Holy Roman Empire

In a wave of astonishment, on December 31, 1905, Franz formally passed the throne to Frederick, marking the official entry into the era of Frederick of the Holy Roman Empire.

Unlike previous transitions of power, this handover went unusually smoothly. The general public might have been unaware of Franz's true physical condition, but the upper echelons of the government certainly were.

Though they did not understand why Franz was eager to abdicate, with the old Emperor still alive, no one dared to make rash moves.

In the European world, although there is no proverb like "the shot hits the bird that pokes its head out," the principle remains the same. Even those with great desire for power did not dare to cause trouble at this time.

With the upper government stabilized, the political factions depending on it naturally also found stability. Any who dared to rise up were suppressed by the Cabinet.

Now was the time to test everyone's capabilities; if they couldn't even maintain basic stability, they had no business in the political arena.

With the power transition smoothly completed, Franz was more than happy to relax. Once someone grows older, they no longer like to stir up trouble.

From the Austrian Empire to the now Holy Roman Empire, Franz had grown tired of the turmoil over his fifty-seven-year reign as Emperor.

Frankly speaking, in this era of decay, the overall performance of the Shinra bureaucrats could be considered commendable.

Although they could not eliminate corruption and sloth entirely, compared to bureaucrats from other countries of the same period, they definitely qualified as "competent."

Assured that he was not leaving behind a mess, Emperor Franz, after abdicating, contentedly started a national tour.

As for the mopping-up operations of the World War, that was a "political achievement" he specifically left for his son. Although the specifics might be cumbersome and might face setbacks along the way, the overall situation was already set.

In front of absolute power, all schemes and conspiracies are futile.

Italy had become merely a geographical term; a diminished France was still licking its wounds left by the last World War; the once mighty Great Britain Empire had also drawn to a close.

Without colonies to replenish their resources, the significantly weakened England and France couldn't hope to recover fully in three to five decades, not to mention return to their former glory.

The indomitable Russian Empire was currently stuck in an intractable civil war. With its main forces detained by the Allied Forces, the Tsarist Government was powerless to bring a swift end.

Especially since international "anti-Russian forces" had already colluded, countless "mercenary legions" were sweeping towards the Tsarist Government, resolved not to rest until they had fragmented Russia.

The originally rising Federation was now barely hanging on. Due to war indemnity issues, the states failed to reach an agreement for ages, incapacitating even the elections.

With the push from the Continental Alliance, state congresses of the Federation even openly discussed the issue of forming independent nations.

Even the capital consortiums, which should support the unification under the Federal Government, were now backing away. Clearly, the World War had frightened them.

Going against the current was never the style of capitalists. Everyone had their own household to manage, asking them for "sacrifices and blood" for the Federation was too much to ask.

Moreover, the capitalist world was never united; with some suffering losses, others found profits—particularly the smaller local financial groups in the Midwest were happy to split from the East.

Looking across the globe, the Holy Roman Empire faced no significant "enemy". As the sole "great power" and superpower, even with upheavals, the situation could never get too bad.

Free from troublesome politics, Franz felt exceptionally relaxed on his journey.

The sky was so blue; the water was so clear. From time to time, he would witness "cattle and sheep as the wind blows the grass". Setting up a grill, sprinkling some cumin and chili powder, the scene was especially delightful.

With no time constraints, Franz would stop in every place, savoring the local delicacies and experiencing the local customs and cultures.

Traveling intermittently, after more than half a year, he was still wandering around the Balkan Peninsula—a drop in the ocean compared to the vast Holy Roman Empire.

At this rate, Franz estimated he would not complete the national tour within his lifetime. But that did not matter; as long as one enjoyed the trip, that was enough.

The Holy Roman Empire was simply too vast, offering every imaginable climate and geography. Not to mention an old man in his twilight years, even a young person would find it challenging to travel through the entire country.

Time swiftly passed, and in the blink of an eye, twenty-five years had gone by, and Franz still hadn't completed his global tour, not even covering one-tenth of Africa.

There was no helping it; time spared no one. No matter how much he worked out, he couldn't fend off the ravages of time. Reaching the "hunched-back year," Franz was forced to return to Vienna for retirement.

Watching his health decline, all Franz could do was sigh inwardly. No one is truly unafraid of death; even Franz, who had lived twice, could not be indifferent to life and death.

Recently, his mind was continuously haunted by certain memories, as if from a dream. In that dream, he became another person, who also founded a world empire.

As much as his reason told him it was a "dream," his intuition called it "real." If something as absurd as time travel had happened, another life was nothing extraordinary.

Intermittent memories kept surfacing, causing Franz great distress. At this age, no amount of life experience could avoid becoming a thing of the past.

"Father, a message has just arrived from Southeast Asia; Wilhelm was called by God last night."

A familiar voice sounded, pulling Franz back to the present. The departures of life were not new to him; he had already seen off too many people over the years.

Watching fewer and fewer familiar faces around him, he thought he had grown accustomed to it. But now that it was his own son's turn, he still couldn't achieve a state of tranquil detachment.

