Meanwhile, from the other side, the newly built Sapsan train is already in transit toward Moskva at a speed of 250 kilometers per hour. It is almost three times the speed of the old trains serving the Ruthenian Empire.
As part of his major domestic policy, Alexander wanted to build a lot of them as a means of connecting his large empire. Despite the cost of the project, he is willing to invest hundreds of billions of rubles for the development of these lines. He knew well that in the future that the Ruthenia Empire economy would improve significantly, paving the way for the urbanization and modernization of a few cities in Europe's part of Ruthenia.
He has stressed the importance of transportation to the members of the Imperial Council as well as his ministers. He has a vision wherein Ruthenia will not have a remote village, town, or city that is out of reach from the central government. He wants it all connected so that the possibility of division would be nil.
Currently, Alexander was on the VIP section of the Sapsan Train which features luxurious accommodations with rooms filled with extravagant furniture, luxurious carpets, and a huge bed for him to sleep on during trips to distant lands. The view of the city passing by is breathtaking. As they were still near St. Petersburg where urban development was at its peak, it felt like Alexander didn't die from his original world.
He sipped a glass of hot chocolate with marshmallows on top before putting the drink down on the table in front of him. A little while later, he heard a knock on the door, prompting him to look to the door, which opened a few seconds later to reveal his little sister, Tiffania.
"Oh, Tiffania, did you enjoy the tour you had?" he asked, making himself more comfortable in his seat.
"I sure did, dearest brother! It's a shame that you weren't with me," she said while sitting beside him. She then turned to the window with her eyes sparkling with excitement. "It really looks nice inside here. Compared to the personal plane we used to get to Sakhalin, this one I am able to see the cities. Of course, the lights of the cities from the sky are a beautiful sight too, but nothing beats this."
"I will do my very best to keep it beautiful for your eyes to feast, not just yours but for the future generation as well," Alexander said in an attempt to appease his sister. They shared such close bonds. He could count on the tip of one finger the number of times he can truly say that he loves her.
Speaking of love, a thought abruptly popped into his head.
"Tiffania, since you are already a 20-year-old adult, do you think it's about time you find your partner?"
Tiffania's beautiful expression turned grim as she stared daggers at him.
"What's with that face? I was just asking, you know? I mean I am interested in the love life my little sisters are going to have."
"I don't have one and will not have one because none fits my standards," Tiffania bluntly replied as she crossed her arms.
Alexander chuckled lightly. It seems like this is going to be hard. Their role as the Grand Duchess is to make allegiance with another nation through marriage. Just like how Sophie and he ended up together and secured an alliance with the Kingdom of Bavaria.
"Then do you prefer to grow old alone without a man who will take care of you? You know I can't take care of you all forever. Even Christina hasn't found his one yet."
"Brother, this topic is not my forte. Can we talk about other things, like can you explain how this train differs from the old trains?" Tiffania shifted the conversation away.
Alexander nodded and continued to answer her question about the layout of the train. Talking about romantic relationships with them would be awkward if one part is not interested in the topic.
"First and foremost, the major difference is the source of power. The old one uses coal while this one uses electricity. The old one is slow while this one is fast. I can explain it to you in a very detailed way but I don't think you will be able to follow me since you don't yet have the basic knowledge of electromagnetism."
"Then teach me!" Tiffania pleaded.
"Don't worry, we will get to that, just wait there and enjoy your life as a princess because electromagnetism will haunt you!" Alexander tried to scare her by grinning mischievously.
But Tiffania simply shrugged his words off.
"Hmph!" she harrumphed. "Do you really think you can scare me off, dearest brother? Just to remind you I aced the exam you gave me two days ago, do you remember?"
"Yes, but in my opinion, electromagnetism is a lot harder than the ones I've taught you. Remember, electricity is a new field in science, no one fully understands how it works but I do," Alexander loftily said.
"I am aware of that, dearest brother, I hope that you will do your best to teach me the subject," Tiffania trailed her words so softly that they caressed his ears as she looked at him with a cat-like expression.
Alexander sighed before smiling gently.
"Okay, I'll try. But don't expect me to go easy on you. You know that your brother is busy working as an emperor and as an owner of the Imperial Dynamic Systems."
"I know that brother, you don't have to remind me of that every single day. Anyways, I'm going back to head back to my room and take a nap. Do please wake me up when we arrive at Moskva."
"Okay, I'll inform your maids...."
"No!" Tiffania cut him off right away. "I want you to be the one who will wake me up! If you don't do that, I'll get mad at you."
Alexander let out a stiff smile before nodding his head. "Okay fine, I'll wake you up."
"You promise? If I open my eyes and I don't see you, I will be really upset, brother."
"I promise," Alexander raised a hand as if taking an oath. "Now, off you go!"
And with one last goodbye wave over her shoulder, Tiffania left his room before closing the door behind her.
"What a pain in the ass," Alexander muttered under his breath as he shook his head. "Why does it feel hard to have a sister who adores you so much? Well, a promise is a promise, there are still three hours left before we get to Moskva."
As he was about to resume his duties as the Emperor of the Ruthenia Empire, the telephone on his table rang.
Alexander quickly grabbed the telephone and answered the phone.
"Your Majesty, a call from the Embassy of Sweden is trying to reach you, can I patch them through?"
"Proceed," Alexander gave the operator his permission. "This is going to be interesting," he muttered.
"Your Majesty, I've been trying to call you."
"Sorry, Mister Ambassador, I was busy doing things, Why did you call me?"
"Your Majesty, I received word from back home saying that you conducted an airstrike on the town of Gallivare?"
"Yes, I did order a strike to exterminate the unknown operatives who stole our military vehicles. I thought your country had given us full support on tracking them down?"
"We did, Your Majesty, but shouldn't you inform us before you authorize an airstrike? What you just did was an incursion, which is a complete violation of our sovereignty."
"Look, I know the law but informing you first and waiting for a response is like giving those bastards time to get out. I had to put them down quickly before we lose the opportunity."
"The Ruthenian Empire and the Kingdom of Sweden's relationship has been great for 100 years. You should have notified us before the attack. Telling us afterward is improper communication between allies."
Alexander sighed as he leaned back in his seat. "Fine," and hung up the phone.
