LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 373
Of course, everyone here could just cover their mouths, but anyway.
“Ahem. Well, that’s true.”
“How urgent must it be for Tsar to gather all of us in Moscow? This is a fire at our feet.”
How dire could it be for him to do so?
We had to admit it. The Tsar is feeling a sense of crisis right now. Yet, the people of the Rome Treaty refuse to acknowledge this fact.
Right. It’s because everyone has that vague expectation that Mother Tsar won’t leave us.
“Indeed, indeed.”
“In effect, it’s the Tsar’s last will. It’s a secret just for us.”
In effect, it’s a secret known only to those present here.
It’s terribly tragic. And pitiful, but it was an unavoidable reality.
The problem is, the Tsar has staked his future on this secret known only to us.
What if the project delays more than anticipated and becomes impossible during His reign?
Isn’t that the absolute worst-case scenario?
“Then, it means that at least we must complete the project within His lifetime.”
“For now, let’s not waste our efforts and focus on securing the budget. We need to create Electronic Engineering Academies across the country to study computers and the internet.”
This was practically a massive nationwide project.
It was something Mother Tsar informed us about, but it was so bewildering.
Fortunately, there were papers left by Tesla before he died, and the Tesla Institute was deep into research based on those.
“Seeing as the Tsar urged us, it seems the Roman Department of Science and Technology is already aware of it?”
That made some sense.
“But think about it. If the United States catches wind of this, what happens then? If a criminal has wide reach, they will get caught, and if the tail is long, the beast will be caught.”
Right. What would happen if the United States found out?
The United States is a nation of nouveau riche.
They grip immense wealth in their hands. Of course. The currency of the Rome Treaty is becoming integrated, and the ruble is turning into an international currency, with the global economy tightly held by the Rome Treaty, but apart from that, the gold of the United States is pretty tempting.
How else did they settle the costs of warfare and technology transfers with gold during World War II?
In other words, the United States has an ambition to buy whatever it takes to achieve its goals.
If we set things in motion across Russia, they might somehow uncover the Anastasia Project.
So, while everyone was holding their heads in despair,
“I’ll take the lead myself. I owe a debt to the Tsar. I must repay that debt.”
Alan Turing stepped forward.
Alan Turing had faced discrimination in Britain due to his homosexuality, but it was different here in Russia.
His inclinations were embraced directly by the Tsarina.
“You weren’t wrong. You sought your love. Shouldn’t we repay that Tsar’s kindness?”
“Dr. Alan, right?”
“Let’s all pull together. It would be problematic if we moved separately, so I’ll expand the Academy significantly in Moscow.”
“We should work together.”
That would be enough.
Somehow, I will succeed in the mission bestowed by His Majesty.
* * *
Since that old man’s visit, something in my heart had settled down.
Well, that means I’ll be alive at least until the Rome Treaty is fully solidified.
Hearing those words made me feel relieved that I could at least tidy up my mess.
And today, I decided to enjoy some dessert.
It felt like all the tension just melted away. At times like this, one should indulge in something sweet.
“Your Majesty, you suddenly look very relaxed.”
Maria II smiled as she poured tea.
Oh, she can smile too. I didn’t know that.
Well, it would be strange if I weren’t relaxed. The biggest worries had vanished, after all.
“Oh, I feel quite at ease.”
Should I say that the worries are gone? As long as I’m not dying, I’m fine.
“What on earth happened?”
Should I mention this? I hesitated a bit. But it should be fine. Whatever.
“To put it simply, I don’t have to worry about my lifespan for at least a while?”
“How is that possible?”
“I just struck a deal with God.”
“God? Does God really exist?”
“Maria doesn’t believe in God, huh?”
Oh dear, I believe in God.
How could I possibly be here without that belief?
Honestly, I don’t really want to believe either, for fear that that pesky human might say something about it.
“Well, I only believe in Your Majesty.”
“Hmm, you believe in me. That’s not bad, but still, it feels a bit much to only believe in me.”
I’m not a god or anything.
There’s that damned old man, so hearing that I’m divine feels odd.
“Then, is Your Majesty truly immortal?”
Well, I suppose I’m at least invincible.
In the desired timeframe, I may very well become an immortal being.
Honestly, if I lived too long, I would start to worry about losing my emotions like in comics.
But, what does it matter?
“That’s not the case. I said I’ll return one day, but for now, it’s not like I’m worrying about when I’ll die.”
On the contrary, wouldn’t Maria have to go through Maria III, IV, and V?
Even that is still in the realm of possibility.
But one thing is certain: God did just enough to help me.
To be honest, this world is now suspiciously revolving around me.
“Are you perhaps thinking of something?”
“Oh, just recalling the talk about the Anastasia Project.”
Should I retract that?
Ah, I won’t be dying for a while. So I could just let it slide. That feels risky, too.
“Is that really possible?”
“It is. I mean, really, can a person look this good after living 60 years?”
I raised my chin proudly.
“That does seem to be true.”
“Honestly, I do think it’s a relief not to age.”
After all, not aging is a blessing.
Anyway, unlike men, women don’t have high peaks.
After the twenties, it’s over. You may get a pass until your early thirties, but then it’s pretty much game over.
But, I’ve become indifferent to that now.
“Well, Your Majesty is Your Majesty, so you have that eternal youthful vibe as a Saint~. You won’t have to hear ‘auntie’ or ‘grandma’ either.”
