Tyranny of Steel

Berengar may have just returned home from a long campaign of subjugation against the Aztec Empire, but he was as hard at work as ever. Currently, he was in his office, where he was looking over a map of the current borders of his Empire. Aside from the fatherland, which was a unification of the German-speaking regions of Europe, there were three small sections across the atlantic Ocean, which were the borders of the German Colonies.

With the subjugation of the once mighty Aztec Empire, Germany now had a settlement on the Coast of Mesoamerica, this created an interesting question in Berengar's mind. Obviously, he could no longer refer to the Americas by the term Vinland. Nor could he refer to the regions as the Americas. Thus, Berengar was now thinking of alternative names for the new world.

Since Berengar had discovered the new world in this timeline, the first thought that came to his mind was naming the region after himself. However, after thinking about a pleasant sounding name for more time than he probably should have, he decided to name the continents of the new world after his two German wives. As he felt their names would be a better substitute.

As he gazed upon the map of the regions known as North and South America in his past life, he decided the most fitting name for the Northern Hemisphere would be Lindeheim. After all, Linde was a redhead, and redheads performed better in colder climates. This came as no surprise, as Berengar had always had strange reasons for naming certain things. As for as the southern continent was concerned, he would obviously name it Adelheim after his first wife.

Having Written the names on the Map that displayed not only his colonies, but the entire Americas from his past life's memories, he realized he had not yet named his newest colony. Thus, Berengar decided he might as well grant himself the honor and jotted down the name Berenstadt. Finally, after much hard work, he had come up with an appropriate terminology for the Americas, and his newest settlement.

The German Emperor was so entranced with his work that he failed to notice the approach of his redheaded wife. She had already wrapped her arms around his back by the time he realized her presence. With a calm smile on his face, Berengar spun around and gazed into his wife's sky-blue eyes.

"You are just-in-time Linde, there is something important I wanted to discuss with you."

Linde had a pretty smile on her face when she heard this. She had spent every waking hour she could with her husband since he came home from his journey overseas. It was almost as if she believed he would disappear in the next moment, and because of this, she needed to be by his side at all times. Berengar had noticed this odd behavior and assumed it had something to do with his previous disappearance.

Just when Linde was about to ask what Berengar wanted to speak to her about, her inquisitive gaze landed upon the map which had explicitly mapped out territory that had yet to be explored. Naturally, this caught the cunning woman's attention, which caused her to inquire about where Berengar received such information.

"Master, I know it is not my place, but how exactly do you know that these are the borders of the New World? As far as I'm aware, we have not sent explorers to such regions yet?"

Berengar sighed heavily. Linde arguably had the brightest mind he had come across in this new world. If someone as simple as Honoria was suspicious about the origin of his knowledge, then surely Linde would have noticed something by now.

There was only one reason Berengar had not revealed the truth to his most trusted companion, and that was fear. Fear that she would flee from his arms the moment she found out he was not the man she thought she knew. While Yasmin was quick to accept him, Honoria had been angered for days, and despite eventually coming around to the idea, she had refused to speak with him for some time.

The reality was that Linde was Berengar's favorite wife, hell she was practically his soul-mate. If she ran away from him after learning the truth, it would absolutely devastate him. He didn't know if he could continue on his path in this life without her.

However, sooner or later, he would have to tell the woman the truth, or else it would gnaw at his very soul. Especially when he already felt guilty for informing two of his other wives before Linde. Thus, with a heavy sigh, Berengar began his journey on a path with no return.

"Linde, it is time you learned the truth.. I suppose someone as bright as you have been wondering for some time now how I know the things I know..."

Linde's heart beat rapidly when she heard the words. She felt as if she could pass out from anxiety at any moment. Naturally, she had suspected the truth about Berengar's origins for some time, and had long since investigated it. However, in the end, she could not find a single clue that would lead her to the truth.

If Berengar was willing to inform her about his biggest secret now, it meant he fully trusted her, and she obviously would pay attention to what the man had to say. However, before she did so, she wanted to make a few things clear, and interrupted her husband before he told her everything.

"Promise you won't be mad, but I may have already looked into your past in an attempt to learn about what you have been hiding from me. However, even with all the resources you have given me over the years, I simply could not find the slightest trail to follow that would lead me to the truth.

It might sound crazy, but I have come up with three theories that explain your otherworldly knowledge. So tell me if I guess one of them correctly. The first is the possibility that the Catholics are right, and you have sold your soul to the devil in exchange for limitless knowledge. This seems unlikely to me, as I know you would never risk eternal damnation simply for some feats in this life.

The second theory is the absurd idea that you are, in fact, a god in the flesh, and you are omniscient. However, this also seems implausible as there is a very clear record of your birth, and you did not begin displaying your keen intellect until you were already an adult.

As for my third speculation, it somehow seems more farfetched than the others, but it has the most evidence to support it. I strongly believe you are a man from the future, where all the information you have brought forth into this world is already common knowledge in your time. The only part that makes me unable to accept this theory is I can't seem to figure out how you replaced the original Berengar, and so seamlessly blended into his life..."

Berengar's jaw had nearly hit the floor when he heard Linde had already been researching into his secrets. Especially when the third theory she had was close to reality. The woman had an anxious expression on her face as she was practically squirming in her seat, waiting for a response. It was not until she spoke up that Berengar snapped out of his daze.

"Well, which one is it?"

Berengar chuckled softly. He was truly bewildered. In his past life, this woman would surely have been a genius among geniuses. He could only guess how she was leading to such crazy theories. He supposed an old quote from Arthur Conan Doyle may have something to do with it.

"When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

If Linde had followed such a thought process, then it meant she had exhausted every logical, and rational possibility that she could think of only to come up with three highly improbably, and otherwise insane theories to explain the truth behind Berengar's seemingly limitless knowledge. He could only smile when he thought about how much dedication Linde had put forward to learning more about him. Thus, he had quite the pleasant expression on his face as he revealed the truth.

"Your third theory is the closest to the truth. I'm not a time traveler per se, but I have the memories of a man from the future of a similar, but distinctively different world. The truth of the matter is, I was born in this world as Berengar von Kufstein, and until I was twenty years old, I was a lazy, drunken loser of extremely low intellect.

However, when my brother poisoned me, I fell into a deep coma, and when I finally awoke, I had the memories of a man called Julian Weber, who was an engineer in an unbelievably advanced society. If I told you that in that in my past life, mankind had already been to the moon, would you believe me?"

At first I thought when I awoke in this world I thought I was simply Julian, and that Berengar had died off after my transmigration, but as the years have passed, I found that I have more of the original Berengar in me than I originally thought. Particularly in my cruel and ruthless nature, as well as my personal beliefs. These were not aspects of my personality in my past life."

Linde gazed at Berengar with a twinkling expression in her eyes. Unlike what Berengar had expected, she did not care in the slightest that he had lied to her for years, nor did she ponder the possibility that he was a complete stranger. She was more interested in learning everything there was to know about both of his identities. With an excited expression on her face, Linde demanded to know more.

"Tell me everything!"

This reaction initially shocked Berengar, however he could tell that she was not angry at him, and was genuinely interested in learning about his past life. Thus, he spent the rest of the day telling Linde stories of his past life, everything from his personal life story to the history of that world. He even went as far to describe his favorite snacks and how they tasted.

For the first time in a long time, the couple spent the entire night doing nothing but talking to one another. By the time the morning came, Linde felt as if she had a better understanding of the man she loved, and that she was closer to him than ever.