The assassin was Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian youth born in Bosnia. Karl knew the name and he knew the face, but he couldn't exactly turn all of Sarajevo upside down for the sake of one person.
What royal family would treat a city like a hunting ground to be searched just for a military parade and a visit? That would practically be offering themselves up as a laughingstock for the entire world.
Even if Princip were captured, there was no guarantee of absolute safety. History was unclear about how many accomplices there actually were, let alone the current Karl.
No matter how smart he was, it was impossible to remember every single detail perfectly. If he could truly do that, Karl would have hammered out penicillin within a month and been living a glorious, different kind of life long ago.
But the problem was that it was also impossible to wrap Franz Ferdinand—a man who lived for pomp and face, and would die for pomp and face—in layers of protection like Iron Man. Even Karl himself would find such a move too cowardly.
So how exactly was he to save this face-obsessed fellow? Just like when the Empress was in danger back then, going there in person wasn't... In person?
This thought was like a switch being flipped; Karl's mind suddenly lit up.
Time is money. The scale of the industries Karl operated, the connections he mobilized, and the capital involved was staggering.
But compared to all that, nothing was more reliable than his own personal action.
While Karl possessed powerful influence now, it was still unrealistic for him to directly veto the itinerary already finalized by the Emperor and Franz Ferdinand.
Thinking about it the other way around, did the Emperor and Franz Ferdinand really have enough power to restrict Karl's movements?
He wasn't the kind of royal who was held in a financial stranglehold by the Emperor; such a restriction simply didn't exist.
Having made up his mind, Karl immediately headed straight for Franz Ferdinand's office.
“Karl, are you here to persuade me again?” Franz Ferdinand looked up at him. “I've already said the trip won't be canceled.”
“Then why don't you let me go with you?”
“You?”
Franz Ferdinand was clearly taken aback for a moment.
“This is a major event,” Karl said in a calm tone. “For Bosnia, having two royals with succession rights visit is clearly more prestigious than just one.”
The officials and police responsible for arranging the itinerary would probably foam at the mouth on the spot, but that was none of Karl's business. No one was grabbing them by the collar and forcing them to serve, right?
“Karl, that's impossible.”
This time, it was Franz Ferdinand's turn to persuade Karl.
“And the reason?”
“What royal family would put two royals with succession rights in the same place at the same time? It's simply absurd.”
“But Bosnia is imperial land.”
“Uncle will not agree to it.”
The uncle he spoke of was, naturally, the elderly Emperor who still held real power—the ultimate arbiter of the entire Dual Monarchy.
To be honest, even Karl understood that having two royals with the same succession rights travel to Bosnia together did indeed carry risks.
However, if he didn't do this, it seemed there really was no other way...
...It seemed this was the only option.
“Uncle,” Karl looked Franz Ferdinand straight in the eye, his tone suddenly becoming sharp, “you aren't afraid, are you? Do you really think the two of us would die together at the hands of assassins?”
That nearly blunt “Are you afraid?” caused a sudden surge in Franz Ferdinand's eyes.
...
Franz Ferdinand, who had lived his whole life for prestige and would die for it too, finally nodded and allowed Karl to accompany him.
Nominally, the event was attended by Franz Ferdinand in his capacity as the Inspector General of the Imperial Army, so his wife Sophie was also able to accompany him.
According to the Austro-Hungarian Empire's strict and rigid court etiquette, Sophie's background was not prominent, and she was rarely allowed to appear in such public political and military settings. Because of this, this trip was particularly precious to her.
As for Karl, he didn't need to ask anyone for permission at all. Karl was also the commander of the Imperial Guard; what was wrong with him accompanying them for an inspection?
Of course, strictly speaking, Karl didn't have such formal authority, and doing so was somewhat forced, but he didn't need to report his every move to anyone anyway.
If the Emperor found out Karl was also appearing in the Sarajevo itinerary, there would inevitably be some nagging, but it was better to avoid trouble; everyone would just turn a blind eye.
As long as he could save Franz Ferdinand's life, this small price was entirely worth it.
In the early morning, seeing Karl at the Vienna railway station, Franz Ferdinand was stunned and blinked his eyes.
“You really intend to come along?”
“Yes.”
Franz Ferdinand held his forehead, clearly already beginning to regret agreeing to let Karl accompany them a few days ago.
“Your Highness, shall we board?”
Zdenko's inquiry prompted Franz Ferdinand to nod. Fortunately, the train to Sarajevo was for royal use, and a freight car capable of carrying vehicles had been specially attached the day before.
Karl wouldn't truly leave his safety entirely in the hands of others. Relying on the protection of the local Sarajevo police would be true stupidity. That city belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in name, but in reality, it was a place of surging undercurrents; Yugoslav nationalists, secret societies, and radical youth were intertwined, and even the intelligence agencies in Vienna admitted it was a powder keg.
Even though Karl had already had a taste of the 20th Century, he was still afraid, after all. So, he prepared his own trusted Guards and brought his accompanying vehicles along as well.
“P-Prince Karl?”
“Aunt, you don't need to be so formal.”
Franz Ferdinand had clearly not explained Karl's presence in advance, and Sophie was visibly startled when she saw him.
Karl told her to relax every time, but she never changed. They didn't meet often and hadn't had time to become well-acquainted before Karl had already reached adulthood, married, and even had a child; instead, she kept Karl at an even greater distance out of respect.
“Is... is that really okay...”
This was ultimately because of the royal family. Since before her marriage, she had been accustomed to watching the court's expressions; in formal settings, even the slightest mistake would make her a target of cold mockery from the nobles again, so she naturally had to be cautious.
“Aunt, I heard today is your and Uncle's wedding anniversary.”
Sophie nodded gently.
It was clear she was very happy. Evidently, Franz Ferdinand, who was as stubborn as a bull, had not mistreated her in their family life. In history, he was known for his tough temperament and fierce political views, yet he was uniquely loyal and devoted to his wife—a point that even his most biting political enemies could hardly deny.
Therefore, so that they could still welcome their wedding anniversary next year,
Karl decided he would protect them.
He made this resolution in his heart.