Ernst knew nothing whatsoever about Rosens's actions. If he had known there was such talent under his command, he would certainly have rewarded him handsomely. By then, Ernst had finally wrapped up his visits in Germany and boarded a train from Berlin bound for Austria. He had reserved two carriages, occupied by himself, security personnel, and his advisory team.
"Your Highness, your tea."
"Mm, set it aside. Don't spill it on the table and soak the documents." The train chugged along, jolting fiercely, but Ernst, who was accustomed to traveling everywhere by rail, had long since grown used to it.
"Your Highness, why did you have to personally involve yourself in dealing with the Boers? It's several thousand kilometers from Dar es Salaam city to the Matabele Plateau, and you may not be accustomed to Africa's environment."
Ernst said, "It's nothing. I know Africa fairly well, especially East Africa. Being there is no different from going home."
His subordinate took it for boasting. In truth, Ernst had visited quite a few countries not only in East Africa, but also West and South Africa. He simply had not stayed long in any of them.
"Your Highness, the main thing is that you've never been to Africa. Studying maps every day probably can't give you an intuitive sense of every aspect of the continent. Africa's conditions are nowhere near as favorable as Europe's."
To say nothing else, the two-dimensional map in Ernst's hands was hardly intuitive. Yet he felt no unfamiliarity in using it; in his previous life, he had studied East Africa's terrain inside and out.
The first thing Ernst needed to do upon returning to East Africa was command the war against the Boers. By the time he reached the Matabele Plateau, it would be about the start of the