"Gentlemen, what should we do now?" Alfonso XIII glanced at his ministers. At this moment, he felt an overwhelming headache. He was unwilling to accept the harsh terms imposed by the Germans, yet he feared that refusing them might trigger war. If that happened, Spain would be doomed.
"Your Majesty, there are only two paths before us. Either we accept the German conditions, ceding Gibraltar and the Balearic Islands, while compensating them with one billion marks for their losses, or we reject their demands and immediately mobilize, preparing for a desperate war with Germany. There is no other option," Count Romano-Ness said. The other ministers may have chosen to feign ignorance, but as Prime Minister, he could not afford to do so.
Alfonso XIII furrowed his brows; neither of these paths was one he wished to choose.
"If we mobilize, will we be able to intimidate the Germans?" Alfonso XIII asked. If the Germans saw Spain's resolve to fight at all costs, they might relent on their harsh demands, which would be advantageous for Spain. However, Alfonso XIII knew that this was likely a difficult task, for the disparity in strength between the two sides was immense.
"Your Majesty, even with full mobilization, it is unlikely we would intimidate the Germans. With our current strength, we could muster no more than a few hundred thousand troops in the short term. The Germans only need to send one hundred thousand men to defeat us. Thus, the prospect of a mutually destructive war with Germany is almost impossible," the Minister of the Army said.
His meaning was clear: if Spain sought a war of attrition with Germany, the outcome would likely be Spain's destruction, with no reciprocal collapse of Germany.
The royal hall fell into a heavy silence, so profound that even the sound of a needle dropping could have been heard.
"Then must we simply submit to the Germans? Humbly accept their terms?" Alfonso XIII said helplessly. He was, by nature, a man deeply concerned with his pride. In this situation, he feared he would no longer be able to hold his head high before monarchs across the world.
Once again, all fell silent, as no one knew what to do.
"Pretto, is there any possibility of seeking assistance from the Americans? After all, this is something they had promised us," Alfonso XIII inquired. If the Americans could intercede on Spain's behalf and convince the Germans to ease their conditions, allowing Spain to retain some semblance of dignity, Alfonso XIII would be satisfied with such a solution.
Pretto shook his head. "Your Majesty, the Americans claim that the Germans are refusing to heed their influence. Therefore, they are likely powerless in this matter. After all, the relationship between America and Germany is extremely strained. The two are even enemies."
"Your Majesty, this situation is beyond our control. Perhaps from the beginning, our acceptance of the British return of Gibraltar was a mistake. It was clearly a trap—a snare set by the British. Even the Americans have likely been complicit. They want us to engage in a war with the Germans, to exhaust Germany's strength. Their intentions are nothing short of malicious," Count Romano-Ness said.
Alfonso XIII's face darkened immediately. He realized he had fallen into a trap. He almost wished to slap himself for being so naive.
At that moment, Alfonso XIII glared at Pretto with fury. He believed the man must have played a nefarious role in this scheme.
Pretto, seeing the venomous gaze of Alfonso XIII, was instantly terrified. He knew that from this moment on, he would have to tread carefully, or he risked great misfortune. An angry Alfonso XIII might very well devour him alive.
"Tell the Americans that if they do not come to our aid, we will reveal everything to the Germans. Let them know that it is the British who are manipulating things behind the scenes!" Alfonso XIII declared. He thought this might be a clever way to shift the blame, hoping that Germany would be lenient with them.
"Your Majesty, I fear this will have no effect. The German intelligence network is all-encompassing. They undoubtedly know the British and Americans are behind this. However, Germany is currently unable to confront the British and Americans, which is why they are venting their anger on us," Count Romano-Ness's words shattered Alfonso XIII's hopes once again, pushing him closer to despair.
"Damn it! What are we supposed to do? Must we truly accept the Germans' demands? Ceding Gibraltar is one thing, but the compensation of one billion marks and the Balearic Islands—we cannot give them that!" Alfonso XIII cried out.
"Let the German ambassador negotiate once more. We are willing to cede Gibraltar and compensate them with one hundred million marks. This is the Kingdom of Spain's bottom line!" Alfonso XIII declared.
At this point, he was still unwilling to fully accept the German terms, hoping to minimize the conditions and secure some benefit for Spain.
However, Alfonso XIII's stance was clearly untenable. Under Qin Tian's leadership, the German Empire had become the most powerful nation in the world, now at its zenith. Alfonso XIII's actions would only bring more trouble upon them.
When the two-day deadline set by the German Foreign Minister arrived and Spain had failed to meet all the demands, the German diplomat, Wahit, immediately announced the breakdown of negotiations.
This was disastrous news for the Spanish. When the news reached Spain, it greatly angered Alfonso XIII, filling him with fear. He dreaded that the Germans would follow through on their threat, escalating the war. If that happened, Spain would be finished.
Upon learning that the Spanish had still not agreed to his demands, Qin Tian realized that Spain had not yet given up and was still clinging to hope. Germany's next step was clear: apply further pressure until Spain could no longer bear it. At that point, Spain would undoubtedly capitulate.
Qin Tian issued an order to the Army, commanding the German First Army Group, stationed in northern France, to move swiftly southward, all the way to the northern Pyrenees, preparing as if to cross the mountains and invade Spain.