Conquer Europe from the West

Chapter 124 The Most Humiliating Day in the History of the United Kingdom

Is it really a good thing for the empire to do this?
On a luxurious liaison boat comparable to yachts of later generations, Ryan sat in the cabin, looking out at the coast through the round porthole.

He held the sword the emperor had given him in both hands, and found it somewhat amusing.

Unlike the United Kingdom, the Empire, as one of the few countries that can confer honorary titles upon all its officers, requires that each officer's sword be used only by the officer himself or her, unless the owner dies.

It was precisely because of this that Admirals Tirpitz and Walter did not think of the sword.

Raine had never heard of naval captains being allowed to carry swords, so he hadn't thought of it either. (The Imperial Army starts with brigadier generals who carry swords.)
But what's even more important is the attitude of the United Kingdom.

Simply put, if they send at least one Dreadnought-class destroyer and one accompanying pre-Dreadnought-class destroyer to today's ceremony, it can be seen as an act of equal diplomacy between the two countries.

But the United Kingdom surprisingly only sent destroyers, and there wasn't even a sight of a cruiser.

According to international practice, this is a complete and utter disregard for empires.

Therefore, even if their king, prime minister, and former prime minister were all present, the emperor could not be the first to appear.

It was precisely because of this that the Emperor unprecedentedly bestowed his sword upon Rein, who was neither royalty nor even a nobleman, allowing him to appear in the sight of the United Kingdom as a naval captain.

simply put.

If the United Kingdom doesn't follow the rules, then the Empire has no reason to follow them either.

Raine, a colonel, was not high enough in rank to meet the King of the United Kingdom, but he had a sword bestowed by the Emperor, which barely qualified him.

In a daze, Renn blurted out, "I wonder what the people of the United Kingdom will think when they see this."

"That must have been shocking!"

The captain of the liaison boat stood next to Rein, watching the approaching small boat through binoculars. He ordered his men to bring the pilot aboard, and said in Imperial English with a thick Eastern accent, "The guys from the United Kingdom are a bunch of idiots. It's just that their navy is a bit strong, so they can act so arrogantly."

“Colonel Friege, let me tell you, on land they’re all a bunch of scoundrels, completely uncultured.”

"I bet you, when they see you, the first thing they'll notice is your sword, then your medals, and only lastly your uniform."

"Not even looking at my men?" Renn was somewhat surprised. "Is this how you play?"

"They certainly won't look at you, because they wouldn't recognize you at all, my colonel."

The captain sneered, "If you're lucky, you might even run into some idiot who mistakes you for His Majesty!"

"That's not good."

Ryan immediately perked up and quickly denied it.

But the captain didn't care at all: "His Majesty the Emperor has even given you his own personal sword, so what else do you care about? In the end, His Majesty is able to sit on the throne because he has the support of the people and does practical things, not because he's like Bismarck..."

The captain's voice suddenly stopped as he spoke: "We've reached the shore, you'd better hurry."

Raine immediately stood up, hung his sword at his waist, straightened his back, and even wiped the medal on his collar with his glove.

He didn't ask any more questions, even though he cared a lot about what the captain had said earlier.

Look out of the ship.

The port and docks, built to military standards, stretched as far as the eye could see. The thirty-odd destroyers that had been there earlier were moored far outside the port, blocked by the man-made breakwater, with only their smokestacks and islands visible.

At the port, the honor guard stood in two neat rows, facing the red carpet.

The pilot spoke a few words to the first mate beside him, and then left the liaison boat.

It was after this that Raine heard the captain's voice.

"Colonel Frieger, do not move after you leave. General Volker instructed me to tell you to wait until the King and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom approach you, then stop, perform a sword salute, and then stand still."

"So simple?"

Ryan glanced at the captain, and although he had some doubts, he still placed his left hand on the hilt of his knife and walked toward the gangway outside the ship.

Meanwhile, at the dock.

King George V looked somewhat anxious.

Frederick stood behind him and Churchill, able to see their expressions.

This made him extremely nervous, and his hands, hidden under his coat, seemed at a loss, eventually ending up hanging on his sword and belt.

Directly ahead, the luxurious warship had already docked at the pier under the guidance of the pilot.

Along the entire dock passageway, three hundred Royal Marines stood in two lines beside the red carpet, all dressed in scarlet naval uniforms, their Lee-Enfield rifles spotless, their dark bayonets pointing straight at the blue sky.

Frederick saw a guard of honor set up the gangway, while Imperial Navy soldiers and some officers immediately appeared on the side of the ship, standing in a row and saluting.

This made Frederick feel that the Imperial Navy's training was inadequate, because according to regulations, the salute should not be performed after the ship has come to a stop.

But he can't think about that right now.

Because Churchill said in a very low voice, "Be prepared, the Emperor is coming."

emperor?

