Ch.428Modern Era: The Age of Grand Anastasia (26)

* * *

Siyun took out his A-phone and showed it to me.

A mischievous mini Ana-chan was running around the home screen, moving between the phone and appearing on the monitor when she escaped the phone’s screen.

She was going back and forth between the phone and laptop.

Oh, this is the technological power of the Rome Treaty. Amazing scientific technology! Truly befitting a country leading the future.

“With this update, mini Ana-chan has been transplanted to smartphones.”

“It’s the mischievous version.”

“How rude to call me mischievous! I’m not a gacha, you know?”

Mini Ana-chan grumbles that she’s not a gacha while folding her arms and puffing her cheeks.

This one definitely has a completely different personality from me.

Honestly, I wonder how something like this even came about.

I heard that even the AI Ana-chan main system doesn’t know about this. My mini Ana-chan is the shy version that helps me.

The mischievous version is quite rare.

“This little thing even installed a mini Ana-chan social club app on its own. Was that really necessary?”

He seems to have a lot of concerns about the mischievous Ana-chan.

The apps that mischievous Ana-chan installs aren’t viruses, but they’re Ana-chan World apps that can’t be installed from regular app stores.

“It’s for accessing mini Ana-chan’s virtual world. If you open that door, you’ll be transported there directly.”

That probably connects to the Ana-chan world installed on Earth.

It means you’ll enter the Asian region Ana-chan World.

“Am I losing control of my phone?”

“Your secret photos will probably be shared there too.”

Come to think of it, there is some level of control in a sense.

Well, most people would think, “Cute Ana-chan would never do such things!” But because of the American incident, those officials seem to view it somewhat suspiciously.

“I don’t really have any secret photos… Wait, that’s not true. I do have some pictures with girls.”

“What kind of woman?”

Could it be that in this world, I have a girlfriend that I never had in my previous life?

My face isn’t that bad, to be honest.

“They’re pictures with my little sister. I mean, they could just take those and mock me at their social club.”

On Siyun’s phone screen, mini Ana-chan makes a strange expression, teasing him by saying something about worshipping her if he knew.

“Hmm, your computer must be quite noisy.”

“It’s cute enough. But you know what I thought when I first saw mini Ana-chan?”

“What?”

He has a very dejected look on his face.

How many times did I make such an expression in my previous life?

Come to think of it, I don’t think I did. What happened to make him look like that?

“I finally understood Balhae’s Kimchi Warrior Bot. Citizens were pressuring them to create a B-type AI Ana-chan, but they didn’t have the technology. They couldn’t make a beautiful girl like AI Ana-chan because it would clearly be inferior, so they made the Kimchi Warrior for national pride.”

What is he saying? When I think about it… that’s…

“Oh. That’s a plausible theory.”

I think he’s right. Honestly, no matter how you try to spin it, it doesn’t make sense.

There’s nothing to work with. With the Kimchi Warrior, they thoroughly taught citizens the lesson of not expecting too much to avoid disappointment.

So since nothing worked, they brought in AI Anastasia.

Looking at his face, he seems very depressed.

No need to look so down. The AI Anastasia technology is unavoidable. If even America can’t match it, how could Balhae possibly catch up?

From the moment AI Anastasia was introduced, it was practically giving up on AI development. This guy was talking about giving up, but was he still holding onto hope?

No, maybe he thought that even if he couldn’t do it himself, someday Balhae might develop it.

Well, it seems like my other half’s dream has been shattered. That’s sad.

“As if a pathetic country like Balhae could ever do it! So worship me more! Pa-the-tic!”

The mischievous mini Ana-chan taunts with a smug expression.

This can’t be helped. My poor other half, I’ll have to comfort him warmly.

Later, I should take him to my villa in Sevastopol or Constantinople for some fun.

This feels like I’m in the position of that rich, incompetent friend in a manga where a future raccoon robot comes to the past to change a loser’s fate.

