It would take 8 months for Victor to return home. He had to help all of his new summons get settled into their roles before departing back to Hannover. Victor had been away from home for over a year. He longed for his bed; he longed to reunite with his wife and younger children.
Tales of the army's success had spread with every coming merchant vessel entering the port city. Death, disaster, success and more were told by sailors in every tavern.
Upon his return, crowds had gathered along the harbour walls.
Not chaos, Hannover did not permit chaos in public procession, but controlled density. Nobles, officers, administrative delegates, and families of the imperial court lined the routes.
Banners fell slowly as the Emperor's flagship, The Holy Trinity, docked. Then silence.
Victor stepped onto solid ground.
The moment his boots touched the stone pier, the entire harbour performed its acknowledgement: a synchronised kneel of military honour, followed by a measured rise. But Victor's attention was already elsewhere. Waiting at the far end of the ceremonial path stood his family.
Empress Clarisse Luxenberg did not move forward immediately. She simply watched him.
For a brief moment, the empire, the war, the captured Sultan, and the weight of continents all fell away into distance that no longer mattered.
She had not seen him in over a year. Not truly. Letters, reports, and strategic dispatches were not a husband.
Victor walked toward her. The distance between them felt larger than the oceans had. When he reached her, there was no grand ceremony between them. No political performance. Only stillness.
"You're thinner," Clarisse said quietly.
Victor almost smiled. "So are empires after war."
That earned the faintest shift in her expression, something between relief and frustration, like she had expected that answer and disliked it anyway.
Then she stepped forward and embraced him. For the first time since the war began, Victor did not feel like an emperor. Only a man returning.
The four younger children waited behind Clarisse. They did not fully understand the scale of what their father had done, or what had been done in his absence, but they understood enough to hesitate between formality and instinct.
Victoria, Victor's youngest daughter, stepped forward first. That broke it. The others followed. The Emperor of the Holy Luxenberg Empire did not receive them as subjects or heirs at that moment. He opened his arms. And for a brief, unguarded stretch of time, there was no war at all.
Only reunion.
As the procession moved toward the inner palace, Hannover resumed its rhythm. Taverns were full to the brim. Soldiers reunited with their families, and more tales were told of the campaign. From the Siege of Basra to the Breach of Turkistan, all the tales were told.
Victor's family were now reunited, and they celebrated with a big dinner. Henri was able to share their stories with the younger twins Vincent and Clovis, while Victor was able to dote on his beloved daughters Victoria and Vanessa. Anton was too busy, distracted by his young son Cedric, to notice that his wife was giving him the death stare for being away for so long.
With peace finally restored, Victor lay awake in bed thinking about what to do now. Eighty percent of the world was now under his rule. All that remained was the continent of Kislev in the south.
Victor initially thought that taking the continent and ruling the world was an idea worth considering. However, after this war and seeing the death that had been brought during it, Victor realised that ambition like that was selfish.
The Tsardom of Mikhailovich was no serious threat. They inhabited the smallest continent in the world and lived in harsh conditions. If they tried to invade Simbar, Asharan or Zandar, they would be met with force. Victor could lighten up his defences and focus more effort on the southern borders of the continents.
The only other idea that popped into Victor's mind was just living in peace and turning his Holy Empire into a utopia for all to enjoy. Revolution could be brought forth with steam engines, electricity and other groundbreaking ideas that were prominent in Victor's previous life.
It had been so long since Victor had thought about his previous life, the technology that he had access to. The pain and loneliness that he went through. He was a nobody, some fat shut-in who obsessed over the Napoleonic Era.
He went from being normal, old Conrad to being Emperor Victor Luxenberg, the most powerful man in the world. The Patriarch of a new dynasty. He was a husband, a father, hell, even a grandfather. The Luxenberg name would never fade from the annals of history.
For the rest of Victor's life, he would devote himself to making a utopia for his people and being a supportive patriarch to his family. As he grew older, more and more grandchildren began to appear. Soon, there were now 14 male successors in the direct family. At the same time, the likes of Victor's sister Veronica and his daughters Vanessa and Victoria had branch families that were all abundant with children.
Victor had not realised it at the time, but the war against the Sultunate would be his last. He would never go on campaign again. There was never an invasion from the Tsardom, nor were there any major rebellions. When there were small pockets of anti-monarchists, they would be quickly put down by Victor's military. It had grown so large that no sane person would dare challenge the Holy Luxenberg Empire.
Throughout his life, he had to say goodbye to many friends. All of the commanders who had fought with him had died one after another. Most of which was due to old age. Field Marshal Kutusov died of illness. General Bertrand was assassinated; his actions in Joltz during the war against the Grand Duchy of Fontaine had not been forgotten.
As for Victor, he made it to the ripe age of 77. He was surrounded by family and wine. His great-grandchildren would listen eagerly to his war stories, while his children would share tears of joy seeing their father so happy in his final days.
When Victor passed, there were still many questions left unanswered. What caused him to be transmigrated to a new world and a new life? Why was he given an overpowered system? Who was the voice that spoke to him when he first awakened in this new world?
Nevertheless, it did not matter. What he had accomplished was monumental. If he could do it all over again, he would in a heartbeat.
Remember: "Death is not a misfortune but an opportunity "