Frederick immediately pictured a fairly tall man in his mind. He was wearing a Prussian-style military uniform, his left hand was often resting on the hilt of his knife, and he had a large beard. He didn't look like a soldier at all.

This is what he heard from his father.

Because he had never seen the emperor.

Churchill then said, "Frederic, prepare yourself, take the sword His Majesty has given you, and come with me and the Earl of Selburn."

"Yes, Prime Minister."

Frederick immediately replied in a low voice.

He was a representative of the Royal Naval College, and he was extremely fortunate to be able to come.

Soon, he saw a man with his left hand on the hilt of his saber, wearing the uniform of an Imperial Navy officer, and with a large medal hanging on his collar, appear on the gangway.

It's the emperor!
Although the distance was so great that Frederick couldn't make out the other person's face in the sunlight, he almost immediately identified the person by their movements.

Ahead of him, Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister and First Lord of the Admiralty, and Lord Selburn, the former First Lord of the Admiralty who arrived immediately, also stepped forward.

Reporters around raised their cameras to take pictures, and the flashes of magnesium powder made a series of loud bangs. The smoke and the cracking sounds of the powder being thrown to the ground were also heard everywhere.

Frederick followed closely behind Churchill, his hand on his saber, so nervous that he almost stepped in sync with his hands and feet.

If he hadn't been hiding under a coat, he probably would have made the headlines tomorrow.

At the same time, Ryan on the gangway also began to take steps.

He looked at King George V, who remained motionless in the distance, then at Churchill, who was walking towards him, and at another unfamiliar figure. Despite his doubts, he still came to the ground.

It was at this time that Churchill and the Earl of Selburn realized the problem.

"Why not the emperor?"

Selburn asked Churchill in a very soft voice, his pace slowing down.

"how could I know?"

Churchill frowned slightly, but quickly regained his composure: "Could it be the Emperor protesting?"

Count Selborne immediately denied it: "No, the Emperor is not that kind of person, but who is this person? A colonel?"

He saw Rein's collar insignia and the Blue Star Max Medal: "I've never heard of an Imperial Navy captain ever receiving the Blue Star Max Medal?"

“I’ve never heard of it either.” Churchill’s eye twitched. “Whatever, let’s go over there. We can’t just go without introducing ourselves, can we?”

Count Selborne replied, "If it's an unknown fellow, you handle it; if it's famous, then leave it to me."

Churchill exhaled heavily through his nose: "No problem."

As he spoke, he and Selburn, along with Frederick, stopped fifteen meters from the gangway. The Marines on both sides immediately raised their rifles and saluted. Frederick, following the instructions of the honor guard earlier, immediately took two steps forward and stood slightly behind the honor guard captain, mimicking his posture, and stood with his saber in hand.

It was only then that he realized that the emperor he had previously thought of was actually just a young man who didn't look much older than him.

Even their walking posture was different from that of the navy—those were the large movements that only the army would make, clearly not a proper navy.

Combined with the presence of the Blue Star Max Medal, Frederick recognized the newcomer's identity almost immediately.

"You are the empire's war hero!"

With just a few words uttered, Frederick instantly became the center of attention for everyone present.

Ryan's attention was also drawn to his voice.

He stopped and turned to look at Frederick, only to find that the little guy didn't even have a military rank.

He's a military academy cadet; this young man is probably in for a rough time.

As he thought this, Raine turned and saluted the captain of the guard of honor, then said to Frederick in standard United Kingdom English, "If being called a war hero is simply a matter of surviving, then I would rather die for lasting peace, soldier."

After saying this, Ryan finally turned around again to look at Churchill, who was standing in front of him, and the man he did not recognize.

Because of Frederick's words, Churchill, Earl of Selburn, and all the honor guard soldiers around them immediately realized Ryan's identity.

The same thought arose in their minds—he was the guy who called Churchill an idiot and a fraud across the English Channel!

Churchill, one of the main characters, was so angry that his face turned blue.

He glared at Renn, breathing heavily through his nose, took the cigar from his mouth, and tossed it aside: "Why did His Majesty the Emperor not come in person?"

Raine didn't say anything.

He looked at Churchill, then glanced at the King of the United Kingdom who was still standing in the distance. After a moment's thought, he stood still with standard etiquette, drew the sword that the Emperor had given him, and held it in front of him.

The gilded gauntlet was exceptionally eye-catching in the sunlight, and the silver-white sword blade emitted a dazzling light, illuminating the surrounding ground.

The gem-like orb hanging from the golden sword tassel flashed twice before enveloping Rein in a circular blue light.

But Renn did not feel any discomfort as a result. As soon as the blue light appeared, he immediately swung the knife to the right. The silver blade drew a beautiful arc in the blue light and then returned to his front under Renn's control.

Without thinking or hesitating, Raine's hand seemed to have its own mind. He raised the knife to his chest, paused for a moment, and then sheathed it.

And that faint blue light also dissipated into the air at almost the same moment.

