ch17

As I said, I have already witnessed the rise and fall of a modern Holy Roman Empire in this world with my own eyes.

And the things the Empire did in the process of that rise and fall could hardly be called justice.

Rather than justice, it was closer to the barbarism I so vehemently denounced from the podium. Just like now.

“You said you ‘suppressed the militia’ in Belgrade?”

“Yes, that’s right. The 9th Army under General Mackensen launched an operation to suppress the ‘militia that had not yet withdrawn’ and succeeded in annihilating them.”

“…”

The previous me didn’t know what her words meant. To be precise, I knew, but I closed my eyes and ears and turned away from it.

And once again, an ugly truth was revealed before my eyes.

“…Are you sure there are no problems under international law?”

“Yes. Three imperial soldiers were injured in an ‘engagement’ with the militia. At that point, they are no longer civilians but a militia that could stab us in the back at any moment.”

What would our ancestors, who first created international law, think if they saw this?

Surely, they would let out a sigh of lament.

“Laws exist not to be kept, but to be avoided.”

“Your Majesty?”

“It was just a soliloquy. Anyway, since there are no problems under international law, let’s end this matter here.”

This time again, I turned away from the ugly truth. However, this time it was not because I was afraid to face the truth, but because I wanted to avoid the troublesome things that would arise from facing it.

“When do you think you can finish the entire Yugoslavian campaign?”

“I believe it will be possible to finish it within this year.”

“Then isn’t that the end of the story?”

After the war ends, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia will be torn to shreds to the point where it will be impossible for them to protest against us.

Even if we lose the war, I’m not too worried. After all, if we lose the war, I’m destined to be blamed for everything and die. I’m already destined to die, so adding one more sin there won’t be a big problem.

I thought so and turned my attention to the next document.

The first month of the war was a truly hellish time for the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

The fall of Belgrade put the main force deployed towards Montenegro in danger of being surrounded. Fortunately, most of the army succeeded in withdrawing thanks to a forced march that was half-dead and the Imperial Army being distracted by the massacre in Belgrade, but there were also quite a few soldiers who collapsed from exhaustion from the long march.

The Yugoslavians thought it was impossible for a worse situation to befall them. They were in such a desperate situation.

But that was their sweet delusion.

The change occurred in Romania, a Latin country located just above Yugoslavia.

The Kingdom of Romania. Like Yugoslavia, they were a small country built by picking at the corpse of the dying Ottoman Empire.

And as newly born independent countries often do, they forcibly injected the drug of nationalism into the minds of their people in order to seize power.

“For a bigger, wider Romania!”

“The Romania drawn on the map now is too small! All the areas where Romanians live should be Romanian land!”

And like the Scandinavian kingdoms, they were able to wield the blade of nationalism towards both the Allied and Central Powers.

Of course, there was only one conclusion the Romanians wanted.

“Let’s get revenge on those Yugoslavian bastards!!”

Immediately after gaining independence from the Ottoman Empire, a conflict arose between the newly independent Romania and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia over how to divide the land.

In particular, over how to divide the land of Northern and Southern Dobruja.

The Kingdom of Romania wanted to divide the land of Dobruja, with the south, where many Slavs lived, going to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and the north, where many Romanians lived, going to Romania.

But the Yugoslavians gave such a polite proposal from Romania a literal big fuck you.

“No? We want all of the Dobruja region, not just a part of it!”

As soon as the war with the Ottoman Empire ended, they marched troops into Northern Dobruja.

Naturally, the Romanians were furious at the Kingdom of Yugoslavia’s actions, which had not been agreed upon in advance.

“Why are you arbitrarily seizing Dobruja, which is Romanian land?!”

Yugoslavia responded with silence. It was only natural. Compared to Southern Dobruja, Northern Dobruja had an overwhelmingly larger economy, size, and population, and above all, it was the only land route connecting them to their main ally, the Tsardom of Rus’.

Although it was not an imperial satellite state, handing over such a strategic point to Romania, which served the Hohenzollern royal family, an imperial family, as its king… was unsettling.

Eventually, the Kingdom of Romania and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, unable to bear it any longer, went to war, and that was the Second Balkan War.

Naturally, the Second Balkan War ended in a victory for the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which had an overwhelming size compared to the Kingdom of Romania.

The Romanians were furious about this.

“Why must we give Dobruja, where Romanian brothers and sisters have built their homes, to those Slavic bastards?!”

They had been sharpening their swords with the determination to let their brothers and sisters hear the sound of liberation, and now. Finally, the opportunity had come.

“The Holy Roman Empire has declared war on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia!”

“Revenge on those Yugoslavian bastards!!”

The Romanians began to urge participation in the war like boiling water.

The government of the Kingdom of Romania outwardly tried to calm the Romanian people who were urging participation in the war and tried to maintain neutrality as much as possible. Outwardly, that is.

The Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, the capital of Romania.

A man in a black suit entered the car parked in front of it.

“Welcome, Acting Ambassador Benninger.”

“Greetings, Deputy Prime Minister.”

A meeting that will determine the fate of Yugoslavia, no, the Balkan Peninsula in the future, has now been concluded.

“I apologize for having to have this ‘conversation’ in such a humble place because of the ‘parrots’.”

The ‘parrots’ refer to pro-Allied politicians. Of course, the majority of the Romanian people were calling for anti-Allied sentiment, but that was a story among the ‘insignificant commoners’. Romania received a lot of help from the Tsardom of Rus’ in the process of independence, so there was still collusion between them among the upper class and political circles.

If we were to hold talks in places like the royal palace or the parliament, we wouldn’t know when and where they might be eavesdropped on. Holding talks in a car parked on the street was one of the most reasonable methods.

“It’s alright. We also raise ‘parrots’, and they make so much noise here and there that it’s hard to concentrate.”

Benninger made a light joke and moved on to the main topic.

“So… the territory that the Kingdom of Romania wants… is about this much?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The Romanian representative answered in a voice without a hint of trembling.

I understand Bessarabia and the entire Dobruja region. But

“Taking away the territories of the Kingdom of Hungary and the Duchy of Bukovina, which are ‘allies’ of the Empire… seems difficult.”

Of course, they are not actually allies, but useless, literally ‘nuisance’ satellite states, but one Kingdom of Romania with well-trained soldiers is better than 10 satellite states, but there is still a matter of justification.

If we were to give the land of the Kingdom of Hungary and the Kingdom of Poland to the Kingdom of Romania here, doubts about whether the Holy Roman Empire is a ‘reliable country’ that fulfills its alliance obligations will spread among neutral countries.

After a push-and-pull negotiation, both sides reached an agreement.

“Well, then there’s nothing we can do. We’ll just have to be satisfied with the entire Dobruja and Bessarabia.”

Falkenhayn smiled at his answer. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was already pushed to its limits. Even if they squeezed out all their national power, it was doubtful whether they could block the Imperial Army’s spring offensive.

And for such a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Kingdom of Romania’s participation in the war would be the final nail in the coffin, piercing deep into the hearts of the Slavs.

“Then, when will we be ‘privately gifted’ this time…”

“Since our ‘parrots’ have to prepare secretly… the timing may be delayed more than expected. Maybe early next year, or maybe this winter at the earliest.”

That’s enough. It coincides exactly with the time when the 9th Army will start its offensive. It’s the perfect moment to blow off the heads of the Slavs who are distracted by the 9th Army.

“Alright. Then I’ll be on my way.”

Click. The man in the black suit carefully got out of the car.

The sun was already setting towards Belgrade.