Tyranny of Steel

The City of Vienna was one of Austria's most developed locations. As the former capital of the region, its importance was second only to Kufstein, where the Kaiser and his family resided. As a result of this, much effort had gone into producing a large and functional city with all the modern wonders that existed in the Kingdom's capital.

The leaders of the world's most prominent states were all gathered in this city. After signing and ratifying the Vienna Accords, they were free to explore the city. Zhu Wudi, among many others, took this opportunity to see just how powerful the Germans really were. 

The Ming Emperor, like many of his counterparts, was utterly surprised, and albeit a bit terrified by the ability to fly in the air. The Germans accomplished an ancient dream that had long since been deemed impossible by the rest of the world. This was more than enough to show how distant their two realms were in terms of technology.

However, when it came to the sights that the man saw in the streets of Vienna. One might say he was even more surprised. Trucks, cars, and busses roamed the streets where they followed the directions of the lights hanging above. The complete and utter lack of horses was an astonishing sight to these medieval Kings. Zhu Wudi was so astonished by this that he felt compelled to ask Berengar the question most prominent on his mind.

"Where are all your horses, and what are these metal beasts I see everywhere?"

Berengar pondered this question carefully, hoping not to scare the foreign monarchs too much with how well developed his nation had become.

"Horses? We have no need of beasts of burden anymore. A combination of busses, trolleys, trains, trucks, and planes manages transport. While agriculture has been completely mechanized, with tractors, combine harvesters, and any other number of machines being used in the fields.

A few years back, we used to have a massive amount of the mighty beasts, but nowadays they have all been either shipped to the colonies to use in their less developed agriculture, or have been sold off to foreign countries for the same purpose. What horses remain in the fatherland are the purest breeds, who are the pets of the wealthy elite."

Zhu Wudi was stunned to hear these words, and carefully contemplated them, before coming to a false understanding, which he was quick to voice.

"I see, so aside from being used in your colonies and sold abroad, the primary use of horses in your Empire is for your cavalry."

Berengar sucked on his teeth, as he realized his next words would probably deal a major blow to the Ming Emperor, but after thinking about it carefully he decided it would be best to inform the man of the truth, that way Itami would learn just how out of depth she was, and perhaps back off from her aggressive stance.

"You see... about that... In the military, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored trucks have replaced the need for horses in our cavalry. To put it in terms you understand, think of the machines you see here on the streets, but larger, and made out of hardened steel. Capable of resisting bullets and explosives alike."

Zhu Wudi had practically had a heart attack on the spot. Germany had gotten rid of horses in agriculture, transport, and warfare. Just how far behind was his own Empire which once stood at the top of this world. It was only now that he was finally understanding the vast difference between Germany, Japan, and the Ming Dynasty.

Upon seeing that the man was close to fainting, Berengar grabbed hold of his shoulder and brought the man, along with the other world leaders, who were equally stunned, to the nearest bus stop. After sitting down on the bench for some time, the men gave voice to their confusion.

"I'm sorry, but what are we waiting here for?"

Berengar smiled before pointing at a large double-decker bus which was approaching their location while explaining the reason to them aloud.

"The bus! We're going to take it deeper into the city. There's a local tavern where we can get some good food and some great beer. I figured I'd show you what's commonly available to my people."

Berengar had used the term tavern, rather than beer hall, because in his Empire there was a distinction. A beer hall served traditional german food and was in a setting like one would expect should they visit Munich during Oktoberfest in his past life. As for a tavern, it was basically just an American bar, with the same style of food that they were known to serve. 

Once the double-decker bus arrived at its stop, Berengar and the rest of the world leaders climbed aboard, where they sat next to the common men and women of Germany. Judging by the large party, of exotically dressed men, the people on the bus could tell the Kaiser was hosting some kind of meeting, but they could not fathom why he had opted to take a bus with the men who gazed around at their surroundings as if they were looking at a whole new world. 

After choosing their spots, Berengar and his guests patiently awaited to arrive at their stop. Where they disembarked from the vehicle, and walked further down the street towards a decent sized tavern, which had music playing on the radio loud enough to be heard from the streets. 

The name of the tavern was displayed on a bold neon red sign which spelled the name Erwin, along with a large neon pink horse. Berengar had a bitter smile on his face as he saw the tavern, which was clearly named after his first horse. Afterward, he boldly entered into the building where he saw a bunch of common men dressed in tailored three-piece suits, smoking cigarettes, drinking beer, and eating hot wings and burgers. 

When the Kaiser and the other world leaders entered the room, the people already inside gave Berengar a nod of respect before getting back to their drinks. Even though Berengar was the Kaiser, he did not require his people to get up from their seats and bow every time they saw him. A simple sign of respect was more than enough. Which they were happy to voluntarily fulfill. 

Though the men started whispering to themselves, Berengar did not mind, he was well accustomed to such attention. Instead, he sat down at a large enough table to accommodate him and his guests. Once the world leaders were seated, they gazed over to a particular attraction, which was a large black and white television that sat in a corner of the bar displaying a live kickboxing fight. 

The motion pictures astonished Zhu Wudi and the others where they gazed upon it for several moments in silence before finally asking just what the hell the contraption was.

"Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein. There have been a lot of things in this Empire of yours that have truly shocked me to the core, but how are those men fighting inside that small box?"

Berengar chuckled when he heard this, before ordering a round of drinks for his guests. After doing so, he began to explain just what the television was.

"A recent invention on the part of my scientists. We call it a television. What you're seeing is a live fight, taking part in some other corner of the Reich, but it is broadcasted via radio waves across the Empire and can be seen anywhere there is a tv."

Just as Berengar was saying this, one of the fighters on the tv threw a head kick that completely knocked his opponent unconscious. Screams erupted in the bar, some in excitement, some in lament. Clearly, by the expression of more than a few of the patron's faces, they had lost money on the fight. 

When Berengar saw this feat, he clapped in joy. Clearly, it was a good fight up until this point. After the knockout occurred, a round of drinks showed up at their table, where Berengar made a toast to the other world leaders.

"For the future of warfare, may it be as civil as a German diplomat!"

After saying this, he downed his beer, along with the other world leaders. They would spend the rest of the night travelling across the city of Vienna and witnessing all it had to offer. 

---

If you're not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at https://ko-fi.com/zentmeister