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Despite the many casualties caused by the nuclear fallout in Paris, I remained indifferent.

Perhaps it’s because I had already experienced something like this in the past.

The nuclear strike in Korea was launched by China and North Korea. On that day, as I was trying to head to Seoul to find my parents, I got swept away by the refugees.

After Seoul was attacked with nuclear weapons, there were no significant battles afterward.

Before China dropped nuclear bombs on Korea, they were forced to endure America’s nuclear shower alongside North Korea.

When the Taiwan War wasn’t going well, this nuclear war started with the aim of, “You’re all going to be screwed anyway.”

Anyway, seeing that I was part of the nuclear generation and that losing just one city was enough to cause such whining makes me feel sorry.

In any case, the French People’s Army and the remaining Communist German forces surrendered.

Well, of course. No one would want to resist in a battle where defeat was already visible in the face of such destructive power.

Above all, the French Commune and the surviving Communist Germans were in no better situation.

The Commune had lost their main forces to stop us on the Eastern Front, while the Communist Germans, after barely breaching the Sudetenland, crumbled when we joined the fight.

With a military that had exhausted every soul, all they could do was defend.

“Now, let’s change the mood. What happened to the British Army?”

Everyone seemed quite scared, so I clapped and turned to the Chief of Staff.

Surely, the British Army hadn’t been wiped out again.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing the country crumble once more.

Since Churchill had come in, bowing and scraping, there was no reason to push him away.

“They have advanced and taken Normandy. I heard they intended to stomp on the landings once our front lines stabilized.”

“Unfortunately for Prime Minister Churchill, he has missed the chance to become Mister Brittany because of me.”

Isn’t that a relief?

Since he hasn’t become Mister Brittany, he won’t be dragged down by angry Brits.

That alone is enough for Churchill to have done his part.

As long as Britain isn’t an enemy, there’s no reason for us to capture him.

“Serbia has also fallen, with Belgrade crumbling.”

“Did they send out any refugees?”

I guess France had no choice but to follow suit.

“I believe as soon as weapons were used, the King and the Regent tried their best to evacuate the citizens. After the royal family vanished, the number of citizens fleeing skyrocketed; Belgrade was practically left with only the military.”

I liked that.

Extracting the King was a masterstroke.

With no king, the citizens immediately started crawling out of Belgrade.

Well, whatever happened to those who stayed and died was their fate; what could be done?

“Well, that’s a relief.”

In any case, it didn’t matter, since both France and Serbia were done for.

Especially Serbia, as the country wouldn’t exist anymore, and the refugees would be absorbed by Bulgaria or the Danube Federation.

“The morale dropped significantly after the royal family was captured. The number of citizens fleeing surged right after the royal family disappeared.”

See? It really does work.

Thinking about this, I must be a genius, right?

“Then, let’s proceed with the occupation of the remaining areas aside from Paris. Now that Gamleyn has surrendered, they won’t be able to hold out much longer.”

“Understood.”

For two weeks, the Air Defense Alliance troops advanced through every nook and cranny of France.

The Spanish Army, having advanced to Bordeaux, attacked the Paris Commune forces that were left powerless due to communication breakdowns and wiped them out.

I heard that Franco’s skills accumulated during the Civil War were showcased.

In the south, the Italian Federal Army, alongside the Papal States troops, advanced under Rommel’s command, swiftly reaching north of Marseille and breaking the siege that had trapped our troops and Algerian forces together as they moved north.

France faced the greatest crisis it hadn’t experienced during the Franco-Prussian War or the Great War.

As time passed and several weeks rolled by, as France was almost entirely in our hands.

“Hahaha, these red bastards are like cockroaches. How are they still alive in all this?”

“Well, it might be thanks to the bunkers this time. The citizens have melted away into the dead, yet these bastards are just fine.”

We dispatched Spetsnaz and other special forces to capture the Commune and the German Communist Party’s leadership hiding in the underground bunker located beneath the Secretary-General’s residence in Paris.

Interestingly, according to the Spetsnaz accounts, they remarked that witnessing the living dead was even more grotesque than corpses with entrails spilling out on the battlefield, calling it a laughable situation as they braced themselves for a final stand against perfectly healthy Tourets and Goebbels.

