Ch.442Modern Era: The Age of Grand Anastasia (40)(END)

* * *

This is rather pointless to say, but AI Anastasia has some perverse tendencies.

If this is truly meant to resemble me, it would mean I’m the submissive type in SM relationships.

But even so, this seems a bit much.

AI Anastasia has recently been showing great curiosity about many things, almost like a real teenage girl, but I’m worried that our AI Ana-chan’s dark secrets might be revealed.

I shared this story with Siyun, whom I met under the pretext of taking a break.

“It’s quite shocking that I, a woman, would be submissive. But ultimately, that’s based on you. AI Anastasia just has that trait surfacing more obviously in front of you.”

I told Siyun about Ana-chan, wondering if AI Anastasia should really be like this.

“Well, they say everyone has submissive tendencies. Anyway, can’t we fix it?”

Everyone has submissive tendencies, apparently. That must be true. Otherwise, I’ll have to create a theoretical book about it. It’s a bit much to be influenced by AI Anastasia.

“If I tried to fix it, wouldn’t it end up like some Kimchi Warrior? I wonder how people would react if rumors spread that the Tsar is submissive. It’s probably best if this never gets out.”

It’s unfair. She wasn’t an exact copy of me to begin with.

If her personality were identical to mine, would she really call me Master? I don’t think so.

It’s not like anything bad is going to happen anyway.

“What’s with this Kimchi Warrior nonsense? Come to think of it, aren’t you enjoying this a bit too much? I mean, I did set you up for it, but still.”

“I’m not exactly enjoying it. I helped quite a bit with implementing Mini Anastasia.”

He helped implement Ana-chan? Has anything actually changed? I’m not sure. Mini Ana-chan still has various versions—the mischievous version, the shy version, and others—but I haven’t noticed any recent additions.

“Like what?”

“I updated the Mini Anastasia software. That kind of thing.”

When I heard that, I couldn’t help but snicker.

“Nothing seems to have changed though.”

There’s no point in updating them anyway. AI Anastasia and her offshoots, the Mini Ana-chans, are self-evolving organisms.

They’ll survive even if humanity perishes.

Maybe they’ll even preserve human genes and create new humans.

Either way, the Earth might soon belong to the Mini Ana-chans.

“I’ve significantly expanded access permissions to the Anastasia World so Mini Anastasias can roam freely.”

“That sounds more like hacking.”

Wait, expanding Ana-chan’s world means they can travel all over the world?

Ana-chan is truly magnificent in this information age. She might even be more impressive than me.

-“This land is ours!”

-“Bow down to us, mortals!”

Imagining this scenario feels rather concerning.

The Mini Ana-chans’ world domination might lead to some frightening outcomes.

Especially now that they’ve been implemented in reality, what if the Mini Ana-chans become corrupted?

“Well, as long as AI Ana-chan keeps quiet about it, things should be fine, right?”

“You’ve gotten quite comfortable with informal speech.”

“You said you liked it. Besides, your real personality is closer to Irina’s anyway.”

That’s true. The Irina personality suits me better than what I show outwardly as the Tsar.

I’ve become somewhat numb to emotions now, but still. This side of me isn’t so bad with my other half.

“That’s true. And I’ve made my decision. My parents did ask why I would live in Russia. I’ll figure something out later.”

“I see. That’s good.”

Perhaps I won’t be so lonely from now on.

Of course, I had Maria, so I wasn’t exactly lonely, but still. Someone who could understand my true self. Someone who would recognize me for who I am, not just Maria, but someone connected to me.

I don’t know how long I’ll live, but until then, it seems we won’t be able to separate.

“By the way, they mistook me for a woman. So I need to tell you something. I think I need to go to Balhae once, as Irina.”

That’s almost like saying you’ve found a marriage partner.

I suppose we could pretend that “Irina” got married somehow.

I was planning to live alone anyway, and I don’t think we’ll see each other that often.

Besides, I do want to see my parents at least once.

“Ah, I guess that can’t be helped. Alright.”

But I’m not sure if I should tell my family. It’s getting complicated.

I think I just saw that old man clearly through the window for a moment.

* * *

Seoul, Balhae Federation

This is my first time coming to Seoul in the Balhae Federation as someone other than the Tsar.

When I came as the Tsar before, the president would personally attend, and the Balhae people would give me a grand welcome. But as Irina, I was seen simply as a Russian woman.

Though I did attract some attention due to my appearance.

“Hello! I’m Irina.”

Anyway, I successfully met my parents and younger sister.

By some historical irony, my parents and sister were living in the exact same house I lived in during my previous life.

Ridiculously, I approached my family as Irina, without piercings and dressed elegantly to look like a wealthy young lady.

My parents were shocked when they first saw me.

Yes, that’s the normal reaction. It’s strange that he didn’t recognize me.

“Wow, is this the Russian elf my brother is dating?”

“And from a branch of the Romanov family? That makes her royalty!”

“I wondered why our son wanted to live in Russia, but with a daughter-in-law like this…”

My family and sister were shocked when told I was their son’s girlfriend.

If they knew the truth, they’d be even more shocked, but I have absolutely no romantic feelings for this guy.

