Reincarnated as Nikolai II

In a situation where even the slightest hope of reversing victory and defeat had disappeared, the government couldn’t stop the falling bond prices.

"7% interest, no, 8%! Selling at a loss!"

"Get lost! You buy a lot!"

Imperial Headquarters also no longer put strategies and tactics on Itō’s desk.

Instead, they brought up different talk.

"Prime Minister, we must agree to an armistice now to save the remaining troops."

"What could be more important than human life?"

"That’s right. First we must save people according to the law."

Those who had proudly presented operations pledging sacrifice and driving reserves into hell now worry about human lives. It wasn’t even funny.

As even Imperial Headquarters completely turned to war impossibility, Itō became increasingly isolated.

Then one memory flashed through his head.

The proposals he made to the Tsar based on latitude during their talks.

’Back then. Should I have accepted it back then.’

Since his Crown Prince days, he had consistently not shown great greed toward Korea.

If they hadn’t drawn swords, they might have been able to swallow more than half of Korea without shedding a drop of blood.

But what meaning do such assumptions have now?

For him who started and lost the war, all that remained was to surrender and gloriously burn away.

"...Foreign Minister Takaaki."

"Yes, Prime Minister."

"Prepare surrender negotiations."

"Understood."

Already beneath the surface, talk must be going around about the cabinet after his departure.

Probably Saionji Kinmochi, President of the Privy Council, would be likely.

The final role of one of the greatest monsters in Japanese politics, a four-term prime minister, was now just to endure all shame and humiliation and vacate his position.

==

When the archipelago began realizing reality one by one and collective depression lowered the temperature by about 1 degree.

All of Russia shook at Japan’s official surrender negotiation proposal.

"We won! We won!"

"The war is over!"

"Long live His Majesty the Tsar!"

No longer the past of repeated decision victories and defeats even with that barbaric Ottoman Empire.

Now this country had proudly overwhelmed enemies as an empire.

What imperial citizen would dare not be excited at this news?

Heroes born with war.

"They say General Roman was raised by His Majesty the Tsar since his Crown Prince days?"

"What about General Dukhovskoy? He can truly be called the greatest noble of this era!"

"They say Colonel Hartzel’s regiment fights even as corpses when they die!"

Special effects from war and resulting expectations.

"Has this country’s domestic market ever been this active?"

"I hear those who went to the Far East first are sitting on money!"

"How far will the empire’s territory expand from now? Just our advance into Manchuria from that Qing seems incredible!"

Those who just waited for the war to end.

"sob Finally. Finally..."

"Prime Minister, don’t cry. If a strong person like you shows such weakness, we too-"

"The end of that damned Far Eastern war sucking the empire’s future dry. Ah, now our era has arrived. Qing? Korea? Japan? Ex. Act. Ly."

"Ah, it wasn’t that."

"What are you all doing? Let’s chew and taste the surrender negotiation conditions one by one! Really looking forward to it."

Or even one man who ended everything with the war’s end.

"We... won?"

"Yes! The war is over! Chairman, we did it!"

"Is that so..."

"All supplies in Manchuria are running out and even the crude factories are running day and night without rest!"

Nikolai Bunge, who didn’t leave Manchuria even when war broke out but rather provided necessary supplies to the military.

Now barely confirming news from bed with his failing body, when Bunge heard the news he had waited so long for, he felt as if the rope binding him all this time had suddenly loosened.

"Aah..."

Finally did it. Spent nearly 10 years in this Far East, gathering his crushed body while coming this far.

Worked hard on completing the Trans-Siberian Railway and made the Far East completely self-sufficient.

Established law and order in this land with nothing but farmland and made industry bloom.

He worked to strengthen Sergei Governor-General’s army and prepared for war in bureaucratic ways just as General Roman built fortresses.

Thanks to this, there was no Russian army plundering and no ammunition shortages on the battlefield.

Prevented massive national wealth from flowing overseas and those economic effects would take root throughout all of Manchuria.

"Heh. Heheh." Stay connected through empire

Though many junior bureaucrats were watching him in the room, Bunge couldn’t hold back this unpleasant laugh escaping his mouth.

If he could go back to St. Petersburg 10 years ago, he would want to shout with all his might to those who mocked him.

That he was right.

That he finally did it.

If you have two eyes, open them properly and see!

The achievements accomplished by this Nikolai Christianovich Bunge! The finally proven results!

But he was too old. No, his era had ended long ago.

He was just an old man forcibly causing trouble by squeezing into the flowing next generation.

Nevertheless, Bunge now.

"Hu, huhuh!"

Was happy. Laughter came out. He couldn’t hold it back.

Ah, perhaps. Really perhaps his entire life was for this moment?

Though his body had aged shabbily, now he felt he could finally spread his shoulders proudly.

"Haa, haa."

Though the sound from his throat wasn’t loud, it felt like Bunge’s loudest scream since birth.

"Haa... bureaucrats..."

"Yes, we’re all here!"

"Chairman, please speak!"

Bunge thought. He hoped they could taste even a fragment of this ecstasy he felt.

This was probably something only a tiny minority could taste even betting their life like himself.

In that sense, he was blessed.

"...This is. My life..."

Were his ears this dim before? Their mouths keep moving but he can’t hear well.

Ah, now no lingering attachment, regret, anger or slightest disappointment remained in his life.

"Keek, played well... Then farewell..."

’I go first.’

Did his mouth move when he spoke his last words?

He didn’t hear the sound.

Ah, is that because my ears are deaf?

Ah I don’t know.

Relieved.

Truly relieved.

So very relie-