Diplomatic Action

Stockholm—since becoming the capital of the Nordic Federation, this ancient city had once again burst forth with new vitality. Its title as the "Venice of the North" was richly deserved.

Its picturesque scenery and distinctive Nordic charm lent the city a special flavor, leaving visitors with memories that lingered long after.

No matter how pleasant the scenery, it could not move Philip Francis Thomas. As an official of the Russian Empire's Foreign Ministry, Francis had always been brimming with pride.

Yet his so-called pride had still been defeated by reality. Ever since accepting this assignment, all the spirit had gone out of him.

In order to win the next Prusso-Russian War, the Tsarist Government was not only trying to raise money from Britain, France, and Austria; it had not even spared the neighboring Nordic Federation.

Of course, Francis's main task was not to raise funds, but rather to keep the Nordic Federation steady, lest this old rival stab them in the back at a critical moment.

The unification of the three Nordic nations was not simply a matter of 1+1+1=3. After complementing one another's strengths and weaknesses, the Nordic Federation had formed a complete system of its own, and its overall national strength now rivaled that of Prussia twenty years ago.

Recalling the old days when they had competed with Sweden for Nordic hegemony, the Tsarist Government did not dare underestimate this potential adversary and ultimately decided to placate this old rival first.

For diplomatic personnel, this was undoubtedly a thankless task. There was no helping it—in the face of cruel reality, they had no choice but to yield.

Having personally experienced the previous war, Francis knew full well that the Russian Empire's advantage over the Prusso-Polish Federation was nowhere near as great as government propaganda claimed.

To a certain