We Can Do It

"Your Majesty, what have we come here for?"

Chancellor Max sat beside Eitel. Both had changed into simple suits and were sitting in the car.

Eitel leafed through the thick document detailing the assignments of the troops being retained.

"To see how the people are living, Chancellor Max. Remember, governing for the people does not mean sitting forever in a lofty tower."

"You must go among the people and learn what they need."

As he listened to His Majesty Eitel's instruction, Chancellor Max's face filled with respect.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You truly are a good monarch who serves his country and his people..."

Before Chancellor Max could finish his flattery, Eitel frowned at several names on the list.

"Model, Schörner, and Kesselring. I remember these men."

"Why have they been assigned to such an obscure military academy?"

Eitel's words drew Chancellor Max's attention. Following Eitel's finger, he saw several names.

At the sight of these officers' names, a few beads of cold sweat trickled down Max's forehead.

"Well, Your Majesty..."

Max wanted to say something but hemmed and hawed instead. At the sight of this, Eitel's expression instantly turned cold.

"Speak plainly. What exactly is the reason?"

Hearing His Majesty Eitel's uncompromising words, Max finally let out a long breath, took a handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Only then did he speak. "Your Majesty, you need only look at their names to understand. You must know about those hard-line Junker nobles."

"In fact, from before the war right up to the present, many of them have used suppression against these commoner officers to secure their own ranks and interests."

"I think that may be the reason."

Max's words made Eitel's face darken completely. Though he had heard of this before, he had never expected these old-established Junker nobles to go so far.

If he had not heard these men's names before, found them familiar, and asked about their military records...

These generals truly would have been pearls left buried in dust.

"How long has this been happening?"

Eitel spoke evenly, with neither joy nor anger audible in his voice.

But Chancellor Max still sensed something amiss.

His Majesty intends to kill.

"Your Majesty, please think this through. These Junker nobles' interests are deeply intertwined, after all. Acting rashly could deal another severe blow to the German Empire."

"Moreover, these Junker nobles also make up the greatest number of those who supported your becoming the new emperor of the German Empire."

"You must not recklessly turn the butcher's blade on your supporters at a time like this."

In simple words, Max laid this cruel reality bare before His Majesty Eitel.

He was also one of the Junker nobles, after all, though he differed from those hard-liners.

He, too, had long wanted to remove those cancers from the empire, but he understood that the time had not yet come. Only once His Majesty Eitel's wings had fully grown...

Could those nobles who occupied their posts while doing nothing to earn their keep be wiped out in one stroke.

For now, however, he could only do his utmost to persuade His Majesty Eitel to stay his hand.

After hearing Chancellor Max's words, Eitel finally calmed his anger.

"I understand. Then we will leave them be for now."

Seeing His Majesty Eitel's expression...

Chancellor Max thought for a while before speaking. "Your Majesty, I believe we still need to build our strength and cultivate a core of people loyal to us."

"As for those men you just mentioned, you could make suitable arrangements for them and have them form your core."

"We can also contact some conservative Junkers and commoner officers who might be won over."

At this point, Max paused for breath before continuing. "Of course, Your Majesty, if you wish to go to war again in the future, those radical Junker nobles will also be indispensable."

At this, Eitel understood Chancellor Max's meaning.

"Understood. I will arrange for these men to pursue further studies at the Prussia War Academy."

"Besides, this is what you want as well, isn't it, Chancellor Max?"

As he spoke, Eitel looked at Chancellor Max with a knowing gaze.

"After all, you are the foremost conservative Junker noble."

Chancellor Max smiled at this. "Your Majesty sees clearly. Everything we do is for the German Empire."

"For the German Empire..."

Eitel paid no heed to Chancellor Max's words. After all, wherever there were people, exchanges of interests were inevitable.

"Remember to look into a few people for me when you return."

As though something had suddenly occurred to him, Eitel turned to Chancellor Max.

"Please name them, Your Majesty. I will do my utmost."

As he spoke, Chancellor Musk took a small notebook from inside his jacket, ready to write.

