Joseph was far from finished, and continued: "Of course, the focus of the 'Dual Core' remains on the military aspect.
"Signing a mutual defense alliance is just the foundation. To ensure that the two armies can fully cooperate in combat, a 'United Staff Headquarters' must be established.
"The armies will still be loyal to their respective kings, and the decision to go to war will be made by you through negotiations, but once the decision to go to war is made, it is this Staff Headquarters that will formulate the specific operational plans.
"The headquarters will have an equal number of officers from both countries, and it will make detailed arrangements for daily training, exercises, equipment, intelligence, and even troop recruitment.
"Oh, and the annual military budget must be submitted to the headquarters for review."
Maximilian I swallowed upon hearing this, testing: "Your Highness, you aren't joking, are you?"
