German Red Prince

Page 1

German Red Prince

Author: I don't eat wasabi

Summary:

Tags: action-packed novel, alternate history, time travel, war, revolution

Synopsis: Oppression, death.

This is a turbulent era, and he needs to do something.

Looking into the distance, the sun will eventually rise.

Everyone held their breath until he removed the crown.

"Long live!"

Thorne looked at the cheering crowd below the stage.

"Comrades! What follows is our era!"

new world

Chapter One: Prologue

November 11, 1918, is destined to be a day that will be recorded in history.

British and French representatives traveled to Germany by special train and signed the Leipzig Armistice in the eastern German city of Leipzig. This marked the formal end of World War I, and Wilhelm II announced to the world via radio that Germany had ultimately won the war.

The defeats of Britain and France ignited intense social contradictions, quickly plunging both countries into a quagmire of civil war. Workers began organizing armed struggles, and a red wave swept across the European continent. The United States, utterly disillusioned, adhered strictly to isolationism. The once-invincible "Gendarmerie of Europe" was dismantled, the Tsar was executed in the subsequent revolution, and Russia once again descended into turmoil. Various forces emerged on this land, and in this arena, only one victor could emerge. Looking around, the powerful Germany had no rivals left.

The Great Reichstag Pact allowed the Kaiser's will to travel from Berlin to the Baltic states and to the vast black soil of Ukraine—this was the privilege of the victors.

That glory days were many years ago. Prosperity had dulled the Germans' thirst for adventure. They possessed vast colonies, were the new British Empire, and the world's hegemon. Innovation was no longer valued, and more and more people became conservative. After all, having won everything, people only wanted to maintain the status quo for as long as possible.

The emperor was aging, and so was the German order. Germany had never been so powerful, nor had it ever carried such a heavy burden. The power struggles within the empire intensified, and the old emperor's authority seemed insignificant to some; conspiracies were unfolding in the shadows. The war had brought Germany enormous benefits, with rapid economic development, but inevitably, recession was also creeping in. The court remained decadent, with dirty deals being made amidst drinking and revelry. In hidden corners, assassinations, executions, and infiltrations were constantly taking place. Beneath the seemingly calm surface of Germany, undercurrents were surging.

France and Britain had completed their glorious and great revolutions, and new republics were rising. Radical masses clamored for their land, for their blood. The Russian dictator looked towards his lost lands, the flames of revenge burning, yet still no one dared to truly challenge the authority of the empire.

The present-day German Empire was mainly composed of the three kingdoms of Prussia, Bavaria, and the Rhine, with the Emperor of Prussia serving as the Emperor of the German Empire. The Stemmetz family, the rulers of the Kingdom of the Rhine, were the largest and most powerful kingdom in the western part of the German Empire. They possessed a standing army of nearly 100,000 men, as well as an independent navy and air force, making them the second most powerful nation in the German Empire after Prussia.

During the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of the Rhine refused invitations from both Bavaria and Prussia, maintaining strict neutrality. After Prussia's victory over Austria, the Kingdom of the Rhine chose to join the North German Confederation, playing a crucial political role in the subsequent Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire. Thanks to its formidable strength and undeniable contributions, the Kingdom of the Rhine enjoyed numerous privileges and unique honors within the empire, as it was a vital component and one of the foundations of German hegemony.

Our story begins here.

Chapter Two: First Impressions

Poland, 1926.

"In a world where scoundrels are going backwards, the only thing that remains the same is that Poland is still getting beaten."

Zheng Xuan muttered to himself, an accident had caused him to possess the body of the second prince of the Rhine Kingdom, Nicholas von Thorne.

This second prince was sent to Poland to quell the rebellion, representing the Kingdom of the Rhine. Clearly, he was just there to gain prestige. Seeing his troops winning so easily, he couldn't resist showing off at the front lines and making his presence felt. However, on his way to the front, he was ambushed. He and a few unlucky fellows panicked and were knocked unconscious by a shell, ending up stranded here in a daze.

What are your names?

Thorne took off his coat, put on the clothes of a corpse next to him, and began to discuss the patient's condition. Under these circumstances, he knew that wearing this flashy officer's uniform was tantamount to courting death.

