The adventures of the young engineer and Prinz Eugen Volume 2.

No. 6 Chapter 5

After being shown around the young engineer got his belongings from the Pilot and made his room ready to be inhabited by him. Afterwards he went out and looked up the meeting room of the Iris delegation. Remembering what Richelieu had said, he was there 10 minutes before they were supposed to meet. Shortly after he saw two of the Iris cruisers coming down the hallway, as well as Richelieu. He nodded and let the three ships enter the room before he entered after them. The room itself was what was to be expected. A typical meeting room, held in the same style as the rest of the building. In the middle one could find a dozen chairs surrounding a table. On said table were different forms of prepared papers to write on as well as different pencils and pens next to different beverages and glasses to refresh. The walls were decorated with portraits and hip high cabinets made out of the same shining dark wood as the rest of the furniture. The ships took their seats at the head of one of the small table sides to sit over one of its corners to see each other properly. The young engineer joined them and sat down next to one of the cruisers.

"Now that we all are here we can begin planning in detail on how to behave in this coming set of negotiations." Richelieu opened. "I suppose I should introduce our latest addition. My two knights here already know who you are but I suppose a proper introduction would be courteous. These two cruisers are Jeanne d'Arc and Émil Bertin." Richelieu introduced the two light cruisers to the young engineer. "You and Jeanne have met before in Portsmouth." She added. "Now shall we continue on. The reason for these upcoming negotiations is that Iris Libre and Vichiya are trying to come to a peaceful resolution to our division after the invasion of Ironblood split our home in three. Vichiya has sent a delegation and letters from their government, that they would like to start corporations and peace between us by joining our forces together once more to fight the greatest threat to all of humanity and all of us. The Sirens. From there on they want to come closer to mend the wounds the separation, war and fall of Iris has caused between us and them." Richelieu explained. "For that reason we have come together here to find a solution on how we can reunite with our former sisters. The Azur Lane and Crimson Axis have sent a representative each as well to oversee the negotiations and to represent the interests of both alliances. In that matter the Ironblood cruiser Prinz Eugen and the Royal Navy battlecruiser Hood have arrived here." She elaborated. "To answer the most obvious question right away, I asked our fourth member to join our delegation as a non affiliated advisor. He is here due to my personal request and I expect that you will be as courteous to him as you would be to any other guest of mine. After all, do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Richelieu explained the presence of the young engineer. "Hebrews 13 verse 2." Jeanne d'Arc whispered and confirmed the words from the old religious texts Richelieu had quoted. "He will be here to assist us in our understanding of the goals of the Crimson Axis and that of Ironblood in particular. His affiliation with the Ironblood representative will also be to our advantage." Richelieu continued on. The young engineer now politely raised a hand, indicating that he would like to make a comment to what the battleship had said. "Please feel free to speak." Offered the battleship the word to the young engineer. "I feel very much so humbled to receive such honors and praise from you. But as you said yourself, I am not here as a member of the navy of Ironblood but as a private person on my own volition. I therefore have to say that I am free to serve you as an advisor as much as I can, but I do not want nor can use my personal relation to an official delegate to influence their decisions based on my personal connection to them. That would be dishonorable in many ways." He explained his point of view and decision he had made with Prinz Eugen, not to let their friendship influence them. The thought of being asked to do so by the Iris ships was an uncomfortable one to the young engineer. "Why are you even here then? To listen to us and just supply your Ironblood cronies with information about our situations and goals?" Jeanne d'Arc questioned the young engineer angrily. "I do not intend to offer any sensitive information, should I be witness to them, without Richelieus permission. And I am prepared to take a vow on that matter as I did for my home." The young engineer countered her attack. Richelieu interrupted any further arguments with her slightly raised voice. "I understand and respect your point. I will be sure to not soil your reputation as I would not want mine to be soiled. As to the truth that your words speak, a vow in front of the Lord will suffice for me that your trustworthiness will extend to our matters as much as they will to those you already have sworn to protect." With these words the battleship disarmed both points.

"It is in our interest to convince our sisters from the Vichiya Dominion to see that their point of view is one of falsehood and that it is not the Royal Navy that betrayed our home and our navy but that it was the Ironblood that deceived them. We need to bring them back onto the right path. To that matter, I have decided to have you two as representatives next to me. Jeanne d'Arc and Emil. You two are held in high regard by both sides of our former navy and I hope that you can convince the other Vichiya Girls to see things your way. That is our main objective, to bring the others back in our fold and make them understand that the Ironblood is not their ally." Richelieu explained their objectives and changed the topic back to the reason why they were here. "The details of how we are to unite is of less importance than the fact that we convince the others to join the rightful cause once again." She ended.

The young engineer had no longer time to reflect on what he just learned.

"I suppose we head over to the larger meeting room and start our first conversation with our misguided sisters." Emil Bertin reminded the others of the timetable. "You are right. It would be an insult to let them wait." Richelieu agreed. With that the Iris Libre delegation and the young engineer headed over to the larger conference room, in which they met with the representatives of the Vichiya Dominion and Prinz Eugen and the representative of the Azur Lane, HMS Hood.