Kaiser Wilhelm II

Hearing that Arthur had brought Australia into such orderly shape, Queen Victoria nodded in satisfaction before starting her lunch.

Perhaps because she was in such a good mood, Queen Victoria actually finished almost all the mashed potatoes she had never been able to finish before, and even drank more than half of her juice.

After a simple lunch, everyone gathered around Queen Victoria again and kept her company in conversation.

Perhaps the happiest thing in life was being able to stay with one's family in one's final moments. At least now, Queen Victoria's face was covered in smiles, no longer resembling her sickly self from before.

In the afternoon, another distinguished figure arrived on the island—the emperor of the German Empire, Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Although Germany and the United Kingdom were currently competitors, and each had joined a military bloc opposing the other,

the relationship between Kaiser Wilhelm II and Queen Victoria was not particularly strained. It could even be described as warm.

Crown Prince Edward, on the other hand, had gradually taken control of state affairs, and his relationship with Kaiser Wilhelm II had grown increasingly poor.

Arthur also met this cousin of his without a hitch. One had to admit that the relationships between European nobles were truly intricate and tangled; Arthur's network of connections could even reach more than half of Europe.

Because there were simply too many nobles and officials visiting Queen Victoria, Arthur could do little besides chat with her for half a day at the beginning and wander around the Isle of Wight for the rest of his time.

Although the Isle of Wight was only about four square kilometers in size, it was a beautiful island with an active volcano.

What attracted people most about the Isle of Wight were the hot springs and fountains found everywhere. Lying in a warm, comfortable spring and taking in the beautiful scenery around him made it impossible not to relax and become immersed in the splendor of the landscape.

However, Arthur was not in the mood to soak in the hot springs, so he merely strolled around the Isle of Wight alone.

The reason he had not brought any guards was that after Queen Victoria took up residence there, two thousand Royal Guard Army soldiers had been stationed on the island.

Aside from the heavy guard around the estate, guards could also be seen standing watch and patrolling everywhere on the island, so there was naturally no need to worry about its security.

The center of the Isle of Wight was shrouded in smoke. That was because the active volcano was still accumulating energy, waiting for its next eruption.

Ever since Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had taken up residence on the Isle of Wight, this volcanic island had experienced dozens of eruptions, large and small. Although none of them had been severe enough to cause serious harm to the island, the eruptions were still rather frequent.

"Arthur, what is it? Interested in this volcano?"

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice reached Arthur's ears. Arthur turned around and saw that it was Kaiser Wilhelm II, whom he had encountered for the first time that afternoon.

"What? You don't recognize me? My dear cousin Arthur." William II chuckled and deftly moved to Arthur's left, leaning against the railing as well.

"Your Majesty the Kaiser." Arthur bowed.

"Don't be so distant, Arthur. I'm your cousin. You can call me Cousin William." William II patted Arthur on the shoulder with his right hand and said with a smile, "Come to think of it, we haven't properly seen each other more than a few times. It is only thanks to opportunities like this that we can meet."

Cousin? Arthur suddenly thought of a certain lady and was instantly overcome by a chill.

"I was deeply sorry to hear about Uncle Arthur's death. Domestic affairs were especially busy at the time, so I couldn't make it to his funeral. I hope you won't take offense, Arthur." William II subtly turned his body slightly, better concealing his left arm.

"It's all right, Cousin William. As monarchs, domestic affairs take precedence over everything." Arthur nodded.

"Arthur, what do you think of Germany?" William II suddenly asked.

"Germany? The Germans are a great people, and Germany is a great country. Although it has been unified for only a short time, it has already become a powerful nation combining industry, military strength, and economic power. The gap between modern Germany and the old great powers is extremely small—apart from the colonies." Arthur answered honestly.

It had to be admitted that the German Empire had been unified only a short time ago, but it had truly used that brief period to grow into a powerful nation combining industry, economic power, and military might.

Germany's industrial strength went without saying. Its steel production had already ranked among the top three in the world. Although it could not compare with the industrial powerhouse of the United States, it had already edged past the United Kingdom.

In military terms, the German army was unquestionably the finest land force in the world. Its navy was also catching up to Britain's, and its overall military strength was absolutely among the top two in the world.

As for the old great power of France, although its vast colonies continuously supplied it with nourishment, France had already fallen behind Britain and Germany across the board in both economics and industry.

If all of France's colonies were handed over to Germany, Germany would have a strong chance of directly challenging the world's foremost power.

This was also why Germany and France had come into direct conflict. France was declining by the day, yet it still occupied the world's second-largest colonial empire.

Although Germany was powerful, its colonial holdings ranked near the bottom among the great powers. The total value of its colonies was not even greater than that of the Netherlands' Southeast Asian colonies.

Under such circumstances, it was perfectly normal for the Germans to be dissatisfied with the division of the colonies and resentful toward their old neighbor, France.

"Haha." Hearing Arthur's sincere words, William II chuckled and said, "Well said. What Germany currently lacks is the foundation and markets brought by a vast colonial empire. But across the world, most colonies have been seized by Britain and France. Britain is understandable—as the world's foremost great power, it is only natural that it should occupy so many colonies. But France has declined. It no longer has the right to enjoy so many colonies alone. Why not join our camp in resisting the old great powers, Arthur? Australia's geographical position is extremely important and could deal a considerable blow to France's African and Asian colonies. If you are willing, Germany can provide you with complete industrial equipment and a large number of immigrants, helping you establish a fully developed industrial system within a few years and rapidly become an industrial power."

Arthur was secretly astonished. He had not expected William II to choose this moment to win him over—to win over all of Australia.

At present, the confrontation in Europe was growing increasingly severe. Clashes were constantly breaking out between the two major military blocs, and the arms race had exhausted every country belonging to them.

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