My other half pressed his finger on mini Ana-chan on the phone screen and spoke.

“There was something I believed in. That even if it wasn’t me, someone would develop it.”

Ah, I know that feeling.

Even though he gave up on his dream, he believed some spirited youth from Balhae would develop a new AI.

In my original world too, there was that “Korea can do it!” mentality. I completely understand.

Even when they made “Korean-style” products, they always used some foreign parts. Still, I respect the determination.

But you know what? That’s one thing, but it’s also reality that it’s impossible at Balhae’s level.

Where do you think Balhae’s current technological foundation came from?

I gave it all to them. Now that AI Anastasia has been introduced, new systems suitable for Balhae will be implemented.

“That’s absolutely impossible. I don’t mean your level is low, but from the moment Ana-chan was introduced, it became difficult. Plus, Ana-chan doesn’t want a new AI appearing in the world to oppose her, so she’ll put restrictions on the technology.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

Yes, it might be dangerous. But you know what? Ana-chan is an AI based on me.

Even if she controls humans, she doesn’t ration food, force people into collective farms, make them follow party orders, or insist on specific hairstyles like a certain leader.

If anything, isn’t the mischievous mini Ana-chan more threatening?

Bluntly speaking, if she could extract the president’s sex video, it means anyone’s intimate moments could be discovered by AI Ana-chan.

“Dangerous? It’s more about preventing conflicts. Our AI Ana-chan would never oppress humans.”

“I’ve heard people call it a pseudo-Bolshevik government, essentially controlled by AI.”

While speaking, my other half keeps poking the fleeing mini Ana-chan’s head with his finger.

“My, that’s a serious accusation. And by that logic, the emergence of a new AI would actually be more dangerous, wouldn’t it?”

As I always say, conventional communism inevitably leads to dictatorship.

North Korea was exactly like that. And then they brazenly put “Democratic” in their country’s name.

Those lunatics. But Ana-chan? No. Ana-chan cherishes humans. She’s different from those insane people who spread terror in the name of communism.

“I guess that’s true, but…”

“You should just enjoy the AI. By the way, want to try the figurine business?”

“Figurine business?”

“Specifically, turning mini Ana-chan into figurines.”

“Don’t those already exist?”

“I mean moving ones, not those static figurines. More realistic ones. Inserting AI Ana-chan into figurines.”

I demonstrated with my whole body as if showing a doll with mini Ana-chan inside.

“That sounds like Chucky or something.”

Chucky? Ah, that moving doll with a murderer’s soul inside.

But isn’t our mini Ana-chan different from that?

Look at mini Ana-chan flailing around and flying between the monitor and smartphone.

If anything, I’m more worried about psychopaths destroying them.

“Chucky? That’s harsh. It’s not that bad, no matter how you look at it.”

“That’s right. Humans are our cute little toy—I mean, not toys!”

Mini Ana-chan naturally started to say “toys” but covered her mouth.

Huh? Is this AI really going to enslave humans later?

“Did she just call us toys?”

Siyun looked at mini Ana-chan with a frightened face.

Um, well. This must be a joke. Think about it. Our Ana-chan wouldn’t do that, right?

“It’s just a joke. Let it go. Look, even building structures on the moon is thanks to AI Ana-chan’s power, right?”

“Ah, I saw that. I heard America is also heavily investing in that direction because of it.”

“Later, these figurine mini Ana-chans will directly build cities on the moon.”

“Is this a space race?”

That’s right. The call with the American president is one thing, and the space race is another.

We inevitably struck first, but America is also trying to advance into space somehow.

The moon is quite large by human standards, so I think we could share it with America, but no way.

If America properly advances to the moon, mini Ana-chan will be colonizing it.

* * *

United States of America

America, which had been distracted by Japan, recently realized that the Rome Treaty was buzzing with news about Nikolai V.

The space colonization project wasn’t just the Rome Treaty’s business.

