Ch.237Berlin Purification Operation

# The Witch of Moscow

* * *

“Do these dying fools under our army’s assault really think they can terrorize me?”

This must be the true horror of war. My future wasn’t like this.

It was just a nuclear ending with the click of a few buttons.

Seoul melting in nuclear heat—unless you were far from ground zero.

Unlike me who happened to be at home, my family was in Seoul and couldn’t escape the nuclear heat.

When I heard the news, I felt more disbelief than tears.

A nuclear bomb suddenly falling on Seoul in the dead of night.

My survival was pure luck.

I tried contacting my family later, but couldn’t reach them.

They died without even feeling pain. War is brutal, but I experienced nuclear brutality first.

Then nuclear bombs fell on Japan and Taiwan, and the Western world retaliated with nuclear weapons against North Korea, China, Russia, and the former Red Team. As a result, most countries in the world were paralyzed and became lawless zones.

But here, things were brutal in their own way.

The battle with the Bolsheviks was difficult, but we ended the Moscow battle quickly.

The Bolsheviks were weak, public support had already abandoned them, and they were fellow Russians rather than foreign enemies, so they surrendered when the tide turned against them.

But here, even with the German Imperial Army’s support, the main force is Russian troops, so the situation is different.

“How pitiful. If only they would surrender now.”

No matter how vermin-like they are, if they surrender, we have no choice but to accept it.

But these creatures are proving themselves to be red cockroaches, stubbornly fighting to the bitter end.

Despite having no supplies or resources.

They’re even resorting to suicide attacks.

“Die! You Russians!”

Yes. Like that woman running toward us with bombs strapped to her body.

Of course, she’ll die from gunfire first, but it’s extremely unpleasant.

What a thoroughly communist city.

Was Nazi Berlin like this too?

“During the revolution, Berlin was the first to turn. Only true communists remain, so they’ll fight to the death. To them, the German Imperial Army that drove out their Kaiser is also the enemy.”

Drozdovsky shook his head pitifully.

In the distance, I could see soldiers using flamethrowers to eliminate communists.

Seeing them pouring flames into building entrances, there must be some resisting German communists inside.

“We will not surrender to reactionaries! Aaaaargh!”

“What are these insects saying?”

Hmm, that’s satisfying to see.

Yes. That’s how communists should be exterminated.

Judging by the White Army soldiers’ perception, other armies would feel the same, so the Red Plague will be treated as a plague in the future too.

“As the Holy Woman of Russia, I find it pitiful and even pathetic. I wish they would come to their senses soon.”

“Indeed, no one in their right mind would become a communist.”

Yes, that’s right.

If they understood reality, they wouldn’t become communists.

It’s because they don’t understand reality that they become communists and resist us.

The Treaty of Versailles was much more merciful than in the original history, and Germany was in good enough shape to support Russia while preparing to stab France in the back.

Yet they fell for Karl Liebknecht’s agitation and turned communist. That’s just stupid.

“We cannot show mercy to these people. But if we must send them off, let’s do it quickly.”

As the Holy Woman, I truly find it pitiful.

If these creatures had won and turned the country communist, if they had developed nuclear weapons…

Wouldn’t another nuclear war have broken out?

Since the Red Team started the nuclear war in my time, I’ve come to believe that communists will always initiate nuclear conflicts.

“Yes. The Allied forces are already flooding in, so these creatures won’t last long.”

There is no mercy for communists who resist the White Army to the end.

If they surrender themselves and convert to the White Army, we might consider it, but seeing their current state, they’ll resist until Berlin is completely razed.

After this war, Berlin will likely never regain its former glory as a capital.

Well, that’s impossible now that it’s been destroyed like this.

Britain is in relatively good shape, despite the massive casualties at Dunkirk.

Even though many people died, their industrial facilities remain intact.

Germany has lost both people and industrial facilities.

France will be in a similar state if torn apart. And Britain wants to reduce its power further, but can anything be done about that?

If Japan entered French Indochina, might they also touch British Malaya?

“The Okhrana seems to have failed. Has Goebbels’ identity been confirmed?”

“No, not yet. We still have some distance to go before reaching the center where he is.”

Yes, we still have some way to go. But this is Berlin after all.

As a nation’s capital, complete occupation will take some time.

“Have you prepared someone to replace Goebbels?”

“Yes. We’ve selected someone who resembles him. The Okhrana has already bought him off.”

Good, that’s fortunate. I suspect this Goebbels fellow will try to become a martyr, which would be troublesome for us.

