Tyranny of Steel

Chapter 627 lncorporating Recently Conquered Ground

Within the southern lands of Iberia, the sun gleamed down upon the city of Granada. After centuries of warfare in Iberia under the goal of reconquering the region under Catholic Control, the Moors had proven victorious.

Such a feat was impossible without the massive military aid provided by the German Empire and the Schemes of its Kaiser. This was a fact recognized not only by the young Sultan of the newly reformed Al-Andalus, but also the people who dwelled within the lands. Moors cheered Berengar’s name as if he was a hero, while the Catholic Iberians cursed him to damnation with their malicious prayers to an absent God.

While the people of Iberia came to terms with the outcome of the centuries long Reconquista, Hasan sat back in the seat of the power of his newly established Empire. The Sultanate of Al-Andalus now held every bit of territory within the Iberian Peninsula, and though some regions were in open arms, most notably in small sections of Portugal and most of Spain. The restoration of Al-Andalus had been completed.

Of course, rather than mend the wounds that divided the population of this newfound Empire, Hasan was enjoying the lavish lifestyle that came with being an emperor alongside one of the men who had made it entirely possible. With a wine filled chalice in one hand, and a cigar in another, Hasan celebrated his victory alongside the German Field Marshal who had aided him in his efforts.

“General Adelbrand, I can’t say how much you have helped me in this war. Reports from the front lines say that the last resistance in Andorra has fallen, and the nobles in charge have surrendered their territory to Al-Andalus. Though we may deal with some minor rebellions in the near future, we can successfully say that our goals have been accomplished. How can I ever repay you, and your Kaiser, for that matter?”

Adelbrand took a sip of the fortified wine as he dwelled on the subject at hand. His mind had previously been more occupied with the stabilization of the region, knowing full well that his Kaiser would command him to stay until the last vestige of rebellion had been snuffed out. He did not expect to be rewarded when his job was yet to be completed. Nevertheless, something immediately caught his interest and thus he voiced his desires.

“I understand that you have given a particularly large Villa on the beaches of Gibraltar to my Kaiser. I myself would not mind a coastal estate, perhaps in Portugal? As for the Kaiser’s demands, all he asks is open access through the strait of Gibraltar and that you allow us to build a naval port in the area. We will be happy to lease the land from you, if that is what you desire.”

Hasan was in a rather generous mood and thought little of this demand. Thus, he simply nodded his head with a wide grin on his face before nonchalantly agreeing to the request.

“Consider your personal request approved. Find the land you want and I will give it to your house. As for Gibraltar, I would have to speak with your Kaiser personally about this issue, but I see no reason to refuse his request. We just need to discuss some minor details of the matter. When you next speak to your master, you can inform him of my decision.”

Such an agreeable response was out of Adelbrand’s expectations, thus he wore an emphatic smile as she shook Hasan’s hands and thanked him for his generosity.

“Truly, your generosity astounds, your majesty.”

Hasan merely smiled and nodded his head in acceptance of the compliments. Adelbrand was a man he greatly respected, and desired to keep within his lands for many years to come. Thus, the next topic he shifted to was more personal in nature.

“Have you ever thought of marrying an Iberian woman? Alot of men have did in this conflict, leaving me with more men than women. I would be honored to give you the woman of your dreams from within my realm. After all, you are allowed to have up to five wives in the German Empire. Isn’t that correct?”

Adelbrand could immediately see what Hasan was planning and politely declined in a deliberately vague manner while shaking his head.

“While it is true that we are permitted up to five wives, I honestly have never thought of the idea if you had not suggested it. However, I am getting old, and soon it will be time to start a family, so perhaps I will take your words into consideration.”

Upon hearing this, Hasan simply nodded his head in silence while taking a sip from his drink. After several moments, Adelbrand shifted the conversation to something more meaningful.

“So now that you control all of Al-Andalus, what are your plans for the future?”

Hasan had a giddy expression on his face when he heard this question. As if he could not wait for someone to bring it up. With a smug smile on his face, he announced his intentions to the German General.

“Of course I wish to expand. Perhaps North Africa could be a fitting addition to my new empire. If there is one thing Berengar has taught me over the years, it is that conquest is addictive. You can never have enough land and resources under your control!”

Adelbrand merely rolled his eyes when he heard this statement. Did this man really think he was anything like Berengar? The two rulers were completely different. Hasan was a lazy man who basked in luxury while his competent subordinates ran the show.

Whereas Berengar was a hardworking man who micromanaged every facet of his Empire that he could. Not to mention the fact that Berengar led his men from the front lines in war, while Hasan delegated the responsibility to his Generals. The two rulers were about as different in their approach as they could be. Thus, Adelbrand simply kept his opinion to himself and instead advised the sultan about his foolish ambitions.

“If I were you, I would definitely wait until you have settled your territory. You have a lot of internal problems that you will have to face that Berengar does not. For starters, you will be ruling over a diverse empire filled with different ethnicities, cultures, and religions. Getting them all to universally accept your reign as legitimate will be difficult, to say the least.

A display of force may be necessary in the early days as you stamp out rebellion, but if you use too much of it, you will surely foster resentment among your conquered peoples. Creating generations of bad blood that could lead to revolution further down the line, and ultimately destabilize your Empire.

If you wish to maintain the integrity of your dynasty, you will need to heal the wounds that you have created with your conquests. The best way to do that would be to allow religious freedom for your people and improve the daily lives of everyone within your realm via implementation of the agricultural and industrial technology that Berengar has given you.

As far as border security goes, you are fairly secure with the only genuine external threat to you being the Kingdom of France, so you might want to invest in fortifications and scouts within the Pyrenees. You don’t need to overspend. Just build some simple forts that will deter a French invasion of your lands.”

Hasan nodded his head as he eagerly listened to Adelbrand’s advice. Truth be told, aside from Berengar, he had few advisors who knew how to run an Empire. He was astonished to hear some of the things the German General spoke of. After all, he did not expect the multicultural and multi-ethnic society to be as big as a deal as Adelbrand had made it out to be.

However, when he thought about it, the Empire would be ruled over by an ethnic, cultural, and religious minority, which could easily foster dissent among the other people. He would need to ensure the loyalty of his newly conquered subjects if he wished to maintain his newfound Empire. After coming to this conclusion, Hasan nodded his head in agreement before responding to Adelbrand’s claims.

“Very well, I will take note of your suggestions, and seek to resolve the disputes between my people, and those who I have conquered. As you say, maintaining the integrity of my new empire is a priority, and I should seek to unite the people before conquering more territory. You have given me much to think about, General. Now if you will excuse me, I have an appointment with my wives, feel free to enjoy the rest of your wine in my absence…”

After saying this, Hasan left the room to do as he had always done. Engorge himself in a life of hedonism. It was only after the man had left the room that Adelbrand voiced his complaints about the young Sultan’s behavior.

“This idiot is going to get himself killed…”

With that said, the German General quickly finished the contents of his glass before leaving the Palace. He needed to report this information to the Kaiser as quickly as possible. Thus, he would spend the next few hours dispatching a telegram across the atlantic to the SMS Berengar which acted as the flagship of the German Fleet in Mesoamerica.