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“It’s as you heard. As the commander of the Army Aviation Corps, please become the chairman of the newly formed Air Association.”

“…But suddenly an Air Association… I must say, I’m a little taken aback…”

He paused, gauging my reaction. I chuckled at his demeanor, so different from ‘August in my past life.’

‘In my past life, he was more of a leader than someone who was led.’

Well, he from my past life is him from my past life, and he in this life is him in this life.

“Does His Highness August know how the empire came to possess the world’s largest naval power?”

“I know vaguely. It’s thanks to the Fleet Association founded by the late emperor.”

The Fleet Association was a private organization founded by the late Emperor Franz Joseph for the empire’s self-defense… or, frankly speaking, for ‘battleship otaku’ activities.

They raised vast amounts of capital needed for the naval arms race through fundraising events, stamp issuance, and various other methods.

The results were quite impressive. The empire, which had barely any proper fleet, rose to become a naval powerhouse operating 27 Dreadnought-class Battleships, 34 pre-Dreadnought Battleships, and 14 Battlecruisers in just a few decades.

Considering that France, another major power, possessed only 34 battleships when they scraped together all their pre-Dreadnoughts, it was truly overwhelming.

‘So what? The battle in the Atlantic is still 1.5 to 1.’

England fights 1 to 1, and France, with 0.5 of the force, joins in.

It’s not an insurmountable difference in power, but it’s not a difference in power I particularly want to fight against.

‘Let’s take this opportunity to reduce the budget going to the navy, which just sits in port and eats, and increase the budget allocated to the army and air force.’

The navy might object, but the army and air force would welcome it with open arms.

Anyway.

“That’s right. Thanks to the Fleet Association, the empire was able to secure a significant amount of budget to use for shipbuilding, and the navy, which had a negligible force, instantly became a great fleet that could compete for first or second place in the world. I thought it would be efficient to follow the precedent of the Fleet Association.”

“But… Count Zeppelin of the Naval Air Force, who developed the Airship, is also present, so why am I in the position of chairman of the Air Association…”

I prepared a plausible excuse, knowing he wouldn’t understand if I said it was a personal gift.

“Just think of it as matching ranks.”

The chairman of the Fleet Association was Archduke Karl Stephen.

Therefore, shouldn’t the chairman of the Air Association also be at least a duke, or higher? A not-so-subtle excuse.

“Ah… I see.”

He seemed to understand my argument. Although he still wore an expression of doubt.

“…But I wonder if I can do this job instead of Count Zeppelin, who performed heroically in the escape from Vienna…”

In my past life, he was always the one leading others. He was the only person I could rely on in this world. Seeing him so dispirited…

I don’t know. It feels strange.

“His Highness Prince August von Hanover.”

I looked into his eyes and said.

“I expect the Air Association led by Your Highness to achieve even greater results than the Fleet Association.”

I gave him a bright smile.

For some reason, his face was still filled with tension.

…Hmm. What is this empty feeling? It feels like something just fizzled out.

Crown Prince Ernst August recalled the emperor’s words to him.

‘I expect the Air Association led by Your Highness to achieve even greater results than the Fleet Association.’

“Ugh…”

Checkmate.

If the Air Association achieves results inferior to the Fleet Association, she will think that it is inefficient for me to be in the position of ‘Commander of the Army Aviation Corps.’

And if she makes that judgment, the punishment that will befall me is as clear as day.

‘I’ll be demoted to some backwater.’

That must not happen. In order for a mere royal of a principality to survive in this era, as much power as possible is needed… which is actually half an excuse.

‘I don’t want to step down from the position of Commander of the Air Force.’

As a true aviation enthusiast, he was overjoyed to hear that he had been appointed Commander of the Air Force. It was a happy thing to be able to make a job out of something he loved.

But wouldn’t you want to do what you love for as long as possible?

Crisis is opportunity. He calculated that if he seized this opportunity, he could remain Commander of the Air Force for as long as possible.

‘Thanks to the escape to Vienna, interest in aircraft has increased significantly. This task is not that difficult… except for the fact that I have to achieve results that surpass the Fleet Association.’

