Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

“Look, even in Tunguska, where the blue sky is rarely seen due to disasters, sunlight still gets in.”

"You jest. The empire is peaceful and prosperous, and everyone sings praises of His Majesty..."

Rasputin forced a smile. "How could it possibly be destroyed? Besides, even if His Majesty were forced to abdicate, it would just be another Romanov becoming emperor, either Prince Alexei or—"

There will be no more emperors.

This world is full of mystery. Throughout history, there have been magicians so powerful that one person can defeat a hundred. Royal families of major countries also have their own magicians. However, magicians do not only serve themselves and the royal family. There are also magicians who work for the future of the country. Therefore, a ball of fire that stretches from the Baltic Sea to the Far East will appear on the remains of the Russian Empire.

"How could this be... this is impossible..."

Rasputin could not predict the future; he could only deduce from Novia's words that there would be no emperor, either because the previous emperor had died, ushering in an era of chaos, or because of a revolution like that in France.

"You too will face death, Rasputin."

After hearing Novia's words, Rasputin's inner turmoil finally subsided.

At this moment, he finally began to carefully observe the man's face. He had silver hair, blue eyes, and a gentle demeanor, just like the priest he had imagined. His tone of voice was very calm, and he thought that the saint who preached the Lord's teachings in the distant past must have been like this.

How much does he actually know...?

Undoubtedly, this is some kind of futuristic vision, but why tell me this? If you want to refuse the deal, there's no need. Do you perhaps want me to rewrite the process? Indeed, similar developments exist in rural stories.

With that thought in mind, after taking a deep breath, Rasputin said, "Please, Your Excellency, save Russia."

"Huh? I didn't have that thought. I'm not good at magic."

Rasputin blinked upon hearing this unexpected remark.

"But you just told me that Russia will perish, isn't that some kind of prophecy or something..."

"It is simple, because the fire that appears in the vast but corrupt empire represents the first time in human history that an ideal of unparalleled sublimity and magnificence has been realized."

Unable to fathom the meaning behind the words, or perhaps because the phenomenon was too beautiful and unbelievable, Rasputin couldn't help but ask:

"Um, is this also a prophecy?"

"Truly honest with the young and old, this is ultimately the most indispensable part that mankind has developed in the field of nautical charts."

"……I see."

Rasputin's expression changed slightly. "Then, His Majesty—"

"Just like you."

Upon hearing this, Rasputin froze, pursed his lips for a few seconds, and then pleaded, "Could I exchange my life for His Majesty's chance of survival?"

"I already told you, you're going to die. You're going to use your life, which you were already destined to die, as a bargaining chip?"

Rasputin's expression became very serious, and his lips were tightly closed.

“I want to give it a try. After all, if His Majesty dies, I will lose everything I have to eat and live in. My jewels, gorgeous clothes and expensive fur coats, Xiong Jun’s BMW, luxurious carriages, quiet villa and dazzling money will all be gone. I might as well die.”

This was a rather vulgar statement, but Novia could understand Rasputin's meaning. Since the Russian Empire was going to collapse, he was bound to die anyway, so why not use his life to pave the way for Nicholas II's survival?

However, Novia did not expect that Rasputin, whom she was meeting for the first time, would believe her words so readily.

He thought the eccentric monk would appear surprised but secretly be disdainful, but in any case, he had no intention of going to St. Petersburg. After all, raising Skaya was a last resort. If he hadn't brought Eri, he probably would have left after raising her for a while, just like Nikitich.

Having been here for some time now, Novia roughly guessed why she had experienced a time warp while fighting off the drones on the Amenorama ship. It must have been triggered by something while sailing through the Tunguska region, now submerged by the ocean. But now that Eri is here, can Arizu still ride the Amenorama ship? With the Ploys around, she should be fine, right…?

Even if you say that, there's nothing we can do about it.

As Novia turned to leave while preparing dinner, she happened to see a rabbit's tail swaying behind a large tree not far away, seemingly looking forward to something.

Therefore, the silver-haired youth sighed and shrugged.

...Fine, since my adopted daughter is so eager for a deal, I'll just go along with her wishes this time.

"To be honest, I'm quite familiar with Rome."

Rasputin must have understood the meaning of those words, but he didn't answer immediately; he just stared at Novia without saying a word.

"Alright, if we're going to make a deal, what's the price, Rasputin?"

"If you agree, sir, I'll do anything."

Rasputin was as happy as a child.

“The Peter and Paul Cathedral, you know what? I can get the Tsar to build you a St. No… no, that name is absolutely not right, it should be called the Nikolayevá Cathedral, and its decorations will be far more luxurious than Paul’s.”

Did you know? I've been to St. Petersburg six times in total. I remember the exact number of times I've been there. Each visit brings a new feeling. It's a place that even the city's elites have to spend a long time to enter. As a farmer, I never dared to dream of such a place. How could we possibly dare to enter such a church?

