Weltkrieg: A Youjo Senki Fic

Fixing his hair and making it sure didn't fall out of place, he stepped in inside the room.

The room was anything but regal, oak hardwood made up the floor. The middle has been taken for a long table for discussion. The chair has been taken each by the highest command ranking officer in the Empire.

The empire Cabinet was named as Supreme High Command, each taking their own role field. The general staff, Ministry of Finance, interior, and so on.

The boy inwardly gulped at the spectacles. He expected for only the General staff and perhaps the High Fleet Admiral and Luftstreitkräfte commander themselves. But even the chancellor himself, and some of the ministry? Nay.

Only now he realized what general Zettour words meant, everyone has great expectation of you. Damn it.

Maybe just curious or something, unlikely he scoffed. They better do their respective job rather than wasting time and hearing the ramble of a child delusion.

Proceed as usual, usual.

He introduced himself, then procuring some paper, and presented it to them.

The project High Castle, a set of a plan regarding the standing of Empire Navy in Atlantica Ocean and countermeasures for the possible marine blockade in Albion channel, and the North Sea.

It was stated inside the paper, in countermeasures option if should the commonwealth decided to join the fray.

"I see, I presume you reached the same conclusion as Major Tanya Degurechaff," General Zettour said, before placing the paper on tables.

"I do not know what she has written to you general, but I assume she reported the same as I said?" I asked him.

"Yes, albeit she presented it in much larger detail, world war." I sharply breathe at his statement, Tanya Degurechaff just who are you?

"World war?" One of the staff members scoffed, "You mean the theory should the war with the Francois Republic turned into a full-blown global conflict," Zettour grimly nodded at him.

"As much as I wanted to dismiss it as childish fantasy, the more I read international news the more I think it could happen."

"Well, you can't dismiss the fact. The Commonwealth has been supplying Francois with resources and Intel until now. It won't be strange if they decided to join the war, should Francois fall. Boy please continues."General Rudersdorf said, smoking his cigars.

"Yes sir," He turned to the admiral, "Admiral, may I ask you why we will certainly lose against the commonwealth navy?"

He raised his eyebrows at the boy, asking such incredulous question, "Gun, they have bigger guns."

His fellow chuckled at the statement.

"Exactly, but why we should bring guns and cannon when you could deliver torpedo under enemies keel and leave the exact trail of destruction on enemies ship."

"What are you getting at boy?"

"For past years, we have crawled under the shadow might of Commonwealth navy, resorting to Wolf pack doctrine, raiding enemy convoys and denied them of their resources."

"In a sense this thought could also be applied in the battlefield, denying the enemy of their fights."

The room turned cold at his last statement, go the smoke wafting through the air, replaced with a somber and serious atmosphere.

"I present you gentleman, the core ship of the project High castle - The Graf Zeppelin aircraft carrier, the first mark of a modern navy. As you know I named it after our recently deceased general, may his soul rest in peace."

It was nothing like the Graf Zeppelin from my past world, but it designed after the Ess.e.x class aircraft carrier of the United States. The design after revising and comparing with other countries, especially with Imperial Japan and the royal navy, the Ess.e.x class outclass them all.

It was all nothing if I couldn't manufacture the same equipment it has.

Unfortunately, I couldn't reach past the Midway class, the technology, and manufacturing method still unreachable in this age. Sure I can build it, but without an energy source equivalent of a nuclear reactor it will be only an oversized carrier, some may pass it as passenger ferry with how slow it will be.

"As you know if the ratio for planes divided 6:4 we can expect 40 planes equipped with torpedo dealing havoc to the enemy ship. Now tell me gentleman, which one shall win. Three barreled oversized cannon with obscure accuracy or 40 Torpedo swimming straight to you, I wonder?"

Everyone was silent at the boy statement, contemplating his words.

"I see, deny the enemy of their fight. We could launch aircraft from afar while the rest of the fleet is out of range of the enemy cannon." A gleamed passed at the admiral's eyes.

The Empire was nothing like the German 3rd Reich. The sole reason why the Kriegsmarine of German 3th Reich didn't have effective carrier was budget and resources, the Graf zeppelin barely passed as a carrier.

Their metal grade was deemed inferior as they need scrapping by every resource they could get, a testament of German engineering in the waking might of the allies and their monstrous industry.

If this world equivalent of German were the same, given time I could breach and create an alternate history. The wet dream of 'what if' theorists.

The empire has more than two qualities, they have industry, resources, budget, manpower, and time to develop new doctrine and technologies.

"Of course, but without proper equipment and machine to back it up, it will be nothing but a glorified ferry vessel, we need new planes."

"What about the enemy mages? They are fast, agile, and certainly planes or militarized aircraft ferry vessels are not a match for them."

"Good question admiral, I will answer most of these at the end, but still I present you the VT fuze."

I presented them VT fuze, improved radar, sonar and radio which earn, mouth agape from the general staff, realizing such potential should this technology also applied in the Army.

"The VT is unlike the proximity fuze as you know, it detects radio signal of a plane or mages before exploding its content. Thus saving thousands of bullets and time for calculating the height of the enemy planes. And the radars they will detect enemy planes and mages faster with far more radius."

"Impossible…"

"It is possible, gentleman. And this is just a tip of the iceberg."

I continued.

"The project strike witches," I turned over toward the door, as several men stepped in and carrying a few boxes.

While waiting they unboxed it, and assembling parts of metal inside it, I said.

"Before I explain what this is about, mages have been far more crucial in the large theater of the Rhine. They are literally moving artillery with precise accuracy, but we treated them like cheap dirt." I looked upon them, making sure a frown didn't come to my face.