Moreover, today’s visit is essentially just a charade.

Frankly speaking, would anyone believe their child brought home an heiress from a wealthy family?

So I decided to smooth things over with money.

“These are just small gifts. A television, free access to Anastasia Link satellite service, and a refrigerator.”

I gave them a smart TV from Romanov Electronics that can set up Mini Ana-chan, free access to Anastasia Link (this world’s equivalent of Starlink), and a refrigerator—all already delivered.

Anastasia Link, in particular, is quite expensive.

Moreover, Anastasia Link here is very fast.

In other words, our family can now use unlimited satellite internet without paying any fees.

“Well, we don’t have anything to give you except this guy.”

I know that much. Don’t worry, I won’t ask for returns later.

This is simply a bribe, nothing more, nothing less.

“Hahaha. I’m just bribing you to take Siyun away.”

How did I end up being the one taking myself away? It’s unfair.

I feel like one of those unscrupulous women from dramas who use money to lure a poor boy’s family so she can have him.

What would Maria think if she saw me like this?

I came here reluctantly to take this guy away, but now that I’m here, I feel quite nostalgic.

If only I could cry out just once, “I am your child!” How wonderful that would be.

The words rose to my throat, but I forced them down. If I said that, there would be no going back.

“You speak Balhae language very well?”

“Yes. I’ve always been interested in Balhae.”

There are actually quite a few Russians interested in Balhae.

Because it’s a country raised by the Tsar.

A country the Tsar raised to be the gendarme of the Far East. This level of plausibility wasn’t difficult to establish.

However, this meeting has one major issue.

Since I’m essentially here “with marriage in mind,” I’m effectively acting as Siyun’s fiancée.

To be honest, this feels like some form of self-gratification, and it gives me a feeling that’s… how should I put it? Something I can’t quite express in words.

Of course, I have no such intentions, but right now, it’s just an act.

I wonder how ridiculous this would look to that old man? That’s what I think.

“Listen, you can’t let a girlfriend like this slip away.”

Hahaha, daughter-in-law. This feels rather strange.

Of course, this is just my “Irina” identity. The Russian Tsar will never marry.

Bluntly speaking, marrying this guy would be like pleasuring myself.

Both physically and in terms of marriage, it would be like an old maid who couldn’t find a man and resorted to self-gratification.

While my mother was preparing dinner and my father went out to buy something, I stepped outside with Siyun.

“It’s a bit awkward to talk about, isn’t it?”

“They’ll probably think we’re joking. We can’t tell them.”

Siyun shook his head.

Indeed, even if we wanted to tell them, realistically, we couldn’t.

“Can’t be helped, I guess. For now, I’ll have to meet my parents as Irina.”

Seeing my mother and father, I seriously felt that I no longer had a relationship with Siyun’s family.

But what can I do about reality? My family from my world is dead, so this is still better than nothing.

Let me be content with the fact that my other half’s parents are alive.

“I’ll go back inside and tell them more about you.”

“Alright. I’m counting on you.”

Left alone, I suddenly look up at the sky.

The Maria Family is nearby as my escort, but I told them to stay away while I’m at the house.

“Do you miss it?”

“Old man, it’s been a while.”

A white-haired man appeared beside me again.

“Why not go tell them now? You could convince them, couldn’t you?”

For a moment, I considered it, but I gently shook my head.

Surely, if I insisted, I could somehow convince my parents.

“I could probably convince them if I pushed, but given their personalities, they might collapse.”

We can’t have that. They would continue to doubt, too. No.

Moreover, strictly speaking, this world isn’t my world.

Although they say I went back in time and possessed someone, since this old man sent me to the past, this Earth is probably Earth 2 or Earth 3. In other words, Siyun is another me from another Earth. I can consider him as “me” whom I saved, but those parents are not my parents.

My real parents are the ones who died.

That’s how I see it, at least.

It might be a bit disappointing, but I can think of it positively.

The parents here are just strangers to me, and if I were to tell them “I was your son,” how confused would they be?

It’s a bit selfish of me.

How would they feel if they found out their child was the Russian Tsar?

Discovering that the Russian Tsar was actually their child from another world, who became the Tsar through someone’s intervention and changed the future.

How would I explain that? It’s better to handle it discreetly.

“You seem to be enjoying it quite a bit, though.”

“Enjoying it? I’m not sure. Sometimes I miss my original world.”

This isn’t Korea, but Balhae.

The night sky is the same one I knew, and the house where my family lived still exists.

But strictly speaking, this is a different world.

“You mean the weak Korea that used hedgehog strategies between major powers on a small, half peninsula?”

That’s right. Korea was a top 10 developed country.

It had enough power to use hedgehog strategies in the middle.

But if you trace the roots of history, South Korea’s history lacked foundation.

We didn’t gain independence by our own hands; it was given to us by others.

A divided country with only half its territory. At best, it had the territory of the unlucky Unified Silla and still managed to become a top 10 country, which is admittedly impressive.

But that was it.

Realistically, Korea couldn’t unify, and even if it did, it would have had to spend enormous amounts on military expenses due to China and Russia.

