Holy Roman Empire

"Once words are spoken, they are like water spilled; naturally, there is no way to take them back. Especially with something as significant as the succession of the throne, one cannot treat it lightly.

Since the decision has been made, no matter how others may try to persuade him, Franz is not prepared to change his mind.

Anyone can grow weary of a job after doing it for years, and the Emperor is no exception. Though power is enticing, after holding it for over fifty years, Franz had long lost his initial passion.

One could tell from his actions over the past decade or so, delegating a substantial amount of state affairs to Frederick, ostensibly to "train the Crown Prince's political skills," but in reality, it was to slack off.

No matter how lazily one acts, an Emperor is still an Emperor and has responsibilities towards the country. Franz might not address everyday matters, but he must personally formulate policies concerning the country's long-term development and strategic diplomacy.

In fact, Franz has long wished to retire. Struggling in his role at the age of nearly eighty is truly a model of hard work.

The main reason was the previous unclear international situation and the struggle for power; Franz was unsure whether Frederick could handle it.

Now that the dust has settled and the era of conquering is over, the Holy Roman Empire has secured its power, and the demands for personal capabilities in a monarch have greatly diminished.

As a colossal empire, the Holy Roman Empire's margin for error is quite high. As long as there are no reckless actions and things proceed as normal, the empire could continue to thrive for at least a hundred more years.

Franz is old, and so is Frederick, who is already fifty years old and past the age of causing turmoil.

Besides, after being trained by Franz for over twenty years in a political environment filled with intrigue and deception, Frederick has seen it all and smoothed out his rough edges. He is well-suited to be the steward of established success.

Abdication isn't something that can happen just by saying it; the transfer of power also needs a process.

Before that, Franz must resolve some tricky issues to prevent Frederick from facing embarrassment soon after his ascension.

For example: the apportionment of sub-states.

Despite the vast territories currently held by Shinra, the Central Government already faces challenges in maintaining control, yet there remains significant opposition to division.

Not everyone can see that the colonial system will collapse. In the eyes of many, colonial rule remains the easiest method.

The continuation of previous methods has never seemed problematic.

This includes the previous process of African localization, which could not have passed without Franz's strong advocacy.

The opposition mainly concerns the increased costs of governance and the inability to continue the unrestrained plundering of wealth.

However, localization would enhance the power of the Central Government and politically empower the Fief Aristocrats. The main opponents are capitalists, thus making its implementation not so difficult.

Apportioning sub-states is different.

Fundamentally, the establishment of overseas sub-states primarily benefits the Royal family and overseas fief aristocrats, followed by local immigrants.

For the Central Government, this setup is less favorable. While it seems that the sub-states have not seceded from the Empire, the meat is still in the pot.

However, the sub-states possess a great deal of autonomy, directly fragmenting the power of the Central Government and impacting the interests of the bureaucratic group.

When personal interests are involved, conflict is inevitable. Facing the powerful Franz, these individuals might think twice before causing trouble, but with Frederick, it is not so certain.

Human nature is frail; Franz does not believe that every bureaucrat below him is loyal and filial.

Often, opposition doesn't require specific actions; merely hindering your efforts is enough. When it comes to dragging their feet, all bureaucrats are of a professional level.

In Franz's view, the powers of a subject and a sovereign are both complementary and oppositional.

No monarch likes a powerful minister, and no minister likes a powerful monarch.

A somewhat shameless thought: If the Emperor is so capable, why need ministers at all?

In Franz's era, the Emperor's dominance meant that even if people had gripes, they had to keep them to themselves.

Once Frederick ascends, it could be a different story. A single mishandling could damage the monarch's prestige.

Nicholas II serves as a prime example, and while the bureaucrats of the Vienna Government may not be so audacious, taking the opportunity to weaken his position is very likely.

If the first major act of the new monarch is botched, then he can forget about commanding respect from the ministers thereafter.

From this perspective, the ancient saying "three years without changing the ways of one's father" holds much wisdom.

"The more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the less mistakes; do nothing, make no mistakes."

With a three-year buffer period, once the political situation stabilizes, and the monarch's prestige is established, it would be much easier to implement changes.

Having delegated daily governmental affairs to Frederick, Franz started marking territories on the Shinra Map. Apportionment has never been an easy task, requiring consideration of a myriad of issues.

Not only must political, economic, and strategic factors be considered, but also local cultural and social contexts, as well as the personal capabilities and willingness of those being granted the fiefs.

Since it's all in the family, Franz does not wish for this issue to cause unpleasantness. It's impossible to distribute resources evenly; some fiefs are inevitably less prosperous than others.

…

With the end of the World War, Lisbon regained its former prosperity, only the remaining damaged buildings told of the recent civil war that had taken place here.

Unquestionably, the Portuguese Republicans had been disastrously exploited by the Revolutionary Party. Because of being 'revolting,' they were cleanly swept away by the Allied Forces."

Reality is such a comedy; for a long time, Charles I had been constrained by domestic interest groups, unable to control national power according to his own will.

