LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 367
“Your Majesty. This isn’t something to take lightly.”
“Yeah, I know. But it’s done now.”
So I took it upon myself to stop the demonstration. Next, the Duma provided better benefits regarding insurance.
“What’s the problem? The Duma has already addressed the workers’ issues, and I was planning to wrap things up on television.”
“It’s just that… ahem, the Duma might recognize your disguise. It is what started all of this to begin with. It’s practically allowing the Tsar to issue orders as if it were his own will, and if the fallout is this great, what will happen to the Duma in the future?”
“Sure, that could happen. But my disguise is flawless.”
No one in the Duma recognized my disguise. And ultimately, the decisions were made by us, the Duma members.
It’s a bit cheeky to pin the blame on me here, though.
“No way. I’m sure it was perfectly disguised.”
It truly was a perfect disguise.
Just as perfect as when I visited the Tsvetkov Gun Factory.
Everyone must have been completely fooled. They probably didn’t even realize I was there, right?
I wasn’t even supposed to attend today’s Duma session. Especially since the Duma members wouldn’t have expected me to show up.
“If you think that’s a disguise, I have some doubts.”
“What do you mean?”
Where could such a perfect disguise be?
“Unless you were old enough that you couldn’t attend the Duma. Even then, if you look too young, that’s a different issue, isn’t it?”
It’s a bit off if I look too young.
If I looked old, they’d have something to say about that. So, in the end, whether my appearance disguises me or not really doesn’t matter.
Does that mean the Duma members simply pretended not to notice?
Was I just sitting there thinking, ‘Hehe, succeeded in disguise’?
However, this means that I have to keep attending the Duma.
It was significant that the orders were issued in my name.
“If I don’t attend the Duma, it could very well backfire?”
“That’s right. If you genuinely had to step down due to age, that’s a different story. But if Your Majesty is present at the Duma every day, this protest wouldn’t have happened if you had approached it from the beginning as the Tsar’s will.”
That’s a bit harsh, hitting me with facts like that.
If only I had taken the stage in the Duma and utilized my own orders, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.
Anyway, the biggest problem has been passed, so it seems manageable.
“It is a little cheeky, though.”
I suppose so. This isn’t even about age.
I’m just a saint, after all.
“Well, I’m still younger.”
Behold this overwhelming beauty. It’s an undeniable reality.
Being with Vladimir makes me look more suited to the Tsar.
But that’s the problem. If it were the future, I could make a more proper disguise or attach wrinkles or something.
This whole identity laundering has become quite difficult. How do I resolve this issue?
“I need to figure out a way to establish a withdrawal notice from now on. The Duma was odd from the start. The Tsar’s presence is a must. Isn’t that a bit much?”
While the elite might keep the Duma going, they are overly conscious of public opinion.
Well, being mindful of the public is natural.
“I just wanted to say, this all comes from Your Majesty.”
“Honestly, I think attributing it all to me is a bit serious.”
It’s a bit excessive to think that I could claim sole credit for all of this.
In the end, it’s only possible because the Duma members follow me well, and the Duma is actually managing internal affairs properly.
Could Russia, as it is now, be solely the result of my charisma?
I threw in ideas countless times in the Duma, and whatever achievements came from that were still theirs.
In such circumstances, it seems that I have been overly deified.
I recall something someone said long ago.
Even a mere little person can become a god when they gather followers. If I were to ask the Muslims who call me a whore, I’d be a whore.
It’s a similar principle.
In that scenario, while I can’t be compared to North Korea, if over 200 million people elevate me like a god, isn’t that pretty close to becoming a real god?
Even within the Rome Treaty, there are those who still regard me as a deity. Even Churchill, who I’ve marked for death, ends up saying things like, “You won’t age anyway.” It seems that my existence has become quite accepted.
Shouldn’t we carry out a deflationary process under these circumstances?
Seriously, I feel like in the future, I might turn to concrete. Shouldn’t we at least try to moderate this?
“Maybe we should consider a deflationary process for Anastasia as well.”
“A deflationary process, you say?”
Like with Stalin or the Emperor. I would declare myself an ordinary person.
If this continues down the path, it might be the only solution left.
Even if there are a few growing pains along the way, it’s worth pursuing.
Sprouting Bolsheviks is a mad thing, but if we can somehow draw out the democrats who see the theocracy as a danger and fill the Duma with them?
It doesn’t seem impossible, but perhaps the backlash might be stronger than expected.
Stalin had plenty of reasons throughout his life to be despised.
There was ample justification for him to be deflated.
Then, what might I have done to deserve the same?
“To the point where people would question, ‘Did our country even have a royal family?’ That’s the level of deflation needed.”
“The plan isn’t bad, but—”
“But?”
“First, do we have any incidents worthy of deflation?”
None. There are none, which is why I’m losing my mind.
“That might also be a dangerous statement. The Kremlin has ears and eyes, you know.”
The Kremlin has ears and eyes? Even if it does, how many could there really be?
“At best, it’s the existing guards, maids, and Cossack protectors. Ah.”
Even that number is quite impressive.
The actual military protection might only be in the thousands, but even that is significant.
In terms of elite guards, the maids and Cossacks are basically special members of Anastasia’s fan club, at the manager level.
Hmm, I need to be cautious with these words.
And consequently, Maria II catches my attention.
“Is it you, Maria?”
“…….”
No answer? That’s suspicious.
Somehow, her face shows no emotion, but she’s staring straight at me.
Isn’t that rude toward the Tsar?
Judging by her response, it seems she’s either missed the timing to answer or is racking her brain hard.
