Tyranny of Steel

Months had passed since the Expeditionary Force to the New World, currently referred to as Vinland, had begun to procure natural resources. In this time, substantial improvements had been made to the settlement.

For starters, the fortifications were now made out of granite and type M mortar, in the form of a star fortress. A proper garrison had been established to ensure that it was well defended, using machine guns and artillery pieces spread throughout its ramparts.

Inside the star fortress were the quarters of the soldiers, which were in the form of barracks, cookhouses, chapels, and other institutions. The half-timber structures and the baroque cathedrals combined to form a settlement the likes the New World had never seen before.

Outside of the confines of the star fortress was an important port that extended out into the New York Bay, acting as a harbor for any Austrian ships that would make the trek to Vinland. Aside from the dock, several large fields with horse-powered mechanized agricultural devices were set up in the four-field system. These fields utilized advanced fertilizers, which we're currently importing from the fatherland.

As this settlement grew with an increase in Austrian overlords and native laborers, it began to catch the eye of the nearby tribes. Aside from some minor skirmishes out in the wilderness, there had not yet been another attack on the settlement. Now that its fortifications were established correctly, Berengar was confident in the ability of the Garrison to maintain control over the region.

The mighty Austrian King stood upon the ramparts of the Star Fortress gazing upon the vast landscape in front of him. In half a year, he had successfully established a permanent settlement in the new world. With this in mind, it was finally time to name this location; he began to raise two flags high into the air above the fortress.

The top flag was none other than the Kingdom of Austria's, while the bottom banner was a new design, a Colonial flag that he had created to show off the evolution of the Kingdom of Austria. With this colony under their control, they now had overseas territory, making them an Empire. However, he would not boldly declare himself an Empire in European Politics just yet; such a proclamation would indeed cause backlash and investigation into the claims.

Regardless, a new flag was designed to represent the New World Colonial Territory of the Kingdom of Austria. This flag was similar to the German Empire's colonial flags from his past life. The differences were that the bottom color was gold instead of red, and the von Kufstein double-headed eagle was in the center of the flag.

As the Austrian soldiers stood below, they saluted the raising of the two flags. Berengar immediately called out to his people and declared the official establishment of a new overseas colony.

"Let today be known as the day that the Crown of Austria has formally established the Colony of New Vienna! Glory to the Kingdom of Austria, glory to our newfound Empire!"

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As Berengar said these words, the soldiers beneath his location began to shout in unison the following phrase.

"Glory to the Empire!"

Having heard these words, a smile formed on Berengar's face as he quickly made another announcement to those who were gathered.

"It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that I will be returning to fatherland shortly after this ceremony. Please make no mistake; your work here in Vinland is of vital importance to the continued prosperity of our Empire. Thus I will leave control of the colony into the hands of a man well renowned for his capabilities as both a military and civil leader.

After saying this, a familiar face came forward and stood before his King; he was dressed in a field uniform alongside Berengar. He had only recently sailed across the Atlantic to visit the new world for this purpose. Major General Arnulf von Thiersee kneeled before his King as he waited to be rewarded with a mighty title for all his years of hard work, and Berengar was eager to give it to him.

"I confer upon you Arnulf von Thiersee the military rank of Field Marshal, the Civil position of Colonial Governor, and finally the Noble title of Grand Duke of New Vienna! I look forward to your progress here in Vinland, now rise!"

Upon hearing these rewards, a broad smile spread across Arnulf's face. He was no longer a meager Lord or a simple General but a full-fledged Field Marshal, a Grand Duke, and Colonial Governor. These three titles gave him immense power within the Kingdom of Austria and elevated his family's prestige considerably. With this in mind, the young Field Marshal nodded his head before responding to his King's decree.

"I promise I will not let you down, your Majesty!"

Berengar smiled and placed a hand upon his friend's shoulder before leaving him with a few words.

"See to it that you don't..."

Having said this, Berengar dismissed the gathered soldiers to get back to their jobs and began to descend from the Ramparts, where he saw Honoria, Kahwihta, and Ojistah, who were waiting for him at the docks. Honoria's ship was well prepared to make the 12-day journey back to Trieste, and she had a tired expression on her face. They had been through much together here in Vinland, and she knew that her man did not want to return home so quickly.

As for Kahwihta and her sister, they had pouting expressions on their faces; they knew that Berengar would return from whence he came without them; because of this, they were a bit reluctant to let him go. However, Berengar grabbed ahold of the two girls and kissed them on the forehead; as he did so, he began to lecture them.

"I must return to the fatherland; it is your duty to act as translators for my dear friend Arnulf and the native people of this land. Do not fret, for I will be back soon enough, and when I do, I hope to hear all about the adventures you will have between now and then."

Kahwihta nodded her head in silence, a small tear forming in her eyes. Her people had abandoned her, and yet over the last few months, she had witnessed New Vienna grow into a settlement the likes that she had never seen before.

She was pretty happy that she and her sister had been blessed with the benevolence of the one-eyed god. Since he was a divine being, surely he would live up to his words and return to them one day. Having made his intentions clear, Berengar let go of the two women and called out to Arnulf, who was watching him depart.

"My friend, take care of these two; they are my concubines; if something happens to them, I will hold you responsible. Do I make myself clear?"

By now, Arnulf was well accustomed to Berengar's oppressive behavior and did not shy away from such a threat. Instead, he merely smiled before commenting on Berengar's remarks.

"I wish I could fight with you against the church, but it appears you have selected me for a far more dire task. It is both an honor and, at the same time, a point of contention to be placed here so far away from home. Nevertheless, I assure you no harm will come to your girls so long as I am in charge of this land."

Having heard this response, Berengar smiled before departing onto Honoria's ironclad sloop of war. The King and Queen stood on the bow as they watched the ship leave from the shores of New Vienna and the mysterious land known as Vinland. A colony was established, but Berengar could only be away from home for so long; after all, he had a huge family to take care of, and without their father, his children were bound to be led astray.

Honoria, on the other hand, felt relieved; she would take a break at home for a while before returning to the new world with her crew. The adventures she would undergo as she explored the vast depths of the New World would forever resound throughout history.

She had to admit, if not for her choice to run away to Kufstein, then she never would have been given such freedom and adventure. She only had one man to thank for all of this; with this in mind, she leaned onto her husband's shoulder and kissed his cheek. For a brief moment, Berengar could have sworn he heard the girl whisper in his ear.

"Thank you for everything..."

However, when he looked over at her pretty face, it was as if she had never said a word. Instead, she gazed at him with a questioning gaze. In response to this, Berengar chuckled as he glanced upon the horizon; the journey home would be largely uneventful, as for what awaited him back in Kufstein, he would only find out when he finally returned.