With the meeting with his father concluding, Prince Theodore left the room and made his way toward his office with a grin on his face.
A nation with a powerful armada? That piqued his interest. He knew that whoever discovered the true nature of that country would win huge recognition not only in the Empire of Triesenberg but across the entire world.
This was an opportunity he couldn't miss.
Arriving at his office, he walked over to the telephone mounted on the wall and grabbed the receiver. He quickly dialed a familiar number, his excitement barely contained.
"Colonel Reinhardt?" Theodore spoke as soon as the line connected.
"Your Highness," came the crisp reply from the other end.
"I have a task for you," Theodore continued, his tone serious. "Prepare a team. We are heading to Votswana immediately."
There was a brief pause before Colonel Reinhardt responded, "May I ask what this is about, Your Highness?"
"A matter of utmost importance," Theodore said. "We have a mystery to solve, and I want the best men for the job. I'll explain more when we're en route."
"Understood. I'll have the team ready within the hour."
"Good. Meet me at the airfield."
With that, Theodore hung up the phone and quickly began gathering a few essential items. While gathering his things, Theodore ran into his Chief Advisor, Lord Reginald Huxley. The older man, always sharp and perceptive, noticed the urgency in the prince's movements.
"Your Highness, is something amiss?" Lord Huxley asked, his brow furrowed with concern.
"Reginald. You are just right in time, I want you to pack your things as we are heading out."
"Heading out? To where?"
"To our colony Votswana," Theodore revealed.
From a different country, this would have been impossible given the lack of range, but for the Empire of Triesenberg, such an issue didn't exist as they had already conquered almost north of the Black Continent, giving them a strategic advantage over long distances.
Their first stop would be in Algiers, a city under Triesenberg's control, where they would refuel and continue their journey southward.
"Your Highness, this Valoria... if they are as powerful as the reports indicate, how do you plan to approach them?"
That sudden question snapped Prince Theodore out of his reverie. "Well, we are going to assess how powerful that nation is. Then, the moment we figured out that the country is no match to our military power, we will do what we always do, which forces them to sign a treaty with us in the name of good relations," Theodore replied.
"If they refuse, we'll exert pressure until they have no choice but to comply."
Lord Reginald frowned slightly, his concern evident. "And if they are indeed as powerful as the reports suggest? What if they resist?"
Theodore leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. "Then we'll have to tread more carefully. We can't let another nation be stronger than us, the only nation on this planet that is allowed to be at its peak is the Empire of Triesenberg itself. Now, I'm sure the Governor of Votswana has sent the spy back to gather more intel. That would help us in the future.
Now, what I'm concerned for now is the Kingdom of Zambesi establishing diplomatic ties with Valoria. We can't let any more nations be in league with Black Continent nations. The Western powers had already settled for the territorial division of the continent, and having any nation outside the Western hemisphere taking a piece of the pie would not be tolerated."
"That's correct, Your Highness," Reginald confirmed.
"Reginald, I believe there is an ongoing dispute with the tribes there in Zambesi, that the minorities are being oppressed. What was it? The tribe of the Matabele, correct?"
Lord Reginald nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. The Matabele have long been at odds with the ruling government of Zambesi. They have faced oppression, and there have been several reports of unrest and skirmishes between the Matabele and the government forces."
A calculating smile played on Theodore's lips. "Perfect. If the Kingdom of Zambesi were to align itself with Valoria, we could use the Matabele situation to our advantage. A casus belli, if you will."
Reginald raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You intend to support the Matabele in a revolt?"
"Precisely," Theodore confirmed. "We'll position ourselves as the defenders of the oppressed. Publicly, we will declare our support for the Matabele in their struggle for autonomy. This will allow us to intervene in Zambesi under the guise of humanitarian aid and the protection of minority rights."
"And in doing so, we destabilize the Zambesi government," Reginald added, beginning to see the full scope of Theodore's plan. "With the government weakened, they'll be unable to resist our occupation."
"Exactly," Theodore nodded. "Once we have a foothold, we can move swiftly to occupy key regions of Zambesi. We'll force the ruling government to sign treaties that are favorable to Triesenberg, effectively bringing the kingdom under our control. Valoria, should they attempt to interfere, will find themselves isolated!"