WITH THE ALLIED FORCES' VICTORY AT THE BATTLE OF CHESHIRE FIELD, THE ALREADY FRAGILE ECONOMY OF FRANZE REACHED ITS BREAKING POINT.
AXIS FRONTLINES ACROSS THE CONTINENT BEGAN TO COLLAPSE.
AS AUTUMN TURNED TO WINTER, AN UNPRECEDENTED COLD WAVE SWEPT ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
ENEMY CASUALTIES FROM FROSTBITE REACHED A RECORD HIGH.
THEN, ON JANUARY 21ST, AU 723.
FRANZE FORMALLY SURRENDERED TO THE ALLIED FORCES AND SIGNED AN ARMISTICE.
TODAY, ON JANUARY 21ST, THE WARRING NATIONS...
...HAVE AGREED TO END THE WAR THAT HAS INFLICTED IMMENSE DAMAGE ON BOTH SIDES.
UNDER THIS PEACE AGREEMENT, TAKING EFFECT IMMEDIATELY,
ALL MILITARY HOSTILITY AND ARMED ACTIONS WILL BE STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
PRISONERS ON BOTH SIDES WILL BE EXCHANGED.
CITIZENS OF PADANIA.
WE HAVE OVERCOME LONG YEARS OF HARDSHIP AND NOW STAND AT A TURNING POINT IN HISTORY.
OUR GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING LASTING PEACE.
TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, WE EXTEND OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE AND APPLAUSE.
...TODAY, WE BRING YOU VICTORY.
Episode 72
IN THE CITY OF VICHE, LOCATED IN WEITERIS, THE VICHE PEACE AGREEMENT AND TREATY WERE DRAFTED.
FURTHERMORE, AT THE INSISTENCE OF PADANIA'S COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, HEINER WALDEMAR,
A NEW ARTICLE WAS ADDED TO THE INTERNATIONAL LAW OF WAR.
...STRICTLY PROHIBITED ATTACKS ON DOCTORS, NURSES, AMBULANCES...
...AND BUILDINGS MARKED WITH THE EMBLEMS OF INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS.
EVEN AFTER THE WAR ENDED, NEW DEVELOPMENTS UNFOLDED RAPIDLY.
THE ISSUE OF REPARATIONS FROM THE DEFEATED NATIONS, THE REDISTRIBUTION OF TERRITORIES, AND A SERIES OF OTHER TREATIES WERE BEING DISCUSSED.
WHAT REMAINED WAS..
...THE TRIALS AND PUNISHMENTS FOR WAR CRIMINALS.
OH, LOOK WHO'S HERE.
MAN... YOU'RE IN WAY BETTER SHAPE THAN I THOUGHT.
I GUESS THE GIFT I LEFT BEHIND DIDN'T WORK AS INTENDED.
AS EXPECTED, YOU WERE THE ONE WHO LEFT THE SNIPER THAT DAY.
I SUSPECTED...
...THAT IT WASN'T JUST A COINCIDENCE THAT A SNIPER WAS THERE THAT DAY.
I WAS DEVASTATED WHEN I HEARD THAT THE SOLDIER WAS KILLED ON THE SPOT.
HE WAS A GOOD FELLOW.
I GUESS YOU WERE CERTAIN THAT I WOULD SHOW UP.
WELL, I GUESS TO SOME EXTENT. HONESTLY, I DID HAVE MY DOUBTS.
AFTER ALL, YOU'RE THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF AN ENTIRE NATION.
I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D RISK YOUR LIFE JUST FOR A WOMAN.
IF YOU VALUED YOUR OWN LIFE, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ACTED RECKLESSLY.
BUT...
YOU REALLY DID LOVE HER, DIDN'T YOU?
I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE IT WASN'T TRUE, SINCE MS. ROZENBERG KEPT INSISTING IT WASN'T.
IF I'D KNOWN, I WOULD'VE MADE BETTER USE OF HER AS A PRISONER TO GET PROMOTED.
AND ALSO EARN SOME MEDALS.
JACKSON WILL BE PUT ON TRIAL.
HE'LL PROBABLY RECEIVE A LIFE SENTENCE OR THE DEATH PENALTY.
AFTER ALL, CAPTAIN ELLIOT SIDOW WAS THE MAIN CULPRIT BEHIND THE HUNTINGHAM CHURCH MASSACRE.
SO?
