1614 Summer(June - August)

While I was having a coronation as a king of the Union of Aragon and Two Sicilies in Madrid, 3rd division - which the Earl of Essex was in charge - which was stationed in the Netherlands began advancing towards northern Germany along with some troops from 1st division and who were newly drafted from the British Isles. It was 200,000 army in total.

"Long live King Edward VII / Eduardo I!"

"Death to Johann - the Duke of Saxony - and the filthy Protestants!"

"Retreat!" "Retreat!"

The Protestant Union had no chance against the United Kingdom's troops. Why? It was the United Kingdom all the time that lent money and war supplies to them so that they can fight against the Catholic League!

But, with the outbreak of the War of 3 Kaisers, all their money and war supplies were cut, and their biggest supporter/creditor became their main foe!

So, the Protestant Union(=Northern German Protestants) were outnumbered in every aspect - in quality, quantity, and supply - to the United Kingdom, and to no surprise, the United Kingdom whip the socks off of Cologne, Saxony, Palatine, Brandenburg, and other small protestant feudal lords or free imperial cities.

At this point, the Catholic League had 2 choices. One was to compromise with the Protestant Union and fight against me. And the other was to accept me as a Kaiser and wipe out the Protestants.

Both were likely scenarios. But, I wished that the Catholic League would compromise with the Protestants and fight against me.

Why?

"Boring. Isn't there any talented general like the late Lioness or any skillful diplomat like Metternich in Northern Germany or Catholic League?"

"If there isn't any gifted general that can topple this underdog situation, I wish that either Northern German Protestants or Catholic league find other alliance to fight against me, like Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, France, Sweden, Denmark or perhaps Ottoman?"

But, the Catholic League didn't follow my expectation. The Austrian Habsburg family noticed that I was also Habsburg family - since my father was Felipe II - and the Catholic feudal lords I was the eldest son of the late 'Protector of Faith' - Felipe II's nickname.

If I was neither Habsburg nor Catholic, they would have fought till their last breath, but since I was also Catholic and Habsburg - although I'm not German/Austrian - they could deal with it.

"Your majesty, Matthias - King of Bohemia - sent a secret message. Do you wish me to read it for you?"

"Go ahead."

"Long live Kaiser! If you allow me to keep my title as an Archduke of Austria and King of Hungary and Bohemia, I'll willingly support you till my last breath!"

And it wasn't only Matthias who've sent this kind of letter. The other 2 Catholic Prince-Electors - Archbishop of Mainz, Archbishop of Trier - and other Catholic feudal lords of Germany already sent me secret messages.

Like Matthias and Italian patriciate, they've all suggested voting for me in the Imperial election if I guarantee their vested rights - their title and their fief.

And I replied

"Splendid. I wouldn't let you down."

I had no reason to refuse it.

So, once again, the War of 3 Kaisers reduced into a religious civil war. Catholic League's troops and United Kingdom's 200,000 soldiers led by Earl of Essex crushed every city and feud that Northen German Protestants dwell.

1614 Fall(September - November)

"I'll give you one last chance."

"If you accept me as a Kaiser and the Prince Elector of Cologne convert into Catholic, I'll return every other detail before the start of the war, including the Donauworth city. What say?"

"...Long live Kaiser!"

"...Long live King Edward VII!"

"...Thank you for your mercy, Kaiser!"

And the Protestant Prince-Electors - including Johann, the Duke of Saxony, the would-have-been-Protestant-Kaiser - accepted it.

1615 Spring(March-May)

Frankfurt

After I've won 7 out of 7 votes in the Imperial Election, I've held my coronation as a Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire and as the 1st Imperator of the New West Roman Empire.

Why's that?

For one thing, even if I exclude the Holy Roman Empire - Germany - I'm already the King of Great Britain, Netherlands, Castile, Portugal, Aragon, and Italy. And another thing, Louis XIII, the King of France - my grandson and my son-in-law - and Marcantonio Memmo, 91st Doge of Venice came in person and kissed at the back of my hand.

Although they didn't say they would obey my orders in words, it was a sign of obedience.

The icing on the cake,

"As a Servus Servorum Dei (*Servant of the servants of God, one of the titles of the Pope), I hereby grant Edward Philip Albert Charles von Tudor Habsburg - the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Netherlands and Iberia, King of the Union of Aragon and Two Sicillies, the Kaiser oof the Holy Roman Empire - the title of the Imperator of the New West Roman Empire."

"Your name is now Imperator Eduardo Ivlivs Caesar Avgvstvs. Long live Imperator!"

The Pope himself came to Frankfurt and crowned me. Unlike Napoleon, I didn't snatch the crown from the pope but received it from him.

"Long live Imperator!" "Long live Caesar!"

"Long live Eduardo I/Edward VII!"

"God save the New West Roman Empire!"

'Clap' 'Clap' 'Clap'

Afterr 12 centuries later, Western Europe Christianity united, once agai, from the fall of the West Roman Empiren.

But at this historic moment, I felt dull.

'Oh, god. Is it over now?'

'In the worst case scenario, I even expected I might die before this war ends, but this war ended in only 2 years! It was way too easy. Was Germany just a house of cards?'

I glanced sideways, looking for my children.

My 2nd daughter, and the Queen of France - aunt and wife of Louis XII - Jane/Jeanne was clapping at me. She looked perplexed - both amazed and resented.

And My 1st son Richard - Prince of Wales and the regent of Great Britain - was absent. He sent a proctor to my coronation and didn't show his face.

At that moment, roaring clapping sounds of all nobles gathered in this spot and the splendid stained glass of the Frankfurt cathedral, looked only black and white to me.

"Yeah, great."

I muttered to myself.

Would Amundsen have felt the same after he reached the South Pole and realized he had to go back all the way he has come through? It's just like PCT. My vigor escaped from my body. My motive, my enthusiasm, my craving dropped.

At a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, when entire West Europe was chanting my name and talking about reunited Europe, I felt like getting older in the middle of a crowd.