Conquer Europe from the West

Chapter 125 Churchill! Your good days are over!
The first meeting in Dover began at Dover's town hall.

But not on the day the imperial delegation arrived, but the next day.

This annoyed Renn, because he could only stay in the United Kingdom for a maximum of four days, which meant he had to be in the capital before sunrise on October 4th.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Renn can't stay in the United Kingdom—although Renn isn't a nobleman, he does own a private estate in the United Kingdom that is less than one square meter in size…

Therefore, he could legally be given the title of Lord in the United Kingdom and continue to reside there normally.

The fundamental reason why Renn did not want to stay in the United Kingdom for long was that the construction of defensive positions on the current front between the Empire and Falland was slow, and the Fallanders launched attacks too frequently.

As a result, the frontline command of the Northern Theater of the Western Front, especially General Krug of the First Army, would send a telegram to the General Staff requesting support almost every few hours.

Rein owed Kruk and Billow, the two army group commanders, favors from previous battles, so he had to get back to the mainland as soon as possible.

It was already the morning of October 1, 1914.

Inside the lobby of Dover City Hall, Ryan was still wearing his brand-new black naval uniform, but today he wasn't wearing any medals.

He removed everything that could identify him, leaving only the sword the emperor had given him the day before hanging at his waist.

Even so, it was enough to drive the reporters outside crazy.

This was something that couldn't be helped. Ultimately, the Empire consciously shaped Rein's stance in this war into that of an anti-war and loyal, outstanding officer.

With both of the United Kingdom's military allies now acting as aggressors, the citizens of the United Kingdom, unwilling to become accomplices in launching wars of aggression like Farland and the Empire, are naturally extremely interested in Raine.

More importantly, he also made that extremely classic statement of advocating peace during his visit yesterday.

If being called a war hero is simply a matter of surviving, then I would rather die for lasting peace, soldier.

It's fair to say that Ryan himself never expected those reporters to have such sharp ears, so sharp that Ryan himself forgot what he had said, yet these people managed to write it down for his mother word for word and even publish it in the newspaper.

That's absolutely fucking amazing.

What's even more incredible is that the Emperor, while having breakfast at the hotel that morning, read the morning's newspaper with Rein and the entire Imperial delegation.

Then Ryan truly enjoyed an hour of being the center of attention.

The emperor gave his speech extremely high praise, and no one present had any objection.

But Renn knew that this wasn't what pleased the Emperor. What pleased him was that Renn, as a colonel, had managed to force the former First Lord of the Navy and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to back down, and that George V, who had originally intended to keep his distance from the Empire, had greeted the visiting Emperor with such amiable manner.

It can be said that only Bismarck, or people like Moltke the Elder and Field Marshal Schlieffen, could achieve this in the Empire.

Now, Raine has successfully upheld the Empire's prestige at the highest level of diplomatic occasions, which is a great honor for the Empire, which has had to defer to the United Kingdom for decades.

Inside Dover City Hall, Ryan turned his gaze with a hint of helplessness to the still-closed conference room door.

The conference room is still being set up. Imperial guards and the Royal Guard of the United Kingdom are conducting a hazard check to ensure there are no bombs or similar items.

Meanwhile, the emperor is currently working with Tirpitz to confirm whether the jewels used to save his life are still functioning properly.

The king of the kingdom was said to have already set off from his palace in the area, but Renn was beginning to think that getting the carriage to travel fifteen miles would not be an easy task.

"The people of the United Kingdom are so hospitable."

Suddenly, Tirpitz's voice came from a side room.

Rein immediately looked at Tirpitz and said with a slight smile, "But there might be Farran among them, or even assassins sent by other countries."

“Well said.” Tirpitz stood in front of Renn, took out a match, lit a cigarette, and held it in his mouth. His eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed out the large floor-to-ceiling windows. “Last night, the United Kingdom captured three Farrans who attempted to assassinate you and the Emperor. This morning, a man of unknown nationality who speaks fluent United languages ​​was also captured…”

"really."

With his back to the door, Ryan didn't look at the reporters and the crowd: "If it were true, they wouldn't just tell us like this."

"Why do you say that?"

This was Tirpitz's first time participating in such a significant international visit during a war, so he didn't understand what Rein meant.

Renn sighed: "If the Emperor and I don't die, the worst outcome for Farlan will be a ceasefire with the Empire, not defeat. But if the Emperor and I die, and at the hands of Farlan assassins... hah."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Tirpitz immediately understood what he meant.

"So..." He glanced at Renn, "it was the Kingdom's people who did it?"

“I didn’t say that,” Ryan immediately shook his head to distance himself from the topic, “Besides, now is not the time to talk about such things.”

His gaze settled on the so-called bodyguards, who were wearing plaid suits and overcoats.