When I was a child, I visited a dilapidated little church dozens of kilometers away from my hometown. Back then, the priest was an old man who never drank alcohol. He often brought us sauerkraut, bread, oats, and flour. That was before my mother died. Whenever he had time, he would take us for a stroll in the fields, sometimes crossing small bridges, docks, and churches. It was truly a grand festival for me! All year round, I looked forward to that old man leading us to distribute food!

When I was twelve, a count on horseback was galloping around in the fields. I tried to stop him from trampling the crops, but when I did, he whipped me. His horse chased me like a mad dog, and I fell several times trying to escape. Finally, I ran under a bridge, because that way he couldn't do anything to me.

I drank before going home. My mother doesn't allow me to drink. She always tells me, "I'm already suffering enough from my own drinking problem. My precious son, don't learn to drink. Only then can you soberly distinguish right from wrong." After returning home, I lay in bed for a month. I only heard from my mother that I drank too much and spent a lot of money. The crops in the fields all rotted, and the harvest was completely ruined. I didn't tell anyone about this, except for the day my mother died…

The cost cannot be clearly explained with a simple answer, especially now that Rasputin is experiencing both extreme fear and extreme joy, because it is difficult for a person to speak clearly in such a situation.

But suddenly Rasputin rallied and shouted, "...If it's alright, please come with me into St. Petersburg."

"There's no need for that."

"I would like to invite you, your wife, and your children to a meal of freshly cooked lobster from St. Petersburg, with exquisite seasonings and chopped cilantro! His family was with His Majesty when I treated him to this last time! I am a regular customer of that restaurant, and he will certainly make it delicious!"

"...Okay, I agree."

Novia nodded. "But the surviving Romanovs will forget they are Romanovs. Even so, are you still going to make a deal?"

"It's good to be alive, it's enough to be alive, it's all that matters."

Rasputin gave a wry smile. "Without the emperor, Romanov could cease to exist. That's better than him being dead."

Then, he continued cautiously.

"Does Your Excellency really intend to come to St. Petersburg with me?"

"Of course, but what role do you think I should play?"

"Well, if I were to join them, it would obviously be seen as a bad omen by the Russians..."

Rasputin said with self-awareness, but then added confidently, "But you're going there to enjoy yourself, so it's alright if you don't care about these things. If anyone dares to spread rumors, I'll just like His Majesty did to my people, kicking them all out of St. Petersburg."

"It's nothing serious, just a minor faction division."

Novia said this to Rasputin.

As Rasputin spoke, he thought of his own life in Rome, where, aside from church-related matters, he could barely be considered to have a legitimate job.

"Just say that I am the royal tutor you found."

Chapter 506 The Last Romanov.

It was a delightful early winter day, and the residents of St. Petersburg gazed up at the azure sky with deep, thoughtful eyes, murmuring prayers:

“God, Almighty Lord! We thank you for your grace.”

It snowed ten days ago, which seems to be earlier than usual. The rainy season has ended, accompanied by muddy streets, wet feet and trouser legs. Farmers driving their carts into St. Petersburg have abandoned their traditional clay figurine image, unloading the animals pulling the carts and untying the ropes.

Despite having to work desperately with bleeding hands and bent backs, and despite not being able to ride in a luxurious carriage through the streets like the dignitaries of St. Petersburg, where people would bow and remove their hats in greeting, for them at that moment, simply being able to live in St. Petersburg was already a blessing from God.

On that same day, an unusually tense atmosphere enveloped the Palkin Restaurant, located at the intersection of Nevsky Prospekt and Litney Prospekt in the city center. This restaurant, founded in 1874, was a favorite haunt of Chekhov, Bunin, Tchaikovsky, and others. The tension arose from a report by an envoy from Tsarskoye Selo:

"This person is about to launch a surprise attack. He will suddenly stand in front of you and, as I expect, make a complete mess of everything! At that time, you will feel ashamed and tremble with fear for your future positions!"

Indeed, just as the messenger had said, when everyone at the Palkin Restaurant saw the arrival of the person, they immediately burst into applause, as if for a moment nothing else existed in the world but Tsar Nicholas II and his family.

"If it weren't for Rasputin's suggestion, I really wouldn't want to come to St. Petersburg."

Nie Er, who was muttering, suddenly turned his eyes to Anastasia and Alexei, who had followed behind Alexandra. "Speaking of which, in a few days, how about we do what our ancestors did? They sent their sons out to hunt bears, giving them only a sword. That's how you train a real man!"

"But Alexei is only seven years old and was only recently cured by Rasputin."

"So what if I'm seven? When I was seven, I was fighting with several bears in the Siberian wilderness."

“When Father was alive, he said that your shyness made it impossible for you to like any girls. If it weren’t for me, you would have become the last Romanov. I don’t think that guy who was so timid at my sister’s wedding would dare to go bear hunting. And you were seven years old in Siberia, sitting in your office, weren’t you?”

"...That's just because I didn't consider that kind of thing at the time."

