Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

"I regret to say that I have to agree with part of what you said, specifically the part about mothers."

Eri sighed as she watched Scaya, who seemed to be trying to get away with it.

“You were shouting like that just now.”

She suddenly realized that when she went back with Scaya, Tiamat would pat her head and comfort her here and there. And when Tiamat pulled Novia along to comfort the two of them, Scaya would look around and her face would become more and more unpleasant. Even she herself sometimes did that.

Why is that?

Erise couldn't deny that Tiamat was far too good a mother. Although Tiamat's physique was ridiculously large, she genuinely felt inferior to her. And thinking about it carefully, it was absurd for someone like herself to want to be a mother.

Nevertheless, she still felt very dissatisfied.

However, Eri actually enjoys this kind of time together.

Despite the many questions she had about being in the mountains of this foreign land, and the possibility of being targeted by new enemies, she couldn't help but laugh heartily with a sense of relief, as if her amnesiac brain was recording a photograph of an important person that would never fade.

In that case, even if I am a painter—

"Huh? Ah, no way! If you keep talking, Skaya will have to go back to the forest to find the strongest beast!"

Skaia interrupted Eri's thoughts with a smile, "And that's because it's so interesting, so I just called her that!"

Eri, who was about to say something, suddenly noticed that Skaya's gaze had suddenly shifted.

"Is another magician here?"

"Hmm, there's a trace of magic in the direction this guy came from..."

At that very moment, something seemed to fly up in front of them at an extremely fast speed.

Skaya immediately smelled gunpowder; in other words, bullets were being fired.

She naturally didn't need to worry about being hit, and even if Eri was human, she wouldn't be worried, because Eri, who also discovered the bullet, immediately stomped her foot on the ground and caught the bullet with extremely fast speed.

But that's not all. Along with the bullets came the black keys belonging to the church, and the figures following closely behind.

However, for Eri, who had been taught martial arts by Novia, her strength was comparable to the power of using enhancement magic to its extreme. She only used the force of the black key that rushed towards her once, and then, as if she had taken off into the air, she smashed her overwhelming fist at the figure that was swinging down and attacking. In that instant, the force was multiplied, and ripples several meters in diameter appeared in the surrounding air.

"Oh?"

The figure, seemingly struck internally and losing balance, chose to flee, leaping backward.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of footsteps, so precise they resembled those of professional soldiers, came from right in front of them.

"Uh……"

A dark-haired man dressed in holy armor holds a cross to his chest, with hundreds of royal magicians belonging to the Romanovs behind him.

Eri could tell that this guy was the one who had just attacked, the one who used the black key.

"Oh? Such martial arts, yet so different in essence, is truly strange... Which church do you come from? Within the Empire? Could this face be from the Indian branch of the Vatican... No, um, could it be that you are from that failed Kingdom of Heaven? However, I have also heard that there are fellow believers on the islands of the Far East."

"Sir, is the prey you're looking for over there?"

Since there was no need to hide, Skaya's eyes gleamed.

"Oh, oh, that's not the case. If you were weak, you would certainly be our prey. But since you are so powerful, that's not the case. The Empire has no reason to be your enemy. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that we have become the prey."

The black-haired man rubbed his temples with his right hand while picking up the cross on his chest with his left. The cross, which was incredibly bright, had light swaying gently. Suddenly, he touched the tip of the cross with his left index finger, and the black key stuck in the ground returned to his hand.

"But Your Excellency, this is Tunguska, a land of ice and snow, not a good place for conversation. Perhaps we should move elsewhere?"

"Yes, it's quite cold here."

"So, do you want to make a deal with us?"

The black-haired man interlaced his fingers and leaned against the magician who was supporting him from behind. He didn't seem weak, but rather doing so intentionally. "I will do the empire's best in the name of the emperor, whether it is to provide shelter, food, or people."

"Oh dear, oh dear, to actually try to negotiate with a tiger for its skin, that's really audacious."

Scaya blew on her palm symbolically. "But hasn't anyone told you that you should introduce yourself before talking to someone you don't know? It's basic etiquette."

Upon hearing this, the man chuckled softly.

This, on the contrary, made Scaya, who had been at ease before, feel instinctively uncomfortable, as if the person in front of her was her natural enemy.

“Nice to meet you. I am Gregorilas Pu, and I have come here on behalf of the Emperor.”

Chapter 505 The Third Roman Teacher is also a Roman Teacher!

“Your Majesty, as the Ministry of the Interior has said, ‘uncouth people and dissolute criminals’ should not be within the ‘cannon range’ of the palace.”

In Tsarskoye Selo, a village built specifically for the Romanov family on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, stands Alexander Palace, a palace beloved by Nicholas II and his entire family.