Feeling a little uneasy, I smiled awkwardly.
“Ah, surely not, right? I believe in you and Maria.”
“……No, it isn’t.”
Finally, Maria II turned her head.
What’s going on? Isn’t she behaving just like the authors? Seeing no response makes me suspicious.
If the entire nation looks like this, the future looks worrisome.
“But didn’t that moment of silence seem a bit long?”
She even turned her eyes away.
Could it be that they’re planning some scheme to place me as the eternal human emperor?
“Well, there’s no helping it. Frankly, the current generation owes their existence to Your Majesty, more or less.”
After the Red-White Civil War, it’s been nothing but praise for the Tsar, and the younger generation has grown up with that mindset.
They take it as a matter of course.
Even if the Tsar were a tyrant, using the military to oppress the people, there would be grounds for potential deflation, but I haven’t done anything like that.
I’ve won every war, plus rebuilt Rome.
I have taken care of worker welfare too, so it’s obvious.
Under these circumstances, one might argue this is only natural.
“That may be true, but… hmm.”
In the end, perhaps this has become toxic.
However, the Emperor has the ability to pass the throne. That’s a different story.
Even Vladimir kept an eye on public sentiment.
“If there’s a way to resolve this, rather than causing chaos through deflation, I’d prefer the role of an eternal emperor.”
The role of an eternal emperor? Hmm. But that’s impossible.
I will die one day. That fact is unchangeable.
“That’s rough.”
If it’s the future, technology might be good, and I might be able to show that I’m aging, with synthesis or whatever.
Why didn’t the elders just make me not age? If they didn’t understand me, they would comprehend nothing other than my immortality.
What if the elder suddenly takes me one day? I find myself pondering that almost every day.
I still need to think of methods for identity laundering.
Even if I choose the route of an Emperor of Humanity, there’s no telling when I might die. This is an unchangeable truth.
If Anastasia is of such particular importance, it’s not just about, “Oh, well,” but for my potential death, I must secure things firmly.
“First, if you slowly erase your presence, that could work, but regardless, the pains you’ll have to go through will be tremendous.”
This protest made me painfully aware of that.
Rather, the Duma is the one threatening the Tsar. It’s like that.
Is simple laundering not going to cut it?
“I’m seriously saying that I can’t live forever.”
Should I have just avoided getting involved with the media this whole time?
No, if I hadn’t, morale would have dipped among the soldiers during the war, and attempting the project would have been tough.
To drag Russia up with a chokehold, it had to be done.
Frankly, even if I were to possess the spirit of Princess Luise from Germany, or if I were to embody the noble Habsburg family and rebuild the empire or perhaps channel Princess Deokhye of the Korean Empire, I would have gripped the nation tightly in the same manner.
Then, should I really extend the timeline for AI Anastasia as much as possible?
I became so frustrated that I tousled my hair.
“Ah, I don’t know. It’ll work out somehow.”
Is it because I have a lot on my plate? Something about this body has made me want to shed the complexities.
It’s tough enough developing the country; where’s the time to think about this stuff?
This is something that should change the subject.
“At times like this, it’s time to change the subject. I’m curious about Israel.”
“Out of the blue?”
“Well, you genuinely shift your focus at times like this.”
You should really turn your eyes elsewhere.
And Israel is precisely the right subject.
* * *
Around this time, Israel’s sanctuary was being thwarted by the UN.
The UN’s peacekeeping troops have started providing humanitarian support to both armies and soon announced they would mediate peace.
At first, it seemed Israel felt betrayed.
Once an anti-Jewish state, but with the current Tsar’s rise, pro-Jewish policies, and the support of the Jews, Russia became a pro-Israel state.
Russia was the one that provided the land for the establishment of Israel.
However, who could have anticipated such a backstab?
“Wasn’t Russia an ally of Israel?”
The Israeli diplomats looked at the Russian delegation with faces that seemed to scream “How could you?”
“Because we’re allies, that’s why we’re doing this! The fact that you retreated after marching into our territory and then sneaking back to Shanghai means you have no intention of maintaining your occupied territories, right?”
True. Israel has repeatedly pulled back.
Why? Because the number of National Government troops was larger than expected.
They couldn’t afford to maintain their foothold, so they would keep raiding and retreating back to Shanghai for defense.
“So what does this have to do with us?”
“If this war continues, the National Government will collapse. The remaining warlords will consume what’s left, and then the warlords will start trying to regain Shanghai first. Unless they plan to increase their occupied territories, Israel likely has reasons to consider ending their involvement by this point, just without any justification.”
In fact, there were many voices within Israel echoing that sentiment.
They needed to stop with the guerilla warfare against the National Government.
Right now, they should focus on operations in Northern China, and it wouldn’t be wise to continue the fight against the National Government, especially with their strength not significantly expanded yet.
It was their pride that kept them from letting go.
“That is true, but…”
“That’s why the UN is getting directly involved. We have to keep governments, like the National Government, around to kick around. Isn’t that right?”
That’s not wrong. If the current government were overturned and replaced by an unknown regime, it would have derailed the overall plans for Israel.
They needed a suitably irritating presence.
Thus, keeping the current National Government around didn’t seem like a bad idea.
“Alright then. We’ll accept the UN’s mediation.”
Ultimately, they resigned themselves to the situation.
“Don’t worry. It was Shanghai we handed over. We won’t let it fall to China. Our mother Tsar will ensure that.”
“Thanks for your concern.”
From Russia’s standpoint, they wanted the two of them to keep fighting.