Surprisingly, after a period of exile and restoration, the interest groups were drastically weakened, and Charles I truly seized control of national power.

"Reform" once again rose to the agenda. However, this time, the model to emulate was not England and France, but the newly ascendant Holy Roman Empire.

Before the formal reforms, the Portuguese Government had an important issue to resolve.

With the end of the Great War, Africa had entirely become Shinra's Africa. Portuguese African Colony suddenly became an awkward possession.

Being neighbors with a hegemon is definitely not an easy matter. With the entire African Continent occupied by Shinra, who could guarantee that the Vienna Government had no designs on Portuguese Africa?

Even if there are no intentions now, it doesn't mean there won't be in the future. Should the Vienna Government take an interest in Portuguese Africa, it would be a disaster for Portugal.

As a small country, Portugal's standing in the European world depends on recognizing the times.

Instead of waiting to be robbed later, it's better to proactively trade it for benefits. After all, the Portuguese African Colony isn't any prime land, facing losses year after year.

Charles I asked, "How are the negotiations going, what are the Austrians willing to offer?"

Reform requires money, and although Portugal is an old colonial empire, its colonies have long been in the hands of interest groups; the government not only failed to profit but has had to subsidize them annually.

Previously, Charles would have worried about the opposition from established interest groups, but now there's no need to worry; those people met their God in the recent restoration war.

The actions by the Allied Forces were so decisive, naturally involving some trade of interests. Just listen to the Revolutionary Party's propaganda: Tyrant Charles betrays national interests, collusing with foreign forces to suppress the Republican Government…

"Tyrant," truly a misnomer. With Charles I's conduct, nothing could be further from "brutality"; it's merely a matter of incompetence.

To say betraying national interests is nonsense; no king wishes to sell his country, they are compelled only by their inadequate power.

Just like now, Charles I's proactive approach makes it hard not to suspect that he has made some secret deals with the Vienna Government.

However, everyone is wise, apart from some Revolutionary Party and Republicans who slipped through the net, others choose to turn a blind eye.

Such is the plight of a small nation; facing the world hegemon Portugal is indeed too weak. Regardless of any transactions, as long as an agreement is reached, it must be adhered to.

"The Vienna Government has presented two proposals: one is a lump sum payment of 50 million Divine Shields to buy out our colonies in Africa; the other is a colony exchange.

The Vienna Government is quite sincere on this matter, offering three colonies for us to choose from.

These are: Annan in the Indochina Peninsula, the eastern region of the former Persian Empire, and the southern territory of former Colombia in South America.

According to the data provided by the Vienna Government, each of these colonies has its own advantages. The Annan Region has the largest population and best economic conditions.

The eastern region of Persia connects with our colonies in India, while the advantage of the southern Colombian Territory is its vast area."

It was evident, Frank was very satisfied with this trade. Regardless of which trade option the King eventually chooses, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' report would be sufficient to justify to the citizenry.

The attending members were surprised, secretly thinking: It's an equal trade after all, could it be they were mistaken before, and Portuguese Africa wasn't a condition for Vienna Government's support for restoration?

Doubts aside, but this is a good thing. Since it's an equal trade, there's no fear of criticism.

For a small nation to reach this stage is already quite an achievement. To think of gaining an upper hand, they would do well to go to sleep—the world hegemon does not consume a vegetarian diet.

As if expecting this, Charles I smiled slightly, "All these proposals are acceptable; let's hand them over to the parliament for discussion, so they stop complaining about us acting unilaterally."

...

Tokyo, since the signing of the "Vienna Convention" was announced, Japan erupted into a massive movement denouncing the national traitors.

Both ceding land and paying reparations were intolerable for the fragile Japanese nationalists.

As the delegation had not yet returned home, the Japanese Government had to bear this onslaught. To ease domestic conflicts, led by Katsura Taro, the Japanese Government was forced to resign.

Yet, this was still not enough. Angry patriotic youths demanded "not ceding an inch of territory, not paying a single yen."

If it were just civilian unrest, it could be ignored—as this was not the first nor second time, and the Japanese Government had rich experience in handling such situations.

The problematic part was that the military was also creating an uproar. Not to mention the Navy; since their defeat at the Malacca naval battle, they had become sinners of Japan, politically powerless.

Now, the main issue was that the overseas Army refused to withdraw, wanting to defend Japan's colonies to the death and urging the government to reject the implementation of the "Vienna Convention."

International treaties are not child's play—how could non-implementation be simply stated?

The smoke over Tokyo Bay had just cleared, not even a month since the Shinra Navy held a bonfire party in Tokyo.

People below might disregard it, but as high-level government officials, they could not overlook the terrifying consequences of refusing to enact a treaty.

Times had changed; the Russian Empire, mired in a civil war, was helpless, and the European world no longer needed Japan to contain Russia.

A chess piece that has lost its value becomes dispensable, only a step away from being discarded.

The earlier bonfire party in Tokyo was a warning from the Vienna Government—disobedience would be truly dangerous.

For a moment, the Japanese Elders Association found themselves in a difficult position.