The Powder Keg Empire's Genius Archduke - Part 3
(My Son is a Genius)
Good. The grand objective has been set.
For the time being, I intend to work toward the survival of the empire.
I know it will be difficult. But I couldn't give up.
It was larger than France and Germany, possessing vast territory second only to the Russian Empire.
It commanded a population second only to Russia and Germany, a great empire with millions of soldiers, national power, and the industrial technology to build dreadnoughts, the ultimate warships.
The throne of such an empire was something countless people would never relinquish, even if told it was impossible.
If I simply stayed still, wouldn't this empire just roll into my arms?
With gold before my very eyes, I couldn't abandon it merely because the path was strewn with thorns.
Moreover, I knew too much and harbored too much ambition to live as an ordinary person of this era.
And someone with such lofty ambition and a goal bordering on the impossible could not afford to live thoughtlessly.
That said, I could not achieve anything great immediately. I was far too young.
The only thing I could do right now was flail my short limbs, run to Schönbrunn Palace where the old Emperor resided, and scream, "Your empire is doomed! I am the ruler here now!"
The Emperor would cackle at his great-grandson's antics, and Mother would exclaim, "Your troublemaking is exactly like your father!" while beating my bottom and thighs bloody with a switch.
Though my body was that of a child, my mind was mature; if I suffered such humiliation, I wouldn't be able to show my face for days.
In any case, for now, I needed to organize my plans and establish smaller goals to reach the grand objective of the empire's survival.
First and foremost, I needed the influence to intervene in imperial politics.
Preventing the World War would be ideal, but if that proved impossible, I needed the power to interfere in imperial politics and turn the situation even slightly in my favor.
And I needed an army that would firmly support me from behind.
If the Great War could be prevented or delayed through political means, that would be best; but there were those who said it was bound to happen one way or another.
If so, what other way was there to survive but victory or a swift end to hostilities?
A powerful army was absolutely non-negotiable.
In particular, the army of the Austro-Hungarian Empire had shown a disappointing performance during the First World War.
The empire had maintained millions of troops centered around the Emperor.
But the Great War was a vast vortex of chaos that no ordinary great power could handle.
Right now, the Austro-Hungarian Empire would get pounded waging war against the Russian Empire.
When they inevitably cried for help, the German Empire—which had very cordial relations—responded to the empire's plea.
The German Empire proudly presented a blank check.
The German Empire shouted, "We are going to France!" rather than facing the Russian Empire, and activated the Schlieffen Plan.
In the end, while the German Empire struck down France, they had to hold the Eastern Front against the Russian Empire.
Many tended to utterly dismiss the Russian Empire, which had been defeated in the Russo-Japanese War around this time. Yet the Russian Empire possessed territory that ranked among the greatest in human history and was a great power with the largest army.
Any country bordering such a nation would feel a shiver down its spine. Bismarck had not warned against friction and conflict with Russia for no reason.
Truly, the Russian Empire was a harmful nation.
A nation where you gained nothing from fighting, yet could neither defeat nor conquer.
Had not the stumpy Emperor of France and the mustachioed Führer with one testicle from Germany proven as much?
This was the Austro-Hungarian Empire, forced to fight such a nation while being stretched across other fronts.
They had not fought well, but on the Italian Front, Balkan Front, Eastern Front, and others, the empire had clearly served as a meat shield.
Of course, they had hit their limits and needed German help, but the question remained: what if they had fought just a little better?
Germany had always been good at fighting; if the Austro-Hungarian Empire supported them steadfastly and performed according to its weight class, then really—who knew?
After all, the German Empire, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire had definitely exceeded expectations.
And did I not know the future? If they simply held on and endured, the Russian Empire—which no one could conquer—would collapse on its own.
If the Austro-Hungarian Empire held its ground and Germany poured its full strength into the Western Front to knock out France, wouldn't grounds for negotiations arise?
If everything rolled along this smoothly, the empire might just survive.
And money would be what helped me achieve these small(?) goals.
In this era, money was not everything. This was, without question, an age where empires existed.
But I had no status-based restrictions, and with money, I could do far more.
Being royalty was always fresh and exhilarating. I was born into a position that looked down upon all humanity.
No wonder there were characters who threw their weight around, believing only in class and status.
In any case, where would I earn money? Just because I knew the future didn't mean I could churn out everything with new technology.
Even if I had such technology, I needed money. Hiring people, conducting research—everything started with money.
But I had to postpone taking action for a while.
"Karl, shouldn't you study now?"
For now, I had to be a good child who listened to his parents.
***
"Karl, I have invited a distinguished scholar, so please listen carefully. This is the kind of study that will help you greatly one day."
Mother spoke with great emphasis, while I put on a bored expression.
Mother was exceptionally interested in education. All parents with young children were like that, but Mother showed somewhat excessive passion.
"Karl, one must live like a human being. See and learn many things."
Mother, does that mean Father doesn't live like a human being?
"And never learn from your father. Never."
I knew it.
"You may as well forget your father entirely and live."
Uh, um. From that point on, Mother tried to prevent me from meeting Father as much as possible.
I understood. After all, if one weren't sensitive about the fact that her husband and my father turned into a stripper when drunk, that would be the stranger thing.
Mother was a princess born into a royal house; how could she not be dissatisfied when her one and only husband was such a pathetic sight?