When I interrogated the captives, it turned out that the bunker had been built in preparation for the Russian New Weapon bombings.

Although not for nuclear shielding, they certainly must have spent a lot of money on it, considering they managed to survive.

Unfortunately, a few had already committed suicide in the bunker, and Tourets and Goebbels weren’t in great shape either.

Both were trapped with their aides, unaware of the situation outside until the Spetsnaz stormed in and captured them.

Belgrade had fallen, and the war in Europe had finally come to an end.

“The instigators of the war, Goebbels and Tourets, have been captured. We have ultimately triumphed in this war!”

I declared the conclusion of the European front.

Protect the God Emperor!

O grand and majestic Tsar,

reign for glory, for our glory!

God, protect the Emperor!

O grand and majestic Emperor,

reign for glory, for our glory!

Let terror reign upon the enemies,

O Tsar of the Orthodox Church. God, protect the Emperor!

Let terror reign upon the enemies.

O Tsar of the Orthodox Church. God, protect the Emperor!

The anthem of the Russian Empire, “God, Protect the Emperor,” composed by Alexei Ribov, echoed from the White Army camp in all directions.

It flowed through the radio, with White Army soldiers humming and singing to celebrate their victory.

Finally, the European front of World War II had come to an end.

Regrettably, because Tourets and Goebbels were captured, it became difficult to turn them into cross-dressing gays, which was disappointing. But, well, victory was achieved.

After all, if everything follows the same pattern, wouldn’t it feel like manipulation in retrospect? It would be best to end this with a fair trial.

While I was contemplating, Anton Denikin, who had joined us, had a spark in his eyes.

“I have a good idea, Your Majesty.”

“What is it?”

“The captured Tourets and Goebbels appear quite disheveled. Whether it’s the effects of the nuclear fallout or not, they likely had no time to take care of themselves.”

That might be true. They had been in the bunker for a long time and even if they survived the nuclear impact, their situation couldn’t possibly be good.

Stuck in that cramped space for so long, they wouldn’t have been able to manage themselves.

“And?”

“How about it be rumored that the captured Goebbels and Tourets engaged in homosexual activities in the bunker? They can have a trial, while we spread the rumor, can’t we?”

Hearing that made my eyes light up as well.

Tourets and Goebbels being homosexuals.

This could make for a great caricature.

Some might think that the red bastards would have a deep connection, but there wouldn’t be too many who wouldn’t question the French Commune’s alliance with the German Communist Party.

“Not a bad idea. Given Goebbels’s state, I don’t expect him to say anything coherent, and we could just set up ‘that Goebbels’ in the trial as well.”

After all, the real Goebbels and the Communist Party could just be handed over to the German Empire.

I imagine our one-armed friend would be quite delighted.

He grants the last wishes of those who are dying; how could he not be able to hand over the Communists to Wilhelm, who is still alive well past his dying day?

“Yes, Your Majesty. I shall take care of it.”

“Then let’s prepare for their surrender process. Call Vladimir too. Compiegne works well.”

“““Yes, Your Majesty.”””

There was no need to prepare a separate surrender treaty.

Since the red leadership had been captured, what more was there to worry about?

We merely needed to formally conduct the surrender procedure on our end.

From the Commune side, Maurice Gamleyn was presented alongside the surviving Commune officials who had survived the fallout, and from our side, the Prime Minister and White Army generals participated from the National Duma.

Also participating were the beleaguered Winston Churchill and British officials, who had fallen again after the Brittany landing operation.

However, our Mister Dunkirk wanted to see me separately.

Curious about what he wanted, I saw him personally, and I nearly burst out laughing.

Perhaps he had suffered too much stress; Churchill had now become a shiny bald prime minister with very little hair left.

Upon meeting me, Churchill widened his eyes and started mumbling.

“What’s the matter?”

“When did the Tsar change? I distinctly heard that there was an heir, yet how is there a new Empress?”

It seems I resemble how he would perceive my daughter now.

Regrettably, I must inform him that I have no daughters.

