It was not difficult to understand why people felt a sense of dread in the air after the headlines were printed and the public was made aware of a diplomatic summit happening in Hanseong between the European heads of state.

Not since the end of the Second Weltkrieg had such a massive gathering of monarchs, statesmen, generals and ambassadors been undertaken.

And it was held behind closed doors within a nation far to the East. For many, this was a sign of a third world war.

And in nations with less strict control over what the press was allowed to publish, this sentiment was shared openly.

But the German Reich and its outlets refrained from commenting on the meeting, other than it was an economic summit.

Bruno had spent the next few days hammering out the details with the European monarchs, this was the first summit of many to come. And was what would later be referred to in unofficial channels as the Annual Imperial Forum.

Not everything needed to be written in stone, not now. This was a decade long project to invest in the future of Europe. Instead, what needed to be hammered out now was the foundational blueprint.

What each nation could pragmatically commit, what exchanges would be met to secure these commitments.

By the end of it, Bruno looked over at Crown Prince Wilhelm, and the both of them silently nodded. There wasn’t an expression not be found across their faces. But their eyes betrayed their excitement.

They had given away what amounted to pennies as far as the Reich was concerned, and in doing so had secured in gaining the necessary agreements, legally written, signed, ratified, and notified to begin the preparations of continental expansion of Germany’s current infrastructure plans.

And while on the surface it looked like Germany was giving away a fortune, the reality was, Bruno and Crown Prince Wilhelm both considered it a meager investment.

Sure, it the Reichsbank would need to allocate a considerable amount of its current surplus to meet these demands, but it would pay for itself within a decade. Perhaps even twice over.

In the end, Bruno sat back and sighed in the dining hall. He was not alone, his daughters and their husbands surrounded him.

While the other monarchs looked on, some with envy in their eyes, others with excitement for a future that no longer looked so grim. And others were apprehensive about what they had just given up to be a part of this continental supply chain.

Eva and Elsa sat on the left and right of their father’s side. Elsa in particular had all sorts of questions about the maglev in particular.

"Daddy, you said you rode the Maglev from Innsbruck to Moscow? When will Saint Petersburg be connected, I can’t wait to visit you and Mother, and all my brothers! The idea of us only being hours apart is like a dream!"

Alexei coughed forcibly as he dragged his wife’s attention back to him.

"You know that your father and I are joint partners in this project, right? You could just ask me when it will be done...."

Elsa, Eva, Anna, and Erika all shot Alexei a silent glare. Meanwhile, Prince Wilhelm, Paul, and Umberto all shook their heads at the poor man.

Bruno, of course ignored this and answered his daughter’s question in between sips of his drink.

"I’d say it will probably be finished within a year, potentially two at the most."

Alexei nodded his head in silence, trying his best to ignore the look his wife and her sisters had just given him.

It was a strange disconnect that Bruno noticed: the men around him were as excited as he was for the economic and industrial incentives this brought their nations. While the women were far more ecstatic about the personal implications.

Of course, Bruno would be lying if he also wasn’t looking forward to the personal benefits. Specifically, in regards to transportation.

He had often felt that in his previous life air travel becoming the primary means of transportation had as many inconveniences as it had conveniences. And this resulted from systematic inefficiency.

In fact, during this life he had flown quite a bit, especially during the Second Weltkrieg. It was necessary to commute from Tyrol to Berlin.

But ever since the maglev had come online, Bruno had found that his daily life had become far, far more comfortable.

He honestly didn’t know if he would live long enough to see the fruits of this investment harvested.

Even so, he was happy that his children, his grandchildren, and his great grandchildren would no longer be required to deal with the hassle of air travel, at least within the confines of Eurasian transportation.

Anything beyond an ocean would likely require a plane or an airship. But that was a matter that simply couldn’t be solved by infrastructure and advanced technology.

He sighed heavily and shook his head. It was then that Bruno noticed one of the Korean Emperor’s Imperial Guard approached. He bowed his head with respect when he spoke to Bruno.

"Your Royal Majesty, King Bruno von Zehntner. His Imperial Highness requests and audience in his personal study."

The man stood there waiting for Bruno’s response, the sweat on his brow indicated a bit of anxiety. Bruno did not stand on ceremony, he placed his cup down on the table and nodded to his daughters and their husbands.

Without saying another word, he stood up and followed the guard out of the dining hall.

"Lead the way...."

Bruno and the Imperial Guard said nothing throughout the entire walk. In fact, Bruno’s own guards had quickly flanked their sides.

After all, his own men would never allow him to wander off alone with soldiers of another nation, even if they were a neutral and hospitable nation such as the Korean Empire.

Eventually, they made their way to the office door where only Bruno was permitted inside. He gave a silent nod of approval to his Leibgarde, before crossing the barrier.

Once inside, he saw the Korean Emperor standing in front of his desk. He wasn’t sitting, instead he waited for Bruno to approach his seat before they both sat down at the same time.

After pouring a drink for both of them from a fresh bottle picked at random from several other glasses of sealed soju, the Korean Emperor began to speak.

"It has been some time since the two of us spoke alone. Forgive me for being so abrupt with requesting this meeting. But I was afraid I would not get another chance, as you are known to be quite punctual with your arrangements."

Bruno chuckled, that was a polite way of saying he had a habit of disappearing without saying a word after the work was done.

The fact that he laughed caused the Korean Emperor to smile. If Bruno was at ease, it made this next point of discussion easier for him, and so he took a sip of his soju before getting outright with it.

"The Emperor of Japan has asked me to convey a message to you... The Princess Sakura is ill... She is likely not to survive until your next visit. She wishes to speak with you. Emperor Yasuhito extends an invitation on behalf of his aunt."

Bruno didn’t speak, not immediately. He had not thought he would ever hear that name again in his life. Not after the German-Japanese War. And the role he played in its ending.

It had been a very long time since he had thought about the late Emperor Meiji’s niece. She was one of the few peculiarities in this life. A figure that existed in this timeline, that had not in his past life.

He had only met her a few times in his life, but after his small involvement in the Russo-Japanese war he had left a memorable impression on her.

It had been many years since he last visited the Land of the Rising Sun. And it was then he had fallen out with Emperor Taisho. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

He was permitted to leave the country, but the repercussions reverberated throughout the timeline. Causing a war between Germany and Japan that had never happened in his past life.

The last time he had seen Sakura had been during the German-Japanese War. She had visited Germany, hoping to gain some leniency for her homeland. And Bruno had launched hellfire upon multiple cities.

In the years since he had helped rebuild those cities, but he had never once stepped foot in Japan.

Bruno remained silent long enough that it provoked a response from the Korean Emperor.

"Are you alright?"

Bruno snapped back to reality the moment he heard these words and was quick to respond.

"Yeah, I’m fine... Tell Yasuhito I am honored to accept his invitation, and I will visit Tokyo after our business has concluded here in Hanseong."

Bruno bowed his head and gazed into the glass of soju. Sakura was ill and passing away. She was but another in a long life lived, of many acquaintances met, who were now departing to the other side.