On the surface of the blue waters of an unexplored sea, a small ship sailed slowly; from its deck came the excited voice of a young man.
— Enough! — Karl was emotional and the younger of the two brothers. — We've been sailing here for who knows how long and haven't found anything; it's time to go back! This was true; the Libert brothers had been sailing these seas for over six months, periodically returning to civilization to replenish their supplies. There was no information about these seas, so in this endeavor they could only rely on themselves and the crew of their ship.
— Relax, little brother. Wilhelm turned twenty-eight a few days ago, and now he was admiring the clarity of the seawater and the cloudless sky, or rather, he was doing that until his younger brother interrupted him. I am sure that soon we will find new lands and make our dream come true. In fact, this dream belonged only to Wilhelm; the ship was bought with his money, and the sailors were hired with it as well, but Karl begged so much to go on this journey (although he didn't fully understand its purpose) that Wilhelm couldn't refuse.
— You've said that before. Karl turned away and left.
— I feel like we are close...
And indeed, just a few hours later, one of the sailors loudly and repeatedly shouted "land! Land! Land!".
When the crew landed, they saw a picturesque landscape. It was truly a paradise land, abundant with numerous gifts of nature — fertile lands, strategic resources, noble metals, precious minerals, etc..
— Amazing, what a beautiful place! Karl was delighted.
— You're right. His older brother replied happily. And now this place is ours.
— Ours? The younger brother exclaimed in surprise.
— Well, yes, by right of discovery.
— But what about...? We have an entire team here, and the empire will surely claim these lands or other countries will, as soon as they find out about this place...
— Ha-ha! Apparently, you don't know the country you live in at all! Wilhelm laughed. First, once we plant the flag of Akkerwald here, no one will even think of coming here; and as for our government, the state will certainly demand a certain tax, but that's all it will do, because Akkerwald is a free country. The young captain took a deep breath of fresh air and then exhaled. When I signed the contract with these sailors, we agreed on a clause that they would receive good pay during the voyage but would not claim any profits made during it. I also personally checked each person and made sure that most of them were honest people, so we shouldn't expect to be betrayed.
— It's amazing, brother, you thought of everything...
— Didn't you think I would? I also assigned half of all the loot to you, so these lands are equally ours. But there's no time to rest! After we finish with all the formalities, we will start settling here, create jobs, build a colony for Akkerwald... Just imagine, a colony of the Libert brothers!
A few days later, Karl and Wilhelm went together to explore the surroundings, from which only one of them returned — Wilhelm died under mysterious circumstances. According to Karl, he fell off a cliff; the news saddened and surprised the sailors: Wilhelm had always been known for his excellent coordination and reaction, so such a death seemed very unexpected. Despite this, after some time, the colony began to develop, and many people spoke well of its owner, who called it "the colony of the Libert brothers," remembering his older brother.
Present day
The colony of the Libert brothers has flourished and is now home to eleven thousand citizens of Akkerwald.
Today was sunny and cloudless, just like on the day the Libert brothers found this land, but the faces of those gathered were gloomy.
— Today, a great man, the father of our home, passed away. We bid farewell to Karl Libert on his last journey. Elfrida finished her speech in a quiet voice; everyone was silent, so there was no need to speak louder. May pure and warm light guide him and protect his loved ones from sorrow and sadness. The headmistress of the temple turned her gaze to his daughter and young wife; at first glance, it was difficult to tell who was older.
— Please accept my condolences, madam. Norbert Lange was a good friend of Karl, so he was deeply concerned about the emotional state of his daughter.
— Thank you, esteemed Burgomaster. In Akkerwald, there are no privileged classes (except for the imperial dynasty), but some people are undoubtedly richer than others and actually have much more power than ordinary people; Karl Libert and his daughter are a good example of this. People own their homes and (rarely) part of the land, but most often they have to work for large landowners. Ah, I'm so saddened; please excuse me. When Norbert left, Mina Libert sighed heavily. How tired I am of hearing the same thing every day. Finally, he died. Finally, I can stop putting up with his stupid care and his old-fashioned wife. Finally, I will become the mistress of this land; oh, how happy I am! In Akkerwald, the property of the deceased is divided equally among his children and surviving spouse, but this rule applies only if he has not made a will. In a will, a person can personally decide how he wants to dispose of his property after death. In the case of Karl Libert, he bequeathed everything to his beloved and only daughter. For comparison: in Shengkai, the state provides financial assistance to each resident of the country at different periods of his life, but completely appropriates the property of the deceased. Wilhelmina Libert was undoubtedly a lucky girl.
A month later
— The people of this colony are very satisfied with their situation, so trying to tear them away from here and doing it in such a way is not the noblest occupation, but we cannot miss such an opportunity. Mountain Snake surveyed the entire detachment with a calculating look. They all used code names. Besides all its other advantages, this territory has strategic importance for Shengkai, and while Akkerwald is busy with other things, we must act. Mountain Snake was about to end the briefing, but added in conclusion, try to minimize casualties among civilians, but don't dwell on it.