Maria II said with envy.
Now that I think about it, Maria II must have aged a bit too, hasn’t she?
Wait a minute. Thinking like that, I too was once a regular woman.
Imagining that made me feel a bit queasy.
“Auntie? Grandma?”
Hearing those words directly brings back associations.
As I age, those associations are growing stronger.
“Usually, at Your Majesty’s age, women are referred to as grandmothers.”
Suddenly, I imagine it.
With the characteristic rapid aging in the West, if I were suddenly flattered to be compared to a wine lady, labeled ‘auntie,’ that would be, ugh, I might throw a punch.
I never understood this in my male days, but now that I’m in this body, it feels quite different.
I can’t help but think back to that, even if I try to forget it.
Of course, being called auntie wouldn’t drive me to murder or anything drastic.
Oh, this is why I planned to adjust my age come the 2000s!
And how could Maria II bring up such things again? Forgotten things began to creep back into my mind.
“By the way, our Maria will soon be an auntie too, right?”
“She has indeed reached that age.”
But even so, Maria, for a Westerner, is still young.
Even claiming she has the looks of someone from the East wouldn’t be wrong.
Original Maria is now overseeing the maids, yet she looks alright.
“Does she have a husband?”
Shouldn’t she get a husband soon? I figured Maria would have had one at her age.
At least, to transition from Maria to a profession, that much should be necessary, right?
“I already have a daughter.”
“No, when did she give birth? I’m starting to feel anxious.”
Just how many kids does she have?
I could suspect that Original Maria kept pressuring Maria II to hurry up about this.
“Well, we have to pass Maria III, IV, and V onward forever.”
“Still, I didn’t even know you were pregnant?”
You were by my side every day, but when did you have the time with your husband?
“Despite appearances, I have been secretively preparing a lot.”
“That sounds a bit strange; isn’t that faster than Original Maria?”
Did she give birth faster than the Original Maria? Already having plans for the third?
This is starting to make me feel quite sorry for myself.
“Well, I have to keep serving you, Your Majesty.”
Serving me, huh? That enormous quantity of Marias is there to serve me.
Um, picturing that feels a bit off.
“Isn’t that surveillance?”
You wouldn’t be saying that it’s surveillance, right?
“It shouldn’t be. At least, I hope so.”
It shouldn’t be. At least, I hope so. Is that what a servant typically says?
Of course, Maria probably made that joke, but still, something feels a bit off about it.
A very uneasy feeling.
Like when you blow your nose, nothing comes out, but your nose is blocked. Or when you forget to add soup to ramen. That sort of feeling.
Well, I hope that isn’t the case.
What if this Kremlin is merely a facility to monitor me, and my existence is actually that of a monitored being?
Um, I want to believe that’s not true. Seriously.
“Is it normal to use ‘maybe’ in that context? Don’t you think that’s a bit odd?”
I’m getting a little scared here; it’s all good, right?
“In any case, Maria must be Maria for eternity.”
But why go to such lengths?
No matter how hard I worked, was there really a reason to concern themselves with me this much?
For a brief moment, that thought crossed my mind. No matter how I think about it, it feels a bit strange.
Hmm, yeah. Truly, the idol has been hard to disregard.
An idol must remain an idol forever.
Original Maria might have thought about that, but still, this feels a bit much.
Using even their families feels like a waste of life to me.
I could find myself being remembered as ‘that’ Tsar once time flows on.
Of course, I’m proud to consider myself greater than the likes of Stalin or Kim Il-sung.
“Actually, my mother is quite worried about Mother Tsar.”
“She’s worried about me?”
Well, Maria might worry for me, but that’s just excessive concern.
Excessive worry can lead to trouble.
Maria has also aged to the point where it’s inevitable.
Her fear might be about how I would manage if she were to pass away.
“Yes. After all, we are merely human, and we cannot serve you by your side forever. Thus, the Maria Project was prepared.”
I almost choked on my cake.
“What’s this Maria Project about?”
Is it similar to the AI Anastasia Project?
If it’s a joke, it could be seen as a threat to the Tsar’s authority, and I might grant Maria the honor of not serving me.
“Lightly, it’s simply about inheriting Maria.”
Maria II said while serving me cake.
Inheriting Maria. Just like a throne, there’s another Maria waiting to continue.
Maria will pass on to the next Maria.
“Inheriting Maria. Hmm. That’s a bit odd.”
They’re inheriting Maria.
Hearing it that way makes it sound like it isn’t all that grand.
“Yes. However, I believe it must be done this way. Otherwise, I feel Your Majesty would be very lonely.”
Oh, our Marias are having such thoughtful thoughts.
Should I feel a bit moved here? Sigh.
“Well, if you ask me if I’m lonely, not exactly.”
This varies based on how you express it.
To be honest, the world was crumbling, and I had almost no one to trust.
In such a world—a lawless, brute-force governed realm—survival meant not trusting anyone.
I encountered countless humans and fought with them.
Honestly, I clearly held a weak stance.
I wasn’t made for predatory acts, and just surviving day by day felt overwhelming.
Families had perished, and I had never had a worthy ally.
Allies, family, etc. I had no bonds that could be called relationships.
At least, Maria has been a good friend to me.
Then Maria, even if she were to die, would pass everything she has on to the next Maria, who would then assist me.
Hmm. That feels a bit sad.