Perhaps Mother wanted to bury Father somewhere no one knew, but since that was realistically impossible, she focused her attention on her child.
Whether because his heart had completely turned against Mother's actions, Father hardly ever came home. He was probably off somewhere drinking with prostitutes.
Father was truly living a life of debauchery. It was pathetic, yet slightly enviable. This was precisely why people sought power, after all.
Anyway, the duty of a young royal in this era was study.
Even in modern times, parents spared no expense on their children's education even when strapped for cash; how would this era be any different?
Mother assembled a team of home tutors from distinguished scholars and nobles.
Truly royalty. These were people a far cry from the average university student you could see just anywhere on the street, yet they were entrusted with the education of a child not even old enough for school.
It might seem excessive for a young child's education, but the prestige held by royalty in this era was no ordinary thing.
Rather, wouldn't everyone clamor to teach royalty?
Of course, I, who would be educated by these home tutors, could only sigh.
I would receive a broad education in history, literature, science, mathematics, languages, and so on. Theology and philosophy would be added to this, and as I grew older, I would study even more difficult subjects and military affairs.
But I accepted it. Would someone who had set the goal of saving a doomed empire give up over something like this?
Compared to the education endured by Crown Prince Rudolf, who took his own life, this was but a drop in the ocean. From age seven, he had woken to the sound of gunfire and received education under strict military discipline befitting the army of this era.
Even by late 19th-century standards, it was brutal to the point of barbarity. Compared to that, my mother was an ordinary parent.
I had no complaints. Study was something one had to do for life anyway. How difficult could it be? Though the breadth of subjects was certainly dizzying, it was still at a level befitting a child.
It was nowhere near enough to break someone like me, born in the Republic of Korea, a nation notorious for its educational fervor.
My motivation was sufficient, and I had to study to achieve my goals.
Because I was royalty, there was no need to struggle from scratch.
Wouldn't it be wiser to study hard, earn my parents' trust, and receive a generous allowance?
The house where my family lived was so grand as to be magnificent beyond description.
If I studied hard, opportunities would come to claim the prestige of royalty, my parents' trust, and access to my family's wealth.
How could I not study?
Let me get a head start on filial piety and leech off them a little.
***
The Home Tutor of a Young Royal.
It was a glorious position teaching royalty, but the tutors were not without worries.
Teaching one's knowledge to someone else was an entirely different matter, and when the student was a young child, it was several times more difficult than teaching an ordinary student.
By Korean standards, a child not yet old enough for elementary school was no exaggeration to call a natural disaster.
Children of this age were cunning enough to drive adults to their wits' end. They could grasp through atmosphere alone who held the upper hand.
To speak frankly, what if the young royal ran crying into the arms of the Archduke or Archduchess, pointed at the home tutor, and said he didn't like them?
Naturally, because the child was young, the parents would simply accept it, and in reality, nothing would happen. But wouldn't the home tutor who witnessed that feel their blood run cold?
This was an empire where an Emperor existed, and I was royalty.
But I completely shattered the worries of the visiting home tutors.
"I never imagined I would be received so warmly..."
When Mother and I personally went out to greet them, the tutors bowed their heads with deeply moved expressions.
I was royalty. Courteous without being servile; if I respected someone, they couldn't help but view me favorably.
With first impressions alone, I was already halfway there.
"Hoho, this child wanted to come out and greet you himself."
Mother broke into a bright smile at my attitude. Even royalty had to observe manners toward their subordinates.
Were not the basics of royalty character and the bearing to appear noble?
"Your Highness, I am at a loss with such hospitality."
Ahem. I was but a child, but with royalty and the Archduchess herself coming out to greet them, it would be strange if they weren't moved.
The tutor who had come this time had seemed nervous, perhaps unaccustomed to teaching royalty, but he relaxed completely.
Satisfied already? A seasoned royal who had weathered every storm didn't stop there.
"H-how can this be! Did you understand already?"
No matter how difficult it was, it made no sense that I couldn't understand what an ordinary adult man would.
When told, I memorized everything on the spot and understood quickly.
Not whining, concentrating for long periods, and learning quickly? It didn't end there.
The tutors smiled in rapture at my performance.
"Your Highness is truly clever."
"It is only because you teach so well, Professor."
"Hehehe."
Game over.
A royal who showed respect, a student who understood quickly, and lip service to boot? No home tutor could possibly dislike me.
"Your Highness is surely a genius..."
"Pardon?"
When the lesson ended, the tutor grabbed Mother and opened his mouth with utter seriousness.
"His Highness is undoubtedly a genius!"
Exactly!
Though Mother was bewildered by the sudden declaration, the tutor explained with spittle flying from his mouth just how much of a genius I was.
"Let me say this again: His Highness is definitely a genius! I thought he was extraordinary from the very beginning, but from the moment the lesson began, I could feel it. Unlike ordinary children, he surpasses even an adult man..."
At the close of the 19th century, my home tutor was personally discovering and performing hip-hop.
Was this not the true taste of investment? Only when returns matched the investment did people find it enjoyable.
Was it not because that tutor's renowned learning was no lie that he was giving back even more than expected? This was why one could trust an educated person.
Though the tutor was speaking so quickly that the content was nearly unintelligible, Mother had already realized everything.
Honey was dripping from her eyes as she looked at me.