Inside the palace, a performance of "Swan Lake" was taking place. When the swan died, when the performer's hand movements gradually stiffened, and when the white veil shrank into a ball and trembled slightly, all the spectators spontaneously burst into gasps of amazement.

Tsar Nicholas II of the Russian Empire sat expressionlessly in the royal box, while his young wife, Alexandra, held her breath. Although her face was flushed from watching the spectacular Swan Lake, she refrained from uttering a sound of admiration. The reason was simple—

This was a confrontation between the Tsar and his Prime Minister, Stolypin, a student of the great chemist Mendeleev. Of course, it wasn't really a confrontation; it was just that the Prime Minister wanted to persuade the two of them to stay away from Rasputin as much as possible. After all, ever since Rasputin cured Prince Alexei, the Tsarine had been a firm believer in Rasputin's oracle, and the Tsar had accepted all of Rasputin's personnel requests.

“This is my private matter and has nothing to do with politics. Can’t my wife and I have our own acquaintances?”

Upon hearing this, Stolypin sighed.

He was well aware of the Tsar and Tsarina's trust in Rasputin. If Rasputin had used magic to bewitch them, that would have been fine, because the Romanov family and the magicians under Russian administration would have subdued him. Unfortunately, that was not the case. That dissolute man truly gained the Tsar and Tsarina's trust through his 'charm'.

However, he did not hold a grudge and calmly replied:

"Your Majesty, your responsibilities extend to your personal life, and your continued contact with Rasputin will seriously damage the moral authority of the Royal Family."

As the emperor who ruled Russia, Nicholas II and his family spent most of their time in Alexander Palace and rarely participated in social activities in St. Petersburg. This resulted in a lack of connection between the royal family, the St. Petersburg nobility, and the general public, making the royal family seem mysterious and gloomy. In addition, the relatively relaxed public opinion environment in Russia led to the emergence of various conspiracy theories about the royal family.

The most exaggerated of these is undoubtedly Laplace's various romantic rumors.

Perhaps Stolypin's words reminded the already impatient Tsar of the scandalous rumors circulating among the people that he had learned from the Ministry of the Interior, so the next moment he replied in a low voice: "...Could it be that even you—"

"Your Majesty, I am terrified, I..."

Before Stolypin could answer, Ni Er waved his hand and said, "That's enough, go down."

Seeing this, Stolypin could only silently leave the box. However, as soon as he stepped out, he saw Rasputin leaning against the wall. This eccentric monk had obviously heard the argument between the Tsar and the Prime Minister, but he did not show any unusual behavior. He simply smiled at Stolypin.

"This was a very good conversation. It would have been a mistake not to have it, am I right, Prime Minister?"

"Mind your own reputation, Ras Pukin."

After saying that, Stolypin walked out, while Rasputin, who was being glared at, was not indignant and walked into the private room with a smile.

In the quiet corridor, Stolypin couldn't help but think:

Poor Russia, if your Tsar is so easily satisfied and so easily seduced by a dissolute scoundrel, what will you get from him?

Nicholas II was a typical old-fashioned nobleman. On the day of his coronation, a stampede occurred in Moscow as people rushed to see him, but he showed no sign of mourning and instead stubbornly attended the ball hosted by the French ambassador. For example, during World War I, at a ceremony to award the Cross of St. George, a sergeant was so excited that he broke the rules by shaking Nicholas II's hand. Nicholas II immediately took out a handkerchief and wiped his hand in front of all the officers and soldiers.

Stolypin was indeed at a loss as to deal with Rasputin and the stubborn Nikolai II, but according to intelligence from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it would not be long before the media across Russia would join forces to launch a campaign against Rasputin, accusing him of having improper relationships with women. At that time, Stolypin planned to threaten Rasputin into being banned from entering the capital by filing a religious sectarian lawsuit against him.

Just then, footsteps came from the library of Alexandria Palace and bumped into Stolypin in the corridor. He immediately curtsied to the silver-haired man.

"Princess Anastasia, greetings."

"Yes, it's Your Excellency the Prime Minister. Have you seen Wei?"

"I'm very sorry, but my magic skills are only average in the Clock Tower Law and Politics Department. I am not qualified to meet Wei."

"Actually, I can't see the Wei either. I just heard my father say that there are many Wei in the palace..."

The girl waved the bear doll in her hand back and forth, her deep blue eyes blinking as she stared at it curiously. "But I feel something, though I don't know what kind of feeling it is."

"Perhaps we'll be able to meet again after His Majesty sends you, Princess, to the Clock Tower for magical training."

Storey said calmly.

"The Clock Tower..."

The girl answered cautiously, "But if I go there, I'll have to say goodbye to my dad, mom, and everyone else, and I don't really want to go."

