More Painful Than a Gunshot Wound (1)

"Your Majesty, Japan has proposed surrender negotiations!"

"Ah."

Unlike the early war, from summer our army too started dying beyond my ability to do anything sitting in St. Petersburg.

The battles in Manchuria intensified daily to where news like capturing some enemy general or some enemy division disappearing didn't even register in my ears.

Naturally I couldn't be happy even at successive victory news and couldn't know exactly how long the enemies would hold out.

But when the official surrender negotiation proposal came.

It feels like strength suddenly loosens and blocked breath becomes breathable.

"Congratulations!"

"Your Majesty, it's the war's end!"

"We have achieved victory!"

Only when those sitting together tossed congratulatory words one by one could I fully feel this victory.

'Just 8 months but it was hell.'