SWNOVELXO Chapter 391
“Are you saying I can rightfully trash Egypt or take control of the pyramids as I please? I mean, when you think about it, isn’t that pretty cool?”
“But on a separate note, aren’t you hoarding titles a bit too much?”
“Hmm, am I really being asked to take on the position of King of Egypt?”
“Well, it’s been under Roman rule for ages anyway, right? And if I’m going to sprinkle this much influence in Egypt, I feel like I should at least be the Queen of Egypt.”
I mean, it sounds like I should be some kind of title collector, but if it’s related to Rome, who am I to refuse?
If this continues, Vladimir is going to throw a fit.
“Hmm. That’s not a bad idea.”
“Yes, we would be most grateful if you could do that for us!”
Is this Nasser guy really okay with making me a queen without consulting me?
So, how many female rulers has Egypt had so far?
Honestly, aside from Cleopatra, I don’t know a damn thing. But, let’s be honest, I’m way prettier than Cleopatra, right?
But I’m a bit miffed about Nasser pulling this stunt.
He’s actually asking me to be the Queen of Egypt.
Sure, Rome has longstanding ties with Egypt, so it makes sense. Hmm.
Wait. From what I see, it looks like he wants Egypt to become a formal signatory of the Rome Treaty? There’s no way Egypt would remain a mere partner nation once I ascend to the throne.
If I’m crowned Empress, he’ll ensure his life is safe too.
I think it’s more likely to be the latter.
“Ugh. Is this traitor really expecting me to consider becoming his King?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. We humbly request that you take the throne as Queen of Egypt!”
Look at this little schemer.
Isn’t he using this as an opportunity to manipulate me?
I absolutely despise guys like him.
But then again, it wouldn’t do to just punch him. If I take the Egyptian throne, wouldn’t I also need to invest some budget into Egypt?
I’ve already been funding modernization efforts, so it’s not going to be an issue.
“Not too shabby, Your Majesty.”
“Though I find Nasser’s actions despicable, if he does his job well, does it really matter?”
As long as he does his job well, I guess it’s fine.
“Besides, restoring the pyramids would require a monarch to make it worthwhile, right?”
“Hmm. That does make sense.”
That’s the crux of the problem.
Right. There’s a big difference between just maintaining the pyramids and actually restoring them.
It makes a lot more sense to have a king overseeing the restoration than just some random Nasser trying to make his case.
Ah, if only I could say I personally commissioned Nasser to do this. That would feel nice.
“Ahh, I think it’s a good idea to accept this.”
“That’s right. Please govern Egypt as the Roman Emperor!”
This guy’s even doing the dogeza now.
He’s the kind of sycophant you find everywhere, isn’t he?
But then again, there’s a certain pity that isn’t lost on me.
This type of guy has to live by flattering others.
“Ugh. President Nasser.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I’m glad you’re so perceptive. Honestly, if you were someone like Gaddafi, I would have been hanging by now.”
What a shame that would have been.
“Nasser is but Your Majesty’s servant! A mere dog!”
Oh damn, I never asked for a middle-aged male servant.
Especially one who calls himself a dog like some furry freak. My secret friends have always been Belcaran!
“Well, you can be president all you want. I am the Emperor of all of Rome. Just don’t you dare act like a dog again.”
“I’ll keep that in mind!”
Seriously, this guy’s not long for this world anyway.
It’s not like I have to actively help him die.
It’s just fortunate that I naturally acquired Egypt as well.
“Does this mean I need to contact the homeland again?”
Aren’t I going to have another coronation ceremony? And everyone will swarm in again?
Having the entire Duma mobilize seems a bit much, but it’s bound to turn into a global event.
After all, Egypt’s civilization stands as one of the four great civilizations, doesn’t it?
“If possible, wouldn’t it be better to keep things extravagant?”
“Is that really necessary? I feel like just having the title of Queen of Egypt floated in the newspapers would suffice.”
Louise and Maria had differing opinions.
Then their gazes locked like they were about to throw down. Could they not argue like this?
From my perspective, if they keep fighting like this, I might actually have a tough time making a decision.
“What would happen if you two disagree?”
Having my closest advisors like Maria and Franco Marie Louise at odds makes decision-making difficult for me.
Am I just a symbolic figure?
When the courtiers say, ‘This is how you should do it,’ I just sit there grading papers and calling it a day?
That’s like the CEO of a company just signing off without really doing any work. Aren’t they being a bit harsh on me?
“Isn’t the most important thing Your Majesty’s wishes?”
“That’s right. We simply follow Your Majesty’s words like the law.”
When you both say my will is most important, aren’t you kind of forcing me to pick sides?
Where did La Roche go? Shouldn’t he be helping me out right now?
Damn it. How did I end up in such a position, making all these tough decisions?
“I honestly don’t want to make a scene. After all, the Roman Emperor just has to reintegrate Egypt into Rome.”
I really don’t want to cause a stir.
This isn’t the time for a grand coronation.
Formally, the Egyptian Republic can just remain part of the Rome Treaty.
Most importantly, how long would a coronation take anyway?
I can’t wait around for each detail to be finalized. It’s better to just breeze past it.
That way, the Egyptians would hardly remember it, right?
