Vienna – The Council Hall, One Week Later
The chamber was in uproar.
"How could you meet him without informing the Council?" shouted Karla Roth, slamming a folder marked Kaiser Incident. "A German pretender declares himself emperor and you walk into his den alone?"
Hans stood unmoved before the governors, generals, and ministers. Sunlight pierced through the Council Hall windows, glinting off his silver-and-black epaulets.
"He's not a pretender," Hans said flatly. "He's an awakened. Strong, charismatic, and building something real. Ignoring him would be more dangerous than confronting him."
Engelhardt remained stone-faced. "And now that you've met, rumors are everywhere. Some claim you support him. Others whisper that you are him, reborn differently."
"The monarchist cults in Bavaria have started flying both your flag and his," Eliska added, holding a dossier. "Dual crowns. Dual saviors. Madness."
International Reactions
France issued a quiet advisory to all diplomats: Prepare for a potential monarchist resurgence along the eastern front.
Türkiye contacted Hans directly: "If Wilhelm moves west, we support you. But if you ally with him, we will reconsider our neutrality."
Japan sent a single coded message: Kaisers are symbols of collapse. Beware ghosts who rise wearing crowns.
The United States, still fragmented, had one senator declare in a broadcast: "These 'awakened monarchs' are the new nuclear arms race."
Inside the Empire
Protests sparked in Prague. Monarchists chanted in support of a unified imperial front. Some veterans wore black sashes, symbolizing allegiance to both Hans and Wilhelm — a disturbing development.
At the same time, Reformists and members of the new Parliament warned of a growing cult of personality. "We fought the Old Guard to break from authoritarianism," one Parliamentarian cried. "Are we now to inherit two emperors?"
Hans' Response
He summoned a press conference on the Palace Balcony.
Flanked by Eliska and Mehmed, Hans addressed both his citizens and the watching world.
"I met Wilhelm because to build a stable future, one must understand every possible threat—and every possible ally. I will not ally with him, nor will I declare war. But we are watching him."
"The Ehrenfeld-Austrian Empire is not some dream of past glories. We are a new civilization, shaped by fire and rebuilt with compassion. There is no room here for romantic imperial nostalgia. Only purpose."
"To my people, I say this: One crown is enough—yours."
After the Broadcast
As silence settled in the war room, Hans looked to his officers.
"He'll make a move soon. Whether it's an alliance, an invasion, or something darker… we need to be ready."
Mehmed gave a half-smile. "You really know how to make friends, Hans."
Hans chuckled. "We're monarchs. We don't make friends. We make history."