Ch.59Age of Madness (3)

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General Gajda’s face was gleaming with health, having been well-fed and well-treated during his time in Russia.

Despite this, his firm resolve remained unchanged.

“General Gajda. Austria has agreed to accept you. Have you made your decision?”

“Yes. I will go to Austria.”

“I had hoped to send you to Czechoslovakia. It’s unfortunate.”

This is real.

As if anyone could have predicted that Czechoslovakia would remain under Austrian control.

Gajda hadn’t expected it either, which is why he’s not voicing any particular complaints.

“It’s the decision of Britain and France, so what can I do? The victorious powers always act predictably.”

“Still, the Kaiser of Austria seems quite desperate. He’s even asking for a mutual defense treaty.”

“From Austria?”

“I hear that even the British forces in Austria are planning to withdraw. They want to focus on internal affairs. In other words, once the forces that maintained the monarchy leave, Austria will be left in an ambiguous situation.”

An isolated Austria.

I can already see it being absorbed by Germany through a red-flavored Anschluss.

That would certainly boost Communist Germany’s power.

“There’s a high probability that the Communists will seize power.”

“Yes, the imperial family had already lost public support. They were only maintained thanks to Britain’s victory. The rise of communism seems inevitable.”

That’s almost certainly the case.

Red forces have occupied both above and below.

Surely such talk must be circulating within Austria as well.

In this situation, Karl will need his own armed forces.

“What does the Tsarina wish for?”

I like how quick he is to catch on.

I don’t particularly want anything.

I simply want Gajda to take control of the Austrian military and prevent the Communist Party from taking over.

I can’t bear to see the Balkans turn red.

The more Communists there are to kill, the more exhausting it becomes for our army.

Moreover, what would people say if the country of the Holy Maiden were to wipe them all out?

So I just need to sweep away the axis of evil.

“I don’t particularly want anything. I just think that for General Gajda to survive in Austria, you need to cooperate with the Kaiser. You should make yourself indispensable to the emperor as the military force supporting him.”

“Not a bad idea. That would also resolve the issue of treason. As it happens, someone recently came to see me.”

Yes. I know.

That’s why I’m excited about this.

The combination of Gajda and our Adolf, who awakened early under my influence. I’m really looking forward to this.

“Yes. Adolf Hitler. He’s recently been put in charge of Moscow’s urban planning. Is that acceptable?”

“He seemed to have the ability to sway people.”

“I hope he’ll be helpful in reviving Austria, but Communist Germany will likely try to occupy Austria by force.”

That’s the only way for Communist Germany to build up its power.

Then they’ll join hands with their fellow Communist friends in Italy.

“I’ll try to prevent it somehow.”

“Austria’s survival is essential for Russia’s efforts to stop communism. I’m counting on you.”

“Yes.”

Shortly after, Gajda returned to Austria with the Czechoslovak Legion.

And so Gajda’s matter was resolved.

Really. I almost prefer war.

If there’s no risk of dying anyway, playing around shooting guns on the battlefield is a form of entertainment. I think it might be a good idea for me to personally participate in World War II.

That is, if this cheat-level body of mine still exists by then. It could be quite useful.

A Tsar who personally enters combat in World War II.

Wouldn’t the name Anastasia remain in the records forever after that?

It’s not my original name, but it’s not bad for vicarious satisfaction.

Come to think of it, I wonder how Tesla is doing.

Considering Russia’s current situation, he’ll need to focus on generating electricity to achieve what he wants.

Will he be able to do all that?

Given his genius, he’s probably already made progress.

Well, he’ll figure it out. That’s beyond my knowledge.

In that ruined world I came from, I had to coerce people just to get electricity. I’m not a technician in that field, so I don’t know.

I firmly believe there won’t be any old men coming to grade me on this.

I don’t think Nikola Tesla would come to me for evaluation on electrical engineering.

—As I thought this with relief, I wanted to tear my hair out.

Because Nikola Tesla actually came to visit me.

Why on earth would this man seek me out? Humanly speaking, I think he’s well past the point of asking for my opinion on things.

“Your Majesty.”

What could he possibly want to say?

“Yes. What did you want to discuss?”

I seriously wondered if I should dig up what little chemistry knowledge I retained from sleeping through high school classes. Surely he doesn’t think I’m his peer just because I once mentioned radar?

How should I explain? How can I ensure that history won’t record that Anastasia I dumped work on Tesla?

“This Russian land has so many shortages and backward elements that my brain is spinning as vigorously as in my youth.”

I don’t know what he’s been up to, but this man is standing before me with disheveled hair, visibly excited.

He gestures at his head with his fingers, spinning them around to enthusiastically express that his brain is working overtime.

Why is he acting like this?

In a different way, his expression resembles Semyonov’s when he’s caught up in Russian nationalism, which quite bewildered me.

Perhaps the saying that genius borders on madness is true.

I should respond appropriately for now.

“Ah, yes. And?”

“In my dreams, a gruff old man appeared and told me various things—knowledge that remained vividly clear even after waking. This never happened to me in America. I realized that Russia is truly where I should lay my bones.”

Who is this old man he’s talking about?

It’s best not to dwell on it. Unlike me who brought knowledge from the modern era, the man before me is a true genius. Judging by his current reaction, I think I can string him along for a while.

Yes. So. What does he want from me?

“With Prince Yusupov’s support, I’ve been trying many things recently.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that. And?”

Yes. I want to hear what comes next.

