Reincarnated as Nikolai II

Still more familiar with the corps system than divisions, we chose to supplement by taking small portions from military districts, including the Siberian Corps.

"No need to send more troops. The rest is supply transport. Witte, how much longer can we hold out with current financial drain?"

"Six months. We’ll need additional bond issuance within half a year."

"With the war situation favorable, there shouldn’t be problems with issuance?"

"I’ll send Minister Giers to Paris once more."

"Send him immediately."

With a desperately poor country not avoiding war, cries for money echo from all directions.

"When naval battles occur, we’ll surely lack battleships for defense! Your Majesty, we must put ships in dock now!"

"The security of the Baltic Sea is also threatened by the halved Baltic Fleet!"

"Another bumper crop is expected across Europe this year! At this rate, we can’t even estimate the year-end fiscal deficit!"

The war situation, the war situation is good.

In other words, only the war situation is good.

The empire, not so much.

"...Prime Minister, the industrialists. Can we seek their cooperation? Delay payments for now, or at least cut budgets elsewhere?"

"They’re actively cooperating in this war, expanding to the Far East thanks to policy financing. Conversely, the moment policy financing stops, they’ll halt like ships without power. Fortunately, there’s expectation for the Asian market, but you know. Show even a hint of coercion, and they’ll hide underground like moles."

"Damn, can’t even cut during wartime. Start with state-owned enterprises. There must be some money somewhere."

"Understood."

I promised General Dukhovskoy, departing as Commander-in-Chief, that we wouldn’t lose the war due to troop or supply shortages.

However, today, four months into the war, that promise rings hollow as our empire withers.

’Even if this war is a product of industrialization, is this level of material consumption physically possible?’

Is Roman firing machine guns day and night without rest? Are our artillery aiming before firing, or bombarding to create no man’s land?

Though I shouldn’t think this way, I almost wondered if casualties wouldn’t be better.

Perhaps it’s because I face all problems alongside officials, staying up through the nights.

"Your Majesty, regrettably some deviation incidents have occurred in our army."

"Speak."

"They attacked Manchurian homes, raped women, and burned them. It seems their hostility toward Japanese forces has extended to all Asians."

"...First, call the ambassador and resolve the situation. We can’t afford bad relations with China now. Ensure the soldiers are properly punished."

With incidents breaking out everywhere I wake up, even this place feels like a battlefield.

Today again, I couldn’t rest once until late into the night.

To use the officials longer, I dismissed them early, and they staggered out of the palace.

Alone in the study, sprawled in my chair, I try to relieve stress.

A single scrap of paper shielding my eyes from the ceiling light offered my only solace.

"No money, there’s no money."

After desperately running around for 10 years trying to revive reforms and industry, this country remains desperately poor.

Trade with France and America has increased, and grain exports to Germany and Britain are active, but grain prices have fallen 35% compared to 10 years ago. Accounting for inflation, it’s been cut in half.

Imperial citizens rejoice that it’s a good era for living and that national power is strong enough to wage an expansion war in the Far East, but.

What about tomorrow? Will we end up slaves to bonds like Japan in the original history?

Various anxious thoughts cross my mind.

The real problem is that this war is a preventive war for Russia, in other words, just a border battle fought as a foothold for establishing hegemony and before a greater war.

What about Britain? Ah, those wealthy ones would probably just plant flags with a handful of ground troops after maneuvering with the Royal Navy.

The United States? A war between Japan and that country whose national genes are packed with dominant traits? I can’t imagine America groveling to foreign banks for money like us.

This is ultimately Russia.

Massive weight class, but lacking stamina in comparison.

"Really, I’m going mad."

Thanks to the gold standard, we can sell bonds but monetary policy becomes impossible. It feels like when trying to take a step forward, the other foot gets stuck in mud and won’t budge.

At this point, it seems like I’m struggling alone.

Though irrational, would the best way to prevent something like this war from happening again be to completely exclude Japan from the Asian framework?

If we isolate and thoroughly squeeze them dry, their economic structure will surely create a hellscape.

They’re a perpetual trade deficit country like us, but with their weight class, they can’t endure an East Asian continental blockade, so even if we take some losses, maybe we should properly play chicken-

"...Hmm, should I ask mother for money if you need it?"

"Anna."

I thought I was alone and was muttering all sorts of nonsense, but Anna had slipped in through the door gap.

"Never mind. With Count Elston at the battlefield, how could I extort money too? How much of a villain are you trying to make me?"

"Hmm, weren’t you already a bad Tsar?"

"Tch, what about Nikita? Must be sleeping."

"Of course."

Anna’s beaming smile has the power to make even innocent people feel guilty.

Perhaps sensing my mood, Anna didn’t leave but came closer and perched on my desk.

"I thought you were always confident and full of certainty alone, but seeing my husband’s weakened side is new."

"Did you think I was some iron marshal? I’m human too, human."

"Is that so? I still can’t tell."

Human, yes, being just a human is felt when trying to wage war with this osteoporotic, obesity-ridden hollow shell of a pseudo-state.

Iron Tsar or reformist monarch, I don’t care about any of that - it’s laughable trying to save even a penny with officials to avoid bankruptcy in that Far Eastern war.

"How grand a nation is our Tsar trying to build to do all this?"

"Nikita shouldn’t have to struggle like me."

It doesn’t even need to last until my child’s generation. If we don’t stand firm this time, this country will definitely be forced to its knees with broken shins before the Great War.

No? Even without the Great War, we’ll naturally be pushed aside by Western Europe and the rising New World.

So even though I’m tired and breathless now, I must run.

"Yes, that’s it. If not now, then never..."

"I don’t know what you’re thinking, but don’t try to shoulder everything alone as Tsar."

"Then, want to help? How?"

"Like this."

With that, Anna suddenly lowered her head.

Startled for a moment, I dropped the documents I was holding to the floor. All I could do was stare into space with wide eyes.

"...Hah, does this help?"

"..."

Tonight, it seems work is impossible.