Tyranny of Steel

Brandt was surprised to see that the Kaiser had taken a liking to him and was even willing to give him a chance. He could already tell that whatever it was that Berengar had in mind, it was going to be a gruelling test. Despite this, the champion kickboxer was more than willing to climb over mountains if it meant he could gain Zara as his wife. Thus, he sat back in his chair and said one simple phrase in response to the Kaiser's challenge.

"Go on.."

Berengar eyed Brandt carefully as he took a sip from his beer stein. He continued to drink for a long while before silently placing the mug back on the table, where he then wiped his mouth with a napkin before listing his demands for the young man who wished to marry his most beloved daughter.

"You will put an immediate hiatus on your kickboxing career, and enter one of the three Military Academies of your choice. Where over the next four years you will obtain a bachelor's degree in one of the many STEM fields. You will then serve for a minimum of four years of active service within one of the ongoing colonial conflicts, where you will perform above and beyond the call of duty.

If you manage to make Captain within four years, and are awarded with a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with oak leaves, swords, and diamonds for your feats in battle, along with at least a Commander's Cross of the Imperial Order of the Iron Crown, then I will consider you worthy enough to marry my daughter.

On top of this, I want you to have a steady income outside of fighting, making a minimum of five million marks a year by the time you get married. How you manage to accomplish this, I will leave up to your discretion. If you can achieve all of this on your own, and without relying on the support of others, or the fame you have already achieved for yourself, then you will be deemed just barely passing of my minimum standards..."

Brandt nearly spit out his beer when he heard the list of demands that Berengar had given him. Even if he managed to get accepted into one of the three Military Academies, and obtain a degree in a STEM field.He would have to complete four years of active military service in a colonial conflict.

Where he would then have to prove his valor in combat to such a degree that he was not only awarded a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with oak leaves, swords, and diamonds, which was the highest possible military award for valor outside of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross.

But Brandt would also have to earn a Commander's Cross of the Imperial Order of the Iron Crown, an exclusive Order of Merit, which only recruited the most valorous, and chivalric soldiers from amongst the officer corps of the Wehrmacht. Which essentially meant he would have to earn the noble title of Baron through means of exceptional military service. A feat that was almost unobtainable on the modern battlefields considering the low intensity of the colonial conflicts.

And to top it all off, Brandt would need to make five million marks a year, in a job outside of fighting. Which he only had eight to ten years to accomplish. This was an absurd amount of money, which was the equivalent of two hundred and fifty million us dollars from Berengar's past life. The only way Brandt figured he could accomplish something like this was by starting his own company and generate enough of a profit that it raked in well over a hundred million marks each year.

The requirements Berengar had set for the man were enough to convince 99.9% of potential suitors to give up on pursuing Zara. After all, if they failed to accomplish just one of these tasks, they could kiss years of hard work good bye. However, Brandt was a man who was not so easily deterred from his goals.

Even if the odds were stacked against him, if there was still a chance that he might be able to marry Zara, then he was willing to take it. Thus, in an act which surprised Berengar, Brandt reached his hand out across the table with a confident smirk on his face before accepting the Kaiser's demands.

"What is a decade of my life? Even if I somehow manage to fuck this up. At the very least, I will have some interesting stories to tell once it is all over. Alright, I will take on your wager, and when I accomplish your list of impossible feats, I expect you to honor our agreement. Shall we shake on it?"

Berengar was completely surprised that Brandt had agreed to fulfill his list of what were indeed "impossible feats", and thus smiled when he saw that this man was unwilling to give up, even in the face of impossible odds. Thus, he grabbed hold of the young man's hand and shook it, and in doing so, entered into a verbal contract with Brandt.

"I look forward to seeing your progress..."

Brandt no longer felt on edge, and began to dig into his food with gusto. He then said something in between bites which only further shocked Berengar.

"I'll apply to the War College in Vienna once I get home. In the mean time, am I permitted to speak with Zara?"

Berengar mulled the thoughts over in his head for several seconds before nodding his head. He then hollered out in a loud voice to the other room where Zara was not so secretly listening to the conversation.

"Well, aren't you going to show yourself?"

Zara stumbled into the room with a flustered expression on her pretty face. She gazed upon the champion kickboxer who had just agreed to sign away a decade of his life on a gamble that he might be able to satisfy all of her father's demands.

Needless to say, the man's tenacity had moved her heart, and thus she sat down next to her father, while staring awkwardly at Brandt who continued to eat his fill of the palace's fine cuisine. Eventually, he spoke up, but he too was flustered. It had been many years since he had seen the arabic beauty in person, and was stunned beyond words, when he had finally witnessed just how beautiful she had become with his own eyes.

"H...Hello Zara... Allow me to introduce myself I am-"

However, before the man could finish his sentence, Zara interrupted him and accidentally blurt her thoughts out loud.

"I know who you are! You're Brandt Zehntner, the kickboxing middleweight champion of the world! I'm a huge fan!"

Upon seeing that he was no longer needed, Berengar decided to get up from his seat and depart from the room, but not before leaving behind a warning to his guest.

"Well, I will let the two of you get acquainted. After all, it will be a very long time before either of you will speak again. However, I warn you, my Leibgarde will keep an awful close eye on you, and if you even think of touching my daughter, they have orders to shoot you on the spot. So do behave yourself..."

Berengar did not even wait for a response, and left the room, allowing the two young lovebirds to become familiar with one another. As for the Kaiser himself, he immediately went to the palace's bar to have a stiff drink.

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