Honestly, it’d even be better to allocate the coronation expenses to restoring the pyramids.
“In that case, let’s minimize it.”
“No. This Nasser will cover all expenses.”
That money doesn’t belong to you! Damn, Nasser.
Don’t use the third person, old man. It’s pathetic enough when women do it.
“The money comes from the Rome Treaty funds. And anyway, even if the ordinary people pay taxes, that money should go more into national development.”
Isn’t that the virtue of a monarch?
Honestly, it’s better to have a capable monarch lead than some worthless masses.
Instead of letting this Nasser lead, wouldn’t I rather take the reins myself?
“Then, shouldn’t we at least show the joint appearance with President Nasser? Otherwise, the Egyptians might not take the situation seriously.”
“Do the Egyptians even take it seriously?”
“Isn’t it likely that if the president sticks his face out there, it might turn out well?”
“Ah, I see your point.”
After all, Nasser’s down on the ground, likely scared I’ll flip out on him.
He’s adding all this flattery like a little puppy; it’s quite the sight.
It’s utterly pathetic.
“Yes, and moreover, given that President Nasser has a high approval rating among Egyptians, it should go smoothly if we appear together.”
“Isn’t it just a case of casually being around one another?”
There’s really no point in making this a grand show like the French.
After all, I’m just receiving the title for political purposes. Later, I can just go back and say, ‘Oh look, I became the Queen of Egypt! Heehee!’ That’s pretty much the goal.
With a chancellor like that throwing around compliments, I’m confident no one would dare question me.
So I rode around Cairo with Nasser, our chariot cruising the streets.
With a banner proclaiming, ‘Welcome Roman Emperor!’
“Are you the Roman Emperor? Are we part of the Rome Treaty?”
“That’s what they say.”
“Fools! Our President Nasser is now under the protection of the Emperor!”
“Ugh! The president’s grandeur in becoming a protector for the Roman Emperor! I won’t falter, even if my head shatters!”
And the reception from the Egyptians was rather positive.
After all, considering that Gaddafi is now in charge of the world’s supreme emperor, it’s no surprise.
Wow, I guess this is how it’s done.
At the very least, Gaddafi had to follow some lead from Nasser.
But it might already be too late for him, given his nature. Regardless, it was amazing to see the overwhelming support for Nasser from the Egyptians.
I suppose this is also thanks to the money flowing from the Rome Treaty.
What a bunch of idiots.
“Why not take the Libyan throne while we’re at it?”
As for the Libyan throne, that might be a stretch.
I already made the decision to bring back the king, and I’ve deposed Gaddafi, so I’ve done all I can.
“Let Libya figure their own stuff out. They’ll handle it eventually.”
Libya has a king already, so hmm. For now, should I just accept the Egyptian throne?
It’s not that I’m dying to have the title of king.
If I’m going to get involved in Egypt, it wouldn’t hurt to gain some influence that way.
“Shall we have a look at the pyramids while we’re at it?”
That would also serve the purpose of checking out the pyramids I’d be restoring.
It would be nice to enjoy some tourism before heading back to Rome.
“By the way, Napoleon also saw the pyramids, right?”
“Okay, enough with the Napoleon talk. This hat feels embarrassing enough.”
Wearing this hat is awkward enough without being compared to Napoleon. Am I supposed to be TS Napoleon now?
“You actually pull it off pretty well!”
“Ha! Enough! I need to get going to avoid looking at Nasser. Seeing him be all cutesy at his age is just awkward.”
Let’s wrap this up quickly.
“Is that what you think?”
Honestly, if I were to stand before the Duma and say, ‘Anastasia wants mint chocolate!’ wouldn’t that annoy everyone?
I wouldn’t want to be seen like that at my age either.
Personally, I don’t even want to think like that. It just appears that way.
“Oh, that might indeed be quite embarrassing.”
“Embarrassing, what?”
“Nothing! But don’t you think everyone would be thrilled and lose their minds over that?”
I must’ve misheard that.
There’s no way, right? Maria, who has kids, wouldn’t say something like that.
Even my close aides wouldn’t dare bring that up.
But still, there shouldn’t be any way that’s true.
“There’s no way, no matter how far-fetched that sounds.”
I used to think that, but—
“President Nasser truly is the best!”
“Your Majesty! Please rule Egypt alongside the Roman Empress!”
The Egyptians gathered near the pyramids were blind with praise for Nasser.
Well, when it comes to those chants, it isn’t terribly wrong.
I’m undeniably pretty, and if I wasn’t the Tsar, those guys would likely gawk at me openly.
So if the AI Anastasia pops up resembling me, there’s definitely potential for some wild interactions.
Initially, I can engage directly like a VTuber, and if a super similar AI emerges, I could pass off trusted governance to it.
The ultimate testament of capitalism! A wonderfully advanced AI government achieving a fair society!
Of course, let’s say that actually happens.
Couldn’t it just be like the pigs in North Korea sipping on ‘Dear Leader,’ ‘Marshal,’ and all that propaganda?
Yeah, whatever. At least I’m glad I won’t get stabbed.
Post-World War, aside from the Middle East turmoil thanks to those Greek terrorists, I’ve managed to stay intact.