My name is Dudman.

My name is Fred.

My name is Thomas.

The three men swallowed hard. Seeing Thorne's attire, they knew this man was far more powerful than them. The sight of him immediately undressing a corpse upon waking sent a chill down their spines; after all, upper-class gentlemen often had their share of unspeakable quirks. Had he been driven mad by fear, seeking some thrill before death?

Thorne, of course, had no idea about the three men's wild thoughts. After fastening his helmet and checking his rifle, he began to ponder.

That's right, he had transmigrated, and he was at least the second prince, and the second prince of one of the three great leaders of Germany. This starting point was clearly already higher than 99% of the people in this world.

"As long as we escape, everything will be fine."

He should cherish the blessing of being able to skip thirty years of hard work, and he also has a secret weapon.

Thorne noticed that he seemed to have acquired an invaluable tool after his transmigration, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. The other three, seeing this, got goosebumps all over, their minds filled with indescribable images.

"What are you doing? We should break through."

Thorne stood up and kicked them.

"Put this on."

After putting on the bulletproof vests, he tossed the rest to the three of them. They didn't know where he had pulled the vests from, but they put them on anyway.

"Get dressed. And don't talk about this stuff, understand?"

Thorne didn't want too many people to know about the secret weapon he possessed; after all, the more people who knew, the more trouble he would face.

"clear."

The three answered in unison.

The moonlight spilled across the earth, its eerie glow sending chills down one's spine. Thorne could still hear the distant roar of cannons; the battle was still raging. He gritted his teeth, wiped the cold sweat from his brow, and the group continued to weave through the ruins of the battlefield.

"Try not to fire, you hear me?" Thorne turned to the three men and said.

Seeing the three nod, Thorne took a deep breath and pushed open the front door.

"I go!"

Thorne's heart leaped into his throat. For a moment, he felt his legs go weak, and when he opened the door, he almost bumped into a Polish soldier.

The Polish soldier was clearly just as surprised as he was; both of them stared wide-eyed.

The clothes Thorne changed into didn't fit properly; they were too big. The gun got tangled with his clothes, making it difficult for him to hold it.

Seeing the Polish soldiers raise their guns, he couldn't help but shout, "What are you all standing there for? Come and help!"

Fortunately, they were quick enough that they managed to stab him before the Polish soldier could pull the trigger.

Blood stained his dark military uniform, slowly seeping out and spreading down the floor.

The corpse lay there, eyes open, its face contorted with terror and pain, as if it were still alive. Feeling nauseous, Thorne couldn't help but vomit, collapsing to the ground gasping for breath.

He killed someone, his first time, someone he had never wronged. For a moment, he felt a pang of regret; perhaps this prince should have remained lying there.

But he quickly recovered, slapping himself to calm down. Taking a breath, Thorne picked up his gun and stood up. Having come this far, he was determined to fight. He couldn't afford to back down like a coward at such a good opportunity.

"Hide the body and keep going."

Thorne wiped the blood off the gun, and the group worked together to move the body to one side and hide it.

"Any news?"

Schultz looked at the map on the wall and adjusted his glasses.

The outcome of the Polish campaign was practically a foregone conclusion, which is why he agreed to let Thorne go to the front lines to take a look.

But then disaster struck. The sudden encounter caught the Germans off guard. The scene was too chaotic, and no one knew the exact strength of the Polish troops, so they had to retreat hastily.

When they got back, they discovered that Thorne was missing. If he had been captured by the Poles, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Thinking of this, Schultz couldn't help but get a headache again; he was really having the worst luck.

"Should we report this to Prince Otto?"

An officer next to Schultz asked him.

"Wait a little longer. There's no news from the Poles either. His Highness should be safe for now. What did the people we sent out say?"

"No news." The officer shook his head.

"Schultz!"

A roar came from outside, and a man kicked open the door in a fit of rage.

"I'm sorry, General, we couldn't stop him," the soldier following behind the man hurriedly explained.

"It's alright, you can leave now," Schultz waved his hand. The guards glanced at the angry man, hesitated for a moment, and then closed the door.

"Schultz, you bastard! How dare you let him go to the front lines? I'm going to kill you!" the man shouted as he searched for his pistol, needing to blow this guy's head to smithereens right now.

