Tyranny of Steel

Having fought to their heart's content, Berengar and the ambassador from the Angapur Empire retired from the gym. Berengar took a bath in his royal suite, and Ishwar did so in the bathroom that was attached to his room.

After cleaning the sweat and blood from their bodies, they returned to the Great Hall, where Berengar smiled upon seeing the ambassador, where he laid out the plans he had for the day.

"You said you were interested in purchasing weapons from my Kingdom, well today we will take the train to Innsbruck, which is where we manufacture most of the weapons that are available to export to foreign realms. It won't be a long trip, so there is no need to pack any provisions. We should be back in Kufstein by dinnertime."

After the translator conveyed Berengar's thoughts to the ambassador, he smiled and nodded his head before accepting Berengar's kindness.

"Very well, lead the way."

The Austrian King led his guest down to the railway station, where they boarded the private passenger train there was reserved for the royal family. Berengar had gone above and beyond to ensure that his family had enough space to eat, play, sleep, and bathe on any extended journey they may take across the future German Empire.

This entire train was not only 100% dedicated to the royal family and the servants they took with them, but it was also wholly armored to protect against a variety of threats, including the most modern Austrian small arms.

Despite being armored, it did not look like an armored vehicle from afar. In fact, it looked almost exactly the same as a standard passenger train, making it difficult to identify which train the Royal Family was on at any given time.

After stepping on board the vehicle, it surprised Ishwar to see that they decorated the interior even more extravagant than the first-class train car he had taken to Kufstein just a day prior. In fact, one could actually claim it was a mobile palace, with the expense Berengar had spent to ensure that his family travelled in luxury.

When Berengar saw the man's gawking expression, he simply chuckled before taking a seat on a black velvet sofa. The moment he did so, a beautiful young servant appeared by his side and handed a glass of wine. Berengar smiled and accepted the alcohol gracefully.

"Thanks, doll."

After saying this, Ishwar sat down next to him and received a glass for himself. The King of Austria and the Ambassador of the Anagpur empire made small talk as they continued their journey to Innsbruck. Considering that Kufstein was also within the Tyrolean Alps, it did not take long for the two of them to arrive at their destination.

Upon stepping off of the Royal Train, Linde's elder brother Liutbert, who was the ruling authority over the city, immediately greeted Berengar and his guest.

"Greetings your majesty, it has been a long time since you have been in the home of my ancestors. I believe the last time that you graced us with your presence, you punched a hole through my city's walls with your cannons.

Berengar chuckled when he heard this response. It was true. It had been many years since he visited the city that was once been the capital of Tyrol. Ishwar looked at the two men in confusion, he had no idea the recent history the region of Austria had gone through, or how rapid Berengar's rise to power had been..

The years had been kind to Liutbert. As the ruler over one of the most prominent industrial cities in the Kingdom, the prodigal son of the late Count Lothar had received much wealth and prosperity through various means such as renting property which his family owned and opening up his own businesses which now dominated in multiple sectors.

Naturally, after Berengar's political reforms, any taxes collected by the local government were not to be deposited into the treasury of the noble who held the title to the land, but were instead transferred to the Royal Treasury in Kufstein. The crown would then allocate these funds to the various cities and districts across the Kingdom based on the federal budget, and the needs of the people.

Because of this, the nobility of Austria extracted most of their wealth from private corporations, which they used their vast family fortunes to form and invest in. Liutbert was no exception to this rule, and had even started a steel company of his own, which produced a large quantity of various steels.

Berengar had a wide smile on his face as he engaged in further small talk with the count before taking Ishwar to his arms factory.

"Your sister is doing well, by the way. I know you two communicate little these days, but you should at the very least be aware that you have three nieces and nephews."

Liutbert merely nodded his head in silence when he heard this. It was only natural that Linde would have more children after Hans. The last time he saw her, she was already pregnant during her wedding. Though he had walked his sister down the aisle during the ceremony, he had not done so out of the goodness in his heart.

If it weren't for Berengar ordering him to do such a thing, he would have stayed away from his sister's wedding altogether. There was much resentment in the young man's heart towards his little sister. In his eyes, she was responsible for their father's fate. It was quite likely that Lothar would have succeeded in his attempt to wrest control over the Ducal Throne of Austria from the late Duke Wilmar had Linde not aided Berengar in his efforts.

If not for Linde's efforts behind the scenes, there was little doubt in Liutbert's mind that Berengar would have never succeeded in his early conquests. While Berengar may be a capable commander, whose armies wielded more advanced technology than their enemies, there were many instances where without Linde's help, he would have failed, or even perished long before he could challenge Lothar openly.

Liutbert had forgiven Berengar for usurping his birthright. After all, he could understand the man's reasoning for taking such actions. It was Lothar who had plotted against Berengar in the beginning and had been at least partially responsible for more than one attempt on his life.

Despite this, he could not easily forgive Linde; as her actions were outright treasonous. For the sake of her lover, who she had not known for long, she had betrayed her family, and supported the actions of their enemies, which ultimately resulted in the death of their father, and the decline of their house.

Although the von Habsburg-Innsbruck family was now wealthier than ever, the respect, power, and authority they once commanded had declined significantly. From ruling over the entirety of Tyrol to ruling over the city of Innsbruck and the surrounding villages. There was only one person to blame for this: Linde von Kufstein.

However, Liutbert let none of this cloud his judgement, and ultimately showed Berengar the respect that a powerful Conquer justly deserved.

"Your Majesty, is there anything I may assist you with while you are here in the City of Innsbruck?"

Berengar clasped his brother-in-law on the shoulder as he described what he had planned for the day in sufficient detail.

"I just plan to show the ambassador from the Anagpur Empire here some wares that he wishes to purchase from the Innsbruck Armory, as well as show their efficiency in battle. If you could rally the local garrison to give him a brief show of the arkebuses and falconet cannons, I would most appreciate it."

Liutbert nodded his head in response to this, before giving the King a proper salute.

"It will be done, your majesty!"

Berengar chuckled when he heard this before commenting on Liutbert's formality.

"No need to be so formal with me Liutbert, we are brothers by law. So I would feel much more comfortable if you called me by my name."

Liutbert nodded his head with a forced expression as he did as instructed.

"Of course... Berengar"

After saying this, Berengar brought Ishwar towards the Innsbruck Arsenal, which handled the manufacturing of most of the arms exported from Austria to foreign nations which were not allies.