“It would be good to use that person during the trial.”

These things need to be handled properly.

To kill Goebbels, the leader of communist Germany which is the bastion of communism, we must do it perfectly.

Not long after, we joined up with the German Imperial Army that had attacked from the north and recaptured northern Germany.

And once again, I met with the Kaiser, who still seemed zombie-like but was now burning with a final flame of hope to reclaim his homeland.

“Hmm. It’s unfortunate. That Berlin, with its history and tradition, has come to this.”

I carefully asked the Kaiser as we walked together through the ruins of Berlin.

I’m not mocking him—I’m sincere.

Though we had to raze the city to exterminate the communists, it’s still sad to see a city destroyed.

The Kaiser must understand this is unavoidable.

He seems satisfied just to reclaim his homeland.

“What can we do? Communist Germany resisted to the end, so it couldn’t be helped.”

But can this place be used as a capital?

It’s become far more desolate than expected—even Churchill, who’s been flattering me, might feel sympathy for Germany if he saw this city.

Suddenly, I became curious.

Will the Kaiser use this place as Germany’s capital after the war?

It’s not fair to compare it with Moscow, which was completely untouched by war. But using such a devastated city as a capital seems inappropriate.

“Will this be suitable as the imperial capital in the future?”

The German Empire can’t even receive reparations.

Communist Germany was originally German Empire territory.

They could extract reparations by tearing apart France, but that would involve Free France.

“It will be difficult. Until Berlin is rebuilt, I plan to keep Königsberg as the capital. Somehow, I need to clean up everything I’ve done and pass it on to my daughter.”

That’s right. This place was occupied by communists.

Such sacrifices are necessary to end the Red Plague, and reconstruction will take a long time.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, pouring rain.

Just then, a downpour began.

Now, with rain adding to Berlin’s miserable state, it truly looked like a gloomy city of death.

The Chief of Staff and German Imperial soldiers came to hold umbrellas over me and the Kaiser.

“They say the symbolic building of Goebbels and the Communist Party is the National Assembly building. It’s apparently called the Revolutionary Council Assembly.”

At Drozdovsky’s words, the Kaiser and I looked at that symbolic communist building.

Yes, that’s what they’re saying.

“Hmm, who should enter first? Goebbels is essentially holed up in a bunker, and this is a victory celebration.”

I can yield this honor to the Kaiser.

It would symbolize the old regime’s victory over the Red Plague.

But the aging Kaiser apparently wants to yield to me.

“I’ll go to that Secretary’s residence. The Tsarina should enter this Revolutionary Council Assembly and proudly celebrate our victory.”

“If that’s the case, then so be it.”

I never imagined such a thing would happen in my life.

I was reincarnated as a Grand Duchess, became Tsar, nurtured Russia by the scruff of its neck.

And now I’m entering the Revolutionary Council Assembly, the heart of communist Germany facing defeat.

But I suddenly think:

To think that I would enter this symbolic building of communism.

Our soldiers have already hung the double-headed eagle tricolor flag of the United States of Greater Russia at the top of the assembly building.

It should have been the red flag of the Soviet Union.

The red German flag with candle and hammer comes down, and the double-headed eagle symbolizing the Third Rome goes up.

Honestly, while the workers’ flag looks cool, isn’t the eagle more impressive?

While I was admiring this…

A German communist corpse suddenly rose and shot something at me.

“Die, Witch of Moscow! This is revenge for the dying German people!”

“Y-Your Majesty! You must dodge!”

Looking at the incoming bomb, I smirked. Well, it’s been a while…

BOOM!

If not a terrorist attack, what else could it be?

I think this is the first since the bombing in Poland. Unfortunately, I didn’t die this time either.

This is really something.

I still feel the pain, you know. I’m really dying inside trying to act like I’m fine.

The face of the true communist who threw the bomb is horribly distorted, as if he’s seen a ghost.

“Ah, this is what they call tanghulu.”

So don’t be so surprised, you communist.

“H-Her Majesty is still alive!”

“W-what? How? How can the reactionary witch still be alive? Argh!”

The communist who tried to assassinate me quickly became fodder for the White Army soldiers’ rifles.

Not dying is a simple matter.

It’s because that old man sent me here. Well.

Looking closely, he’s just a boy who barely left his teens.

He’s still young, so he’s a poor friend without maturity—but seeing that even older Germans are communists, he was destined to be a communist anyway.

So Goebbels is using something like a national assault team.

Should I say something to this communist?

