Chapter 4: the way forward (2)

After 5 arduous years, I managed to finish the first step of my plan. Raising myself at an elite level for the times was stressful and I guess the reason my parents allowed me to study so much at my young age was because they thought my enthusiasm would at least teach me discipline and they could always slow down if I didn't catch up with my lessons.

It was a surprise to everyone, that I kept up with all the lessons. Fortunately, I only had to focus on languages ​​and history. The other subjects were relatively easy and never changed from being for elementary school children and one or another middle school math exercise, learning Latin and French was quite a challenge but Spanish, and English were relatively easy. Spanish was my native language in my past life, English I knew a lot before too, I just needed to speak it more fluently. My parents, observing how easy I was learning languages, wanted to add Russian but I refused, another subject and I would have collapsed.

In these 5 years, in addition to learning knowledge, I also practiced fencing, and horsemanship I believe that for many it is useless but this involves the honor of the house and in addition the constant physical exercise it's helpful too, I even had the opportunity to practice swimming, which I will make part of my priorities to maintain, I want to live a long life.

October 6, 1887

Yesterday was my 14th year in this world, I asked my father to go study for a while in Germany, reluctantly but after insisting both parents accepted. So right now, I'm making plans of who to take and what to do while in Germany.

I had not mentioned that I continued with my charity plan of adopting orphans in Romania, unfortunately, the children of the family servants were not at the age or appropriate to be part of my work team.

* Alexandrei Ruhr(18), Rudolph Dergazzi(17), and Oliver Valdikof(19).

The three that stood out in the educational tests, were discipline, intelligence, and above all loyalty. I will take them with me to Berlin. After studying under my supervision they can complete basic tasks, and management skills other than important decision-making, I haven't gotten brilliant minds to be my right and left hands yet but with these three additions, I can handle it, and in the future, little by little, they will also learn and will be excellent talents for the Kingdom.

"Alexandrei, when we arrive in Berlin you will be the one in charge of collecting information and you will be informing me in detail about the Technological Expo that catches your attention or is in the parameters that I have written on this notebook"

I told him as I handed him a small notebook, where I had written down some inventions that should already be in their testing phase or promoting their innovations.

"Yes, Your Highness. I will do everything possible not to disappoint you, but among these things, is the so-called electricity and machinery that runs on oil instead of steam? What have you been talking about?"

"That's right, Electricity make sure you memorize it surely many will not understand the concept at first, if I'm not mistaken it should already be in the fundraising phase. As for the machinery that I mean that runs on petrol, it is for example innovations like carriages without horses but these new machines can make the carriage move and travel without horses."

Alexandrei Ruhr, Rudolph Dergazzi, and Oliver Valdikof looked at me confused by the first term but the second, with the "engine-powered carriages" They have understood the concept, this is the good thing about having educated and open-minded helpers or at least they didn't contradict my orders for these unconventional concepts.

"Rudolph and Oliver will be in charge of investigating large railway projects in Germany, I would like to have information on what companies invested in certain routes when it is estimated that the project would be completed, and data from the stock market. I think you have the basic knowledge of how to look for that information right?"

In the 19th century, although there are newspapers where they mention this data, it took a long time and the information is not always accurate or reliable, it was much better to collect information and compare it"

"Yes sir, for this we have prepared ourselves"

Adolph nods while Oliver responds a bit nervously, This is his first assignment and in a foreign country, even though they already speak German fluently, no one wants to disappoint the Prince.

15 days later, on October 21, 1887:

I decided to go to Berlin by boat, by carriage, although it would be ideal to investigate a little more, I gave up on the idea after knowing what it implied. As a noble, to every city, town, or wherever the friends of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen Family are, I must attend banquets hosted by the nobles and if that were not enough, I have heard rumors of some flu coming from Russia; nothing serious I suppose but the fact of not being a pandemic like the Spanish flu does not make it less deadly, in this world with medicine so backward, ignorance in many fields, I prefer to play it safe and take 9-12 days of Voyage to Berlin.

'At least I'll have time to further prepare my action plan in Berlin'

I thought without knowing what it would bring me...

Author note: How do you read this new chapter? I used Grammarly for corrections and made corrections myself too. If you feel something is off or the characters are weird please let me know.

(2) Spanish flu, the 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin.