RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 74-2: Military tour (Part 2)

RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 74-2: Military tour (Part 2)

"Marshal, if you don't mind this old man asking," Rokossovsky speaks up while being led to one of the many test sites the Belkans have. "How will the aid supplies trains be able to traverse to Asia now that Polania has sealed off their borders?"

Walking near the Rusviet, the Reich Marshal replies. "Fortunately for us and the people depending on the supplies, two new train tracks will soon be opened. One medium-load railway will run through Czechoslovakia and another heavy-duty track line will operate through the Balkan DMZ."

Rokossovsky nods at the Marshal's reply before reacting to the mention of the Balkan DMZ. "The Wildlife Sanctuary? I am surprised the Balkans are willing to open up their railway with how focused they are on being environmentally friendly."

The Marshal chuckles. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. Even the Balkans themselves require food and medicine to survive, not to mention the rare exotic wildlife they're supposed to preserve. By allowing the Belkan trains to move along their territory, the Balkans are not just helping themselves but also boosting their reputation in the rest of the world. They're banking on the fact that people won't forget their name anytime soon, thus attracting investment and tourists when the pain caused by the Cataclysm has faded away."

The Balkan DMZ, or Balkan Demilitarized Zone, otherwise best known as the Wildlife Sanctuary, is a group of territories in the Balkan that have banded together to form a natural reserve. Not to be confused with the Belkan Reich, the Balkan DMZ is an interesting piece of work. When Yggdrasil made landfall in Europe, the impact of the World Tree crashing on Europe sent the tumultuous Balkan Peninsula down into the pit of anarchy. It took some time, but throughout the First World War and the subsequent five years, the region changed significantly. This was a direct result of the missionaries from the Yggdrasil Pantheon conducting many trips to the region, thus spreading the faith. In a place that was left without hope for peace, the arrival of a new faith that seems very much visible and all-encompassing was like water in a drought. The people of the Balkans embraced the new religion, with many becoming ardent supporters of the Belkan Reich. However, having recently emerged from a bloodied World War, the Reich was not too keen on subsuming Southeast Europe and thus reigniting the war. That said, the Reich couldn't just ignore the voice of the Balkan people. To remedy the dilemma, Yggdrasil herself proposed a move that subverted all expectations, making the Balkans a politically neutral entity.

When Yggdrasil arrived, she carried with her not just surviving sapience from the Previous Era, but also exotic wildlife that were either extinct or did not even exist on Gaia. Most of these wildlife were put in stasis since the Reich at the time was unable to support these lifeforms, yet the Balkans proved to be a suitable alternative. It took some planning and a lot of petitioning to the scientific, archeological, and academic communities, but ultimately, the Balkans shed its old chaotic skin, changing into something newer. With the support of intellectuals and wealthy entrepreneurs from all over the world, the Balkan DMZ and Wildlife Sanctuary was born.

An apolitical entity, the Sanctuary dedicates itself to the preservation of nature, academic pursuits, and tourism. Gone are those dark days, they're nothing but footnotes in the history pages of the region. Now, the Balkans are a haven for colorful floras and animals of all shapes and sizes, all thanks to a collaboration between Yggdrasil and Gaia themselves. After all, the Balkans weren't suited for some of the lifeforms Yggdrasil brought out, some subtle terraforming was required. When one visits the Sanctuary as a tourist, they may able to view strange sights like a frozen desert in Europe or a Stegosaurus going about its day. Such are the weird, exciting treats the Sanctuary may offer... With a suitable price tag, of course, being environmentally friendly does come with a hefty fee.

"An average of 100 millimeters of protection all around the Leman Russ, it's the best figure I can get you without compromising much." The Marshal smiles dangerously while answering. "The size of the tank means the crew has ample space to relax despite all the weapons it carries. We have also designed the Leman Russ to be reliable and modifiable. The latter is that we can easily replace the weapons with something else entirely, depending on battlefield requirements. You will be surprised at what we can do with enough space around in the internal of the Leman Russ."

Rokossovsky gulps, already seeing the Leman Russ Battle Tank as the ultimate bane of the T-35. He thought the Union had the most modern tanks nowadays thanks to the Ural factory complex, but he was wrong. The only saving grace, if it even counts at all, is that the Marshal goes on to say.

"The only downside of a Leman Russ will be its cost to procure." Then the Marshal shrugs. "But with how rich Belka is these days, the cost is the last of our concerns, especially when we can update the tank whenever we see fit."

A part of Rokossovsky wished that what he was seeing right now was a hallucination induced by head trauma due to the wounds he received in Warsaw. Unfortunately, Rokossovsky still hasn't been able to wake up from the illusion when the Leman Russ comes to a stop next to them. The Marshal's chippy tone does pull the Rusviets back to reality, however.

"As you have seen, Belka is on a direct course to maintain our military power being unmatched. Sadly, we can't show you how the Leman Russ works just yet, but we can give you all a much closer look at another one of our Leman Russ specimens with slightly different armaments. Now then, if you fine gentlemen would follow me to the hangar area?"

The offer further drives home the fact that, indeed, Belka is dead set on mass manufacturing this metallic beast of war. Can Rokossovsky go home now, just to save his common sense and sanity if not reporting to Stalin expressively? He's already regret coming here, damn it.