These people had been keeping an eye on Rennes ever since the delegation arrived at the city hall. Before Tirpitz appeared, things were fine, but now that Tirpitz was here, they almost immediately focused all their attention on the person they were protecting, rather than the person they were monitoring. Even a pig could see what they were thinking.

Tirpitz understood what Rein meant, but he didn't have any particular thoughts on the matter. He simply said, "You will speak on today's agenda."

"what did I say?"

Raine's heart tightened. According to the previous plan, his only job today was to inform the emperor of some imperial military secrets that the emperor could not know but now had to know and had to tell.

The purpose of this action was to ensure that the Empire maintained absolute initiative in these peace negotiations and to guarantee that the United Kingdom would not intervene in the fighting on the border between France and France in the short term.

It could be said that Raine's presence was more like a mobile think tank than an adjutant to a high-ranking official.

Of course, the Empire also arranged for him to act in this way.

Therefore, Raine didn't need to be with Tirpitz at all times like his adjutant, and he didn't have the same automatic action privileges as other Imperial officials.

That's why Ryan was puzzled by what Tirpitz said.

"nothing."

Tirpitz spoke casually, as if the matter had nothing to do with him at all.

He exhaled a long plume of blue smoke from his nostrils and said, "The United Kingdom has two agendas today. According to our understanding, they will first propose to sign an indefinite non-aggression pact with the Empire."

Ryan: "What's the content?"

Tirpitz shook his head: "I don't know, but one thing has been made clear to us. They want to first establish a three-month treaty, and if it's not broken within three months, they'll sign another three-month treaty."

"So it's basically a provisional treaty?" Renn understood. "That's not a problem, but what else?"

The three-month contract is not a problem, because the Empire can launch six Zeppelins with excellent ground attack capabilities within three months. If the United Kingdom chooses to break the treaty, they will inevitably lose their proud and invincible fleet.

The problem is another one.

Tirpitz paused, and his expression began to turn somewhat grim.

This made Renn's heart sink.

It was at this moment that Tirpitz said in a very low voice, "Another provision of the treaty is that the Empire cannot launch an offensive against the allies of the United Kingdom during the period when the peace treaty is in effect."

That's it?

Ryan immediately frowned, trying to make his expression look tense and flustered.

But he was surprisingly calm inside.

What kind of ridiculous request is this?
Are the United Kingdom's negotiators and geopolitical experts all idiots? They clearly know the Empire is the one being invaded...

"Ok?"

Remaining in the same position, Renn lit a cigarette, his gaze not on Tirpitz, but on his own reflection on the ground: "Is it a ban on certain proactive offensive actions, or something else?"

"Any action related to proactive offense."

Tirpitz held the cigarette between his fingers, covering his mouth, and spoke very softly.

"They seem to want to keep the front lines in their current state to give the Empire and Farland a chance to recover."

"That's definitely not a good sign."

Raine immediately understood Tirpitz's meaning. This meant that the Empire would be in a state of constant wrangling with Farland, the Imperial State, and the United Kingdom for some time to come.

During this period, the Empire will be unable to advance its battle lines, leading to a rapid depletion of supplies at the front. The United Kingdom will also take advantage of this time to send large quantities of supplies to Falland in order to stabilize the morale of the Falland troops in the coming period.

"They must have something else to say but haven't said yet."

"These barbarians from the United Kingdom are not the kind of people who would do good deeds," said Raine. "And you know my opinion, this matter is not simple."

Tirpitz, however, wore a nonchalant expression: "Anyway, this is your job. His Majesty the Emperor specifically asked you to handle it, so you can't just not do it, Colonel?"

"Okay, I understand."

Rein nodded helplessly before looking toward the door.

The crowd that had been thronging the entrance had been completely driven aside, and the Royal Guard cavalry parted a wide passage in front of the city hall with their hooves, just enough for three people to pass side by side.

The King of the United Kingdom, dressed in a Royal Navy admiral's uniform, entered the city hall accompanied by former Prime Minister Asquith and the current Prime Minister.

Almost simultaneously, many officials from the United Kingdom appeared in the surrounding corridors. Some of them immediately followed behind their king, and after glancing at Raine and Tirpitz, who were also standing in the hall, they silently entered the conference room.

Several newspaper reporters who had been granted special permission to enter also entered the conference room and began preparing for their subsequent reporting.

Rein and Tirpitz waited outside for a while before they saw the Emperor and his entourage, as well as the younger brother of Commander Herringen.

He immediately stepped back and stood behind Tirpitz.

The emperor did not speak; he merely glanced calmly at the two men before leading everyone into the conference room.

Ryan had wanted to stay by Tirpitz's side, but this time it seemed he had no choice.

Because Tirpitz had no intention of letting Renn stand behind him, he maintained a level position with Renn, and together with Blacklingen beside him, he practically put Renn in the front row.

He disliked this feeling, but he couldn't refuse it.

Look towards the conference hall.

The city hall's meeting room was not bright; in fact, it could be described as somewhat dim.

