Victory

Primo's investigation concluded quickly, and he informed Vittorio Emanuele II of his final choice for king.

Yes, Carlo had won the competition against Amadeo and was about to become the new King of Spain.

The primary reasons Carlo emerged victorious in this competition were his support for reform and Garibaldi's praise for him.

When Juan Primo de Rivera was drafting the list of candidates for the Spanish throne, he had lamented, "Trying to find a king who supports democracy in Spain is like looking for an atheist in heaven."

Although a constitutional monarchy had been nominally established during Isabella's reign, Queen Isabella still held significant power, and the kingdom's government was quite backward and feudal.

Primo was tired of this extreme authoritarianism. When searching for a new king for Spain, Primo had repeatedly emphasized the necessity of reform and democratization.

A king could hold power, but he absolutely could not monopolize it.

In this regard, Carlo, who had interacted with Garibaldi, a former supporter of republicanism, had a clear advantage.

Amadeo had no major flaws; in fact, he even had an advantage in age. If Spain were in a stable state, Amadeo would undoubtedly be the most fitting candidate for the Spanish throne.

But Spain was currently riddled with problems, and Amadeo was powerless to address its current situation. To enact deep reforms in Spain, the monarch and his subjects had to be united and work together to drive comprehensive reforms.

In this aspect, Carlo held a greater advantage than Amadeo. Even if Carlo's support for reform wasn't as firm as imagined, Primo could still forcefully push through reforms by seizing military and political control.

After all, a 19-year-old king was easier to control than a 25-year-old king, which was crucial for Spain's reforms.

Then there was Garibaldi's assessment of Carlo.

During his investigation into Carlo and Amadeo, Primo discovered that Carlo's relationship with Garibaldi was closer than he had anticipated.

Not only had Garibaldi published numerous articles in the Italy Sun, but his second son, Giotto, also served as Carlo's court guard.

Allowing his son to be close to Carlo indicated that, in Garibaldi's mind, Carlo was at least not a prince who was arrogant and unable to grasp the situation.

Coupled with the Italy Sun's previous influence on Spain, it could basically be concluded that Carlo had long anticipated Spain's selection of a king and was making preparations in advance.

Primo himself preferred to cooperate with intelligent kings. If possible, fostering a close relationship between King William I of Prussia and his Chancellor Bismarck wouldn't be out of the question.

Decades ago, Prussia was also a country easily invaded and humiliated by France. But after decades of various reforms, Prussia had rapidly become one of the most powerful nations on the European continent, and its war with France was a key focus for Primo.

Primo didn't aspire for Spain to become as powerful as Prussia after its reforms. For Primo, he hoped to see Spain revive and reclaim its place as a first-class European power and a major player.

In this regard, Primo was quite confident. If a monarch who supported his reforms could be installed, perhaps Spain's revival wouldn't be a dream but a reality visible within twenty years.

Carlo's feelings were complex.

Although winning this competition was something Carlo had always hoped for, upon suddenly learning he would become King of Spain, Carlo felt a sense of nervousness and hesitation.

To be blunt, in 1869, making Spain great again was arguably the most difficult task among the major European powers.

Spain's starting position was a complete pitfall. Internally, republicans, reformists, conservatives, and Carlists constantly created trouble, leading to endless chaos.

Externally, the United Kingdom and France would not permit Spain to become too powerful. For Spain to revive, the first obstacles would be the United Kingdom and France.

This was undoubtedly a hellishly difficult start, no less challenging than Poland's counterattack against Germany in the early days of World War II.

After a slight adjustment of his mindset, Carlo decided to go to Spain, and he was resolute in his decision.

Since he had transmigrated to this world, how could he not seize the opportunity for a bold gamble?

Moreover, the United Kingdom and France were not absolutely invincible, and Spain's homeland was at least relatively safe.

Neither the United Kingdom nor France would allow the other to occupy Spanish territory; at most, they would only hinder the expansion of the Spanish navy and colonies.

Besides, Spain wasn't the only one needing colonies now, and it certainly wouldn't be the first to oppose the United Kingdom and France.

For Carlo's first five, or even ten, years governing Spain, the most important task would be to resolve Spain's internal conflicts and implement reforms to enhance its overall national strength.

After the competition concluded, Carlo met with his brother, Amadeo.

Setting aside the competition, Carlo and Amadeo had a decent relationship. Although not as close as Carlo was with the late Prince Oddone, they weren't merely acquaintances.

Amadeo congratulated Carlo with a smile on becoming King of Spain. While there was a hint of regret, there wasn't much unwillingness.

Carlo certainly wouldn't deliberately make an enemy of his brother. During the crucial stage of Spain's reform, Italy would be an important ally.

Whether it was his father in power or Crown Prince Umberto inheriting the throne in the future, Carlo wanted to maintain good relations with Italy.

After all, Italy was a fallback option. If Spain truly became irredeemable, he could, like Amadeo in history, escape back to Italy and live as a carefree duke.

Also present to congratulate Carlo was Carlo's elder brother, Crown Prince Umberto.

Crown Prince Umberto was the heir to the Italian throne and therefore did not participate in this competition. Having been designated crown prince since birth, Crown Prince Umberto was friendly towards his younger brothers.

In his father's office, Carlo met the somewhat reluctant old king.

"My child, I never expected you to win the competition against Amadeo. But regardless, I must congratulate you on becoming the King of Spain." Vittorio Emanuele II looked at Carlo with a complex expression, a hint of surprise and some reluctance on his face.

"Have you met Primo? When do you plan to go to Spain?" After offering his blessings, Vittorio Emanuele II posed two consecutive questions.

"Not yet, Father. If possible, I want to go to Spain as soon as possible and learn everything about Spain," Carlo replied, shaking his head.

First update, please support! (Previous calculation errors regarding travel time between Rome and Madrid have been corrected)