"From all of the Empire population, only a good, 9 percent are bodily available as mages candidate. From 9 percent, only 3 percent of them are capable to sustain the major consumption of mana on the battlefield. They are far too precious."

"A sad fact, but they have proved greatly in late warfare." General Zettour muttered.

"What about the rest of 6 percent? We never bothered about them. But we forgot, what were mages before the time of technologies rises in the world. They are known as…"

"Witches, wizard a being capable of miracles, some called them like a demon. Once a saint, then a witch. burn her among the blazing inferno of the stakes."

"Ah a sad tale indeed, Major Lergen. Those Francois really didn't know the concept of rationalizing. As I said, they are capable to create a medicine that could revert and fought the black death, knitting wound in a flash of an eye, enchanting weapons and potion alike."

"Prosperous! Do you know why we abandon the magecraft system? It was inefficient, taking longer time to cast, and outdated." One of the general staffers said, his hand trembled slightly on the table.

"In the battlefield yes, how about the backline? We could allocate the 6 percent to revolutionize our medical and armament enhancement technologies, thousands of soldier lives could be saved!" I exclaimed.

"Before you say anything, let me presented two things in this Strike Witches plans." I held the machines on both of my hand then load it off on the top of the table, earning a large thud.

It was two pair of machines, resembling a plane tail.

"This is what I called as Striker units. A machine made of science and magic, the same as operation orbs. One of these units contained a magical reactor, improving mages strength, enhancement, and capable to grant an enhanced flight speed and altitude. The unit will synchronize itself with mages operation orbs, reducing orbs burden on formula spell." If earlier was mouth agape, certainly this time their jaw would fall from the hinges.

"By the Fatherland's beard…" They hold their breath when they saw some of the demonstration men flew with it. The room ceiling was large enough.

Indeed this is one of my greatest pieces. A mage allocated 40 percent of their mana to the flight formula. With this strapped on their legs, it could reduce flight formula up to 20 percent, thus mages will have longer operation times, and allocating the 20 percent into other efforts.

It also capable of storing a certain amount of the mages excess mana, granting them larger mana reserves in the battlefield.

The idea came when I tried improving operation orbs efficiency, only ended up in failure. Then I remember a show back in my world if I couldn't improve it why I can't just make a supplement beside it?

In the other parts of the Empire, I could hear a man shouting profanities of how absurd my line of thought is.

To put the nail in the coffin, I presented them a book.

"This is the updated formula codex for a traditional spell, and could be implemented inside an operation orb, most of these are contained auxiliary spell such as healing, regeneration, and painkiller formula, perfect for a backline mages." I put my hand on the table, already took off from the striker unit.

"This will be the first mark of mechanized mages ever developed in the world, should this project passed. Given time, along with High castle project, we could achieve air superiority and moot the world mages obsolete." I implied to them who still glancing at the book and my striker units.

"Truly prospeterous, from what I infer you from all of your 'projects.' you literally asked us to reform each of our doctrines, do you understand the sheer budget and time it would need?"

"Yes indeed Generals, as to counter this I proposed the creation of an experimental military branch. With the help of General Zettour, I've already finished building a private military base near Konigsberg, facilitated with the military-grade factory."

"What? And who will lead it? And certainly, we're not really confident putting a child as its high commander."

To the response to this, I smiled.

"A fair point indeed, gentleman. How about we appoint one of the general staff high commands to supervise it?"

"Unacceptable, certainly we already imagine the sheer effectiveness of your machines. But giving you the passed to literally command a military branch isn't that too much firepower for a child to wield?"

I held my hand to the front. Stopping all points, "A war is not only fought through action, plan, tactic, and bullets. But we also need the strength to adapt, the ability to see and improvise what we lacked on. In this case, I also not only proportioning something, beyond the wildest dream of fantasy but I bring proves and contribution." I raised a point.

Then the chancellor raised his hand, who has been quiet all the time, then the room descended into silence.

"Major Richard, from what I see. You really are a brilliant genius and an inventor at that. I could see your passion, and loyalty to the fatherland burdened your back. Your passion presented in your burning eyes." He put his spent cigar down on the ashtray, before scanning the room.

"Gentleman, how about this, we give the boy a chance." Half the people in the room widened their eyes at his proclamation.

"But Chancellor!? We…" His hand raised once more.

"Let me finish, raise your hand who in favor of this project." Half of the man raised their hand, both the General Rudersdof and Zettour also raise their hands along with surprisingly Major Rerugen.

Even if it's a match vote count, the chancellor voice will be the last nail to the coffin. He too raised his hand.

Major Lergen stand up whose been acting as the keynote, reporting the presentation.

"With this, we already give Major Richard the green light for the project High Castle and Strike Witches. The finer details will be discussed in the later date as discussed."

"And also, none of this presentation or project got out of this room, do you all understand." The chancellor with narrowed eyes said, promising a heavy punishment.

Phew, I was lucky with the chancellor at my side. I thought I would have to give the authority to the general staff if I lucky it will be General Zettour or Rudersdoff. Or instead, I will step back to the line and handed all my work at worst.

Anything for my plan, and my peace. Even if the whole world has to be burned because of it.

What a miracle, I breathe in relief.

Tidying up the paper, I had walked out to the hallways before a voice stopped me.

"Major Richard, I wish to have a private chat with you." The chancellor said with his usual gruff stern voice.

"Yes, sir." Like an obedient dog I am, I followed his back, presumably to a more private room or his offices. It wouldn't be too strange if he has an office in the general staff headquarter, he's considered as the highest commander of the army and both hand of the Emperor.

His will is the Fatherland's will.