ch2

After the coronation,

I boarded the carriage returning to the imperial palace.

The ride was surprisingly comfortable, because I had requested to return in a civilian carriage rather than the imperial carriage made in the Middle Ages.

In my first playthrough, I remembered riding in the imperial carriage and completely throwing out my back, leaving me unable to sit properly for a while.

Marie, the maid with striking long, soft brown hair, sitting next to me, spoke with a slightly dissatisfied expression.

“…Why was the coronation held on such a modest scale?”

I flinched. She covered her mouth.

“Ah… I, I certainly didn’t mean to insult the imperial family. So…”

Within the Holy Roman Empire, the emperor’s status is beyond imagination. Even the communists secretly active within the empire wouldn’t dare suggest executing the emperor.

It’s almost comical that it was the Christian Democratic Party, a center-right party, rather than the far-left Social Democratic Party, that led the charge for my abdication and execution.

Anyway. In such an empire, expressing negative opinions about the imperial family, such as saying the coronation was modest, could lead to charges of Lèse-majesté. Of course, they don’t execute you. What age is this?

You just have to complete an hour-long educational program.

Of course, the problem is that she said that in front of the emperor.

No matter how young and inexperienced the emperor may be, the emperor is still the emperor. In this quasi-autocratic nation, he has the authority to get rid of a maid.

Of course, the fact is that I have no intention of doing so at all.

“Pfft. Anyone would think I whip my subjects like my cousin (the Tsar of the Tsardom of Rus) in the Rus Empire. Don’t worry. That won’t happen.”

I’m not a black-haired beast who insults others just because they don’t please me. Although I have yellow hair now…

And more than anything, she was the one who held onto me when I was adrift and unable to adapt in the 20th century, the age of romance and barbarism, in a previous playthrough. I would give her favors, not punish her.

Of course, this is a clear abuse of power, but… in a quasi-autocratic nation, there’s no problem with protecting a maid.

“Your Majesty. By the way, what about the engagement?”

“Engagement?”

Ah. In the previous playthrough, I was half-pushed into an engagement. I soon made up a plausible excuse to break it off, though.

I chuckled and said.

“To arrange an engagement in a time when war could break out at any moment. It’s absurd.”

Besides, according to the Holy Roman Empire’s succession laws, my consort would naturally ascend to the throne. If that happens, my power would inevitably be significantly limited.

“I see. Understood.”

Come to think of it. I used the same excuse to postpone the engagement before and after the war in the previous playthrough. In this respect, I was just as clever as I was in the previous playthrough.

As I said, the emperor. No. The one who ‘was’ the emperor was assassinated.

In Sarajevo, the capital of the Kingdom of Croatia, a satellite state of the empire.

According to the information received from the intelligence department during the month or so of preparation for the coronation, the assassination was carried out by an assassin from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a nation of Rus’ people located in the southern part of the empire.

He didn’t even leave a will before he went boom.

‘Well… at least I’m spared the task of kissing a embalmed corpse. Should I be happy about that…’

If he had died from a gunshot, I would have had to kiss the embalmed corpse according to the traditional funeral rite. Isn’t this kind of lucky?

‘Hmm… Thinking about my corpse being kissed makes me feel a little weird?’

The Habsburg Traditional Funeral Rite ends with this generation.

Of course, that’s a problem to consider after winning the war.

‘Anyway.’

According to the investigation by the Belgrade embassy, the assassination was orchestrated by a political organization in Yugoslavia called the ‘Black Hand.’

Our Holy Roman Empire has demanded an explanation for this.

‘An emperor of a country was assassinated, so this much of a demand is okay, right?’

Of course, the Yugoslavians didn’t think so at all.

To put it bluntly… the Yugoslavians in the ‘previous playthrough’ sent us a letter filled with polite insults in response to our demands.

Of course, is this solely the fault of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia’s government? Well… long before I possessed this body, the feelings between the two nations were irrevocably twisted.

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia’s radical expansionist policy, advocating ‘Pan-Slavism’ with the slogan of one nation, one people, directly clashed with the Holy Roman Empire’s policy of creating satellite states with German royalty as kings in the Balkans to secure a safe zone in the south.

Therefore, the empire has consistently hindered the Kingdom of Yugoslavia’s expansion of influence by supporting Albanian independence movements, subjugating Montenegro through its satellite state, the Kingdom of Croatia, and imposing economic sanctions.

On the other hand, the Yugoslavians resented the Holy Roman Empire for constantly interfering with their attempts to unite and live together as one people.

‘And that resentment exploded in the Sarajevo incident.’

Anyway, the people’s pride wouldn’t allow them to bow down to an enemy they had been indirectly fighting for so long.

‘And more than anything… the fact that they have a strong backer must have contributed to the Yugoslavians’ arrogance.’

As I said, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia is a nation of Slavic people.

