Ch.376Trip to France

# Vichy France

Around this time, the idea of unification with Burgundy was beginning to emerge in Vichy France.

“Shouldn’t we pursue reunification with Burgundy soon?”

Burgundy had been independent for a long time.

By now, wouldn’t it be worth trying?

If they could just get a positive response regarding unification from the Rome Treaty, the situation would change.

So La Rocque brought up Burgundy in parliament.

“I hear Germany is also trying to unify with Burgundy.”

“What? The Kaiser already took Alsace-Lorraine and Luxembourg thanks to us—what more does he want?”

De Gaulle blurted out in disbelief.

Though he was now old with failing eyesight, the news that Germany might take Burgundy made him grab the back of his neck in shock.

Wasn’t Russia getting too carried away after forming an alliance with the Eastern Army?

Logically speaking, France had only suffered losses in the previous war.

Of course, they had managed to incorporate Algeria into the mainland to compensate for the territory taken by Britain.

“Shouldn’t we inform the Rome Treaty headquarters?”

“What’s the point? It’s the Rome Treaty after all.”

If Germany decided to unify with Burgundy, it would be the worst-case scenario for France.

Losing their mainland territories beyond Algeria was painful.

“Come now, is what we directly control the same as what the Rome Treaty controls?”

Isn’t a toy in your own hand different from one in your parents’ possession?

“Burgundy was originally part of France. This is just…”

The mainland territories already lost to Britain were shocking enough.

While things had changed after beating those damned Reds, they had essentially lost their entire northern coastal region.

Even though they were united under the Rome Treaty, dissatisfaction was inevitable.

And then, new information arrived.

“I hear the Tsar is coming.”

The Tsar is coming? What could this mean?

“What business does the Tsar have here?”

“Officially it’s a royal progress, but they’re calling it a vacation. Apparently, they’ll be entering Paris first.”

Officially a royal progress, but a vacation.

Could that Tsar really be making a simple vacation trip?

Hasn’t trouble followed everywhere that Tsar has gone?

A walking disaster.

Moreover, there was some resentment toward the Tsar within France.

Though Paris had been wiped out, wasn’t it nuclear weapons created by the Russian Tsar that did it?

Naturally, there would be anti-Tsar sentiment.

Of course, it was merely discomfort, not enough to warrant terrorism against the Tsar who ended the war.

In reality, with the general mobilization order, many had died, and even among the citizens of the Commune, some had wished for the war to end.

“A trip to France? Hmm. Well, Vichy is a nice resort area.”

De Gaulle, now deeply wrinkled with age, muttered cautiously.

“Is this really the time to talk about resorts?”

What else would Vichy be if not a resort?

“Would that Tsar seriously come here just for vacation?”

Hadn’t the Tsar recently told the Rome Treaty headquarters that they wanted to rest?

Though they said they were coming to France to rest, would it really be just that? France could only feel anxious.

“Well then, let’s bring up unification while they’re here.”

Burgundy was essentially an autonomous government that could go either way.

It was in a position where it could be absorbed by either Germany or France.

Of course, they would need to tread carefully.

“So we need to accommodate the Tsar’s vacation as much as possible?”

The French parliamentarians were sweating at the thought of catering to the Tsar’s whims.

The Emperor of the Rome Treaty.

How much should they accommodate such a woman on her vacation?

“I suppose we must.”

“This is madness. How did our France end up like this?”

The parliamentarians sighed at how the once-great France had fallen so low.

Who would have thought it would be this bad? It was truly pathetic.

To think they had to be so mindful of Russia now.

“We nearly lost the mainland entirely and barely got it back. The damage from those damned Commune bastards sending every man to the Sudetenland is too great. We should be grateful to have gotten any land back at all.”

La Rocque was being realistic.

Frankly, with France in such a hopeless state, what would happen if they just handed it over to Britain, Germany, and Spain?

France might have inevitably become an Algeria-France dual republic.

They should be grateful to have been spared at all.

# Paris, France

The journey to Paris, France was quite short.

I just took a direct train through Poland, Germany, and the Low Countries to get there.

Europe being unified really makes things convenient.

It’s also remarkable how quickly post-war recovery is progressing.

“Phew, finally arrived.”

Paris now has a new sky, different from when the nuclear bomb fell.

I had visited here once before, a long time ago.

To be precise, during the war. Literally during the World War.

I entered a few weeks after the nuclear bomb fell.

Back then, it was full of ruins. The aftermath of the nuclear bomb had turned it into what could only be called a ghost town.

Honestly, I had some expectations.

After all, Pétain had nuked their own capital, and afterward, the Rome Treaty ordered its reconstruction.

The Paris I arrived at after so long was in an unusual state.

“So this is Paris. Hmm.”

I had only seen Paris as ruins before.

The city has changed a lot since then. If I had to describe it in words, it feels like a dollhouse.

It seemed like a city made purely for show.

It felt somewhat strange, as if it had been decorated over and over again.

The exterior resembled an unsettling toy house.

“Yes, it has changed a lot.”

Maria II, who accompanied me on this trip, said while looking at the Eiffel Tower standing tall in the distance.

The Eiffel Tower. That’s not just any Eiffel Tower.

As I ordered, they demolished the original Eiffel Tower, packaged it, and rebuilt it to look impressive.

It was different from the basic Eiffel Tower that was just a steel skeleton, with various additions to the framework.

“It became a sad place. Truly pitiful. All those people who died here.”

Many people died here.

