Chapter 490

Tiamat, standing nearby, asked curiously, "What joke was it, Mom? I'm really curious."

"... Oh, well, how should I put it? I thought that before eating Lobster, you had to punch it hard with your fist and then eat the meat that squeezed out from around the edges. But I learned from His Majesty that you have to peel it open piece by piece, like a surgeon, poking and sucking, and you have to be very careful, like Ritual."

"Huh? Eating Lobster..."

Tiamat fidgeted with her fingers in confusion. "Does that stuff taste special? I saw so many humans eating Cod or Fried Eel on the street, marinated in fish butter or lard, topped with potato slices and coated in Hazelnut Flour. Since so many people eat it, it must be delicious."

"That's how they eat in the slums... I've had my mom make it before, and it tastes awful. It's nothing like Lobster or seasoning; it tastes like eating oil."

Upon hearing this, Tiamat's eyes Gilgamesh up:

"Your mother? Rasputin, if I ever have the chance, I must try these dishes, because mothers are truly remarkable people."

"Ah, um, it's alright..."

Alright, that's all for now.

Novia interrupted their conversation, "Let's go see the Tsar first."

"I see. So you are the Imperial Tutor that Rasputin found for Romanov."

Nicholas II raised his glass and said, "It's alright, there are plenty of teachers at the Alexander Palace, one more would be good. Speaking of which, are these two both daughters? They look only slightly older than my children."

Scathach was overjoyed to learn that Novia had agreed to the deal. At that moment, the mystery of Tunguska was in the Alexander Palace, and the two people Nicholas II mentioned were Erice and Tiamat, who was using the alias Mary.

Novia was about to nod in agreement when Tiamat beside her stammered, "Not daughter... mother..."

Immediately, Nicholas II looked at Novia in astonishment, his expression a mixture of praise and disbelief.

In reality, the average life expectancy in the Russia Empire at that time was thirty to forty years, so it was normal to marry at fourteen or fifteen. In remote Siberia, there were even cases of people marrying as young as thirteen. Therefore, Nicholas II's surprise was probably not because of Tiamat's appearance, but because she could have a daughter despite her appearance.

But Nicholas II quickly realized the truth: it must be due to using Magecraft to disguise his appearance.

He shrugged, momentarily wondering why Rasputin would treat a Magecraft so warmly and even keep him by his side. There were plenty of Magecraft in Romanov's arsenal, after all...

"His Majesty."

Perhaps sensing the perfunctory attitude from Nicholas II, Rasputin hardened his heart, took the Wine glass meant for eating Lobster (though he couldn't taste its flavor), and whispered in Nicholas II's ear, "Lord Novia is... is... my Teacher, everything I have is given to me by him!"

Upon hearing this, Nicholas II immediately took a deep breath and replied in a similarly low voice:

"So that's how you learned to smash Lobster with your fists? I never imagined someone with Mr. Novia's temperament would teach someone Rasputin..."

Novia smiled slightly at this, and Empress Alexandra couldn't help but chuckle as well. "Your Excellency Novia, there are many villas Alexander Palace. The climate there is mild, and there are many Palm Trees, camellias in the gardens, and the air is filled with the scents of jasmine and mint. A stream flows right at your feet. You and your family will be very comfortable there."

"There's no need for that; we can live perfectly well in Petersburg."

"But Petersburg is more than ten kilometers away from Tsar Village."

Rasputin hesitated, then said, "How about you, Your Majesty, reside in the Winter Palace?"

The Winter Palace was intended as the Tsar's palace, but Nicholas II was not interested in it. Before Rasputin made this suggestion, there were already people living in the Winter Palace that Nicholas II had sent there, including Prime Minister Stolypin, who had recently argued with him about the Rasputin issue.

Therefore, Nicholas II nodded in agreement.

However, Novia declined, saying he would rent a house in Saint Petersburg and there was no need to worry about the distance.

