War criminals? I haven't lost yet

Listening to a man dressed as a general speak to them from the dais, Eitel looked in the direction he was pointing.

Beside the long table stood several rather shabby chairs.

Looking at those chairs, Eitel pressed his lips together without speaking.

The two men behind him glanced at the chairs and likewise said nothing, simply standing quietly where they were without moving a step.

A flicker of irritation crossed the general's face as he watched the three men remain motionless.

"Will the German representatives please sit down? The session is about to begin."

He repeated himself once more. This time, Eitel raised his eyes and looked at the general above him.

"I came here to discuss peace negotiations. If your side has no intention of treating them as such, then I don't think we have anything to discuss."

Eitel's voice did not waver at all, and he remained standing where he was without moving.

Although everyone present was targeting him, Eitel's attitude made them realize that this newly crowned German emperor was not under their thumb.

If he sat down, control of these peace negotiations would fall into their hands. But now, seeing the emperor's attitude, the men on the dais exchanged glances.

"Replace the German representatives' chairs."

In the end, they compromised, though their tone remained cold and hard.

Eitel paid no mind to the hostility in their words. Only after the chairs had been replaced did he lead the others to their seats.

Once they were seated, the general on the dais spoke again.

"May the session begin now, German representatives?"

There was a hint of mockery in the general's words, but Eitel simply extended a hand, gesturing for him to proceed.

At Eitel's gesture, irritation visibly spread across the faces of everyone present.

"I must state that this session concerns peace negotiations. I ask the German representatives to respect these proceedings."

"The agenda for this session has already been placed on the German representatives' table, together with the request for peace negotiations."

"Please review it."

A man in a suit and polished shoes stood up to one side and spoke.

Only after hearing the man's words did Eitel leisurely open the document on the table.

The first page laid out the proceedings: after the peace terms had been discussed, if everyone present agreed to them and confirmed their validity, Germany and the representatives of the various countries would sign the peace treaty together.

The representatives of the various countries would then bear witness to confirm that the treaty was authentic and valid.

But when Eitel turned to the second page and reached the first of the peace terms, he put the document down.

The first peace term was the unconditional surrender of the German Empire.

"May I ask the members of the Allies-is this what you have drafted as your peace terms?"

Eitel placed his field marshal's baton on the table, took the document in his left hand, and held it high.

Eitel's words broke the silence in the room. Watching his actions, the members of the Allies exchanged glances, until finally a man dressed as a prime minister stepped forward.

"That is correct. These peace terms were drafted jointly by our countries."

"We have already confirmed them. May I ask whether you have any objections?"

Listening to the prime minister, Eitel looked him up and down before confirming that this was the renowned French prime minister, Clemenceau, who was also presiding over the session.

Once he recalled the man's identity, Eitel understood the French prime minister's attitude.

This hard-line prime minister of France had always wanted to weaken Germany and eliminate the threat of its resurgence.

After all, on this continent, only Germany could rival France. Once the German threat was erased, France could develop as though no one else existed.

But facing this "Tiger," Eitel gave a soft laugh.

"Since you are so insincere about these peace negotiations, I don't think there is any need for us to continue."

"Field Marshal Hindenburg, Rommel, let's go."

As Eitel spoke, he made to rise. This time, the members of the Allies grew somewhat anxious.

British prime minister David Lloyd George stood up to smooth things over.

"These are peace negotiations, after all. We ought to discuss things before making any decisions. The German representatives are quite welcome to voice any disagreements."

"We can simply discuss them further."

After speaking, George tugged at President Clemenceau beside him, whose face had turned rather ashen, signaling for him to sit down.

At the same time, several other representatives beside him signaled for Clemenceau to be patient. Under their pressure, Clemenceau finally gave a quiet snort and sat down.

Yet his eyes remained fixed sharply on Eitel, his fists tightly clenched.

Eitel glanced at the representatives on the dais, each wearing a different expression, then swept his cape aside and sat down again.

"Then how would you gentlemen like to negotiate?"

At Eitel's words, Clemenceau wanted to say something, but those around him stopped him.

George glanced at President Wilson beside him, but for some reason, President Wilson, who had originally been the most enthusiastic, was now staring beneath the table with a somewhat bored look, showing no intention of speaking.

As for the Italian representative on the far right, George merely glanced at him before looking away, leaving the Italian representative feeling rather stifled.

That scene alone showed Eitel the fragility within the Allies.

Watching the representatives above him, Eitel's lips curled into a contemptuous smile.

Finally, George spoke. "As for our demands, first, we require the German Empire to declare its unconditional surrender. Second, it must compensate the various countries for the losses caused by this war. Third, to prevent such an incident from happening again, we will impose corresponding restrictions on the German Empire's territory and armed forces."

"Lastly, we demand that Germany hand over the war criminals responsible for this war, to be tried by an international court."

Once George finished stating the terms, everyone present immediately fell silent, all eyes turning to Eitel.

Everyone waited for Eitel's response, waiting for him to agree to these terms.

But to everyone's surprise, Eitel did not display the anger they had expected.

After hearing these terms, Eitel merely gave a soft laugh, the sound echoing through the quiet conference room.

"War criminals? A trial?"

"I ask Prime Minister George and all the representatives of the Allies to think very carefully."

"Our German Empire has not lost yet."

Eitel's clear reply rang in their ears.

Like a thunderclap, it exploded beside everyone's ears.

"Do you think that, under the present circumstances, Germany still has any ability to sustain the war ahead?"

Clemenceau could no longer stay seated and sprang to his feet.

"We Allies still have an army eight million strong, and our robust logistics can still sustain us in this fight. How can Germany possibly contend with us?"

Clemenceau's furious voice could even be heard outside through the doors.

But Eitel was not intimidated by his words. Instead, he tapped lightly on the table.

"Then I must ask you this as well: can these so-called logistics of yours really sustain you in continuing this war?"