Ch.344Returning to Moscow

“How about preparing troops to dispatch to Japan first?”

“No matter what, that wouldn’t be right. It would break our promise with the United States.”

Unless they’re fools, the Japanese must also understand how dangerous the situation is.

They should know what future awaits if they fight. All we can do is hope they’ll act properly.

“Your Majesty. The Japan situation might actually turn out well.”

“The Japan situation turning out well?”

Is there any way for things to go well there?

Either America withdraws on its own, or we swallow our pride and cut our losses. Those are the only options.

If we withdraw, the Co-Prosperity Sphere would have to fight America alone, and even with support, they couldn’t defeat the United States.

Yes. In the worst-case scenario, we really should withdraw.

Until recently, we were tied up in the Middle East, so it makes perfect sense to say we need to rest.

This should have been Renya Mutaguchi’s job from the beginning.

Anaemon! Couldn’t you have handled this before I had to step in? How long do I have to clean up after you?

“Yes. It seems that Renya Mutaguchi is quite an extraordinary person after all.”

Extraordinary is a relative term.

Well, judging by how much he bothers me, he’s probably not an ordinary person.

That’s what I thought at first.

“Renya Mutaguchi personally led troops into Eastern Japan.”

What?

I was shocked by the news Beria brought.

Could it be that our Mr. Motenko has risen up against America?

Because he couldn’t bear to see the Yamato people of Eastern Japan suffering under Yankee rule?

This isn’t something to rise up against out of heroic sentiment.

“Ohhh, he finally made a proper move!”

Doesn’t Mr. Motenko understand the concept of dialogue?

This leaves us with no choice but to cut our losses! If we could drag things out through dialogue, we might have been able to intervene and create a situation we could work with.

Well, I suppose Renya Mutaguchi might have been influenced by those around him.

But even so, this reduces our options.

“It’s almost safe to say there won’t be a war.”

“No war?”

If he’s already entered Eastern Japan, shouldn’t we consider that he’s made his move? Was Renya Mutaguchi stupid enough to charge in despite the presence of nuclear weapons?

Well, let’s hear more.

“Renya Mutaguchi has personally shown room for compromise, they say.”

Compromise sounds good. Yes, I like that word.

But separately from that, why exactly are Renya Mutaguchi’s troops in Eastern Japan right now?

It doesn’t make sense.

“But why did the troops enter?”

“The troops that entered Eastern Japan are dealing with Japanese imperial remnants, not communists.”

The troops that entered Eastern Japan are dealing with imperial remnants, not communists?

How did things develop this way?

“Tell me the details.”

Or perhaps Beria is getting old and didn’t investigate properly.

If that’s the case, I might have to beat Beria up.

“Yes, here it is.”

The document Beria confidently handed over detailed everything Renya Mutaguchi had done in Japan, written word by word.

“Asia. Peace in our time. The man who prevented World War III. Establishment of a peaceful unification organization to promote peaceful unification.”

According to the extensive propaganda in Western Japan, Renya Mutaguchi declared there would absolutely be no compromise with communists and set out to deal with imperial remnants.

What will happen now?

“It seems Renya Mutaguchi truly is a hero after all.”

“He actually pulled it off.”

Does the position really make the man?

No, he was just lacking in military talent. He was an elite officer after all.

So he must have some brains to work with.

“To think it would be the Peace Declaration of Asia.”

The Peace Declaration of Asia. It’s truly surprising.

Here, our Mr. Motenko has essentially become a new shogun.

“This has grown much bigger than expected.”

This is too different from what I intended.

Well, this is good for us too, but in original history, this man who wiped out 90,000 Japanese troops and became known as the Dark Independence Army is now being treated like this?

Honestly, it’s a bit suspicious.

Could he be possessed?

“Was he originally this intelligent?”

“He must have been using his brain to survive. Unless he’s a fool, he’d know that war would essentially lead to World War III. Especially since he knows America has nuclear weapons. He must have been thinking.”

“Hmm. I see.”

So he’s taking a submissive stance toward America while showing strength to the Western Japanese to prevent discontent.

In other words, it’s lip service.

Yes. He may have committed the monumentally stupid Imphal Operation, but we can’t treat him as a complete idiot because of that one thing.

He was a power player in Southern Manchuria for over a decade.

During that time, he must have engaged in politics with the Imperial Headquarters, so he can’t be brainless.

I had a relatively high opinion of him.

“It can’t be helped.”

It’s not good for me to meddle everywhere all the time.

So perhaps I should stop worrying about Japan now. It’s out of my hands.

If I interfere unnecessarily, I’ll only provoke MacArthur, so I decided to wash my hands of it.

“This makes the future safer.”

“With the Middle East and now Japan resolved, there’s nothing more to see.”

Yes. There’s nothing more to see now.

Whether they build my mosque or not, they can handle it themselves, and all that’s left is to return to Moscow.

No, wait, I think there are still some things I need to handle regarding Japan.

For example, Western Japan must be buzzing with talk right now.

Either blindly following the hero Motenko, or perhaps slightly disappointed in him.

In this case, wouldn’t it be better for me to clearly support Motenko?

“I should visit Western Japan.”

“Western Japan, sir?”

I think I should visit Western Japan at least once.

If I don’t, it might feel uncomfortable.

He asked for my help, and if I don’t do at least this much, our Renya Mutaguchi might feel let down.

While I’m at it, I can also check on the Anastasians in the archipelago directly.

“After this incident, some might be disappointed in Renya Mutaguchi, so I should set the stage appropriately.”

I should at least make it clear that Renya Mutaguchi was right in this matter!