“That’s because communism is wrong, and only I am right.”

Now, as I turn my head, I realize this place isn’t just filled with my inner circle.

“Was the rumor true?”

“Insane. Is that really possible? A bomb with bare hands?”

This time, allied soldiers who had gathered at the sound of the explosion saw it too.

Danubian Federation Defense Forces, Bulgarian Army, Turkish Army.

Allied soldiers who were fighting alongside the Russian White Army to subjugate the surrounding soldiers witnessed this.

And to add, the Kaiser was with us too.

But this could be problematic.

A Tsar who can withstand even bombs—it would be hard to believe if seen directly.

Maybe I should use the Petrograd case.

I turned my body nonchalantly, pretending nothing happened.

And then:

“Look. The communists are fools who can’t even make proper bombs. How else could I, a mere woman, withstand a bomb? Twenty years ago with the Bolsheviks, and now—communists never make anything properly, they just deify people.”

I proudly showed my unharmed body.

I claimed I was unharmed because the communist-made bomb was a stupid object with no killing power.

The soldiers had no choice but to accept this explanation.

“Ah, hahaha. So that’s what it was.”

“Communists can’t even make proper weapons!”

“So this is how communism leads to downfall!”

Unfortunately, when people witness something absurd or fantastical, they want to deny reality.

So I gave them a mentally acceptable justification.

I smiled at the still-dazed Kaiser and then asked Drozdovsky about the gun held by the soldier who had just killed the communist.

I’ve been at headquarters, so I haven’t really seen infantry weapons. But that one really caught my eye.

“By the way, what is that gun?”

It looks somewhat similar to one I know. Perhaps it’s an earlier model.

Since I didn’t see it at the beginning of the war, it seems to be a recently supplied new weapon.

“It’s the Kalashnikov automatic rifle developed by a young man named Kalashnikov from the Fyodorov Arsenal. I hear he’s Fyodorov’s successor. Along with Georgy Shpagin and Vasily Degtyaryov, he’s said to be Fyodorov’s disciple. It’s been supplied to the army recently.”

Drozdovsky explained briefly.

So talented people find their place naturally.

But isn’t he too young to be making weapons?

Well, in this world, there were ample learning opportunities, so Kalashnikov must have worked at the Fyodorov factory.

Wasn’t he originally serving as a tank crewman?

He was even said to have been inspired by the Nazi German MP40.

Here, did he just get inspired by our weapons?

If it was made at the Fyodorov factory, he probably saw new guns made by Fyodorov.

Or did he deliberately pursue weapon development in this world?

It’s not impossible. Kalashnikov’s family was exiled to Siberia during Stalin’s kulak purges.

In this world, he seems to have pursued his field of interest.

In the original history, Nazi Germany produced the world’s first assault rifle, the StG44, in early production in 1942. It was officially registered later and formally produced in 1944.

Well, that’s that, but this would still be called an automatic rifle?

Hitler gave it the name assault rifle, but hmm. I’m not sure if the Danubian Defense Forces made the StG44.

“Let’s classify that as an assault rifle.”

“Assault rifle. Not bad.”

Yes, that’s fine, but I’m also a bit angry.

I’m still feeling the flesh-tearing pain seeping in.

That damn old man didn’t make me immune to pain, so I can feel the sensation of my body being torn apart and then reattaching.

“But these contemptible communists who can’t even make weapons. Eliminate all the communists hiding throughout the city.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Once again, the Russian-made SESCO (White Army) was deployed throughout Berlin.

I suddenly look at the Berlin streets, all destroyed by the insects’ fierce resistance.

Berlin is finished now, but it feels… too empty.

Considering the original history’s German-Soviet war, isn’t this too easy?

Communist Germany was weaker than Nazi Germany, and Russia has become stronger than the Soviet Union, but I didn’t expect it to collapse like this.

What if we just conquered not only Europe but the whole world and created a force like the Human Federation from a near-future fantasy?

We could bind all the world’s nations under the banner of a Human Federation while we have the chance.

That way, the world would be essentially unified, so Russia wouldn’t need to invade its front yard like Putin in the future. And we wouldn’t need America as a safety device.

“No, that’s not right.”

Such desires were rising within me, but if Russia leads the world after the war, such things would be meaningless.

The war isn’t over yet. Seeing the Commune forces retreating, they seem to be hurriedly preparing defenses.

I’m curious about the potential of France—originally Europe’s premier land power, now fallen to communism—when cornered.

Can you withstand nuclear weapons?