Everywhere you could hear the distinctive popping sound of a match being struck, and dim flames flickered in every corner, illuminating some people's faces and lighting cigarette butts.

At the very center of the ceiling was a glass window somewhat resembling the one in a childhood bathroom. The artificial light source emitted a soft glow, which, after being focused by the glass, was precisely directed to the center of the meeting room, encompassing the conference table belonging exclusively to the Empire and the United Kingdom, as well as the ten people seated around it, within the circle of light.

The emperors and kings of the two countries, their prime ministers, naval ministers, and advisors took their seats, exchanging glances. Behind them stood the vast corps of think tanks, members of parliament, and high-ranking officers from various military units.

Unlike the United Kingdom's almost entirely official staff, those sitting at the forefront on the Empire's side, besides the Emperor who was supposed to be there, the two admirals, General Draven who had just arrived by airship that morning, were also Renn.

On the other hand, look at the United Kingdom.

Although their King George V was in full military uniform, everyone knew that the highest rank he could attain in the navy was only a captain.

Of course, the emperor wasn't much better off; the two were equally bad.

Asquith, standing to the side, wasn't doing much better either.

Although he was the former prime minister of the kingdom, he actually had no military background whatsoever.

As an official with a background as a lawyer, Asquith excels at verbally attacking the enemies of his clients. If the person on the other end is truly ruthless, he can easily defeat them.

The Emperor was aware of this, so he thoughtfully arranged for Tirpitz to sit opposite him. This Imperial Admiral didn't even need to open his eyes; just sitting there, he directly suppressed Asquith's lawyer-like aura.

As for Churchill...

As Chancellor of the Empire, Winston Churchill was indeed First Lord of the Admiralty, but he wasn't much better than Asquith.

This guy had no experience serving in the navy at all; his only military experience was serving in the cavalry. As soon as the colony went to war, he took leave to become a reporter and went to interview the troops fighting on the front lines.

Fortunately, he had seen what a battlefield looked like before, so he could still vaguely make out the appearance of a soldier.

Then, opposite him was Ryan, who had recently led his team to easily capture two Kingdom strategic cruisers, along with 3000 marines.

As for Draven and General Herringen...

One of them sat facing the kingdom's foreign minister, while the other confronted the kingdom's former naval minister, Selborne.

Then these two were clearly pure aristocratic members of parliament with absolutely no military experience...

It can be said that almost none of the main representatives sent by the United Kingdom could outshine the representatives of the Empire in terms of presence.

The aura emanating from those four high-ranking Imperial officers alone was enough to make everyone in the hall feel the air around them drop several degrees.

But Renn felt very uncomfortable.

Because he would be sitting to the left of the Emperor, with General Herringen to his right, and facing Churchill directly in front of him.

To the Emperor's right are Tirpitz and General Draven.

What's even more absurd is that, because the emperor bestowed his own sword upon Renn, only Renn and the King of the United Kingdom carried swords in the entire hall...

At this moment, all members of the embassy sent by the empire were in place.

As the only Imperial official to enter carrying a weapon, Raine did not sit down with the others.

Together with the King of the United Kingdom, who was also armed, he handed his sword to the guards responsible for security. Only after they placed the two royal swords on the sword rack did he finally take his seat.

This scene immediately caused the licensed journalists from various countries to frantically press the flash buttons on their cameras.

Ryan didn't have time to look at those reporters.

Because as early as when the decision was made to send an envoy to the United Kingdom, the Empire had already decided to use a fully open meeting to force the United Kingdom not to exaggerate its external propaganda.

The United Kingdom had naturally considered this as well, so after they were seated, they exchanged all the questions they wanted to raise with the Empire in writing.

But this also led to another problem.

That is, all the results of the discussions will be immediately reported to countries around the world after the meeting.

No matter who it is, they absolutely cannot make any mistakes during this period.

On the Empire's side, Raine kept his eyes on Churchill, who was sitting at the table across from him, while glancing at General Draven to his side.

General Draven is reading out the Empire's specific intentions regarding the signing of a non-aggression pact between the two sides.

This includes establishing a military buffer zone in the territorial waters between the two countries, exempting each other from import and export tariffs on certain products, and sending officers to each other's troops and military academies for training.

Everything was standard and predictable, without any surprises, and the United Kingdom all agreed.

This pleased most of the empire's officials, and everyone except Rein, led by the emperor.

But the more Ryan listened, the more he felt something was wrong.

He thought, "The United Kingdom nodded way too damn fast."

It was as if he nodded without even listening to the whole thing.

These guys are definitely planning something big!
Rein, who remained vigilant, simply watched Churchill.

He wanted to read something from the other person's eyes and expression.

It was at this time that...

General Draven read through the entire Empire’s propositions.

Subsequently, at the behest of King George V of the United Kingdom.

Churchill grabbed the stack of papers he had already carried on his back and stood up.

(End of this chapter)