Chapter 476: Blood or Justice
The Kaiser froze for a second as the roaches beneath the spotlight began to panic and scurry. But there was nothing they could do. The doors were sealed, and the building was surrounded.
One way or another, their revolution would come to an end today—whether via blood or justice. But the choice was ultimately up to the Kaiser, and how he wished to interpret this mess.
On the one hand, Bruno’s suggestion was legally sound but optically messy. No matter how much Bruno used his leverage over the media to spin the narrative, a bloodbath of politicians elected by the people within the Reichstag itself was a horrific image.
Even if they were guilty of treason, and the narrative was spun toward violent revolution, it was something that would be universally condemned, even by some of the Reich’s supposed allies.
On the other hand, dragging these bastards to court and bringing both their scandals and corruption to light—while optically more sound—created certain practical disadvantages. If bail were granted, they could find themselves smuggled out of the country with their ill-gotten gains.
Or worse: their imprisonment could be a cause for their followers to rise up in rebellion, anyway. Whereas a brutal message to dissidents, here and now, had a higher chance of ending such thoughts before they could metastasize and spread like a cancer.
In the end, even though the Kaiser understood Bruno’s suggestion had its benefits, he was happy Bruno gave him the choice—so that he could deny him.
"Men of the Reich... Your Kaiser calls upon you to arrest these traitors. If any of them dare to resist, you have my permission to use lethal force. Otherwise, settle this peacefully if it can be done so."
Bruno sighed in relief. Frankly speaking, he was actually giving the Kaiser the choice for a variety of reasons. One was to see the limits of cruelty which the man would engage in if given absolute control over the lives of human beings, innocent or otherwise.
And second, because he wanted to prove once more that he would never act against the man’s interests or those of his house. His visible relief did not go unnoticed by von Bethmann, who couldn’t help but change his opinion of Bruno after this sudden realization—that the man was deliberately playing the part of the villain so that the Kaiser didn’t have to.
And because of this, while the traitors within the Reichstag were rounded up and carried off to prison—where Bruno would make damn sure they did not get out until their trials were held for all to witness—the chancellor approached Bruno and said something to him in a voice so low that only the two of them could hear it.
"I was mistaken about you... It is rare for me to admit this, as until now I assumed I was an excellent judge of character. But I know now the burden you carry—doing what must be done for His Majesty, despite the darkness of its nature... so that he may maintain his humanity and his glory as the man who wears the crown.
It is the most admirable act of self-sacrifice I have ever witnessed a man commit. And frankly, I’m surprised you have chosen such a path—for our sake."