move for fear of intervention by the Reich Empire and the Francois Republic in the event of a civil war will move.”
If they start a civil war here, it would be a good idea to supply surplus biscuits, weapons and items in poor condition from within the imperial army.
Then, in order to survive, the dukes and counts will arm their people with the weapons we gave them and fight, creating even greater chaos, and not only will Switzerland not be able to stand up for decades to come.
When the Farosian City Federation and the Empire fight, there will not be any mercenaries left that can be exported.
When the emperor heard what I said, he laughed and spoke in a playful voice.
“Isn’t it impious for a subject to plan a rebellion so well?”
“We are demanding fair compensation from the Duke of Switzerland who tarnished His Majesty’s honor. “Isn’t that what he should do as a subject?”
“That’s right. Your loyalty is only to me. For those who call themselves dukes, archdukes, and kings, it is enough for it to remain a sword symbolizing the empire’s power and a disaster.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The emperor put his hand on my shoulder, tapped it, and handed me a document.
“This is the list of the delegation. I would like to appoint you as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, but you can’t send a soldier as a diplomat, right? That is why I appointed Viscount Hüsler, a late vice-minister, as the representative of the mission. “You know what this means, right?”
If you are a vice minister, you are slightly below me in terms of protocol, so when performing the same duties, you can be considered below me.
Originally, my department is different, and if I were to be specific, my salary and available benefits are at the level of a minister, but my actual status is the same as that of a vice minister.
This means that I cannot move the delegation representative as I wish. However, the late Vice Minister is an exception.
If I were to become a vice minister in my later years, I would appoint someone who was originally a manager much lower than me with the intention of serving as vice minister for at least a month with His Majesty’s grace and retiring honorably, so it means a person who is a vice minister but has little real power.
Therefore, it is as if the full power of this delegation is in my hands.
“Come back as much as you like, as much as you want, Captain Jaeger. Before that, let’s play with the crown prince for a bit. Also, Louise gave birth to a son. This is truly an exciting event. There’s about a week left until the mission is dispatched, so leave tomorrow empty in your schedule. “I also don’t have any plans for tomorrow.”
After spending a week with a busy schedule of drinking with His Majesty and playing with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I boarded a carriage heading to Switzerland.