Ernst consoled him, saying, "The Austro-Hungarian Empire's situation was beyond even God's power to fix. The fact that you managed to hold on for so many years meant you had already done very well."
"Even without this time, there would have been a next time. The Austro-Hungarian Empire had too many ethnic conflicts, and its people's hearts were not united. Even without ethnic issues, class issues would have been difficult to resolve. As the Soviet Union expanded, such things would continue to happen in Europe."
"Now you have also climbed out of the quagmire. That may not be a bad thing. Of course, if you still want to gamble once more, it is not as though there is no opportunity."
Rudolf was not interested in the opportunity Ernst mentioned, but he still asked curiously, "What opportunity?"
Ernst spoke bluntly. "The Kingdom of Dalmatia is now seeking independence. They hope to find a monarch from the Habsburgs. Of course, if you wish to go, that would certainly be possible as well."
Lying in his hospital bed, Rudolf shook his head and said, "So it is that East African chess piece of yours. The Kingdom of Dalmatia is a place you painstakingly cultivated. You are really willing to hand it over to us just like that?"
The Habsburgs knew full well where the present Kingdom of Dalmatia had come from. However, the mixed-blood Germans of the Kingdom of Dalmatia were likewise beneficial to their rule, so the Habsburgs had previously turned a blind eye.
Ernst did not put on any hypocritical display. Instead, he said frankly, "The Kingdom of Dalmatia truly was a chess piece I planted in the Austro-Hungarian Empire back then. Getting several hundred thousand immigrants settled there cost me no small amount of effort and money."
"However, this chess