To manipulate the chess game, one must first stoop beneath the chessboard. The true winner lies not in making an excellent move, but in letting the opponent willingly choose the path to defeat amid a complex maze. The essence of power is not in acquiring it, but in keeping others unaware of its existence. When everyone believes they have the freedom to choose, that is the day you control everything.
——Arthur Hastings
Eyelids heavy as if pressed by the Alps, Bismarck's consciousness like a fish pulled back to shore, struggling to reemerge.
Headache like needle pricks, throat dry as if after a long battle, yet the sound of carriage wheels crunching over gravel continually rings in his ears.
He struggled to open his eyes, vision blurred for a moment before gradually clearing, revealing the gently swaying carriage interior, sunlight filtering through the curtains, casting a dazzling light.
The carriage sways, scenery outside blurs in the morning mist, as it speeds briskly.
