The great emperor would one day return to his loyal Berlin

Eitel taught Rommel how to brainwash an antiwar man into a staunch militarist with three words.

They were "sense of honor," whether national, patriotic, or personal.

Any of them could become a person's lifelong creed.

"Your Majesty, we're almost at Berlin."

Rommel walked alongside him, leading his horse. Eitel looked in the direction Rommel indicated, and the vast city of Berlin was already close at hand.

"Has word of my imminent return been sent out?"

Sitting on his horse, Eitel watched the road ahead, a thoughtful glint passing through his eyes.

He had made such a conspicuous show of this journey partly to provide cover for Guderian. The other reason was that this was his first return to Berlin since ascending the throne as emperor of the German Empire. He wondered how the German people viewed the news of his great victory at the front.

Without the people's support, many of the things he intended to do next would face considerable constraints.

Rommel nodded. "Your Majesty, word of your return reached Berlin several days ago."

"You are the emperor, after all. Would you consider entering the city in an armored car?"

"I'm afraid someone might harbor ill intentions toward you."

Eitel waved away Rommel's concerns, rejecting his request.

"If even I cannot trust my own people, how can they place their trust in me?"

"But Ferdinand..." Rommel grew anxious at His Majesty Eitel's words.

Eitel's uncompromising reply silenced him completely. "Archduke Ferdinand? They went to a country they oppressed and paraded through its streets. Even their driver couldn't follow his own route properly. His assassination was inevitable."

"But I am different. Everything I do is for the empire, and every action I take is for the German people."

As he said this, Eitel stared straight ahead at Berlin without looking aside.

"Just do what I've instructed you to do. You needn't worry about anything else."

Hearing the unquestionable authority in Eitel's words, Rommel could only lower his head.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"If danger truly arises, I'll be the first to shield you from it."

"Don't make it sound so grim. Would you believe me if I said that the moment I enter the city, the people will line the streets to welcome me?"

Eitel's words puzzled Rommel.

"Your Majesty, as far as I know, the residents of Berlin aren't living well right now. Under such circumstances, why are you so certain the people will welcome you?"

Eitel gave a mysterious smile. "Just watch."

With that, Eitel summoned a soldier and gave him a few instructions. The soldier nodded his assent, then took several men and galloped toward Berlin.

Once that was done, Eitel closed his mouth and said nothing more.

Watching His Majesty Eitel's actions, Rommel could only swallow all his questions.

Hooves struck the hard, dry ground with crisp clops.

The Stormtroopers followed silently behind His Majesty Eitel, with the field cavalry regiment riding their warhorses farther back.

Everyone wore a solemn expression, their steps perfectly synchronized, carrying an intimidating air.

Leading Eitel's warhorse, Rommel stepped onto Berlin's main thoroughfare.

Eitel's feelings were complicated as he entered Berlin again. The last time he had come here had been more than a century later.

Berlin had looked entirely different then.

The main thoroughfare was quiet, without a soul on the streets to either side.

As Eitel watched the silent street ahead, his eyes grew a little deeper.

Beside him, Rommel's expression was somewhat grim.

No one spoke. They simply continued forward in silence.

A breeze blew through Berlin's streets, lifting the fallen leaves along the roadside before letting them settle again.

"Your Majesty..."

Around the turn ahead stood the former German emperor's palace, while the Reichstag building stood on the other side. Rommel parted his lips slightly, wanting to say something.

"Keep going. Let's return to where we belong."

Eitel knew what Rommel wanted to say.

He knew it too, but none of it mattered anymore. Still, he believed that as long as he did what he ought to do, the German people would trust him again someday.

Eitel traveled very slowly along this road, so slowly that he seemed to want to commit everything he saw to memory.

The clatter of hooves sounded so hollow and lonely on the silent streets as they passed beyond the main thoroughfare and turned onto the street leading to the Reichstag building.

Dazzling sunlight shone straight into Eitel's eyes, making him instinctively squint and raise a hand to shield them.

"Your Majesty!"

Once Eitel had adjusted a little to the sunlight, he heard Rommel's voice, tinged with delighted surprise.

He slowly lowered the hand shielding his eyes.

A few fallen leaves drifted past his eyes, but this time was different.

The road to the Reichstag building was packed with people, and countless others leaned out of the windows on either side.

Everyone silently watched the newly crowned emperor before them.

Their eyes held reverence and solemnity.

Looking at this scene, Eitel wanted to say something, but hesitated.

Just then, a little boy approached Eitel with a bouquet of flowers.

Eitel watched the boy slowly walk up beside him and hold out the bouquet.

"Your Majesty, thank you for your efforts at the front."

The boy spoke each word distinctly, his eyes full of longing. "When I grow up, I'll fight for you and for the empire."

Eitel's lips moved. Then he swung down from his warhorse, his leather boots landing on Berlin's stone paving.

He bent down and solemnly accepted the bouquet from the little boy, gently stroking the boy's head with his left hand.

"You're already a man who can stand tall and proud."

"I think this suits you better than it does me."

Eitel unfastened the Iron Cross at his collar and placed it in the boy's hands.

The little boy looked at the Iron Cross, that symbol of honor, his eyes filled with delighted surprise.

Seeing the boy's joy, Eitel straightened and looked at the German people around him.

"Not only the soldiers fighting bravely at the front, but all of you working hard for the German Empire behind the lines are heroes too!"

"For the great German Empire! For the dignity of the German people!"

"I will not allow a single enemy army to invade our German Empire's homeland!"

Eitel took a deep breath and looked solemnly at the German people before him.

"Now the enemy wants peace talks with us, but the price is reparations we could not repay even after exhausting ten generations, along with our German Empire's territory and dignity!"

"For the people of the German Empire, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight at the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields, we shall fight in the streets and alleys!"

"We shall never surrender!"

As His Majesty Eitel's words rang out, everyone present erupted.

"Never surrender!"

"Never surrender!"

"Never surrender!"