That means that behind them is the eternal big brother of the Slavic people. The Tsardom of Rus.

“Seriously… they would foam at the mouth if an emperor was assassinated in their country… I just can’t understand it.”

Well, the justification isn’t important. The justification is just a pretty wrapping paper prepared for the heinous contents of war.

Ding.

I rang the bell to call the maid.

“Let’s go to the War Ministry.”

The two countries have long crossed the ‘line’ that can be resolved through diplomacy.

There is no intention to resolve this issue peacefully through diplomacy.

Then all that remains is war.

“The Imperatrix is entering!”

The chamberlain announced the arrival of the recently enthroned Imperatrix.

The generals in ceremonial dress all rose to greet the Imperatrix.

They have two things in common.

First. They have mustaches.

Second. They are traitors.

Traitors who abandon the emperor and secure their own safety.

I want to crack open their skulls and see if they are plotting to overthrow me, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, in their brains.

But unfortunately, I don’t have the power or authority to do so right now.

Without realizing it, I asked the general right next to me, a traitor named Moltke.

“To whom do you pledge your allegiance?”

“…? To the fatherland and Your Majesty.”

“Pfft. Of course, you would.”

Outwardly, that is.

“I misspoke.”

As I sat down, the generals also sat in their chairs.

This is a war council to decide on the invasion of Europe, and a staff officer of the rank of captain brought a baton and briefly briefed on the situation.

“Difficult.”

A general muttered quietly. He’s right. It’s difficult. Very difficult.

To the east, the Tsardom of Rus, a large nation, to the west, the French Republic, a traditional military power, to the south, the Kingdom of Savoy-Two Sicilies and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and to the north, the bat-like Scandinavian Kingdom are all aiming daggers at the empire.

‘And if you add England, which is blocking the North Sea…’

In fact, except for satellite states such as Jutland, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, and Bukovina… almost all of Europe is pointing a knife at the empire.

‘The catch is that even the satellite states could betray us at any time.’

We are essentially being forced to put on a one-man show. Even in this playthrough.

“The most important thing is to reduce the number of fronts. Launch a massive offensive against the French Republic. The key to this operation is to occupy Paris within six weeks and eliminate France, a major power, from the war first.”

Indeed. A reasonable argument. At least 50 years ago.

“I reject it.”

“Your Majesty?!”

He looked as if he was saying, “How dare a kid who doesn’t even know the basics of military affairs give orders?”

Well, I have my reasons.

“So, you’re saying we should drive our weak soldiers into the machine guns?”

“Your Majesty. That is merely a necessary sacrifice.”

A necessary sacrifice. That’s right.

“But the problem is, even if we spill the blood of countless young men on the plains of Gaul, what do we gain? Is it possible to break through a thick front with infantry alone? No. Can we even make a small hole in the front, let alone break through?”

The fact that tens of thousands of casualties would be recorded in the report to break through a well-established defensive line was revealed by the American Civil War and the Rus-Japanese War.

“Your Majesty. We can break through the weak French army’s front with the spirit of our imperial soldiers!”

I barely swallowed the words, “Break through? You were faltering from the start.”

“Well, I agree that we need to reduce the number of fronts. However. I think we should prioritize crushing the weak enemies.”

Such as Yugoslavia or the Kingdom of Savoy-Two Sicilies.

“But Hungary and Croatia can handle the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and even if the Scandinavian Kingdom joins the war, the Duchy of Jutland can stop that weak nation.”

If our allies could do that, I wouldn’t be saying this right now.

“To put it bluntly. Our satellite states have no intention of fighting for the empire.”

The reason they are participating on our side is simply because their kings have the name ‘von Habsburg.’ Even the Duchy of Jutland was forcibly created to secure a buffer zone between the Scandinavian Kingdom and the empire, wasn’t it?

There’s no way they would sacrifice their lives for the empire.

They seem to agree that the allies’ will to fight is at rock bottom. They just stroked their mustaches at my words.

“We should use the fortresses on the border to defend against major powers such as France, Rus, and Savoy-Two Sicilies, and leisurely eliminate their weak allies one by one.”

Finally, we will gather the imperial troops scattered across all fronts and launch a decisive offensive. To end the war.

This is the grand strategy for victory, completed through the failures of my previous life.

“And the most suitable country to eliminate first is… the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.”

My argument wasn’t seriously flawed, and some of the generals seemed to agree with my argument.

Well, to be precise, it’s closer to the fact that I was also arguing for the plan they had originally proposed.

“I have two questions. Is this an imperial order or advice?”

The old general sitting across from me, General Konrad, asked me.

“It’s an imperial order.”

I answered immediately.

“Then… does this plan contain personal feelings towards Yugoslavia?”

“Personal feelings…?”

What does that mean…? Ah.

Is he talking about my biological father?

“Pfft. As if.”

I chuckled and replied.