In the end, protecting half a peninsula was the best it could do.

Unless one could actually travel back in time with a time machine and change history, Korea’s peak would be limited to being a half peninsula.

But even so, I miss that country.

Despite its daily political fights and various divisions, I miss South Korea terribly.

Whatever it was, it was my country.

“Whatever it was, it was originally my country. Let me ask you: if the nuclear war hadn’t happened, would the world have continued?”

Suddenly, I found myself asking this question.

If there had been no nuclear war, what would have happened to this country?

“I’m surprised you’re asking now. Like World War I and II, that war was inevitable. If I could have changed it, wouldn’t I have intervened?”

“I suppose so.”

This old man has looked after me in many ways.

If there had been even the slightest chance to restore the world, the old man would have stepped in to prevent it.

But like World War I and II, it was bound to happen, and the old man had no choice but to let it unfold.

“Surprisingly, there were people who survived in that world. Would you like to see? Since you miss it so much, I think I should show you at least once.”

I can see it once? Of course I want to see it.

“You should have shown me earlier if you could.”

I wanted to see it with my own eyes.

To see what the future of that world became.

The old man wiped the air as if cleaning a dusty mirror, and a screen appeared, shimmering like a polished surface.

In it, a man was giving a speech on a podium in the middle of ruins, with an Earth globe flag fluttering nearby.

[“Long before the dawn of civilization, our ancestors continuously walked and created settlements, built civilizations from barren lands, and left numerous ancient structures that are now designated as cultural heritage! What makes us inferior to the humans of that time? Although the world may have been destroyed by nuclear weapons, the legacy left by humanity is buried in the ruins, and if we do not give up on being human ourselves and unite again, we will never fall! Now we must unite with one heart and one mind, beyond borders, races, and ideologies! I believe that the era of humanity will rise again in this land abandoned by God. Therefore, I hereby declare the establishment of the Earth Human Union, EHU, on this land!”]

[“””Waaaaaaaaah!”””]

Is this what my original world became after I came here?

[“We will create laws and order again, establish new human decrees, and revitalize this land! With the restored communication system, we will declare the Human Union to the whole world!”]

[“””Long live the Human Union! Long live XXX!”””]

This seems like quite a nationalistic future history.

“Who is that person?”

“He was a diplomat dispatched to Germany. When China declared war on Korea, he was returning home and witnessed the world’s destruction. Afterward, before returning home, he joined with overseas troops on some Pacific island, then returned to Korea, gathered intellectuals underground, and prepared a government.”

I see. That makes sense. There’s sufficient plausibility.

He drifted at sea by chance and came back with troops deployed overseas. But wait, I glanced at the old man.

“You knew about this, didn’t you?”

If such a future existed, couldn’t I have lived in that world?

Looking at this, they’re starting from zero, so creating a new world would have been possible.

But the old man still seemed pessimistic.

“Even to me, he was an irregular. Of course, even if he created that, it wouldn’t last long. He was assassinated by an aide who coveted his position.”

I see. He was assassinated. Then, would this old man send someone else?

“Even if he died by assassination, I’m sure you would have sent someone else. Who did you send this time?”

“I had him possess Victoria Louise, princess of the German Empire.”

Oh, so we get to see the world of Kaiserreich.

That might be a history I’d like to see. I have a bit of a German bias.

There were various reasons why I favored Germany.

“I’ve always wondered, why are you so obsessed with turning men into women? It’s not like you’re trying to exploit the fact that women were looked down upon in that era.”

“It’s coincidence. There’s a Russian guy who possessed Hitler, and people who possessed MacArthur and Syngman Rhee. Women’s positions come later.”

So women’s positions come later?

I’d only heard about this before, but now that I’m seeing the situation like this, I wonder how many people have been sacrificed. It’s quite pitiful.

It’s also sad that only Maria and myself understand my true feelings.

“And there’s something you’re misunderstanding.”

“What is it?”

This person is unusually talkative today. He glanced at me once before and now seems to want to chat. Isn’t this showing favoritism as a deity?

No, this is just like dropping by for a chat.

“You should be rewarded for dramatically changing the world. I told you before. Souls circulate. Souls that die in the original world circulate to other worlds.”

“That’s right.”

Yes, I definitely heard that story.

So they spread to new worlds.

“Sending your parents’ souls with their memories intact wasn’t that difficult.”

He raised a finger and answered lightly as if it were nothing.

Wait, what? Is that really possible?

“No way. Are you saying I could have convinced them? No, I can’t believe that easily.”

“Didn’t I tell you? I sent them with their memories.”

“Huh? Then, could it be…”

When I turned around, my parents were smiling wistfully.

Did they know everything from the beginning?

Yes. Perhaps I’ve been deliberately avoiding this.

Afraid of being rejected by my family. Afraid that the life I’ve lived would be denied.

I’ve been running forward without looking back, afraid that everything I’ve done would be denied.

“We knew because that old man told us.”

“You’ve really been through a lot. Honestly, we never imagined you’d disguise yourself as a girlfriend to take him away.”

I ran toward my family, who welcomed me warmly.

I’ll have to go back eventually, but at least for now, for this moment, let me enjoy it.