"Your Highness, this is an urgent dispatch from East Africa!" A telegraph office worker delivered a telegram bearing the latest date to Ernst's office.
Ernst took the telegram and read it. "March 1869, Mbeya city. Personnel officer Becker, Military Commander Merke, envoy mission... The Yeke Kingdom has basically been taken; a small portion of its territory has been swallowed up by surrounding native forces. —Student, Chief of Staff of the East African Army, Svit."
"Good, truly rare! I never expected diplomatic talent to reveal itself so quickly. Tom, how do you think I should reward this Becker?" Ernst asked Tom.
"Your Highness, Mr. Becker was born in the Walen region of Prussia. He once served in the kingdom's army, then retired and joined the East African colonial activities you organized. To be honest, Mr. Becker is no longer young, and he probably will not remain in East Africa for much longer. It would be better to grant him and his family two large bonuses, divided into two accounts at Hechingen Bank," Tom said.
"Putting everything else aside, why divide it into two accounts?" Ernst asked in confusion.
"Young Master, the human heart is hard to fathom. People like Mr. Becker, who serve East Africa, live apart from their families year-round. Frankly, it is difficult for us to investigate their family circumstances. Dividing this bonus into two accounts will also provide Mr. Becker with a measure of security in the future," Tom explained.
After hearing Tom's words, Ernst sank into thought. He leaned back against his chair, raised his head, and blinked at the light.
"You make a good point, Tom. Families are complicated; not every family is happy, nor does every family have good relations. Among the first group of people who fled to East Africa, some may have been