1885, I came to save Greece

George I was completely impressed by his son's decisiveness and boldness.

He looked at Constantine, and a light rekindled in those eyes that had become slightly cloudy with age.

A weak king might back down because of the humiliation inflicted by a powerful neighbor.

But a king with a brilliant and ambitious heir would choose to face the challenge head-on.

"Very well!" King George I rose from his chair. "I grant your request! The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Royal Treasury will all provide your full support for this trip to Berlin!"

"I not only want you to propose, I want you to make the entire German Empire rediscover what Greece is all about!"

The king's authorization is like a decree.

The entire political machine of Athens began to operate at high speed in preparation for the Crown Prince's upcoming trip to Berlin.

That afternoon, Constantine secretly summoned someone.

Ioannis Metaxas.

Having just finished explaining the principles of "Crossfire" to a group of young colleagues at the officers' club, Metaxas hurriedly arrived at the Crown Prince's study.

"Your Highness," he bowed.

"Sit down." Constantine gestured to the chair opposite him and personally poured him a cup of black tea.

This gesture flattered Metaxa.

"Have you heard the news from Berlin?" Constantine asked bluntly.

Metaxas nodded, his expression grave. "I've heard. Prince William's remarks have already spread among the officers, and everyone... is furious."

“Anger is useless.” Constantine pushed a cup of tea toward him. “Prussians only respect strength.”

He stood up and walked to the map.

"I will be heading to Berlin in a week."

“And you,” Constantine turned and looked intently at him, “will set off even earlier than I.”

Metaxas was taken aback.

"Your Highness, I need to accompany you..."

"No," Constantine interrupted him, "your battlefield is not in the Berlin court. It is elsewhere."

His finger pressed heavily on a city on the map.

Essen.

The industrial heart of the German Empire, home to the steel behemoth Krupp.

Constantine picked up a document from his desk and handed it to Metaxas.

"This is a letter of authorization issued by the King. You will act as my personal military representative, leading a small delegation under the guise of 'military technology exchange and inspection,' and depart for Germany tomorrow."

Metaxas's breathing quickened.

Germany!

That military mecca that he had only encountered in books and classrooms, representing the highest level of the world's army!

"Your Highness, my mission is..."

"Procurement," Constantine uttered the first word. "Your new budget requires artillery. I want you to personally go to the Krupp factory to see, learn, and select, and bring back some single engineers as well. I want our first model division in Greece equipped with the best artillery in the world, using ammunition and weapons produced by ourselves!"

"Yes!" Metaxus stood up excitedly, his voice trembling.

For an artillery officer, this is an immense honor!

"But this is only your nominal task." Constantine raised his hand, gesturing for him to sit down.

The atmosphere in the study changed at this moment.

Constantine walked to the window and looked at the Acropolis in the distance.

"Metaxus, do you know the difference between thunder and lightning?"

Metaxas was puzzled.

"Lightning is light, the fastest speed, arriving in an instant. It can tear through darkness and bring destruction."

Constantine turned around, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

"But thunder is sound waves, it is vibration. It is slower than lightning, but it can travel farther and can make all the wild beasts hiding in their caves tremble."

"When my 'lightning' arrives in Berlin, I need the people there who have already heard the 'thunder' from Greece."

Metaxa's heart skipped a beat.

He got it.

"I need you," Constantine said, emphasizing each word, "to make a splash in Essen, at Krupp, in front of those arrogant German military experts and generals."

"Some...not too big, not too small, but enough to shock them."

Constantine took out another thin file from the drawer, which was full of sketches and data that he had drawn himself.

Some improvements to the breechblock design.

Some ideas about delayed fuses for shrapnel grenades.

Some proposed improvements to artillery observation scopes.

These things, taken individually, might not be revolutionary inventions.

However, their understanding of modern artillery technology and their insight into the future form of warfare far surpass this era!

"These things are your 'stepping stones'," Constantine said, handing him the files. "You can use them to 'consult' Krupp engineers and 'discuss' with German artillery officers."

"I don't ask you to make them worship you. I only ask that when you leave Essen, the news that 'the Greek Crown Prince has a terrifying artillery genius by his side' will be placed on Prince William's desk through the channels of the German General Staff."

"I want him to know that the Greeks did not send a beggar."

"But a collaborator who brings a 'gift' that will surprise them all!"

Metaxas took the file, but after flipping through only two pages, his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

The things drawn on it were completely beyond his preconceived notions about artillery equipment!

He suddenly raised his head, and the look in his eyes as he looked at Constantine had changed from worship to awe, almost like looking up at a god.

He finally understood that his so-called "genius" was nothing more than a tiny speck of dust in the face of the Crown Prince's vast and brilliant wisdom.

But His Highness was willing to show him a corner of this starry sea.

"Your Highness..." Metaxus's voice was hoarse; he didn't know what to say.

"Go," Constantine patted him on the shoulder. "You are my sword, and now I will send you to the crucible of Germany to be tempered."

"Let those Prussians see just how sharp the Greek sword really is."

Late that night.

An inconspicuous carriage quietly drove away from the palace and sped off towards the port of Piraeus.

Inside the carriage, Metaxas clutched the dossier containing the secret blueprints tightly, as if he were holding the future of all of Greece.

He lifted the carriage curtain and glanced back at the brightly lit city of Athens.

This was the first time he had left his homeland.

He had no idea how many challenges and dangers lay ahead.

But he knew that when he returned, he would no longer be merely the crown prince's sword.

He will become the soul of the new Greek army...

The carriage disappeared into the night.

In the royal study, Constantine still stood before the map, his gaze piercing the darkness and looking towards the distant north.

Berlin.

William.

wait for me.