Chapter 21: Ambrosius

Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace.

Today, an obscure Archduke arrived here. He was about to become an observer for the Austrian Army dispatched to Brazil, and one of the purposes of his trip was to bid farewell to the current head of the House of Habsburg.

His name was Karl Ambrosius, but as a country noble, his poverty limited his imagination.

Consequently, upon entering the imperial palace for the first time, he lost his way.

But as a member of the Habsburg family, he possessed his own pride; he could not allow himself to bow to anyone.

As he looked around, he quickly drew the pointing and whispering of noblewomen and maids.

"Oh, who is this man?"

"You can tell at a glance he's a bumpkin."

"Even though he's a country boy, he's quite handsome. Someone should stop him and let him see the world."

A group of women burst into laughter, until a sharp-eyed maid noticed something and reminded them.

"Look, that is the imperial crest."

Instantly, the women who had been mocking him fell silent and scattered in a flurry.

Some had given up, but others became even more excited.

What they did not know was that Karl Ambrosius's family owned only one hundred and fifty acres of land and did not even possess a single carriage; they could not provide the lifestyle they desired.

Archduke Karl, the greatest landowner of the Austrian Empire, possessed three million acres—a twenty-thousand-fold difference.

Ambrosius finally spotted someone he could ask for directions: a young woman walking toward him with a child tucked under her arm.

*Someone who can do this in this palace must be a member of the imperial family,* Ambrosius thought.

"Thalia, can't you ride a horse? It's so uncomfortable being held like this," Franz complained.

"My little Archduke, I am merely an unlucky tutor and nanny. If I rode a horse in the palace today, you could collect my corpse tomorrow. You wouldn't be able to collect the money you won from me," Thalia replied, exasperated by Franz, her chest heaving with her breath.

Yesterday, Thalia had been notified that His Majesty the Emperor was to meet Archduke Franz today.

Thalia had arrived at Franz's room very early this morning, but the latter insisted on sleeping in.

Seeing that it was still early, Thalia had readily agreed and fallen asleep in Franz's room.

By the time Thalia woke up, she realized she had passed the appointed time.

Thus, she had no choice but to hurry along while clutching Franz.

As Thalia was rushing, a man suddenly appeared around the corner, dropped to one knee, and reached out to take her other hand, saying

"Hello, beautiful lady, I would like—"

Before the man could finish his sentence, Thalia kicked him square in the face.

"I don't want to! Goodbye."

"Thalia, someone actually tried to hit on you," Franz teased.

"You little brat!" Thalia swatted at Franz.

"...I just wanted to ask for directions. Is it that hard? The way my father taught me to greet people isn't working," Ambrosius sighed.

In the end, a passing guard informed Ambrosius that the Hall of Mirrors was not in Schönbrunn Palace.

Thus, Ambrosius hurried toward the Hall of Mirrors.

Inside the Hall of Mirrors, upon the throne, sat an old man and a young boy. The elder was Emperor Franz II, and the younger was the child he had just seen.

Franz even beckoned to this unlucky fellow.

Ambrosius was extremely excited to see the Emperor and began narrating his agitated emotions.

However, Franz II had absolutely no interest in listening.

Instead, he took the resume handed to him by the Imperial Chamberlain, which left him somewhat surprised.

This seemingly unkempt bumpkin (his face was a bit dirty because Thalia had kicked him) who had clearly never seen much of the world, actually had such high evaluations from the military academy.

Even more inconceivable was that the person who made the evaluation was none other than the legendary figure of the Austrian military, Archduke Karl—his brother, and one of the people he detested most in this world.

Although Franz II and Archduke Karl were on bad terms, he knew very well that his brother was extremely discerning and would never praise anyone lightly.

To receive Archduke Karl's praise was enough to prove that the young man possessed exceptional abilities.

Franz also saw Archduke Karl's evaluation, and he remembered Karl's assessment of his eldest son, Albrecht: "Give him two corps, and it would be murder."

The implication was that Albrecht only had the capacity to command a single corps at most.

Historically, Albrecht was a general who won every battle, even leading eighty thousand Austrian troops to crush the one hundred and twenty thousand Italian troops personally commanded by King Victor Emmanuel II at the Battle of Custozza.

Serving as a military observer seemed like a waste of his talent.

An Austrian military observer usually meant a government-funded trip.

After some thought, Franz II decided to follow the Cabinet's recommendation.

To grant him the rank of Major General and dispatch him as an army observer.

Upon hearing the result, Archduke Ambrosius could not help but feel despondent.

However, for him, it was already quite good. Without this thin thread of blood relation, a general's rank without actual power would likely be beyond his reach.

Most military academy graduates had to start as captains; he had no idea how much he was already ahead of others.

Ambrosius had another purpose for this trip: to ask for a matchmaker.

His family was extremely poor, making it impossible for him to marry a legitimate princess. Furthermore, his bloodline was not pure; if he married a commoner, his descendants might lose their noble status altogether.

Even though his family had declined, he and his father still placed great importance on their lineage and could not accept a future where their descendants were no longer nobles.

Of course, Ambrosius had some confidence; his performance at the military academy had been excellent, and Archduke Karl had said he would become a pillar of the Austrian Empire in the future.

Ambrosius saw himself as a general with a bright future; though he lacked money now, he had a great career ahead, and besides, he was a disciple of Archduke Karl.

However, knowing that His Majesty and Archduke Karl were at odds, he did not dare to bring up that connection, instead requesting the help of the family head as a junior member of the clan.

But Franz II cared nothing for Ambrosius's personal matters.

He waved his hand, signaling that the man could leave for his post.

But after only a few steps, Ambrosius stopped, turned back, and said

"For the sake of Empress Maria Theresa, for the sake of God, I beg of you, Your Majesty—even a princess who is disabled or ill would suffice!"

Ambrosius's ancestors were descendants of Empress Maria Theresa, which was why he held the status of an imperial family member.

As for other countries, there were indeed princesses who were disabled or ill, but even so, their families would demand a massive dowry.

And Franz II happened to be a very stingy Emperor (perhaps due to paying too many war indemnities).

Ambrosius's behavior caught Franz completely off guard; he could not understand how a perfectly fine person could suddenly turn into this.

In truth, Franz had underestimated the obsession people had with status and position at the time.

Franz looked at Franz II in confusion, thinking, *Does Austria have a system of granting marriages in addition to the system of granting titles?*

Franz II had seen such things many times and was long past being surprised.

He said slowly

"You are still young, and the financial situation of the Austrian Empire is currently poor. Young people today have true talent and ability; many great families are willing to provide a generous dowry for their daughters. You still need to work harder."

In short, he was saying: *I'm not helping; go find someone who can bring you money.*

Ambrosius's disappointment was palpable. He chose not to persist and instead departed.

Watching Ambrosius's retreating figure, Franz decided to help him.

Perhaps it was time to employ a traditional Habsburg "specialty." A brand-new colonial plan began to emerge in Franz's mind.

(This is a transitional chapter serving as a setup for future plot developments. Please stay tuned.)

(End of Chapter)