What does our historical genius Tesla want?

“The problem is that while I have many ideas I’d like to try, the backwardness here is an issue.”

His brain is spinning rapidly.

He wants to lay his bones here.

Russia is too backward.

This seems to be leading somewhere.

“So Russia stimulates your brain sufficiently, Mr. Tesla, but the backward environment is a problem. Something like that?”

He could just be honest.

Even I can see that Russia is quite backward right now.

Even in the world I came from, such things were often said.

“Yes.”

“Well, good. So what do you need?”

“I need to prepare generators for development, and properly equip research facilities.”

I see. So the main issue is funding.

The American emperor is probably backing off by now. If we ask America for help, they’ll want a piece of the pie when Tesla succeeds.

I absolutely hate giving away what’s mine.

If we started with a room scam map, we should at least drain talent for ourselves.

But what about Prince Yusupov’s money?

“What about Prince Yusupov’s investment?”

“The prince is supporting me, but it’s not enough. He said he’s planning new business ventures, so significant investment is difficult right now.”

Simply put, this is a request for money.

In school terms, it’s like saying “I’ve produced enough results, so treat me to something.”

He’s working hard, so there’s no reason not to support him.

The question is how to provide that support. The answer is to raid the imperial treasury a bit.

The Romanov imperial gold bullion, whose whereabouts were mysterious in actual history.

The Romanov gold was nearly handed over to the Soviet Union, but was successfully recovered.

Now it’s naturally mine to use as I please.

If some of it is used for Russia’s development, the deceased Nicholas II wouldn’t object.

After all, I killed all the Bolsheviks who caused his family’s death—he should be grateful for that, shouldn’t he?

I curled up the corners of my mouth as if it were nothing.

“So it all comes down to funding. Very well. I’ll give you some of the gold bullion held by the Romanov imperial family.”

This old man, really. Why make such a simple matter so difficult?

Russia is certainly in dire financial straits right now, with only a glossy exterior.

Having gold bullion (not my money).

“The imperial gold?”

Why so surprised?

I’m not someone who’s particularly attached to money.

To be honest, it’s not my money. That’s all. If it were mine, I probably wouldn’t be spending it.

It’s someone else’s money, and they can’t take it with them when they die, so here we are.

“It’s not like I have anything to use it for right now, and the investment won’t deplete it anyway.”

At my words, Tesla’s eyes sparkled, and he clapped his hands in admiration.

“How magnificent indeed. Morgan, that fellow, took back his overflowing money because he thought it was too precious to spend on me, leaving me in debt.”

Why is he getting excited about that?

I know nothing about that situation, so I decided to let it pass.

Your debt-ridden past won’t disappear just because you’re huffing and puffing about it.

Honestly, since Tesla needs to be productive here, I’m also trying to humor him a bit.

“It’s being used for national development, so what can I do? But there must be clear results.”

“Yes.”

Simply put, it’s like the king’s private funds in Korea.

Right now, during Russia’s reform, it would be troublesome if too much money were diverted, so this should be seen as coming from the imperial family.

It’s a gamble to invest in Tesla alone, but considering his achievements, I think it’s a safe bet.

While we’re at it, why not establish a company with Tesla as the figurehead?

“How about establishing a company once you achieve results, before others can claim them? The Romanov-Tesla Company.”

Romanov-Tesla joint venture. Hmm. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it?

In my view, this man will produce amazing things right up until his death.

I’m not expecting anything more futuristic than actual history, but at least we can expect something on par with the Soviet Union, if not better.

“Hmm. All I want is to conduct research with Your Majesty’s resources. There’s no need to include my name. I would be grateful if you just attached my name to it.”

“That’s not difficult at all.”

And so Nikola Tesla left with a pile of Romanov gold bullion.

As a bonus, I also slipped some hush money to the bank manager who was in charge of the gold bullion.

I hate being misunderstood unnecessarily.

This man really has no greed. Is it just research passion?

If things go well, it wouldn’t be impossible to make Tesla’s coffin covered in gold.

Speaking of Tesla…

Looking at the various designs Hitler sent, there’s something amusing.

It’s not Germania, but he submitted urban plans for Constantinople, which I hadn’t even mentioned.

A “New Byzantine Construction Plan” to revive the city to be similar to the Eastern Roman era while fitting the 20th century. I never expected to receive this from Hitler.

Since we’ve reclaimed Constantinople, it wouldn’t be bad for it to become a major city.

Of course, I’m not trying to throw money around.

We have many things to do, don’t we?

When World War II breaks out, it might be good to strip the Axis powers to their souls and use the reparations for Constantinople’s reconstruction.

The anger of the defeated nations?

Let Hitler deal with it.

Considering this, it doesn’t seem likely that Hitler would annex Germany to bear the burden of Germany’s reparations in the future.

“Well then.”

I turned my head toward the window.

The Moscow cityscape, in the midst of reconstruction, comes into full view.

I still have many things to do.

Though I can clearly see that I’ll earn the title of a filial daughter cleaning up the mess Nicholas II left behind.

Today, I plan to work on public sentiment again.

In some cities, I was able to get direct saintly certification from the Red Army and bring them under the White Army’s command, but in Moscow, even though the red tide has receded, this doesn’t prove they’re favorable to the White Army.

Simply put, it’s this:

Going out today, as always, to serve until the situation improves for Moscow’s citizens.

There’s no better way to win public support than an emperor who directly works for the people.

Vera Gedroits permitted this much, so it should be fine.