"It's alright, Your Majesty, Your Empress, Your Majesty, Rasputin. As long as one is happy, one can live anywhere."

"I feel there is no happier place in all of Russia than Alexander Palace."

Rasputin muttered as he ate Lobster.

"... Just do everything you can to make all of Russia as happy as Alexander Palace."

Novia's words piqued Nicholas II's interest, and he asked curiously, "Mr. Novia, have you perhaps already made contact with that group of people?"

"I now live in Russia, among tens of millions of ordinary Russia."

Nicholas II smiled slightly, looking at the silver-haired youth before him.

What the Tsar, now crowned with the mantle of Tsar, is thinking, and what he is feeling, remains unknown.

He was a typical old-fashioned nobleman. From the day he ascended to the Tsar, he felt that he was one with all the subjects of Russia. He believed that his exercise of absolute monarchical power was to fulfill his covenant with God and all the military and people. Therefore, even when he agreed to the Socialist-Revolutionary System during the October Revolution, he did not respect it. Instead, he repeatedly dissolved and re-elected the system and arbitrarily adjourned it, completely believing in his divine right of kings.

In recent years, the number of Secret Police in Saint Petersburg and Moscow has increased several times over, collecting intelligence on all kinds of revolutionary organizations. Just the day before the dispute with Stolypin, 63 suspects were arrested. Although they were all subjected to severe torture with whips and wooden sticks, they all denied any connection with revolutionary organizations.

The Ministry of the Ministry of Internal Affairs originally thought it was better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free, but Nicholas II waved his hand and let them all go.

To some extent, Nicholas II was a 'good man'. He would let go of those who didn't have any evidence, and exile those who did have evidence. For example, in January 17, there were already plans to overthrow Nicholas II. At this time, the Secret Police reported to Nicholas II. Nicholas II wanted to arrest one of them to intimidate others, but the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs advised him that this was forcing people to take desperate measures. Therefore, Nicholas II pretended that nothing had happened.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the upright Mannerheim was loyal to him, even though Nicholas II did not look like a ruler.

At this moment Rasputin raised his glass and shouted, "That's right, that's right! In my opinion, all of Russia is immersed in joy, and the people love Your Majesty!"

If there had been no revolution, Nikolai would have thought:

The people love me? That's only natural, because under God's covenant, I am one with them.

But now he couldn't help but think: If the people love me, then what is the purpose if there is no covenant with God?

"Okay, okay."

Alexandra spoke up, "I think it's like this: since he's Rasputin's Teacher, let him participate in Alexei's instruction from now on, what do you say, Nicky?"

Nicky Nicholas II's nickname was used when Nicholas II Lord El-Melloi II wrote him a letter using that nickname during the Sarajevo assassination. Of course, Nicholas II knew that when his wife used his nickname, there was no need to object; he could simply accept it.

"All right..."

Just as Nicholas II was about to pass on the mantle like his wife had, he suddenly realized that his usually mischievous fourth daughter, despite still holding the bear, seemed dazed. This reminded him of the scene when he saw twelve-year-old Alexandra at his uncle's wedding when he was sixteen.

I think that's how I was back then...

This made Nicholas II want to laugh, and just like that, the words that came out of his mouth became like this—

"Alright then, besides Alexei, you can also teach Anastasia, Novia."

Chapter 507 The Countdown to the Collapse of the Russia Empire.

"The people of Chernihiv are sighing."

"The shortcut to Kyiv is overgrown with weeds and has not been traveled for many years, for Nightingale dwell there. But Rakhmanovich's son of God is perched on the Smorodino River, resting on three oak trees and nine branches."

"Whenever he imitated the cry of a Nightingale or the roar of a wild beast, all the trees would wither and bend to the ground, the flowers would fade, the grass would turn yellow, and men and horses would fall to the ground and die. Some people advised him that if he wanted to go to Kyiv, he should take the long way."

"Of course, the shortcut to Kyiv is only three hundred versts, while the longer route is one thousand versts."