To do this, cooperation with Count Zeppelin is not an option, but a necessity.

He immediately picked up the receiver and called Count Zeppelin.

“Count Zeppelin. Good morning.”

[Oh. Chairman of the Air Association. Is this August von Hanover?]

A slightly jealous voice. Well, he’s like the grand old man of the empire’s aircraft industry. It wouldn’t be strange for him to be dissatisfied with the fact that he didn’t become the chairman of the Air Association.

But I can’t lead the Air Association without him.

“Count Zeppelin. Please help me just once. Although I ended up taking on the position of chairman of the Air Association by chance… the Air Association without you is not the Air Association.”

[Hoo… Prince August von Hanover.]

Is that a refusal…? He swallowed hard.

[Of course, I have to help. A young man needs a wrinkled old man. I’m honored. Haha.]

Count Zeppelin laughed heartily and accepted my request.

[I have a villa in Prague. Let’s talk about the rest there. Goodbye.]

Click. The phone hung up.

“…!”

He clenched his fist tightly, feeling a subtle tremor in his heart.

This feeling is… yes. It was elation.

“Yes!!!”

The crown prince clenched his fists, holding back the heat that was leaking out of his chest, and raised his arms in the air.

Squeak.

The door opened. He made eye contact with the maid who was entering the room.

“Ah.”

“Ah… I, I didn’t see anything, Your Highness…”

Squeak.

The door closed.

“…”

Only a cold silence lingered there.

Bohemia. Prague.

This place had been the political and economic center of the Holy Roman Empire for a long time since the Bohemians settled there in the Middle Ages.

Today, Prague is developing day by day as a major artery connecting Vienna, the center of southern Germany, and Brandenburg, the center of northern Germany, and as a logistics hub.

And in Prague, a city that was breathing heavily with steam, two giants leading the Holy Roman Empire’s aircraft industry met.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Count.”

“Haha. Please speak comfortably, Your Highness.”

The Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Hanover and Chairman of Hanover Aircraft Manufacturing Company, August von Hanover, and the Chairman of Zeppelin Airship Manufacturing Company, Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, were the main characters.

They exchanged trivial jokes with each other before getting down to business.

“We have already seen the future of aircraft with our own eyes.”

Originally, it was impossible for humans to fly.

That’s why when it became possible to fly into the sky, all of humanity was enthusiastic. The fact that the distant sky had finally come into the hands of mankind.

“It means to dominate the sky.”

And since then, aircraft have continued to develop, surprising the world today.

“Those who control the sky can infiltrate the enemy’s center without being noticed.”

The world where those who control the sky control the world has begun.

“To do that, we need a lot of money…”

In order to raise the funds needed for aircraft development, our Air Association, like the Fleet Association, must actively engage in fundraising.

“To do that, we need to decide on a promotional slogan first.”

They compared the promotional slogans they had come up with and talked a lot. In this era, they were almost the only ones who were so knowledgeable about aircraft, at least within the Holy Roman Empire, so they had a lot in common.

“Perhaps it may be possible to mount machine guns on aircraft to support ground troops.”

“It’s not just ground troops. Perhaps in the future, we may see airships fighting each other in the sky to take over the sky. Just like naval battles!”

August and Count Zeppelin had a conversation while burning with pure passion, and after about 10 hours.

“Hoo… it’s finally done.”

“I guess so.”

They looked at the draft with satisfied expressions.

“Manfred! Where are you going?”

“I have to exercise in advance to be active in the Imperial Army. See you later!”

A young man named Manfred waved to his colleague and ran off.

Jogging, which he had been doing almost obligatorily every morning, had become a part of his daily life.

“Hmm…?”

Just then, a strange poster caught his eye.

He carefully picked up the poster and read it.

“Become a knight who dominates the sky.”

The young man, Manfred Albrecht von Richthofen, felt a surge of excitement in a corner of his heart.

“Army Aviation Corps…”

“Hey. Manfred. What are you doing?”

Just then, the voice of his superior calling him from behind.

“Lieutenant…”

“Hmm?”

Richthofen’s superior tilted his head at the rather serious atmosphere.

“Sir. Is it okay if I change my branch?”