Ni Er shouted, wanting to use his uncle's old joke, "There are plenty of women," to refute his lover's words, which he knew very well. But when he thought about how his uncle's second half was similar, "Unfortunately, I don't really like his shyness," and considering that his uncle was henpecked, he spoke softer and softer.

Nicholas II and Alexandra were, in a sense, in a free-choice relationship.

The two met at a wedding and fell in love at first sight, beginning a secret relationship. Nehemiah's father, Azerbaijan, also had no desire for someone with diseased blood, especially a German, to become the Empress of Russia.

However, Alexandra refused the marriage proposal of King Edward VII's eldest son for the sake of Nehemiah II, and even converted from Protestantism to Orthodox Christianity. In addition, Nehemiah II was determined to marry her, and since Alexandra III was dying, the two were forced to marry.

Seven months after agreeing, Anatoly died, and Nehemiah II became the Tsar of Russia.

"Um, sister."

Alexei nudged Anastasia, who was playing with a teddy bear beside him, and stammered, "Do I really want to be like my father and kill bears alone with a sword when I grow up?"

"How could that be? If you give the order, all the bears in Russia might commit suicide."

Anastasia said in a teasing tone, amusement in her large blue eyes, "If you keep refusing to go, all the girls in Russia will think you have no willpower, and they'll ignore you completely, not even giving you a second glance..."

"Really...really...?"

Alexei trembled with excitement, "This kind of thing..."

"My poor brother."

Anastasia nodded repeatedly as she spoke, shaking her head from time to time, looking extremely sad. "It seems you're destined to become the last Romanov, to be expelled from school, and forced to work as a handyman at some unknown train station in Russia. Alas, what misfortune."

Ni Er, who was being glared at by his wife, didn't pay much attention to the siblings' play. To ease the awkwardness, he turned to the restaurant chef next to him and asked, "What does Rasputin want you to do?"

The royal family has its own chef, but Nikolai did not bring him this time; he simply brought his family to accept Rasputin's invitation.

"Your Majesty, it is the lobster that Lord Rasputin loves to eat."

"Humph."

Ni Er chuckled, a genuine laugh, devoid of any sarcasm.

"I'll have him personally catch some and send them to the Alexandria Palace another day, so he won't have to come out."

Knowing that the lobster was a special treat Rasputin had prepared for his family, Nikolai was in a much better mood. He waved for everyone except his family to leave, but when he turned around, he saw his youngest son, Alexei, looking like he was about to cry, while his fourth daughter, Anastasia, was all smiles.

Ni Er immediately understood the situation: the little rascal had caused trouble again.

According to the records of Romanov's physician, Anastasia held the record for the most punishments in the family. She had a real talent for being mischievous, occasionally tripping up servants and playing pranks on her teachers. As a child, she would always climb trees and refuse to come down. Meanwhile, American diplomats in Russia believed that she was not polite because she ate chocolate in the St. Petersburg Opera without taking off her long white gloves.

To avoid Anastasia being punished by his wife, who was angry because Alexei was crying, Nicholas II winked mysteriously at Anastasia, who was unaware that she was about to die. Anastasia, who understood instantly, secretly glanced at her mother and couldn't help but swallow.

"enough!"

Nicholas II shouted, while winking at his daughter, “You must be prepared for this, my child, because Russia will never allow such a Grand Duchess, and you will need to apologize for it.”

After saying that, he got up and angrily walked towards Anastasia, who also started running.

This is actually quite common. Whenever she 'accidentally' makes her older sisters or younger brothers cry, this happens as long as her parents are present. Then, as long as she pretends to have accidentally fallen and her father helps her up, her mother's anger will dissipate.

However, something unusual happened this time.

When Anastasia reached the door and, with nowhere left to run, was about to fall and have her father help her up, the door to the private room opened, and her hand was unexpectedly grasped by someone.

"Miss……"

His voice sounded low and somewhat peculiar to Anastasia, yet it was still as warm as sunshine. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Anastasia did not answer. Her lowered face concealed the surge of heat within her. Her legs, which were fixed in place, trembled slightly, and she was somewhat unsteady. She could only feel the heat of the hand holding hers, and that warmth spread throughout her body.

Before Anastasia could react, she saw a girl crouching down and looking at her.

"Hmm? Shall we continue shaking hands?"

When Anastasia realized she hadn't let go, she felt her whole body float into a dreamlike world, so she quickly shouted:

"I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"

……

Earlier, Novia, having made an appointment with Rasputin, naturally brought Tiamat and others with him to St. Petersburg.

Before coming, Novia thought about giving Tiamat a popular Russian name, Maria.

Just as Rasputin had told Novia, the eccentric monk, upon arriving at the thick doors of the Palkin Restaurant, readily opened a small window and cheerfully shouted to the portly owner inside, "Open the door, you big clay figure! I've already reserved the freshest lobsters, just like last time! Not the five-ruble kind, but the hundred-ruble kind!"

After he finished speaking, he whispered to Novia:

"When you see His Majesty later, you should know how to eat lobster, right? You shouldn't make a fool of yourself like I did."

"joke?"