"Lothar Rendulic, Franz Böhme, and Friedrich Materna. Once you find these three, remember to send them to the Prussia War Academy for study and training as well."

As Eitel gave his instructions, he recalled the three men's careers.

Each of these men, known as the "Three Austrian Greats," possessed extremely formidable military command abilities, especially Lothar Rendulic. If he wanted to conquer that turncoat Italy in the future...

He would still need this general, the foremost of the Three Austrian Greats, with his wealth of mountain warfare experience, to take command.

As for the other famous generals and field marshals, Eitel really could not recall them for the moment.

However, the system of promotion through military merit had to be improved. So long as Junker nobles no longer exploited commoner officers, or such incidents became less frequent...

An endless stream of military geniuses would come into his view.

Screech-

As Eitel was thinking, the brakes sounded.

Eitel looked up and out the car window. An arms factory being dismantled came into view.

"Your Majesty, we have arrived."

Chancellor Max spoke from beside him.

Eitel nodded, opened the car door first, and stepped out, with Max following close behind.

They stood before the arms factory, whose sign had already been removed.

Eitel went in first. Inside the arms factory, heavy machinery was being dismantled.

Workers carried pieces of machinery, their faces numb.

Apart from the few people directing the work, the factory was utterly lifeless.

The older workers directing the work saw the two men in suits and polished shoes but ignored them, until Eitel stood beside them.

Only then did the older worker in charge turn around.

"Sir, as you can see, this place is about to close. If you wish to discuss business, please go elsewhere."

"Though there aren't many arms factories still able to keep production going now."

After delivering these cold, stiff words, the older worker turned back and continued directing the work.

Eitel did not mind the barbs in the older worker's words.

After all, these workers had worked here their entire lives. Now that they had lost the livelihood they depended on, he believed they could not be in good spirits.

Before Eitel could say anything, he heard Chancellor Max's angry voice ring out.

"How dare you! This is His Majesty, the newly enthroned emperor!"

"How dare you speak to him like that!"

Max's words echoed through the open space, making every worker carrying out his tasks stop what he was doing.

The older workers in charge froze as well.

With trembling hands, one of the older workers took a pair of glasses from inside his clothes. Only after putting them on did he realize that the distinguished man standing before them...

Was indeed the renowned emperor himself.

Overcome with fear, the older worker moved to kneel, but Eitel caught him and stopped him.

Eitel looked at the older workers, his tone gentle.

"I did not come here for such things."

"The orders have already been issued. Production of all weapons with a caliber greater than 50 must cease."

"And you will lose these jobs."

Eitel's words reached the older workers' ears. As he listened to His Majesty, one of them shed a tear.

"Your Majesty, I know this is not your fault. You were forced to make these decisions."

"But Your Majesty, if you ever need us in the future, you must tell us. We have worked in this factory all our lives. Our experience and craftsmanship will certainly not disappoint you."

As soon as the older worker said this, all the workers present voiced their agreement.

After hearing the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, they had felt little disappointment over their impending unemployment. What they felt more was anger at those jackals of the Allies.

When their army returned to Berlin, there had not been the slightest disorder. They had returned to their homeland in orderly ranks.

What right did those Allies have to call them a defeated nation!

This was an insult to the entire German Empire!

If His Majesty wanted revenge, these experienced workers would return to their posts at the first opportunity and expend their last ounce of strength for the empire.

Looking at the steadfastly loyal workers before him, Eitel withdrew his hand with somewhat mixed feelings.

"Master craftsmen, there is no need to wait until the future. You can still continue this work. But you should already know that we are no longer permitted to manufacture weapons with a caliber greater than 50."

"I need you to design several entirely new, portable weapons below that caliber."

"Can you do it?"

When Eitel's words reached the surrounding workers, they were stunned at first.

Then one worker was the first to speak.

"Your Majesty, we can do it!"

"Yes, we can do it."

"Your Majesty, since they won't let us make anything above 50, then we'll make them!"