"This is just a suggestion, not a request. Princess, you don't need to take it to heart."

Stolypin said softly, trying his best to express his gentleness, "If you are unwilling, His Majesty will not force you to go, and the palace magicians can also teach you."

"really?"

"real."

"great!"

After saying that, Anastasia skipped and hopped away as she continued her search for Vi in the Alexandria Palace.

As Stolypin watched her retreating figure, he thought of his daughter who had been killed in a bombing at a public reception a few years earlier and his three-year-old daughter who had lost both legs. He then thought again: I hope that when Princess Anastasia grows up, she will not be deceived by people like Rasputin, nor will she be easily deceived by others.

at the same time.

Inside the private room, Ni Er, who was initially furious, started laughing when he saw Rasputin enter.

"My friend, you've come at the perfect time! The performance is just reaching its climax..."

"Your Majesty, I have come here to make a suggestion to you. I have been thinking about it and I would like to ask if I could lead several hundred magicians to Tunguska to explore the mysteries of the manifestation."

"of course can."

Ni Er drank his wine without a care in the world, "But let's finish watching the performance first, someone has already gone."

"Let's not delay, let's do it now."

"..."

Seeing Rasputin like this, Ni Er laughed again.

"You heard what Stolypin said? Don't worry, I won't take that guy's nonsense to heart, and it won't affect our friendship in the slightest. Stolypin said I should get along well with the people? That's exactly the problem. Just as my father said, people shouldn't love the Tsar, but fear him! The Russian people don't know how to be affectionate, they only know how to be intimidated by violence! The reason Russia has survived these centuries is firstly through patience, secondly through timely sacrifices, and then through precise and accurate counterattacks!"

Rasputin sat motionless opposite Nikolai II. He looked at the Tsar gently, took a sip of the wine offered to him, and said kindly, "Your Majesty, I understand, but that's not why I'm going. Rather, I feel that it would be good for Your Majesty if you could come into contact with the mystery that affects the clock tower."

Thus, Rasputin obtained Nijme II's permission and led hundreds of Romanov magicians in a hurried rush to Tunguska.

Ultimately, Rasputin met with Eri and Scaya and proposed a deal.

Scaya was quite excited about the 'trade', while Eri refused. However, since Scaya really wanted to make the deal, the two suggested that Rasputin meet Novia so that he could make the decision. Of course, Scaya asked Eri to say that it was her own idea and had nothing to do with Scaya.

So when the two of them arrived at Rasputin, the epicenter of the Tunguska event, they looked at the scorched earth where trees had fallen in all directions.

"This place—"

To Rasputin's astonishment, he inadvertently compared this desolate place to the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

I initially thought it was a routine illusion created by magic placed on a small local dragon vein, but it also seemed to be a real cathedral. It was too disjointed, like some kind of strange illusion. However, it was true that there was a sense of peace in this desolate place. It felt like half a day would pass in the blink of an eye if I just sat here for a while.

To be fair, Rasputin was by no means a formal member of the church, but his faith was beyond question.

"In any case, is that gentleman inside? I'll go in and talk to him face to face now."

Unbeknownst to them, Rasputin's words had become somewhat fanatical. Although they didn't know why he had suddenly become so fanatical, Skaya and Eri nodded and let him in.

Neither of them was worried that Rasputin would pose a threat to Novia, given their strength.

……

As soon as he stepped inside, Rasputin felt his legs go weak, and after only a few steps, he sat down on the ashes-covered ground.

"...It seems even better than the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Speaking of which, can Jerusalem or Rome compare to this place?"

He felt more nervous than I had imagined, so much so that his strength vanished the moment he sat down on the ground.

Even now, Rasputin has not yet gotten used to this strange area.

Although he had experienced similar feelings of imprisonment in his life before, such as when he clashed with the regular church staff in the Peter and Paul Cathedral or when he offered prayers to God in public while holding a cross, here, Rasputin felt like a true heretic.

Although there was no tense atmosphere at all, things just wouldn't calm down.

Suddenly, he vaguely heard a voice say, "Although he is called a priest, he has never actually made a formal declaration."

"……Yes."

Rasputin nodded at that statement.

Sure enough, they saw through it.

Even though several years have passed since he left the barren farmland where God's teachings were scarce, he still hasn't been able to overcome this problem: he hasn't accepted baptism from the church. Despite calling himself a disciple of God, he hasn't been able to join openly and proudly.

However, Rasputin immediately shook his head. Regardless, he wasn't there for that reason, so he'd put that aside for now. His immediate priority was to reach a deal to leverage power and stabilize the empire.

"The Russian Empire is doomed to perish."

"……Eh?"

Rasputin blinked three times to process Novia's words.