Ch.363A Mother for Everyone

* * *

“Is that how it works?”

“Yes. The Mother of All is literally everyone’s mother, mentally and spiritually. Who else could there be besides Mother Tsar?”

Mentally and spiritually everyone’s mother. Wow, that sounds terrifying when you put it that way. Is this really okay?

Everyone calls me mother. How many children do I actually have?

I never gave birth, yet I have children. A lot of them. Is there a mother who sends tens or hundreds of millions of her children to the battlefield?

“That’s quite a frightening statement.”

I feel like I’ve taken on far too much responsibility. That thought crossed my mind.

“Most people think that way.”

Most people? That’s scary. This isn’t some cult, what is this? I couldn’t imagine such a thing.

Isn’t this actually cult-level stuff? I can’t help but think that.

There’s nothing I can do about this.

Well, I can’t control how people think.

People’s thoughts aren’t easily changed. I understand that completely.

“If that’s normal, I wonder how this Russia actually functions.”

Should I stop appearing on broadcasts? Is it because I look young that everyone’s like this?

It might be better to gradually fade away and then change my identity later. Maybe I should announce this is my last television appearance.

That’s it. I’ll withdraw first.

Then slowly backing away is one approach.

Get people used to it gradually, then one day—poof!—disappear?

“Good. I’ll do that. I’ve always wanted to try something like that anyway.”

I’ll just say one thing: I’m not appearing on television anymore.

So. Just let me be a space explorer without making me worry about all this.

“If you don’t appear on television after this broadcast, it could be dangerous.”

“Are you threatening me now?”

That’s quite bold. Is Maria II actually trying to threaten the Tsar?

This makes me quite sad. I may not look it, but I’m older, and it’s troublesome when someone so young acts this way.

Seeing my hurt expression, Maria II shook her head lightly.

“No, I mean many people might die if you don’t appear.”

Not a threat, but people will die?

Why would people die just because I don’t appear on broadcasts?

Please don’t make such absurd lies.

“How could my not appearing possibly—”

It’s a fair point. They may call me Mother, but everyone knows I’ve been on the throne for over 40 years.

Of course, unlike other female leaders, there aren’t any photos or pictures of me looking old, but still. Being in this position for so long and then becoming a god isn’t good.

“At the very least, Your Majesty’s popularity is enormous.”

“Yes, I know that well.”

Wherever I go, hearing “Anachang daisuki!” is normal.

Considering everything I’ve done so far, that makes sense. Honestly, I’ve only worn the mask of a saint. I’ve committed all sorts of vile acts for the sake of the future.

In this situation, it’s impossible not to have public support.

The problem is that there are groups who follow me too fanatically even amid all this.

“There are still many who can’t forget the imperial era. People who could die any day might commit suicide if Your Majesty’s reign ends.”

Suicide if my reign ends? Well, yes, there was an uproar when I mentioned abdication.

But no matter what, that seems a bit much.

“Hmm. How did people live before television?”

“Well, they’re very dependent on television now. For example—”

“For example?”

It sounds like she’s about to say something frightening, but I’d like to believe otherwise.

“Mr. Choi of Balhae descent from Yekaterinburg, a die-hard Tsarist, once said he would die if Mother Tsar stopped appearing on television.”

“That’s insane.”

That’s ridiculous. This exaggeration is going too far.

Think about it logically. Would someone really commit suicide over this?

“You may not believe it, but it’s true. Something similar happened when Japan surrendered.”

“Japan?”

“Yes, when the Emperor announced surrender, some civilians defending Tokyo committed seppuku.”

Ah, that I can understand.

There were so many Emperor-worshipping Japanese. Of course that could happen.

How many people are dependent on television? Television truly is an idiot box.

Who was it that decided to distribute televisions to every household?

Oh, it was me. If only Maria had stopped me, this wouldn’t have happened!

This can all be blamed on Maria for not stopping me.

Maybe we should stop selling televisions…

“If we stopped selling televisions, that would create its own problems.”

Well, I know realistically it’s impossible to stop selling them, but…

When will I ever be able to change my identity?

If I stay stuck in one place, I’ll become humanity’s idol.

“So I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t?”

“That’s right. How could people bear not seeing the Tsar’s face?”

People break down just because they can’t see me?

Hmm, that’s shocking. Even idols don’t get treated like this.

I don’t know how the country ended up this way.

“Wait, how did we get from talking about spaceships to this?”

“Because it’s all connected.”

Right. It’s all connected. I can’t argue with that, but it’s troublesome that everything is connected.

Everything revolves around me.

Does this mean the center of the world is Anchang? This means I won’t be able to rest easy even when I die.

“Surely not? That joke is going too far, Maria.”

“I’m not joking. I’m serious. If you don’t believe me, you can send out the Okhrana to investigate.”

When you put it that way, I have no choice but to believe you.

It means the world turns according to my will.

“Huh, I really wonder how this country became so broken.”

Isn’t this basically a theocracy?

In Chinese terms, isn’t this like the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom or something?

If people have become dependent on my existence, what will happen to the future Rome Treaty?

No, it would mainly be Russia. Wait, no. If more time passes, other countries in the Roman territories might also start thinking, “The Tsar doesn’t die! She’s a god!”

That would be troublesome.

“It can’t be helped. Your Majesty’s dolls from West Japan are already selling everywhere in Europe.”

“Why would such things sell?”

Why would such things sell? I really can’t understand it.