Churchill watched Ryan's every move with a cold eye.

But he also recognized the military knife in Ryan's hand.

That was a sword reserved for the emperor of the empire. The salute just now, though it had no intention of attacking, clearly conveyed the empire's meaning.

This was a warning from the Empire to the United Kingdom for receiving the Imperial fleet with only destroyer fleets, rather than capital ships or flagships.

Unfortunately, the reporters nearby were still snapping photos incessantly, and the noise almost drove Churchill crazy.

He could almost guess what the front page headline of Lundern's newspaper would be tomorrow!

It's nothing more than a picture of an imperial war hero wielding a sword, accompanied by a huge photograph.

But this was not what Churchill wanted to see at all!

What he wanted to see in the newspapers was a photograph of the Imperial Emperor meeting with him, the Kingdom's Prime Minister, surrounded by the Kingdom's fleet.

Only in this way could he, as he had previously agreed with Asquith, let all the people of the kingdom know that the king had not yielded to the empire, nor did he take the empire's threat seriously.

This is a crucial step, almost on par with the plan to only have destroyers meet Imperial warships.

Clearly, his plan failed.

The emperor of the empire, and his advisors, had already guessed his plan.

Churchill was well aware that Ryan, who held the Emperor's sword, was now in a position of power no less than his own.

In this opening game, the kingdom lost.

But Churchill still held onto a sliver of hope.

With his large belly protruding, he adjusted his tall hat and said, "Colonel, when will His Majesty visit?"

But Raine did not answer.

He simply stood there quietly, his left hand on his sword, his sharp gaze first sweeping over Churchill before settling on the King of the United Kingdom in the distance.

damn it.

Churchill's eye twitched uncontrollably.

He looked at Raine in front of him and thought to himself, "How dare this damn imperialist look down on me like this?"

But then he remembered that his 6,000-strong force, including over 3,000 marines, two battlecruisers, and 3,000 crew members, was still in the hands of the Empire…

This immediately turned Churchill's initial observation into a stare.

His lips twitched uncontrollably. It was only because this was a state visit that he didn't mind grabbing his cane and smashing everything around him—including this arrogant brat in front of him who dared to challenge the kingdom's maritime hegemony—to pieces.

But not now.

Even this year won't work.

Churchill suppressed his anger and kept telling himself that everything would be alright once the warships returned.

The Empire's navy will be utterly annihilated before the invincible Royal Fleet!

Finally, after countless attempts at self-hypnosis, Churchill managed to calm down.

He glanced one last time at Rein, who was dressed in a black Imperial Navy officer's uniform, then turned to a female assistant beside him: "Miss Mariana, please convey to His Majesty the King that the Emperor will be arriving in the Inner Bay on the next liaison ship. Please make preparations for the meeting."

The female assistant, having received instructions, immediately went to the back and, after being relayed by the person designated by the royal family, informed the king of the kingdom.

The liaison boat behind Ryan then started its engine and pulled back from the dock.

About half an hour later, when the sun was almost directly overhead, a Kingdom destroyer in the distance finally left the formation under the orders of its naval officers and docked on the starboard side of the battleship Frederick the Great.

The emperor's boarding of the ship took another ten minutes or so.

Finally, after a long wait of an hour, the King of the United Kingdom reluctantly stepped forward at the urging of his prime minister, standing at the head of the red carpet as king, along with his prime minister and the former First Lord of the Navy, looking at the United Kingdom's destroyer that was slowly approaching the shore.

As for Rennes...

He stood there, smiling at Churchill, who was practically about to devour him alive, and at the King of the United Kingdom, who kept trying to ignore him but could never help but turn his gaze to him because of the imperial sword in his hand.

It was precisely their commotion over the past hour that convinced Renn that the United Kingdom's response to the peace talks was merely a pretense.

Because if the United Kingdom truly wanted to negotiate peace, they would absolutely not tamper with such an important state visit in the slightest.

What appears in Dover Harbor will not just be those weak destroyers, but a massive main fleet led by Iron Duke-class dreadnoughts.

It would be even more impossible for a situation like the one now in which an emperor of a country would have to embark on a landing by a communication boat.

Therefore, when the United Kingdom's destroyer finally entered the port and lowered its gangway at the dock, Renn finally saw the scene he had most wanted to see:
King George V of the United Kingdom immediately adopted an expression as if he were seeing a close brother.

In front of reporters from the entire kingdom and even the world, he stood beside his grim-faced prime minister and naval minister, and opened his arms to the emperor of the empire as a gesture of goodwill.

He shook hands and embraced the Emperor in a friendly manner, and then examined the honor guard composed of Royal Marines.

The two walked side by side toward the car that had been prepared at the end of the red carpet, and left the bustling Port Dover amidst a crowd of people and the flashing lights.

Today is the most humiliating day in the history of the United Kingdom.

(End of this chapter)