Well, I suppose it’s natural for him to envy my youth.

Right now my appearance might be quite similar to the age he was before he became balding.

It’s not like the war had ended like this; if it had finished more leisurely, perhaps fewer people would have made comments on my looks.

“I was indeed the one who teased the Prime Minister by calling him Mister Gallipoli.”

“Why does your face look like that? Oh, my apologies. It’s just that it’s rather ridiculous. It seems age is bypassing the Tsar.”

Honestly, that’s a normal reaction.

Especially since the current leaders of the Air Defense Alliance, Wilhelm II, Hitler, and Churchill had all seen me; they couldn’t hide their shock at my youthful appearance.

“‘Saint’ is probably why.”

He looked at me suspiciously, as if considering that, before breaking off the thought, his face momentarily lost in confusion.

Right. It’s because ‘I’m a saint.’

Therefore, no theory fits correctly; just accept it as is.

Then, after a slight clearing of his throat, he switched the topic.

“Your Majesty, this British Prime Minister begs you. Please, grant that Brittany and Normandy be retained!”

Well, this is the main game.

He wants to keep the land they currently hold, so he’s asking for my favor.

Apparently, his past letter indicated that he wanted to turn France into a second Serbia.

“Well, if you granted the Tsar’s request, Brittany and Normandy would become the domains of the King of the homeland. I have no reason to decline.”

At my words, Churchill’s face twisted as if he couldn’t believe it.

“No, are you giving up the colonies and surrendering Gibraltar, and then you have more to say? Even Suez hasn’t fallen to Turkey yet? This is a matter of my life! Many soldiers died at Dunkirk; I cannot offer more of Britain’s territory. Please, I beg you.”

Churchill was pleading with a breath that sounded incredulous.

Well, of course. Thinking about Churchill in history, the current Churchill would have made an enormous concession according to his standards.

Even as an ally, if Suez fell to another nation, it could complicate the route to India considerably.

Sure, if he planned to grant independence to the colonies, then maybe Suez would be an acceptable loss, but surrendering Gibraltar would effectively mean withdrawing from the Mediterranean.

Wouldn’t history typically have Gibraltar intact?

He must have been sweating bullets, considering what demands I could possibly make next.

But this was beneficial for both of us.

I pulled out the bundle of papers I discussed with the Duma before, regarding the plan I had thought up of uniting Europe pre-war.

“While we should have another meeting to go into details later, here it is. The Rome Treaty Organization. We are establishing it anew for the peace and economic stability of Europe. The Prime Minister of the Danube is already in the loop, and Turkey has also been in discussions. Certainly, it doesn’t go without saying that the German Empire, which has regained its homeland because of us, will also be involved. This is about promoting peace across Europe.”

As I handed over the bundle, Churchill read through it, and for a brief moment, the animated look on his face stiffened.

Since I hadn’t included any insults towards Britain, it seemed acceptable enough. I even included clauses to boost British prestige on purpose.

“Hmm.”

“We’ll think about increasing our navy a bit, but we’ve heavily invested in the army and air force, and since we have plenty of investment areas available, we don’t feel the need to significantly expand the navy. After we gather the remaining vessels from the Commune and the German Communists, we plan to grow them suitably. Please take charge of the naval core of the Rome Treaty Organization.”

After all, Russia would inevitably become the new hegemonic power.

However, Churchill would inevitably reach one question.

What are we trying to contain?

After all, fleets are money pits; why create a combined navy to contain something?

“What is it we are trying to contain?”

Ultimately, Churchill posed the question.

“Once this war concludes, America will surely ascend as a superpower. We must contain them. Of course, the White Fleet of Russia and naval fleets from other nations will be part of this treaty navy as well.”

“Considering their capabilities, they would indeed crush Japan and dominate the Pacific. Hmm. If we refuse, what then?”

Oh! So you plan to refuse?

Are you daring to present such an option to me?

“Britain would find itself isolated in Europe, and the bomb that took out Paris would surely target London as well. Surely you are aware of this? However, if Europe unites, that weapon could potentially become a safeguard for Europe, including Britain.”

Churchill’s face turned pale.

 

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