Tyranny of Steel

The discussions with the Joseon King were fruitful. By the end of the meal, the man had decided it would be in his best interest to further align himself with Germany. However, rather than openly declare his allegiance to the Reich, Berengar had something else in mind for Yi Sung-Jin and his entire Kingdom. 

Throughout most of the night, Berengar went over his plans to have the Joseon Dynasty act as the gateway between the German Reich and the Ming Dynasty. The plan was for the Joseon Dynasty to follow the Ming Dynasty into isolation, while leaving a single canton open to Maritime trade. 

This canton would be the city of Busan, which would act as the primary trading hub between the Joseon Dynasty and the rest of the world. Here, Germany and Japan would be free to trade their goods with the Joseon, and buy products that originated in the Ming Dynasty. Busan would also act as the new hub for the German and Japanese Embassies,

This system would also allow for the Joseon Agents to infiltrate the Ming Dynasty, and continue to provide German Imperial Intelligence with accurate and up-to-date information regarding the ongoing developments of the Ming Dynasty. 

As for the German troops currently stationed within the Joseon Dynasty, they would be given a year to permanently withdraw from the region. Where only a small detachment of German Marines would be assigned to protect their Diplomats at the German Embassy in Busan. 

Despite this appearance of entering a state of mostly isolation, the German Reich would secretly continue to invest in the development and expansion of the Joseon Dynasty, especially in regards to its economic and agricultural centers. While also supplying them with sufficient arms and munitions to defend their own borders. 

After coming to these conclusions, Berengar and Min-Ah returned to Heian-kyō, however not before the Joseon Princess gave her stepmother a particularly 'fond' farewell. Berengar did not know what had raised Min-Ah's spirits during the flight back to Japan, but he could tell she had sufficiently spoken her mind to the woman who was responsible for her mother's death. Now all that was required was to wait a few days before the bitch suddenly caught an incurable illness.

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When Berengar stepped foot in the Imperial Palace of Heian-kyō he was immediately met by Itami Riyo, who appeared to be in an excellent mood as she explained the good news to her fiance. 

"The last of the warlords are dead, as are their followers. As we speak, what few small Samurai clans that remain are being stripped of their noble status, as well as their arms. According to the Disarmament Act, they are only permitted to keep their old swords as family heirlooms.

What Castles remain are being vacated, and preserved as Japanese landmarks, and museums. It is truly over. The era of feudalism has finally come to an end! Thanks to you and your efforts, I have finally been able to accomplish the goal I had in mind, when I first claimed the throne for myself! I never would have been able to pull this off without you!" 

Berengar scoffed when he saw how excited Itami was before reminding her of the price that had been paid to accomplish such a feat. 

"All it cost you was a full-scale invasion by a foreign power, and the deaths of several million of your people, truly a monumental occasion!"

This callous remark suddenly brought Itami back to reality, as her appearance shifted from one of excitement to depression. Upon realizing that he had been a bit too cruel, Berengar sighed, and petted the woman's snow white hair before trying to comfort her. 

"Even though the cost was significant, the outcome will be a brighter future for your entire nation. Besides, you may not have the large Empire that you previously conquered. But Japan's borders in this world are still larger than they were in our past life. After all, you now have Sakhalin Island as part of your domain. And that's a decent chunk of land!" 

A bitter smile formed on Itami's face as she nodded her head in agreement with Berengar's words. Seeing that she was still slightly depressed, Berengar decided to shift the subject to something more lighthearted. 

"So, how did Hans perform in my absence?"

Itami looked up into Berengar's mismatched eyes before averting her gaze. She felt that if she spoke her mind on the matter, it would only serve to upset Berengar and thus she tried to find the best compliment she could think of for the boy. 

"He was.... certainly efficient..."

Berengar broke out into a fit of laughter when he saw Itami's expression, before saying something, which she found surprising. 

"He's as cold as ice, isn't he? The boy is practically a computer in how he solves problems. Whatever is the most logical and efficient course of action, he will choose even if it is inhumane. Let me guess, the little bastard decided to rather than risk a frontal assault on the remaining warlords that he would launch a few cruises missiles onto their strongholds?"

Itami gazed up at Berengar with a hint of surprise on her face, before awkwardly looking away once more than she struggled to come up with the words to express just what Hans had done. 

"Actually, they were ballistic missiles. He launched three of your V-2s..." 

Berengar was stunned into silence for several seconds before he eventually cursed out loud in a voice so filled with rage he had startled the Japanese Empress. 

"He fucking what!?! Riyo, those weren't V-2s! They were experimental Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles that were designed to strike Pyongyang from Japan in the event the Joseon King turned on me! Did he seriously waste such valuable strategic assets on a few makeshift strongholds? I swear to god I'm going to tan that boy's hide when I get my hands on him! Shit, why the hell didn't Arnwald stop him?"

Itami suddenly remembered Arnwald was about to say something regarding the use of the ballistic missiles before he was cut off by Hans. She immediately flushed in embarrassment before explaining exactly what had gone down during the meeting. Which left Berengar in a state of bewilderment.

When Berengar had finally gotten a clearer understanding as to why those missiles were launched, he felt like he was the one who had failed to properly convey to the chain of command what exact circumstances would permit the IRBMs to be used. With a heavy sigh, he expressed his lament over the whole situation.

"I should have been more clear with my orders before departing for Pyongyang. The blame solely lies with myself. I guess we can always build more missiles. Consider the two remaining missiles as a gift to your Empire. You can use their threat as a friendly reminder to the Joseon Dynasty about what we have agreed upon." 

Itami was still completely stunned by the fact that Germany had already begun experimenting with Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles. At the Reich's current rate of progress, it would not be long before they got their hands on Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, which was a prospect that terrified the Japanese Empress.

After careful consideration, Itami believed she was now eternally grateful that Berengar had taken pity on her, and not blown her up when he had the chance. Thus, the Japanese Empress could only silently hug her man, as she thought about the disaster that had been narrowly avoided. 

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