Weltkrieg: A Youjo Senki Fic

The room was bereft of sentimental possession, just a simple one as bookshelves lining up its wall. A desk filled with parchment and paper. In front of it were two sofas facing each other with a coffee table in the middle.

"Be my guest, Major," he told me.

"Yes, sir"

"Coffee?"

"Please," I replied, as he told a worker outside.

Then we sat on each side of the sofa.

Despite the cold and comfy atmosphere, the room emitted, a trickle of sweat managed to flow down my back.

I can't help but swallowed my nervousness. This is the Chancellor you know! The highest authority in the Empire, perhaps, I just worried about my past action.

The time when I disregarded an order, charging blindly to the volley of AA somewhere in the Rhine.

Perhaps, they found my stash of chocolate on my bunk!? No, no, impossible I secure it with a maximum lock formula that could put the security on commonwealth crown Jewels to shame.

Or is this about Violet, well, she's elbowed an officer once for almost inappropriately touching her.

I'm sure it's just me. He won't waste the time for some mere major about the martial court. It must be something else, yes, I'm sure of it.

"Don't be so stiff, major. I just want you to clarify something." He said, pulling another cigar from his pocket.

"…If that's what you wish, sir." I gulped.

"Well, that's fine, I guess." He shrugged over my response.

"So…what're you going to ask about, sir?" I nervously asked.

"Ah, don't get me, wrong Major. Even though I support you on the matter of your project, I'm not fully convinced about it. Could you light me some of theories and projects of yours?" He said, though from his tone he won't take deceit as answers.

"Sir, before I answered, may I deploy a field in this room," I asked

He clearly didn't understand what I just said, "An extra layer to screen this room of outside interference, sir" I clarified.

"I see, granted." He slightly nodded.

"Pardon me, Major. But what kind of formula did you just use?"

"It was an interference class spell, sir, an old one. It baffles me when I see Empire mages manual never mentioned this particularly convenient spell. It's blocked noises from going outside, while we still can receive it from the inside. Rather perfect, for an interrogation room, or a secretive meeting."

Although it could easily by any mages that put effort toward breaking it. It was the most basic formula in my repertoire after all and can be easily cast by any novice mages.

"I see, I take it you also included it in that book of yours," I nodded at him, I intended to include every auxiliary spell available after all. From a simple, a cleaning formula up to the complex levitation formula.

Most of it, I took from old tomes dusted in Imperial Library or my past knowledge.

I gulped once more, clearing my throat, I activated a field around us.

I continued what he was asked before.

"To be frank, Chancellor. What I just said before, was just the long-plan term, a way to gain funding and materials, and connection for most of our research."

"You mean?" He raised an eyebrow.

"The military base we were talking about, was a research facility, a private one." Which is mine.

"With permission from General Zettour, we recruit every conscript, soldier, citizen whoever that at least could read or have an academical background. In exchange, we served the empire, and for every successful prototype or any piece of technology would be immediately put into a contract agreement." A rather lax term, very lax if I must say.

If general Zettour d.e.s.i.r.ed so, he could order us to hand all over the research, and prototypes successful in exchange for permission and protection the Empire provided. Luckily, he did not.

Still, it baffles me, how unemployment infested the Fatherland. Academy and university graduate are sent to the battlefield, which is a total waste in term of human resource management.

"I understand, still that Zettour didn't inform about this, then how about your project." He grumbled.

"Sir, I'm sure you've heard the theories of world war?"

"The one mentioned in your presentation."

"Yes, to be exact, what will happen if we successfully conquered the Francois?"

"The commonwealth, they will grow restless of our victory," He put his hand on his chin.

"The world will grow restless of our victory, a rising hegemony that could threaten their nation and ideology integrity. A monster they will make of us. Not only that, the Communists, the Union will see this as an opportunity to wage war against us. By that time, we've grown tired, the war with Francois and Legadonia, it was two-front war. simply put it was too costly and has strained the Empire."

He put his chin in thought, discerning my words.

"The project High-castle, it was never meant to be confined inside the North Sea, and Albion channel, where the sea was rough and battleship triumph. And it was too narrow for a carrier to operate. It will be to project naval power to the entirety of Atlantica Ocean, it was meant to block another nation for interfering in our war."

Unlike Pacific where a fleet could hide in the vastness of the ocean, and radar was not well developed. The North Sea and Albion channel were too narrow, the sea was rough and often stormy. A carrier couldn't hide very well inside it, where the first strike is the deciding factor.

In a battle between fleet and carrier, when there's no satellite coverage and advanced radar technology, the party who spotted their opposition first, could land the first strike, this applies to the highest when it comes to a carrier.

I rather have a fleet of submarine equipped with sophisticated stealth technology and oxygen torpedoes lurking in Albion channel, destroying every commonwealth ship it could find.

It's not about the bigger ship, and a bigger explosion, not if it's unreliable. A ship is just a ship, a vessel to ferry cannon and deliver its payload. It requires enormous manpower to just build and man a destroyer ship.

An advanced carrier with 100 planes couldn't prevent a Cruise missile heading toward it, in this era.

What I need was an accurate targeting system, homing torpedoes, satellites in orbit, cruise missiles, automated factory, computer, or better yet, WMD (weapon of mass destruction) weaponry.

I want it rained down upon the Enemies backline, crippling their factories, their cities, and no home to return to. While we sipping warm chocolate somewhere comfy after pushing the button.

I explained to him all, the possible war with the unified states, the Union, the common-wealth, everything.

No matter how mighty the Empire is if the war prolonged its industry and economy shall crumble.

They simply couldn't sustain a prolonged war. the economic system is rather dared I say…primitives.

I doubt he will take my advice though. People often ignore possibilities and rather embrace the sweet dream of a successful plan in their thought.

Not I could blame him, they never experienced what a world war is, what a global-scale conflict could escalate into. And how mind-numbing an interplanetary war is. They won't have the imagination.

And that is fine…the world shall burn if god won't descend off his heavenly seat.

In the end, I could only say, "I hope you considered my advice, Chancellor." I saluted him, then leaving him in his thought, as I got out of the room.

only to bump someone, and fall flat on my back.

"Kya!" A rather cute voice I thought, as I rubbed my back.

"Ow...Let me help..." backing up, I tried to pick the scattered paper on the floor.

"Visha!?" I looked at her, brown hair with a slight mess and blue eyes as she frantically picking up the paper.

"Eh...Richard?" Her iris narrowed, with a slight tilt as a sign of surprised, rather cute I say.