“Many people witnessed Your Majesty’s divine abilities during the Second World War.”

“Divine abilities?”

Did I have divine abilities?

“Yes, like surviving after being hit by bombs.”

Ah, the Danube Defense Force did see that. But couldn’t that just be overlooked?

Wait a moment. Thinking about it, maybe it’s not such a simple matter.

“Hmm, even so, that’s not right. Humans, you know, eventually die.”

I’m still human, at least for now.

Despite how I look, my appearance is human. And the old man made me this way.

By that logic, dying would be normal, wouldn’t it? Unless I truly can’t die, which would be a different situation.

“Even Your Majesty?”

Of course me too, won’t I die someday? That’s what I think. I believe that old man will come for me eventually.

After all, he’s the one who saved me, who made me immortal.

“When my given mission is complete, God will take me.”

Seriously, I absolutely cannot become the Emperor of Humanity or Eternal Emperor or whatever.

So, I need to prepare beforehand.

But how should I phrase it on the broadcast? I’ll have to appear on the broadcast, but when should I make my move?

“If that really happens, I don’t know what will become of Russia.”

“The dependence on me is too high.”

This is seriously troublesome. Of course, personally it’s nice. Though I’ve been mostly quiet, I’ve always enjoyed attention.

But that’s different from state affairs.

When a country is led by a single charismatic leader, it ends when that leader ends.

Isn’t that exactly where I’m heading? Have I somehow become engrossed in this role? If I really leave, won’t the Rome Treaty collapse immediately?

No, maybe this is just my needless worry.

“Mother Tsar.”

“What is it?”

“Do you truly have no intention of ruling this world forever?”

“If I had such intentions, I would have taken America long ago.”

If that were the case, I really would have. I regretted it briefly, but no matter what, I don’t know when I’ll die.

The possibility that I’ll see that old man again on the day I was originally supposed to die is just my own speculation.

What if, by some remote chance, I die before then?

Then there would truly be no solution. Honestly, even now I don’t know how long I’ll last. Human life is unpredictable.

“Imagine it! Thousands of years from now, countless citizens still calling Your Majesty ‘Mother’! Even the Black people in Africa calling Your Majesty ‘Mother’!”

“Oh…ohhhh.”

Maria II clenched both hands as she said this.

No, that can’t be right.

Seriously, this is about my future. For the future of the Rome Treaty, I need to prepare.

I should quickly pursue computer development to create AI Anastasia as soon as possible—that might be the only solution.

“Do you truly intend to abdicate? Or do you really plan to step back?”

“Aren’t they the same thing?”

I really don’t like this. Later, I should seriously announce on broadcast that it’s time for me to step down.

“Or how about naturally reducing the frequency?”

“Reduce it?”

“You mainly appear on broadcasts for advertisements or important news, right?”

That’s right. Advertisements are mainly for Romanov Electronics or food-related products.

Otherwise, I only turn on broadcasts for truly important matters.

Those broadcasts are mostly about spaceships recently.

True, I have appeared on television frequently lately.

I’ve been demonstrating that television can be used this way for quite some time.

Recently, there have been many movies and various advertisements. So I thought it wouldn’t matter if I mixed in, which is why I often appeared on “Today’s Rome News” to inform people about spaceships.

“That’s right. So reduce the frequency?”

“Yes. That doesn’t seem like a bad idea.”

Gradually reduce the frequency.

Make it seem natural as I become less visible. Would that work?

It feels like I’m being tricked, but surely not?

* * *

Around this time, Greece was full of controversy.

The Golden Hellenism Party was a nationalist party that claimed to be the descendants of Alexander’s Empire and Macedonia more than anyone else.

As Russia officially took the titles of Byzantine Emperor and Third Roman Empire, Greece tried to at least claim the title of Macedonian Empire.

In this process, the three Middle Eastern countries were good material for restoring the Hellenic domain.

Turkey was in the middle, but that couldn’t be helped.

At minimum, they needed to secure the Middle East, but this Tsar ended it by giving Afghanistan resource monopoly rights.

From Greece’s perspective, this was betrayal. It didn’t matter what annoyances or terrorism Anastasia had suffered in the process.

A staggering 20,000 Greeks died in Afghanistan.

Out of 60,000 deployed personnel, 20,000 died or were injured.

This was infuriating for Greece with its small population.

“Why does the Rome Treaty persecute us so?”

“That’s right! We did everything in the last expedition! How could they abandon us?”

“Why has the government been hiding this fact until now?”

“Let’s assert our will at the Rome Treaty headquarters!”

The Greeks were furious.

Normally, anger management issues subside before the powerful, but being bound by the Rome Treaty, Greece could speak up boldly.

“Wasn’t it thanks to Rome Treaty weapons that the expedition succeeded?”

“Hey! Whose side are you on? Are you an Anastasia supporter?”

“You caught me. I’m an Anastasia supporter. But please hear me out.”

“Anyway, it’s true that the Tsar established the Islamic-Hellenistic Federation thanks to us!”

“20,000 of our soldiers died! The Tsar should at least hand over one of the three Arab countries!”

It didn’t matter whether the Greek army was armed with Rome Treaty weapons or not.

It’s a fair point. Greece is different.

They are the rightful successors of Hellenism! And would another country have been able to occupy immediately? Only Greece, bearing the title of Hellenism’s successor, could have waged such a war!

Therefore, they would boldly demand compensation.

And at the Rome Treaty headquarters, they were simply bewildered by Greece’s demands.