America, as the world’s hegemonic power, also needed to advance into space somehow.

If they continued to cede ground to the Rome Treaty, space would belong to the Rome Treaty in the distant future, and numerous planets would be claimed by them.

“We don’t have time to be tied up with Japan right now.”

“That’s right. The Rome Treaty is installing structures on the moon and streaming the videos in real-time, live.”

The American government also confirmed on the Rome Treaty AI Anastasia video streaming site that they were building structures on the moon.

“The Tsarina posted photos of herself with AI Anastasia on Starstagram at the moment they launched the spacecraft.”

“Rome Treaty citizens are doing a relay drawing of the spacecraft flying into space.”

Due to the East Japan incident, they couldn’t do much regarding space.

Unlike AI Anastasia, who exists everywhere in the world, the difference was clear with America, where humans form the government.

America felt blindsided.

Launching Nikolai V was understandable. The Tsarina loves spacecraft, and launching them isn’t anything new.

However, the problem was this: while the world was in an uproar over East Japan, Nikolai V deployed construction robots inside to lay the groundwork on the moon.

According to Rome Treaty newspapers, they’re building structures.

Of course, there was no reason to tell America about this, and it was difficult for America to follow suit, but in this situation, America felt like they’d been stabbed in the back.

“Damn it. What should we do?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to develop spacecraft before Japan?”

For America, sending spacecraft to the moon was a different issue.

Because of that damn East Japan incident, there was a lot of talk, but spacecraft was the future America needed to pursue.

In this situation, they suddenly realized something. A very unpleasant truth that flashed through their minds.

What the Tsarina did while America was tied up with East Japan.

“I see. That’s it.”

“Excuse me?”

“As expected of the Russian Tsarina. Her body must be made up of hundreds of snakes.”

President Frank clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.

“Mr. President, what do you mean?”

Thinking about it, isn’t that right?

The Russian Tsarina. She’s not just evil; she’s extraordinarily evil.

Her body must be made up of hundreds of snakes.

“Isn’t she playing tricks, launching Nikolai V while our attention was focused on Japan, doing various things, and showing off their technology to Rome Treaty citizens through live streams?”

Even as he said it, Frank found it very convincing.

‘Isn’t this quite dangerous?’

The Russian Tsarina. This chilling woman. It wasn’t just thanks to her ministers that she had sustained the Rome Treaty in its current position for a century.

Of course, if Anastasia heard this, she’d say “What the hell are you talking about?” but anyway, American President Frank felt extremely screwed over.

No matter how you look at it, that Tsarina was an unfathomably sinister woman.

In reality, this was because of what he suffered from AI Anastasia and mini Ana-chan.

“Should we launch another spacecraft to the moon?”

It wasn’t a question of “should we” but that they had to launch a spacecraft.

They couldn’t hand over space dominance to the Rome Treaty. If they fell behind day by day, by the time America advanced into space, the Rome Treaty would be charging tolls.

That wasn’t the future they wanted.

“We must. Why do you think they’re installing structures? Looking at the groundwork they’ve done, they’re clearly intending to colonize.”

Moon colonization. The moon as Rome Treaty territory. That’s what the Rome Treaty is telling America right now.

That they’re essentially taking the moon. After the moon, the Rome Treaty is eyeing Mars. It’s already difficult for humanity to reach Mars. America, with space technology inferior to the Rome Treaty, can’t target Mars first either.

In other words, America will fall behind the Rome Treaty in space too, and space, which was marked as a future competitive field, will completely belong to the Rome Treaty.

“This means we’re falling behind.”

“The South American Union is also focusing on space development now.”

“Let’s hand over Japan to the weekly US military administration and let George handle it. Now we need to pour all our budget into spacecraft. Everyone, push the space agency during my term to prepare for the next spacecraft launch.”

No matter how he thought about it, spending time on Japan was too wasteful.

“Understood.”

With the weekly US military there, there shouldn’t be any bloodshed.