empress ch38

North Sea Battle.

The largest naval battle to occur since humanity first launched ships onto the sea.

Its outcome delivered a considerable shock to both sides.

Nine British Dreadnought-class Battleships sunk. Twelve Battlecruisers sunk. Thirty-eight other auxiliary ships sunk.

Three French Dreadnought-class Battleships sunk. Twenty-nine other auxiliary ships sunk.

Five Holy Roman Empire Dreadnought-class Battleships sunk. Seven Battlecruisers sunk. Forty-one other auxiliary ships sunk.

The results, when read in the newspapers, even caused people to lose consciousness and collapse on the spot.

That was because, in this era, the existence of a battleship was more than just an ordinary warship as conceived by modern humanity.

In this era, the existence called a battleship was, in itself, a symbol of a ‘strong nation.’ In this era, filled with the madness of patriotism, the meaning of the title ‘strong nation’ was self-evident.

Such a battleship, an existence symbolizing the greatness of the fatherland, had sunk beneath the sea along with the thousands of crew members it carried.

Having witnessed such results, it was understandable that the people of this era foamed at the mouth and fainted.

Of course, the exchange ratio itself was in our favor. We had sunk nearly 20 enemy battleships, so it could be considered a tactical victory.

However… the problem was that the Empire’s battleships had also taken a beating, so the vast majority of battleships possessed by the High Seas Fleet and the Baltic Fleet had to enter the docks for repairs.

On the other hand, the British defenses remained strong. It could be said to be a strategic victory for the British.

‘Well, honestly, I didn’t expect much.’

It was almost admirable that we had achieved such surprising results against the Royal Navy.

“You think so too, don’t you? Emilia von Habsburg.”

“…Yes.”

Emilia von Habsburg. My biological younger sister, and currently the first in line to the throne, the First Imperial Princess.

“Emilia? It’s been a while since you’ve seen your sister, and you don’t even greet me? I’m a little disappointed, you know?”

Disappointed. My emotions were nothing but the truth. In the first timeline, she and I were close enough to warrant the expression ‘special.’

“…Sorry. It’s still a bit…”

“Hmm.”

Well, it doesn’t matter. She’ll manage on her own. I shrugged and gazed at the vast ocean stretching beyond the horizon.

“By the way, why didn’t you come to the Warsaw Conference? It would have been nice to see your face after so long.”

“That’s… that’s because…”

She hesitated, glancing at me to see if she could say it. Then, as if having made up her mind, she said to me.

“That’s a place where they decide how to trample on others. I don’t want to attend such a place.”

“Really…”

She takes after Father. Mostly in the bad ways. That’s why I liked her. When I look at her, I feel like I’m seeing my pure self before it was whittled away.

“Still, show your face once in a while. I’ve been lonely lately, you know?”

“…Yes.”

Just then, black smoke began to appear beyond the horizon. Click, click. Countless reporters began to eagerly take pictures of the smoke.

Some of the nobles gathered here also stood up and began to applaud.

It was understandable that they were reacting this way.

The dozen or so columns of black smoke that now entered my sight meant only one thing. It indicated the success of Operation Rosencrantz.

“Heu…”

Well, I couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at the fact that an operation I had been planning for quite some time had finally come to a successful end.

Of course, it would have been impossible to see the Scharnhorst entering the port of Amsterdam under normal circumstances. But now, a great power vacuum had been created in the North Sea. It was all because of the North Sea Battle.

In the North Sea Battle, the battlecruisers of both sides were virtually annihilated. In the end, Britain could only watch as five battlecruisers rapidly crossed the North Sea and entered Amsterdam.

Clap, clap, clap.

The battlecruisers are getting closer and closer. The sound of applause from behind is also getting louder and louder.

Step, step. An officer stepped off the Scharnhorst. I, too, walked towards him, click, click.

“Admiral Maximilian von Spee.”

“Your Majesty.”

Swish. He bent one knee towards me and opened his mouth.

“The American and East Asian Fleets hereby inform Her Most Gracious Imperial Majesty that ‘Operation Rosencrantz’ has been successfully completed.”

I smiled slightly and said to him. No. To be precise, to everyone gathered here.

“Venisti, vidisti, vicisti. (You came, you saw, you conquered.)”

The success of Operation Rosencrantz meant that the British Empire could no longer perfectly control all sea routes in this ocean. In other words, it meant that the owner of this sea might not be the British Empire.

It was the moment the myth of the invincible fleet, which had lasted for hundreds of years, was shattered.