Yes, the Paris Commune. Truly regrettably. It shouldn’t have happened. So many died, sadly.

They died from the nuclear bombing.

It really made me realize how terrifying radiation is.

“You mean the bombing victims?”

“Those bombing victims met such an unfortunate end.”

In truth, I essentially left them to die, but anyway.

If anyone can be hypocritical, it’s me. The one called the Saint of Death.

Only someone like me can be this nonchalant.

“But weren’t they Reds?”

“That’s right. They were Reds.”

The dead, no matter how generously you look at them, were just Reds.

“If they were Reds, I suppose it doesn’t matter if they died.”

If they’re Reds, it doesn’t matter if they die.

Only Reds must be killed. That’s how I’ve taught the Russians.

That’s why I quite like what Maria II is saying.

No matter what happens later, this world will be dedicated to anti-communism.

“But it’s pitiful, you know. How did it come to this? I can’t help but think about it every day.”

In truth, I don’t feel anything inside.

But when I think about it, it feels that way. What is this ideology anyway?

Why get so obsessed with those Reds and suffer such damage?

“It couldn’t be helped. It was all the choice of the French Commune, wasn’t it?”

“In the end, it was because of their damned pride. So, are there no Paris citizens left?”

If they all died because of their pride, are the people here now all from other regions?

“The Commune itself was completely wiped out. The people here now are all immigrants, I’d say.”

It seems obvious.

Despite being a city that experienced hell in Paris, there were many people.

“So these aren’t the original Paris citizens.”

The reconstruction isn’t complete yet.

There was a lot of discussion during the Rome Treaty integration process, so it seems to have reached a nearly incomplete level just now.

Roads have been newly paved and buildings have sprung up everywhere.

“Yes, the Rome Treaty is also running a project to accept immigrants.”

A Rome Treaty project to accept immigrants.

Tsk, the Rome Treaty is really doing its job properly.

“Even immigrants?”

“Yes. They seem to be trying to fill Paris even with immigrants.”

That would be fine too.

There must be people who weren’t compensated by their countries after the last war.

Some would have lost their homes, and there must have been many refugees, especially when Britain occupied northern France.

They’ll probably try to make Paris a place to accommodate such people.

But at this rate, in the future, Paris will no longer be a city just for the French.

“It’s become almost like a tourist destination.”

Paris has completely become a tourist spot.

“Shall we rest here for a while? Is there anything fun to do?”

“Besides cafés and bakeries, there doesn’t seem to be much.”

Is there really nothing else?

“That’s a bit disappointing. I came here to relax.”

“What can we do? It’s being reconstructed recently. But the food is delicious, isn’t it?”

That’s true. The French bread was quite edible.

Yes, I expected too much.

If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have erased Paris.

Then I could have eaten all the food in Paris, which had been my dream for a long time.

If it weren’t for the Commune, it would have been perfect. Ah well.

“I suppose so. Then, shall we go to Vichy?”

I was trying to have some fun, but it didn’t work out.

Still, seeing the Eiffel Tower is satisfying enough.

It was damaged and unsightly before. After all, it’s just a pile of steel made by humans.

Isn’t this the Eiffel Tower of an alternate history?

Just then, several men in black suits appeared.

“Are you the Tsar?”

“Who dares to address my mother the Tsar?”

Maria stepped forward to block them.

Who is this guy? This is the first time I’m seeing a Frenchman here.

At first glance, his appearance in a suit with his face covered suggests he’s not an ordinary person.

Is he here to terrorize me? No, that seems suspicious.

“I apologize. I’m from the Cross of Fire.”

“Cross of Fire?”

Is the Cross of Fire still around? Well, I had heard of it.

“It’s similar to Russia’s Roman National Party. Our party leader is François de La Rocque.”

So La Rocque is still alive.

“Ah, I know about him. But why have you followed me?”

“I apologize. We were concerned about Your Majesty’s safety.”

I can understand that.

Of course, a national leader is moving around. The Rome Treaty side would have known.

It’s very natural for them to come to protect me.

“No, that’s understandable. I know.”

“But you seem to have something else in mind, don’t you?”

“Actually, our party leader expressed a strong desire to meet Your Majesty.”

“The party leader? You mean I have to go in person? Shouldn’t the person who wants to see me come to me? Don’t you think?”

How impertinent. Shouldn’t he know to kneel? Right?

“That would be the proper protocol, but he has prepared a villa in Vichy and invites Your Majesty.”

“Oh, an invitation?”

An invitation is different, but is it necessary?

It’s not like I’ve ever met La Rocque.

I have seen him, though.

“Yes, we would like to escort you personally, but since Your Majesty is moving secretly, if our party leader were to move directly, wouldn’t it cause a commotion?”

Right. That’s correct. I don’t want things to get blown out of proportion either.

My presence here is supposed to be ‘secret’ after all.

The national governments and local offices know, but at least the citizens here don’t know about me.

So, while La Rocque’s approach is annoying, it can’t be helped.

If it became known that I had arrived, there would be chaos everywhere.

Yes, this isn’t so much impertinence as good situational awareness. But La Rocque specifically wanting to see me is a bit suspicious.

“Why?”

“He said he has something to ask regarding unification.”

Unification, I see. According to the treaty, it’s about unification with Burgundy.

Yes, he can have such thoughts. Unification with Burgundy is fine.

As a citizen of a divided nation, I can fully understand that feeling.

But I only understand it to that extent.

Why should I help with that?