Published at 3rd of March 2026 6:34 am

Chapter 888: Helvetia

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Bruno received an uninvited guest at his palace a few days after Erich’s call with Goring. The Generalfeldmarschall of the Luftstreitkräfte had gone out of his way to visit Tyrol and its Grand Prince.

And to Bruno there was only one reason for this unannounced visit. Goring sat before Bruno, in full regalia. The dress blues of the Luftstreitkräfte clung to his robust frame, adorned with the honors he had earned under conditions of battle and command throughout his career.

There was a noticeable difference between the man Bruno had known through the pages of history books in another life, and the man standing before him now. He was slimmer, stronger, and more charismatic without his morphine addiction and over-eating.

The early adoption of the He-51, a design introduced years ahead of its natural time, and its armored cockpit ensured that Goring never suffered the hip wound that had crippled his counterpart in another world.

It was a simple and unintended side effect of technological innovation in pursuit of strategic victory, but it had overarching changes to the man’s physique and character.

Without the chronic pain from his wound, Goring had never begun to abuse morphine, and as a result never began to compensate for his internal shame regarding his addiction with delusional trappings of grandeur, flamboyant uniforms, and way too much food and beer that was healthy.

As a result, he had emerged as a man of pure aristocratic discipline. His frame was not heavyset with a beer gut, but chiseled like an Olympic athlete. Even now, standing before Bruno who was a decade older but paradoxically looked the same age. Bruno could tell that the man would be formidable in the trenches had that style of warfare not largely gone extinct with mechanization.

Goring bowed with respect before Bruno, before taking his seat.

"Herr Reichsmarschall. It is an honor to stand before you in your own home...."

Bruno smiled briefly before setting the folder he was reading just before Goring’s intrusion upon his desk.

"There is no need for such formalities, not now. I am retired, Hermann. You don’t need to announce the reason for your visit. I already know... Your concerns about the Swiss Border are valid, but believe me, its being handled appropriately. The Border Guard has been deployed in sufficient numbers to ensure that none of the internal chaos of our neighbors spills its way into the fatherland. And the Reich’s various intelligence agencies are operating behind the scenes to direct it towards a favorable outcome."

Bruno could see the frustration flicker behind Goring’s eyes, despite the man keeping his composure flawlessly.

"Then, I suppose I wasted a visit.... It would have been nice if I had been notified in advance."

Bruno smirked when he heard this response, standing up and shaking Goring’s hand as he led the man out of his door.

"I would hardly call it a waste to visit the Alps, my old friend. Even under such circumstance. And need I point out that your frustration goes both ways? If you had simply bothered to give me a call, or even the Director of the KMA, you would have rightly been informed. But I admire your resolve. And keep the 3rd on standby for deployment. If we do need to use decisive force at any point, there’s no one better suited to the task."

Hermann smiled upon hearing Bruno’s response; it was well-crafted, and Bruno had a point. It was never a waste to visit the Alps and admire their beauty. Especially not with how quickly transit between them and Berlin had become.

As for the 3rd Fallschirm-Panzergrenadiere Division "Falke" Goring knew all too well their capability. During the Second World War, he had served as the head of the Luftstreitkräfte.

And while he hadn’t been given Operational Command over the entirety of the European or Pacific theaters. He had been deeply embedded behind the scenes, overseeing aerial and airborne operations across the globe and their integration with ground and maritime-based assets.

"You must be very proud of your grandson, Bruno. I fear one day he will most certainly eclipse me...."

Bruno smiled as he walked Goring out of his office towards the front door of his palace.

"I’m sure he will eclipse us all one day... But not today, my friend... Not today... Enjoy your stay in Tirol; I’m sure soon enough whatever is happening in Helvetia will require your attention."

Helvetia... Bruno was already referring to Switzerland by an ancient name. The very invocation caused Goring to smirk and shake his head in disbelief.

"Sometimes I wonder whether or not you’re gifted beyond even myself, or if you made some kind of a Faustian bargain for future knowledge. Either way, you never cease to impress me with your ability to accomplish what you set your mind to. I’m sure we will be seeing each other soon enough. Congratulations on your retirement and your upcoming appointment, Chancellor...."

Bruno bade farewell to Goring, and it was only when he shut the door behind him that the words hit him with some degree of reality.

Chancellor... Bruno had never once thought in this life he would ever seek political office. But when the sword was finally laid to rest, there was another battlefield entirely that needed his attention.

Soon he would not be managing campaigns and the logistics that fueled them. But instead, he would be forced to reconcile disputes in the Reichstag and assure that the politics behind the military continued to support his vision.

Whereas before he relied on wealth and political connections through his family to handle these things on his behalf. Now he would finally be stepping into the belly of the beast. If war had been his theater that would determine whether or not he could save the soul of the Reich.

Politics would be the theater where he determined whether or not he would truly condemn himself. Regardless, Bruno let the thought sit for a minute, but no longer. There was no point in worrying about what might yet come his way. Instead, he would meet it the same way he had met every challenge in his life.

Swiftly, ruthlessly, and decisively.

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