"Be rational, Hamo, be rational," Schultz advised.

"Rationality? How can you expect me to be rational? I disagreed with him going to the front lines from the start, but he secretly slipped away to you. And you actually agreed to it? I think you're a spy! You're a Polish spy, a lackey of the Kaiser, a traitor to the Schörmetz family!" Hammer was so angry that he started cursing without restraint.

Schultz frowned, turned to the officer beside him, and said, "Butler Hammer has lost his mind, you know that?"

The officer nodded, went outside, and whispered to the guards. The guards saluted and walked away; they were the most loyal soldiers of the Schörmetz family, aware of their duty and that some things should not be heard by others.

After finishing his rant, Hamo slumped down.

"Sorry, I misspoke." He lowered his head, resting his head on his hand.

"It's alright, there are no outsiders here." Schulz waved his hand. He knew what Hammer meant. Although the Kaiser was very polite on the surface, he would be so happy that he couldn't sleep for three days if they disappeared.

Schulz himself suspected that the incident might be related to the German Emperor, or that he might have secretly orchestrated it. Or perhaps it was a conspiracy? He even investigated it, but after much investigation, he discovered that it was just an accident.

"I know my position, and I know what I should do."

Schultz glanced at his watch. "In two hours, I will report to His Highness that I have just dispatched three more teams to search. The army has its own plans, and in two hours the army will move out as planned. At that time..."

Schultz didn't say anything more, and Hammer stood up dejectedly.

"If there's no news in two hours, could you send me a team?" Hammer asked Schulz.

“Okay.” Schultz nodded.

"Thank you." Hamo silently walked out.

"Goo~"

"Hey, can you hear the enemy trying to persuade us to surrender?" Thorne joked.

Thomas blushed. "Sir, I'm hungry."

When they were ambushed, Thorne and his buddies hid together. They were stunned by the shelling and remained unconscious for an unknown amount of time. Luckily, they weren't caught by the Poles. After stabbing the Polish soldier to death, they ran for an unknown distance, their mental and physical limits pushed to the brink. Now that they were temporarily safe, as soon as they recovered, their stomachs deflated.

Thorne looked around and saw that it was quiet and there was no danger, so he found a safe place to sit down.

"Here, have some." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few packets of compressed biscuits.

Thorne, having traveled through time, discovered that he seemed to have acquired a treasure chest, from which he could produce many valuable items.

"If we can make bulletproof vests, we can make biscuits too. Will good days be far away?" Thorne was secretly delighted, his little abacus jingling.

"These cookies are really filling," Fred exclaimed, feeling full after only a few.

"No rush, eat slowly." Thorne stretched, and suddenly he heard some noise in the distance.

"Watch out, everyone!" Thorne bent down, and Dudman even spat out a mouthful of water, spraying it all over Thomas's face.

The group lay prone behind the rubble and saw a truck approaching in the distance.

“They’re Polish,” Thorne thought, having an idea.

"Which of you can drive a truck?"

“I will,” Thomas said softly.

"Great, we can break through now."

Koller felt incredibly unlucky, so unlucky that he was woken up just as he was about to go to sleep and asked to drive a truck to urgently deliver a batch of weapons to the front lines.

To take a shortcut, he chose to take another route. Since the German forces there had just been driven back, this became a decision he would regret for the rest of his life.

Thorne and his men lay in ambush ahead, preparing to use a diversionary tactic to hijack the truck and escape, but the truck stopped on its own because Corde could no longer hold back.

"damn it."

As he cursed, Koller stopped the car, unzipped his pants, and began to relieve himself, completely unaware of the danger approaching. When he finally finished, he turned around and saw Dudman slowly approaching with a bayonet in hand. He swore he had never run so fast in his life.

A sharp "thud!" rang out, particularly jarring in the night. Thorne, watching Kodler fall, was helpless; who would have thought he'd urinate so quickly?

"Quick, Thomas, drive!" Thorne shouted. It was too late to do anything now; the gunshots had already given everything away.

"We heard gunshots?"

The search party and Polish soldiers both heard it.

"Quick! Quick! Quick! Something's happened!"