Just monts ago, Renner had inford him that they planned to officially unify all the territories Austria currently controlled—including those of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia—into a much larger kingdom.
This ca as no surprise to Renner. He had always dread of a Habsburg Empire 2.0-not necessarily under the rule of the Habsburg family itself, but as a grand empire centered around Austria, reclaiming the vast territories once held by the Holy Roman Empire. (TL/N: The Habsburg Empire was a vast European monarchy that included Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, and parts of Switzerland, Spain, and the Netherlands)
That dream was shattered with the fall of Austro-Hungarian Empire. As for the likes of Hitler and the Red Skull, Renner had never believed in their ambitions.
But now, thanks to Josh's efforts, Austria had risen again, controlling Bavaria and large parts of Yugoslavia. This reignited Renner's hopes of fulfilling his vision.
Of course, in this era, openly calling it an "empire" was out of the question. Even Britain had dropped the title after India's independence—Austria declaring itself an empire would be like rewinding history.
At least for now, that wasn't an option.
But if they couldn't call it an empire, they could at least follow Britain's example and form a United Kingdom.
As long as the kingdom was established, Renner didn't care who sat on the throne. And to him, Josh—who had single-handedly built modern Austria—was the obvious choice.
As for the Habsburg family? They can stay where they are.
Besides, the main branch of the Habsburgs—whether in Spain or Austria—had already died out in the 18th century. The rulers who ca after were technically the Habsburg-Lorraine branch.
Even if the main line still existed, it wouldn't matter. The Austrian governnt, its people, and its leadership no longer recognized them.
In reality, the Habsburgs had completely lost the trust of the people after World War I.
"This is the best way forward, Josh," Renner said with a smile, stroking his small mustache. "Right now, with Arican support, we've occupied Bavaria and most of Yugoslavia. But in the long run, this kind of military occupation is unsustainable, and many European nations will not recognize it. However, if we create a United Kingdom and allow these regions a degree of autonomy, everything changes."
Hearing this, Josh couldn't help but nod.
Regardless of historical ties between Austria and these territories, the reality was that Austria's control over them relied heavily on military force and backing from the rising superpower—Arica.
Legally, their occupation wasn't entirely justified, which gave other nations reason to criticize them.
Even if Britain and France weren't openly opposing them now, that was mostly due to pressure from the two superpowers. But behind the scenes? They definitely didn't approve.
And as for Arica? Their support for Austria was purely strategic—they needed Austria as a frontline state against the Soviet Union.
But what if the Soviets collapse?
Yeah... good luck with that.
So forming a United Kingdom under the guise of a voluntary union was actually a brilliant move.
Even if problems arose in the future, they'd have more flexibility to deal with them.
Josh fully supported the idea—but him becoming king? No thanks.
He understood why Renner was so enthusiastic about the plan.
What confused him was that Peter II, the King of Yugoslavia, was just as excited.
Dude, this new kingdom will literally absorb your country. Your throne and your power will be gone. At best, you'll be left with a title of duke.
Why the hell do you want this so badly? Have you lost your mind?
Even though the Kingdom of Yugoslavia looked like a puppet regi propped up by Austria and the U.S., Peter II was anything but a puppet king.
On the contrary, aside from a small southwestern coastal region under joint Austrian-Arican control, Peter II—being a high-ranking mber of Ouroboros—had, with Josh's backing, secured near-total authority over the kingdom, including military command.
While the Yugoslav military was no match for the armies of Austria, the U.S., or the Soviet Union, it was more than enough to suppress the Yugoslav Federal Republic. In fact, Yugoslavia had beco one of the strongest nations in the Balkans.
Once known as "Little USSR," it had now flipped entirely—people now called it "Little Austria."
So why was Peter II voluntarily asking to rge with the still-unford Austrian United Kingdom?
There was no need for it.
"Leader, I may be the King of Yugoslavia, but I understand that being a small nation in this era is a tragedy," Peter II said earnestly, eting Josh's gaze. "Both World War I and World War II proved that. The current state of Yugoslavia only reinforces it. Given that reality, it's better to be part of a stronger nation. My personal interests are insignificant compared to that."
"Of course, there's one condition—my people must be treated as equals to Austrian citizens after the rger."
"And I believe that only you can ensure this fairness."
"Leader" was how Peter II addressed Josh within Ouroboros.
Josh studied Peter II's expression and was montarily stunned.
I had not expected this level of understanding from him.
But even after a long pause, Josh finally shook his head.
"No. I'm not the right man for this throne."
Did Josh lack ambition? Of course not.
His ambition was much bigger than a single kingdom.
What is Earth?
The stars and the vast universe—that is my true goal.
He wasn't quite there yet, but with more and more Trade Dinsions opening up, it was only a matter of ti. His recent discoveries of the Third Trade Dinsion had only fueled that ambition.
Becoming King of a United Kingdom might sound prestigious, but in the end the position was mostly symbolic.
If he took the throne, he'd beco a global political focal point.
And what about his other assets?
What about the CIA? NASA? Boeing? Continental Group?
Would the U.S. allow the head of a foreign state to control its intelligence community, aerospace industry, and critical infrastructure?
Not a chance in hell.
Even if it were a ceremonial role, it still wouldn't fly.
And that would be terrible for Josh's long-term plans.
Sacrifice all that just to be a king in na only?
Not worth it.
So, after a brief ntion of his influence with the CIA, NASA, and major corporations, Karl Renner and Peter II imdiately grasped the problem.
While both were high-ranking mbers of Ouroboros, neither was part of Josh's inner circle. Because of their political responsibilities, they had focused more on their respective nations.
They knew about Boeing and Continental Group, and they knew that Josh had so influence in U.S. politics.
But they had no idea how deeply embedded he was in Arica's intelligence and economic systems.
Nor had they realized how much control he really had.
Now that they did, they understood—compared to the symbolic power of a king, Josh's control over Arica's intelligence and industrial backbone was far more valuable to Austria.
But if Josh wasn't going to take the throne… who would?
As the three pondered this, children's laughter echoed from outside the window.
Josh recognized the voices—his own two kids.
He ignored them.
But Karl Renner, a seasoned politician with a lifeti of experience, suddenly had a brilliant idea.
His eyes lit up.
(To be continued...)
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