"What happened, how did Wilhelm suddenly pass away? Did he leave any last words?"

Influenced by Franz's early abdication, his sons had followed suit, retiring one after another in recent years to spend their old age in Vienna.

The Shinra Empire was now at its most cohesive, and it was quite fashionable for those who had spent their early years battling abroad to return home to retire in their later years.

Wilhelm had also returned to Vienna, but after only two years, he grew weary of it and went to the Southeast Asia. Unexpectedly, it turned into a forever farewell.

"Yesterday was the national day of the Southeast Asian Commonwealth. Wilhelm drank a little too much at the banquet, and by the time he was found by the maids today, he had already passed away. He left no last words."

Frederick explained. It was clear that he too was stunned by the news. But this was precisely the most reasonable explanation.

As a king, even a retired one, it would not be easy for him to meet with an accident, especially on his own territory.

During the conversation, many young members of the Habsburg Family also arrived one after another, it was evident that Franz was the last one to know the news.

It made sense, considering such bad news; they had to take into account his ability to handle it psychologically. Being almost a hundred years old, he really couldn't afford too much distress.

Waving his hand, not giving everyone a chance to speak and advise, Franz calmly said, "I am aware, you all manage the funeral arrangements. Now I want to be alone for a while."

...

Looking around the familiar palace, reflecting on the bygone years, Franz sank into deep thought.

The butterfly effect is powerful, with the rise of the Holy Roman Empire against the world order, the global situation had long changed.

Especially in recent decades, with the disintegration of the Russian Empire and further fragmentation of the United States, the dominant position of the Holy Roman Empire was increasingly solidified.

A monopoly formed, leaving competitors shivering in the corners, fearful of becoming Vienna's next target.

In this context, as long as the Vienna Government didn't stir up trouble, it would be difficult for the international situation to become chaotic.

Everything was in place, the situation was excellent, and the Vienna Government naturally had no need to stir things up. Thus, for the past few years, the world situation has been harmonious.

Except for a few countries still in civil war, only the Colonial Empires occasionally erupted in rebellion. As for international wars, without the nod from the Vienna Government, who would dare to strike?

It's important to remember that the International Alliance isn't just loafing around; propelled by the Vienna Government, it now truly acts as the world's "police."

If nothing unexpected happens, this peace will continue for a long time until one day Shinra self-destructs, losing its assets and ability to stabilize the situation.

What will happen in the future is uncertain. Anyway, Franz was no longer planning to do anything; he had already prepared enough contingencies.

Over the past twenty-odd years, the Habsburg dynasty had sequentially established more than a dozen sub-states overseas. If all these could be wiped out in one go, Franz would have nothing to say.

International detente doesn't equate to world peace; the Vienna Government could reconcile international disputes but not the internal conflicts of nations.

Leading the pack were the American countries, notably those unlucky "defeated nations," each plunging into racial conflicts.

Next were the European Colonial Empires. Recent times have been challenging for them.

Where there's oppression, there's resistance. The nationalism exported in the past to split the Russian Empire eventually backfired onto the nations involved.

Now, people realized the severity of the strategies the Vienna Government had used. But it was too late, now there weren't any "defeated countries" to take the trouble for them.

People must face reality. After reviewing the international situation and reflecting on his life experiences, Franz realized his days were numbered.

At this stage, the glories of the past seem just like drifting clouds, "matters of right and wrongdoing" left for future generations to discuss.

Having overcome the grief of his son's passing, Franz's mind was no longer occupied by other matters; at this moment, he only wanted to integrate the fragments of memories constantly emerging in his mind.

"Ferdinand," "Bulgaria Empire"... the memories gradually connected in his mind, but Franz's health rapidly deteriorated.

After sending Wilhelm away and marking the last birthday of his life, Franz, at the age of a hundred, finally reached the end of his life.

On March 26, 1931, under the gentle sunlight, Emperor Franz closed his eyes.

...

As the story ended, "Lim," who had just gotten out of bed, found himself in a state of confusion.

Who am I?

Is it "Lim"?

Or "Franz"?

Or perhaps "Ferdinand"?

The sudden emergence of two segments of memory completely confounded Lim.

Was it "a dream within a dream," or "a fleeting dream," or perhaps "a multiverse"? Lim had no idea what was going on.

However, one thing Lim knew was that he needed to get up quickly and go to work, or else he would be late.

No matter how grand he was in dreams, in reality, he was just a miserable office worker. Even with two rich life experiences added, they are of no value in the present.

After all, in dreams, he was born with a silver spoon, inherently a person of high status, always someone to be pleased, but he had no experience of a dramatic struggle from rags to riches.

Having quickly completed his morning routine, Lim picked up his cellphone, stepped out of his rented room, and hurried towards the bus stop.

Running, he still prayed fervently to catch the bus. Otherwise, whether it's paying for a taxi or being late for work, today would be wasted.

This is the life of an ordinary person, plain and unadorned.

...