"The Warrior Ilya said, 'I want neither glory nor praise. If I take the long way, it would be tantamount to condoning the Nightingale' continued obstruction and evil deeds. I am determined to take the road no one else travels.' Ilya mounted his horse, cracked his whip, and galloped away."

Alexander Palace, where Romanov lived, was not as luxurious as the Winter Palace, because Nicholas II disliked extravagance.

Here, Nicholas II's trousers were shabby and his shoes were tattered. His food consisted of simple Russian dishes such as beetroot soup and Chinese Cabbage soup. Even his children were treated very simply. They slept on hard cots without pillows, and except when they were sick, they had to take a cold shower in the morning. In their spare time, they had to clean their own rooms and make embroidery for charity projects.

This was probably because the day Nicholas II was born was the Day of the Saints of Job, so he believed that Fate was punishing him for it, and that he was being punished in place of his ancestors because their mission was too easy.

At that very moment, Nicholas II and Alexandra were secretly watching Alexei and Anastasia being taught by their Protestantism Novia on the first floor through a window in a corner of the second floor.

"What is he saying? What is Ilya? Nicky."

"Oh, that's the Russia folktale 'The Battle of Ilya,' which is sung among the people."

"I see. It seems my understanding of Russia is far from sufficient."

Alexandra then elbowed Nicholas II beside her, "By the way, why did you entrust Anastasia to him for instruction as well? Did I say that?"

"Haha, isn't Novia the Teacher of Rasputin? I feel it would be great to entrust the little rascal to him as well."

Nicholas II laughed heartily, "And his Magecraft skills are so good that even those old guys can't see through them. I was thinking that Alexei won't encounter any obstacles; he will abolish those unnecessary things because I'm paving the way for him."

"Alright, alright, I'm going back to sleep. I'm so sleepy after waking up so early."

As Queen Victoria's most beloved granddaughter, and with Nicholas II's affection for her, Alexandra never woke up before midnight at the Alexander Palace. If she hadn't been thinking about seeing how her children were being taught by their Protestantism, she would probably still be sleeping.

Meanwhile, Novia, looking at Alexei was attentively listening to the lesson and Anastasia who was lost in thought, continued:

"You're probably familiar with this story, but I'm telling it again to ask you why Ilya was determined to take that path no one had ever walked before?"

"Because Ilya was brave, fearless, and possessed a tenacious will."

Anastasia, who seemed quite adept at the task, rested her chin on her hand and said this, while the timid Alexei beside her nodded vigorously, "That's common sense, Teacher."

"Pretty much, but the most important point is that it's his world."

"... The world? What world? Is it Kingdom of Heaven?"

"Everyone has three worlds: the first is within themselves, the second is the Material World, and the third is the world they create themselves. Without the third world, a person cannot live. The solution to evil is the world Ilya created for himself, and once he goes against this, he cannot live."

As Novia spoke, he walked over to Alexei was shy due to his frequent illnesses, and touched his shoulder.

"Alexei, what kind of world do you want to create, and live in?"

When asked this question by his new Teacher, young Alexei was momentarily speechless.

He could only think of his father's hopes that he would stand tall on Russia soil like a bear and become a real man, while his mother thought that he, being sickly, should stay in the palace because he would eventually inherit everything in Russia. But in fact, he really wanted to play in Petersburg and make some new friends.

Alexei remembered one time when his parents went to the Winter Palace after a long absence, he took the opportunity to sneak out. He saw a man walking out of Petersburg, so he waved to them to say goodbye. But an awkward scene followed: the man was not moved by Alexei's gesture and instead took a step back.

"W-what's wrong?"

The man's reply, though soft, was direct. "I am one of the ordinary people. In the past, when people reached out to your father, he refused them. Now, I will not accept a hand extended by someone like your father."

Later, Alexei learned from Rasputin that the man was Revolutionary Party who had been exiled to Siberia.

