LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 61
“Tsarina has arrived at the university!”
“Wow, is it true that she fought against the Reds with that fragile body?”
“I heard that just touching her hand can cure diseases; she’s a saint!”
Right. I have reached Moscow State University.
However, I couldn’t just bring the Okhrana here. I came with Georgy Lvov, a member of the Progressive Party in the Russian Republic, working in the education department.
They say he is an alumnus of this university.
I knew he was one of the civilian representatives who joined the temporary government in Yekaterinburg, and he was also a liberal.
Moreover, he surprised female activists regarding women’s suffrage.
Well, I didn’t know much about that.
He is probably someone who made quite an impact in actual history.
In the original history, if he joined somewhere, he might have worked for the Kolchak government. That seems likely.
“Do you know Alisa Rosenbaum?”
“Yes. I had the opportunity to meet her after the Civil War when she was invited to the university. I felt there was something special about her right from then.”
“Hm. It seems her influence was quite significant, unrelated to the education department.”
Exactly.
In these tough times, it’s easy to be influenced by someone.
The Russians, including myself, are under the influence of the Duma that follows my inclinations.
Alisa Rosenbaum, who is currently passing through the elite course at Moscow State University, probably feels the same.
Considering she wrote a book titled “Toward the Destruction of Communism,” that makes sense.
She is destined to be a hard-working talent for the anti-communism efforts in Russia ahead.
“Isn’t it obvious that it’s anti-communist? But ultimately, it’s thanks to Your Majesty. Anyway, the spirit of this republic system can be seen as a reflection of Your Majesty.”
That’s quite an exaggeration.
I’m merely a ruler who assesses.
“Alright then. Let’s see.”
In any case, she is a renowned thinker and writer in America in actual history.
Isn’t it exciting to see if she can also gain fame in Russia in this altered history?
The Alisa Rosenbaum I met seemed far too young to be the one who wrote “Toward the Destruction of Communism.”
I guess it’s right to say she is already showing signs of greatness.
“Alisa Rosenbaum.”
“Your Majesty knows my name? You appoint me?!”
Alisa Rosenbaum gazed at me with an ecstatic expression, like a devoted Muslim worshipping Allah.
Is that something to be so moved about?
“There’s no need to be so surprised. I came to scout talented individuals.”
Common unknowns might have already perished in the Soviet Union, but they must thrive boldly in White Russia.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You wrote “Toward the Destruction of Communism,” didn’t you?”
“Yes. I wrote it.”
Claiming that it was herself who penned this masterpiece.
Alisa Rosenbaum proudly thumped her chest.
Then she handed me the book she had tucked away.
Although I couldn’t properly read the work of our future Austrian Führer, Adolf, because it was so precious, I read this one received from Ainland, and it was quite impressive.
It’s a truly proper work that nurtures the spirit of anti-communism.
It discusses why communism is bound to fail, why it is fundamentally authoritarian, and even touches on the future of communism.
She wrote diligently about all of this.
“Impressive. The hatred and anger towards communism, and the flaws of communism were laid bare. I was moved.”
“Communism is an ideology that must disappear.”
Right. That’s exactly it.
Alisa Rosenbaum is quite unique.
“Oh, that’s a secondary issue. Anyway, the Russians have suffered immensely because of communism; it’s natural to feel hatred and anger towards it. But I didn’t lose my reason to write such a book, did I?”
“Absolutely. Your Majesty’s Russian Republic is a successful case where it has shattered all the flaws of communism and merged only its advantages with existing liberalism. The authoritarianism and violence of the multi-communism, those Bolsheviks, are merely an ideology for them to grasp power.”
Indeed. She caught on well.
I never expected Alisa Rosenbaum, famously known under the pen name Ainland in actual history, to turn out like this.
I suppose one could say that my efforts to change the history of this era have indeed borne fruit.
“Exactly. That’s right.”
“I saw how they raided my father’s pharmacy and kept the medicine for themselves, claiming it would be distributed to the people.”
That’s essentially the core of it.
To be precise, during the Red-White Civil War, the Red Army was only going downhill when the situation got tough.
They’re communists who threw human rights to the dogs.
It’s just sweet fruit at the start. When it gets tough, there’s nothing more miserable than communism.
Our Alisa Rosenbaum understands that.
“That’s the essence of communism. It incites the people and only feeds itself.”
“Moreover, they merely mimic Your Majesty’s policies. How incompetent they are!”
That’s actually a policy those original Lenin and his ragtag group would’ve implemented.
But I executed it first.
Thus, Alisa Rosenbaum has come to despise communism far more than in the original history.
She’s a woman who has always hated communism and found no hope in it.
While she had previously been negative toward the communist social system, this time she would be even angrier about its incompetence.
Having witnessed the incompetence of communism herself, that’s quite something.