YOU SAID THAT YOU'LL BECOME AN OFFICER, GET A COMFORTABLE HOUSE FROM THE GOVERNMENT, AND BE HAPPY AFTER ALL OF THIS IS OVER.
IT SEEMS LIKE PART OF THAT DREAM CAME TRUE.
ARE YOU HAPPY?
HAHA. WELL, I GUESS SO.
YOU COULD'VE DEFINITELY CAPTURED ANNETTE AS A PRISONER.
SAYING YOU LET HER GO SIMPLY BECAUSE OF WHAT SHE SAID DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
SO WHY DIDN'T YOU?
I DID CONSIDER IT, BUT MS. ROZENBERG WAS SO INSISTENT.
SHE KEPT SAYING SHE WASN'T WORTH ANYTHING AS A PRISONER, AND I STARTED TO DOUBT IT.
...AND THAT WOMAN...
APOLOGIZED TO ME ON THE MARQUESS'S BEHALF.
SHE SAID THAT I WAS ALSO A VICTIM OF HIS ACTIONS.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I'D HEARD SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO, IN THE END...
IN THE END, I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT ANYMORE.
JACKSON WILL PROBABLY RECEIVE A LIFE SENTENCE OR THE DEATH PENALTY.
THAT YOUNG MAN, WHO SWORE HE WOULD GAIN RECOGNITION AND BE HAPPY...
...WAS NOW AWAITING PUNISHMENT AS A WAR CRIMINAL FROM A DEFEATED NATION.
THE REASON I CAME ALL THIS WAY...
...IS BECAUSE I HAD SOMETHING I WANTED TO ASK HIM.
THAT DAY, AT THE HUNTINGHAM CHURCH.
WHY DID YOU OPEN THE DOOR?
WELL...
LET'S JUST CALL IT A BELATED APOLOGY.
HMM. BUT SEEING YOU DOING SO WELL AND LOOKING THIS HEALTHY,
IS KIND OF IRRITATING.
WELL, YOU MIGHT BE COMFORTED TO KNOW THAT I'M NOT ENTIRELY FINE.
HM?
AH, THIS GUY...
I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE HOW HE KEPT STANDING TO THE RIGHT...
HAHA! SERVES YOU RIGHT!
DON'T BE TOO HAPPY WITH THAT WOMAN.
IT'D PISS ME OFF TOO MUCH.
JUST BE A LITTLE HAPPY, OKAY?
I WILL.
My Dear Heiner.
i'm currently writing this letter to you with the window open.
winter has also arrived in santamomoli, but since it's located in the southern region, it's not as cold as the capital.
it's a relief, because as you know, i'm not good with the cold.
how is the weather there? are you safe?
i'm worried because i haven't heard from you.
ALL THESE LETTERS FROM ANNETTE.
i've been studying composition again.
in fact, i believe i'll be able to finish a piece by next month.
it's not a new composition, but rather one of my previous works that i've been refining.
when i visited the residence, i found some of my unfinished compositions from the past.
ALL THESE MESSAGES FROM ANNETTE THAT FEEL LIKE MIRACLES...
THE REASON I I COULDN'T REPLY TO ANY OF THESE LETTERS IS BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE.
I'M ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT YOU. I HOPE YOU RETURN SAFE AND SOUND SOON.
I WASN'T SURE...
...WHETHER I'D BE ABLE TO RETURN TO ANNETTE IN GOOD CONDITION.
I DIDN'T WANT HER TO CARRY YET ANOTHER BURDEN.
SIR, WE'LL BE PREPARING TO LAND SOON!
IN THIS NEW AGE OF PEACE, NOW THAT EVERYTHING IS OVER...
...I ONLY WANTED TO GIVE HER VICTORY, LIKE A BEAUTIFUL BOUQUET.
INSTEAD OF SIMPLY RESPONDING TO YOUR LETTERS, ANNETTE...
...I WANTED MY RETURN TO BE THE ANSWER.
After the victory at Cheshire, the Franze economy collapses, the fronts fall apart, and in AU 723 Franze surrenders and signs an armistice. With the Peace of Viche, a prisoner exchange is arranged and, at Heiner Waldemar's insistence, a clause banning attacks on doctors is added. As the trial of war criminals comes to the agenda, Heiner confronts Jackson about the sniper and the Huntingham Church, then wishes to answer with his return to Annette's letters written from Santamomoli.