“Ah, I see.”

“But there are Anastasians in Eastern Japan too, right?”

Shouldn’t we deal with them too?

“Yes. Most moved to Western Japan, but some still remain.”

Yes. Those Anastasians are a problem too.

If they remain, we could be threatened again at any time.

For example, if Eastern Japan Anastasians ask Renya Mutaguchi for help in raising an army. That could become troublesome.

“Why do they remain?”

I’m concerned about them right now.

“They probably want to establish an Anastasian regime in Eastern Japan and achieve peaceful unification.”

That makes sense, but it’s still a problem.

It means they could cause another war crisis in the future. Whatever exists, they’ll want to form their own government.

“So what other groups are there?”

“The existing Communist Party and imperial remnants. And a very small minority…”

“A very small minority?”

Why are you being so suspenseful?

The imperial remnants are fascists, the reds are Trotskyists, and the Anastasians are just Anastasia fan clubs.

What else is there?

Excluding the Kanto Republic, ah, there are anarchists.

I hope it’s not them.

“There are even anarchists who truly hate everything.”

Ah, I see.

Well, if I were there with people shouting “Tenno Heika Banzai!” on one side, “For the Proletarian Revolution of the Yamato People!” behind me, “Anachang Daisuki!” in front, and “Big Brother America, heh heh!” next door, I might also think “Let’s just have anarchy.”

It must be quite messed up.

“So the Kanto Republic only controls the Kanto region.”

With that chaos, controlling just the Kanto region is probably the best they can do.

“Unfortunately, that’s correct.”

It means the Kanto Republic isn’t in good shape. Hmm.

But America won’t abandon the Kanto Republic.

It will cost them a lot of money going forward, but they’ve come too far to give up.

Do you know how much money I’ve poured into this! I can’t abandon it now! America is holding onto Japan for face-saving after abandoning South America, so they won’t give up.

It seems America is having a hard time because of this situation.

Thanks to the seeds I planted. Motenko and Trotsky.

So I should support Motenko and say that peaceful unification of the Japanese archipelago is the right path for now.

At least here, if I help Motenko enthusiastically, we can project an image that “We won’t abandon you either!”

“Hmm, should we look after the Anastasians?”

The Anastasians might cause problems later, so it might be good to hand them over before they become seeds of new conflict.

I could discuss this with MacArthur. Motenko would probably agree with us on this point.

“What about dealing with Trotsky while we’re at it?”

“With America so deeply involved, can we catch him?”

Those guys have been stubborn for a long time, and it seems the war with America is almost at its end?

If we get involved, we might just get caught.

Like accusations that we interfered with the Japanese Communist Party.

“What about trying a different approach?”

“A different approach?”

Yes. What would that different approach be?

“Yes. For example, using other Bolsheviks.”

Other Bolsheviks. Aren’t they almost all dead by now?

Ah, is Stalin still alive? He’s openly changed professions now.

He claims he hasn’t defected, but seeing how he sells out the Bolsheviks, he’s completely corrupted.

He acts like he’s not, but Stalin has already been influenced by our side.

Maybe because the Bolsheviks screwed him over, who knows.

“Let’s use Stalin.”

“Stalin, sir?”

Stalin is a good errand boy we can use anytime.

He has many useful aspects.

This time, if we ask him to write a letter to persuade Trotsky, wouldn’t he comply?

At least that’s what I think.

“Shouldn’t Stalin be persuasive enough?”

Anyway, Stalin is all we have left now.

I think Trotsky has enjoyed the revolution enough by now.

“But may I ask why you want to call Trotsky? Frankly, I think it’s almost meaningless.”

That could be true.

Why call Trotsky? It’s simple.

I just want to take care of him since he’s worked hard until now. What he stirred up in Japan was so big that I want to pull him out at the right time.

“He only causes discord.”

Since he only causes discord, now is the perfect time.

“He should open a chicken restaurant or something.”

We shouldn’t let the damage increase any further.

Let’s bring Trotsky in and let him open a chicken restaurant.

He’s probably had enough fun by now.

His life has nothing left but a chicken restaurant anyway.

If he opens a chicken restaurant, he won’t be able to think of anything else.

Even this much consideration is the maximum courtesy I can show to a communist.

“Beria will handle Trotsky.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Let’s head back now. Let’s go to Moscow to wrap things up and then go directly to Japan to praise Renya Mutaguchi’s “Peace in Our Time.”

That way, we can quickly finish the Japan issue.

“Now let’s return to Moscow.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

It’s been a while since I returned to Moscow.

Besides Japan, there’s something else I’m looking forward to. We’ve launched a satellite, so what remains is a spacecraft.

We’re about to fully enter the field of space development.

* * *

Roman Space Development Research Institute, Moscow, United States of Russia.

Here, various researchers from around the world were dedicated to space development.

Recently, the United States of Russia successfully launched a satellite into space.

This was in 1954, at least three years earlier than in the original history.

Rocket engineers Valentin Glushko, Sergei Korolev, Yuri Kondratyuk, along with 6,000 rocket and space engineers supported by the German Empire and the Imperial family, successfully launched Sputnik on their first attempt.

Naturally, all of Europe was surprised.

After all, they had actually launched a satellite into space.

“Does this really work?”

“Russia was always rich, so I guess it was possible. German technology is quite good too.”

The countries of the Roman Treaty now couldn’t help but be interested.

Having succeeded in launching a satellite, something they thought was just a dream despite its possibility, they wanted to try it themselves.

The Roman Treaty sent their talents to Moscow to focus on space development.

And finally, they had developed some plans for how to develop a spacecraft.