Nicholas II confidently believed he fully understood the Russian people. He frequently made pilgrimages to religious sites, and when he met peasants, he firmly believed that as long as the peasants were kept away from the sinister propaganda from abroad, Russia would be at peace. He never imagined that Russian peasants would be genuinely dissatisfied with the power system established by his ancestors.

Even Alexei himself didn't understand why anyone would harbor so much hostility towards him and his father.

Just as he was about to talk about creating a world that would make Russia powerful, he suddenly remembered a book he had once picked up from the trash can that Rasputin had thrown away. The book was called "Peter and Alexei," written by Merezhkovsky, one of the founders of Russian Symbolism, and was the last part of his "Christ and Antichrist Trilogy," published a few months before the outbreak of the 1905 Revolution. In the book, Peter is Peter the Great and his son, the "Antichrist" Alexei.

The book concludes by saying:

Waver, a resident of Hanover from Saint Petersburg, wrote in announcing the death of the Tsarevich: "One day, everything in Russia will end with a terrible rebellion, and the autocratic rule will end, because millions will cry out to God against the Tsar."

Perhaps thinking of those words and the comments of those people, Alexei finally said this to Novia:

"I want to create a world where every Russia can reach out and interact with others in a friendly manner."

Novia seemed to ponder these words, but he didn't say much, only patting Alexei's head.

"... In that case, you need the courage to challenge Fate."

Novia promised Rasputin that he would let the Tsar's family live, but on the condition that he forget everything about being Romanov. Even if someone he knew saw them, they wouldn't recognize them because 'the Tsar's family is dead.' Novia also saw that Alexei's Hemophilia would haunt him for life. If he lived well, he could live to his thirties, but if he lived a hard life, he would probably die in his twenties.

If Nicholas II were to forget his identity, his subconscious would surely lead him to Crimea near Ukraine, where he had been accompanying his ailing father, Crimea Alexander III Alexander III, before his death.

"Yes, I will, Teacher. I will definitely become a strong and upright man."

"Tsk."

Unlike the hot-blooded Alexei, Anastasia, holding the teddy bear, looked completely unconcerned. It wasn't that she disliked Novia, but rather that she was annoyed that 'she had answered first, yet asked Alexei first.' Therefore, she decided to keep her mouth shut and not say anything from now on.

Of course, we need to answer this question first.

Anastasia then gripped her long dress with both hands and stared intently at Novia, who was about to approach.

What annoyed her even more was that Novia didn't ask any questions after that, but just walked around and started explaining other things.

What's going on?! Don't think you can get away with helping me up, it was just on purpose... Just wait, another day I'll drag Alexei along to play pranks on you, knock you down with snowballs when it snows, set up a trap in the hallway for you to slip and fall, and stick Chocolate on your clothes...

Anastasia was gritting her teeth as she punched and kicked the teddy bear in her hands at Novia's back, as if venting her frustration. But suddenly Novia turned around and stared at her as she played with the teddy bear, and the scene instantly fell into a strange atmosphere.

Seeing his usually mischievous older sister looking completely dumbfounded, Alexei couldn't help but burst out laughing.

This brought Anastasia back to her senses. She threw the teddy bear at Alexei's head, then crossed her arms and turned her head to the side, looking completely like, "What can you do about it?"

"By the way, Anastasia."

"Snort."

The little princess snorted coldly, still not turning around. "Teacher, three hours have passed since the last question. The deadline has passed, a full three hours!"

"No, that's not what I meant."

Novia stated simply, "What I want to say is that from now on, I will be responsible for your massage therapy."

Although Anastasia always appears energetic, she has to receive massages twice a week because her back muscles are also weak.

"Alright, that concludes today's lesson."

A few minutes later, Anastasia, having regained her senses, looked at Alexei waving goodbye to Novia's retreating figure and said unhappily:

"You seem to really like this new Teacher; have you forgotten your Teacher so quickly?"

"No, not really..."