Now that we have some indication of our nation's roots, let us now turn to Wilhelm's bedchambers...
* * *
Baldrick paced nervously behind Wilhelm as he recounted his divine tale once again to his administration. Baldrick could hardly believe it. Alsace was a tiny, pious nation on the Rhine river, hardly a military powerhouse of any renown. Yet, Wilhelm had this strange notion that Alsace could rise above its enemies and become God's Legion on earth. Even, Wilhelm was patiently explaining to his aides how he planned to complete this grand strategy, but Baldrick wasn't listening. Baldrick feared for his very soul. In order to fight the dragon, Alsace would have to take on the other nations of the world, putting it in grave peril. Being no fool, Baldrick knew that it would be an impossible task.
"Look, Wilhelm, you've had an ill spell and you're not being yourself. Why don't you just leave the state in our hands and take a leave of sickness? Alsace has been fine without you here, and you've always held administrative matters distantly."
"I don't care, Sigwald. We need to turn this country around, turn it into the envy of the world! Tradition fools like you have no place in my new administration!" Wilhelm began to yell. "How are we supposed to complete our divine task with idiots like you running our nation?"
"Wilhelm! You are not sane! How can you possibly be saying that? We've run this nation for years by your side!"
"OUT! All of you out," Wilhelm bellowed, standing up from his chair. His aides all scampered out, quick to escape their master's wrath. "No, Baldrick, not you. I need your help." Wilhelm rubbed his temples. "Get me someone I can trust. Someone young. Dismissed."
Baldrick returned momentarily with a young page. He introduced himself as Lambert de Hungerstein. After recovering from his terrible guffawing as having such a ridiculous name, Wilhelm learned of Lambert's extensive skills. He had been a member of the French Royal Guard for years before being thrown out on accusations of theft. Wilhelm appointed Lambert his first adviser.
Lambert would soon become known as a common face among the training grounds of Alsace as he sought ways to improve the Alsatian military situation. By far, the most appalling thing Lambert had found in his familirisation was the Alsation manpower situation. Barely even a thousand men were able-bodied enough to sign up for the military services. With Wilhelm's idea in mind, Lambert knew that this was something he would have to rectify eventually.
Wilhelm knew that no army could fight without a proper fiscal base. To that end, he began to push for the mobilization of a different kind of army. Merchants from Alsace would begin to travel far and wide, peddling Alsation goods and Alsatian trade throughout all of Europe. With this strong support for foreign trade, Wilhelm hoped to save enough money for the heavy investment a large army required. Indeed, by Wilhelm's estimations from recounting his dream, he would need well over one million soldiers to take on the Devil and survive, slaying the beast once and for all.
Of course, Wilhelm's financial policy was at the behest of the local economy, which suffered as a result:
Wilhelm was resolute, though, and persevered to spread the economic might of Alsace far and wide. His enemies would fall first at the hands of his merchants and then at the hands of his soldiers.
Indeed, Wilhelm was so confident that at this point he decided to finally unpause the world.
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