Chapter 407: A New Path Forward
Erwin sat silently on a civilian train headed to the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Reich. Potsdam wasn’t too terribly far away from the ancient and noble city—one that, despite its wealth and prestige, was far younger than many of its counterparts in other German states.
Thus, his journey was not unbearable. Still, it gave him time to gain some much-needed perspective. For too long, he had been chasing after his father’s shadow, wanting to become a man who could succeed the mighty Wolf of Prussia.
The reality was, Bruno had never desired his family to be eternal guardians of the Reich. He wanted to create a world where Germany was so stable and powerful that it need not fear sending its sons off to fight in its defense.
Or at the very least, create a world where his sons would not have to bleed and suffer the way he had in this life—and the previous one. Because of this, Erwin did not see armored trains passing by as he had over the course of the past two years whenever he visited his family at their home.
Nor did he see the soldiers advancing onto transports designed to enter the front lines. In fact, few men wore military uniforms—at least far fewer than in years past. The smoke rose in the air, but this was not from the flames of war, but rather the fires of industry.
It rose ever higher, climbing to the heavens, and grew ever thicker as the train approached its destination. An almost poetic sight—one that symbolized Germany’s limitless potential, and its desire to reach far above its own position here on Earth below.
But none of this truly mattered to Erwin. It was all a silent observation as he opened his personal timepiece; the shell containing a photograph of his wedding night, where he held his wife together with the bouquet. He was young—far younger than a man ought to be for marriage.
However, dynasties were built with exceptions to the rule, rather than following the norm. Was his wife a noblewoman in which an illustrious alliance could be built with his house? Well, yes, and no.
She was the legally adopted daughter of the son of a notable merchant family. However, Heinrich’s heroism and valor over the years had earned him a dynastic noble title, meaning that unlike the non-dynastic title, his adopted daughter was technically a countess—as her father had earned the privilege of being awarded a lofty title for the roles he had played in the previous conflicts Germany had found itself in over the years, as well as the critical part he played in the Great War.
Especially the final push into Paris, where Heinrich—not Bruno—was granted full operational control over the infamous 8th Army. So if Erwin’s bride was a noblewoman adopted into a family of wealthy merchants, then why was this not a prestigious alliance built through their marriage?