Surely, it’s just my imagination that she seems to view me as a follower?
“What do you think of the current Russia?”
“I would say we are accelerating.”
For a moment, I was dumbfounded.
I thought I had a grasp on Russian, but did I mishear something?
“Hmm?”
Accelerating?
Why is she suddenly talking about acceleration?
Surely, what I asserted was brought forth as convenient words rather than deliberate thought. In any case, for the purpose of ‘anti-communism,’ it might not be bad, but expressing it as acceleration… Ainland seems to have felt quite a lot from Russia.
“Corrective capitalism. From my perspective, today’s Russia seeks far more rapid changes than corrective capitalism.”
“Hm.”
Alisa Rosenbaum is acting a bit strange too.
Right. I should listen to what she has to say.
So, I nodded for her to proceed.
“This is acceleration. This country, Russia, is attempting to change. It aims to go far beyond those colonial empires known as Britain and France. It’s accelerating. Just before becoming a butterfly, Russia is akin to a chrysalis. More than anyone, it is in a state of acceleration. Isn’t this the Russia Your Majesty is shaping?”
“Hm. I can’t deny that.”
Honestly, it did seem a bit crazy.
It appears she has suffered greatly under the Red Army.
With me implementing various policies even before Lenin and at the same time pressuring the Red Army, the regions under the Red Army felt significant changes.
Alisa Rosenbaum was also swept up in that tide of change.
“I felt it deeply when my father was shot for hiding more medicine from the Bolsheviks. This regime must never be maintained.”
“Shot?”
“It was practically an outlet for their frustrations. The moment they fell short against the White Army, those cockroaches plundered everything. As a result, my father was harmed.”
Was it like this originally too?
Or was it just my rolling snowball?
However, even taking that into account, she remains quite rational. I feel she would resent the White Army for surging against the Reds in the same way.
That wasn’t something I wanted to mention.
I coughed lightly, trying to act nonchalant.
“About your father…”
“Didn’t Your Majesty go through something much worse? Oh, I apologize. I fear I’ve been rude to Your Majesty.”
Ah, that’s right.
To others, I’m the character who saw my family and siblings executed by the Bolsheviks, had a breakdown, and wiped them all out.
No wonder there have been many sympathizers towards me.
Especially among the nobility and royalty, it seems the death of the Nicholas II family, as they accept Anastasia’s changes, played a part too.
Experiencing such events while already having a negative perception of communism means my anti-communism sentiment would definitely be stronger than others.
“Did you get your pharmacy back?”
“Yes. Thanks to Your Majesty wiping out the Bolsheviks completely, it has been returned. My father’s pharmacy was safely returned.”
That makes sense. The Bolsheviks would have to return whatever they took to regain popular support, or they would redistribute what the deceased had lost due to the war to those greatly affected.
Then, what is Alisa Rosenbaum’s ambition?
“That’s a relief. What are your dreams?”
Given this, I could lend her some convenience.
That is, perhaps use her as a model for anti-communism promotional efforts down the line.
Anyway, the department responsible for anti-communist propaganda helped Alisa Rosenbaum publish her book.
“From now on, I wish to write as an anti-communist author. Furthermore, I want to enter the Duma and engage in the anti-communism movement while standing against the communist regime!”
Alisa Rosenbaum clenched her hands tightly.
You could even see the veins.
“Are you against Germany and Italy?”
“The Germany and Italy of Your Majesty’s Russia will surely present challenges. I believe they must be thoroughly defeated to prove Your Majesty’s correctness!”
“Ah, I see.”
Her perspective on the world is accurate.
Right. Germany and Italy will undoubtedly come to challenge us.
They would want to topple the Russian Republic opposing communism. Even if we dislike it, they will approach us.
“Oh, of course, I mean it in terms of systemic competition. War brings too much bloodshed.”
It’s nice to hear she wants to avoid war.
While I wish she would focus on writing, it also seems interesting to see Alisa Rosenbaum enter the Duma.
So, I decided to support her.
“I’ll cheer you on for your eventual entry into the Duma.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
In many ways, that’s quite impressive.
It seems people are greatly influenced by their environments.
I feel I will see Alisa Rosenbaum in the Duma one day. I look forward to that time.
“Your Majesty, you must head in now.”
“Oh, I shall.”
That should be enough for today.
Come to think of it, isn’t it about time for Beria to bring something?
I had contemplated before crossing the Atlantic, offering half as a gamble, hoping it would serve a purpose.
If not, I’ll have to find someone interested in rockets within Russia.
Hmm. Speaking of which.
It seems wise to promote our Volga Germany and bring in more people from Germany.
Especially engineers.
We cannot just receive those fleeing from the establishment of Communist Germany to become our sworn enemies without action; we need to strategize accordingly.