But the Allies’ misfortune did not end there.

Even in the jungles of Africa, they were to face a bitter defeat.

The Empire’s African colony. It was a land that, to put it mildly, was larger than ‘all of Europe combined.’

But the Allies thought they could easily subdue it.

As with the colonies of other imperialist nations, Imperial Central Africa was more of a ‘giant market’ than a proper nation.

Naturally, all factories and administrative offices, as well as other facilities in Imperial Central Africa, were concentrated on the coast. And that coastline could be easily captured by mobilizing a few colonial garrison troops.

That’s what they thought.

Dar es Salaam, the capital of Imperial Central Africa.

The British forces, who had formed a siege to capture it, were experiencing nothing short of ‘hell.’

“Shit! They’re coming again!”

KWAANG!!!

A 250mm shell tore through the sky. One might wonder how a shell with a caliber as different as 250mm could exist in an African colony where it was difficult to operate even small rapid-fire guns, let alone large-caliber field guns.

That was because the armored cruiser, Grazenau, which had been unable to withdraw due to being blocked by the British colonial fleet, was stationed there.

Of course, the British garrison did not suffer heavy casualties. That was because they used conscripted soldiers from the colony as cannon fodder.

Of course, it was pitiful that the colonial people, lured by the bait of money, were forcibly dragged into the battlefield… but what could they do? In this barbaric era, the weak were merely a meal for the strong.

“Keueung…”

However, it was also true that the capture of Dar es Salaam was facing difficulties because of this.

In the end, the British plan to ‘virtually occupy’ Imperial Africa by occupying the coastal outposts unfortunately failed.

I, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, was satisfied with achieving this much. In the previous timeline, Dar es Salaam was captured before any significant resistance could be mounted. As a result, the African colonial defense forces had to rely entirely on guerrilla warfare.

In contrast, in this timeline, we had succeeded in flexibly repelling the British offensive. A smile naturally spread across my face.

But the subsequent achievements were something I had not expected at all, and therefore were even more valuable.

I looked down at the report from Imperial Central Africa and said to Marie.

“Should I have saved the words ‘You came, you saw, you conquered’ a little longer?”

“That… I don’t think you should say such things in front of Admiral Spee…!”

Pfft. Surely not.

“I’m not that rude.”

In other words, the achievements brought by the African defense forces were truly dazzling, to the point that such words naturally came out of me.

Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck.

He was the commander of the defense forces of Imperial Central Africa at the outbreak of the war.

“The situation in mainland Europe is a matter for mainland Europe, isn’t it? Let’s maintain neutrality.”

When war broke out in Europe, the colonial governments in Africa promised to maintain neutrality with each other. But this promise was broken before long.

The British forces began to cross the border and attack the Imperial colonies.

Fortunately, the British attack was soon repelled by the Grazenau’s naval gun fire.

Of course, there was a happening where the angry bees, who were very angry at the naval gunfire, roamed around the outskirts of Dar es Salaam for a while and paralyzed traffic for a while (if you ask if this is logically possible… this is the true wilderness where even the extreme land of Siberia takes a step back, East African jungle.) but…

Anyway, it was resolved now, so there was no need to pay much attention to it.

‘Of course, we defended well against the enemies, but…’

I didn’t want to just be on the receiving end. He wanted to take revenge on the British bastards who dared to break their promise and invade Central Africa.

That’s why he planned an offensive against the British colonies… but.

“So. You want to come with us too?”

Paul looked at the black people who had entered his office and asked. They replied in broken German.

“That’s right, sir. We will repay the favor we owe you, Captain.”

“Aish, I’ve told you so many times that it’s not even a favor.”

He had simply given them the opportunity to live like human beings. He had simply treated them as equal human beings. But they treated him as if he were their savior, which was rather burdensome.

Of course, it was clear that Paul was a benefactor to them.

How had the previous Imperial Army officers treated them? Lower than the dogs they raised.

On the other hand, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck treated them equally as individuals and took good care of the injured tribesmen. To them, he was more than just a savior.

“Hoo… If you follow me this time, you might really die. Are you still okay with that?”

“It’s okay, sir. We are ready to give our lives for you.”

“Good…”

Lettow-Vorbeck then began to explain his plan to them.

Shock spread among them, who had grown up under the Empire and knew to some extent how ‘European civilization’ worked.

“Captain… that’s… that’s a crazy idea…”

A moment of silence. Then he smiled and continued.

“But it’ll be quite fun.”