Ch.458IF: The Status Window of My Revolution

# Anastasia’s Alternate Route

What if Anastasia had taken a different path from her original route? How would history have changed?

This is the story of a man who possessed the body of a Romanov princess just before being buried.

The Cheka agents, including Yakov, killed the Tsar’s Romanov family, mutilated their bodies, buried them, and then returned satisfied.

However. Only one princess survived.

Though they thought they had burned and buried her, the surviving Romanov’s body seemed coated with something—it wouldn’t burn or get injured.

Somehow, the surviving princess used this invincible power to break through the soil.

“Hah, they’re finally gone. Those damn bastards.”

Pretending to be dead and breaking through the soil had been difficult.

“What do I do now?”

That old man wanted to change Russian history, but I have no such intention whatsoever.

Honestly, what sin did I commit to have to drag this godforsaken country up by its collar?

I’ll just quickly run to America, engage in anti-communist activities, and make sure nuclear weapons don’t fall into Soviet hands.

Even if that fails, so be it.

If Anastasia’s body survives, how long will it live anyway? Eventually, even if I don’t die, I’ll still age, right? I’ll die someday.

I’ll die in the past before nuclear war breaks out.

“Then, running to America is the right choice.”

At first, I thought it would be that simple, but there was a problem.

Right now, the Reds and anti-communist forces are fighting a civil war. It would be difficult to flee as a woman.

“Eeeek! A-a person came out of the ground!”

Some kid saw me and started running away.

Well, it doesn’t matter. Even if a child says something like that, people might laugh but won’t seriously believe it. The execution of the Tsar’s family was hastily done by the Bolsheviks, so it would be troublesome if someone escaped.

Still, it’s dangerous to leave the city for a while.

At the very least, I should escape as a refugee to the Far East when the civil war intensifies.

That’s what I thought at first.

But after a few days, I had to deny that thought.

The reality here was like hell, even if the world hadn’t ended.

I thought I should have some money, so I went back to check the cemetery.

“I’m telling you, this kid definitely hid the body!”

“Listen, comrades. Where did you put the bodies of the dead royals? You’re not thinking of joining the reactionaries with them, are you?”

“N-no. I really don’t know! This child is innocent!”

Bang!

“You don’t understand! You filthy reactionaries still clinging to the Tsar. Kill the mother too!”

“P-please spare me.”

Bang!

When I arrived, these crazy Reds were killing people again.

I should have known from when they killed the Tsar’s family—they’re incredibly vile.

If I had run a bit faster, I might have helped. But everyone was already dead, with only one child remaining.

“Father. Father! Mother!”

“Comrade Yakov. What should we do with this child?”

“If we let him live, he’ll talk everywhere. Take care of him.”

These vermin. Now they’re going to kill a child too.

They’re just as evil as the Tsarist regime. No less.

They talk about a workers’ state, proletarian revolution, and all that nonsense, but in the end, if you oppose the party, you’re immediately dealt with.

Judging from the current situation, that kid is probably the one who saw me earlier and ran away like he’d seen a ghost.

He must have talked about it everywhere, and it reached the ears of the Cheka.

“Yes. Ugh!”

“What? We definitely killed her with a gun back then. Is it true that the princess is alive? Damn it! Die!”

They shot me several times, but of course, it was useless.

It stings like hell, but I can endure it.

“Hmm, not dying? Not bleeding to death like a Red bastard? I’m chosen by God, aren’t I?”

“M-monster!”

Don’t call me a monster. I just don’t die from bullets.

No, come to think of it, I’m getting angry. You’re calling me a monster?

How dare these people who just slaughtered a family call me a monster?

“The monsters are you Reds who killed an entire family just because you suspected they hid a body.”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

While Yakov and his subordinates were shocked and stunned, I shot them with a pistol and they collapsed.

I hit every shot.

“Phew, damn it’s hard to kill people with a gun in this body.”

“Dad, Mom!”

The kid started crying.

There’s nothing I hate more than a crying child, but what can I do?

“Kid, I know you’re sad, but if you cry like that, more Reds will come.”

“Please save my dad and mom.”

“That’s difficult. I can’t bring back the dead. Why did you go around telling everyone I was alive? What’s your name?”

“Maria.”

Maria. Maria. Sounds like a common name.

It seems like her family died because of me. It would feel wrong to just leave.

I extended my hand to Maria.

“Want to come with me?”

Maria, who had been quietly crying, took my hand.

First, I buried the Cheka agents carelessly since we might be discovered, and I also made graves for Maria’s parents.

I had to stay in Yekaterinburg for a while.

As the civil war intensified, there was no other choice.

As time passed, the civil war ended with the Red Army’s victory.

After Alexander Kolchak, a White Army leader, died, the White Army quickly collapsed.

I stayed in Yekaterinburg for a while and somehow settled down.

Surprisingly, the deaths of the Cheka agents and Maria’s parents didn’t become an issue.

It seems they were buried in the chaos of the civil war.

“You’re a princess, aren’t you going to restore the empire?”

“The imperial family has already lost everything. Without public support, it would be pitiful to start a war with the few supporters we have. Even if the sky falls, we can still live. We’re proof of that.”

Towards the end of the civil war, Maria and I drifted to Moscow like refugees. I did odd jobs and started writing.

Yes, you could call it a novel.

I’m not sure if novels will be popular in the Soviet Union in this era, but what else can we enjoy in an age suffering under communist oppression?

“Someday, we need to kill all those Reds.”

Maria was filled with hatred for the Bolsheviks.

It must be frustrating to have to make a living under such people.

“The Germans will take care of them later.”

Of course, Germany will also be defeated, but wouldn’t it be nice to see millions of Reds die?

There would be civilians too, but that’s not my concern.

“Isn’t Germany a defeated nation?”

“Yes, Germany is a defeated nation. But because of that, they’ll eventually rise again and seek revenge. They weren’t completely and thoroughly killed, just filled with resentment. It will definitely explode.”

I don’t know much about the outside situation right now.

It’s difficult to leave the Soviet Union.

Even if Maria and I left together, what could we do as women?

In this case, I need to prepare for whenever the German-Soviet war happens.

Meanwhile, I continued my creative activities. There wasn’t much else I could do in this body.

“Comrade, this novel of yours is very revolutionary. It’s a novel unlike anything I’ve seen before.”

“My Revolutionary Status Window, as if a glass window with detailed information about me appeared in front of me!”

“Thank you, comrades.”

What sin did I commit in my past life to be praised by Reds?

I just wrote something as a gamble, wanting to engage in creative activities.

I was curious about how a modern-style novel would be received in this era.

So I wrote and submitted it, but who would have thought it would be so well-received in “the Soviet Union”?

To be honest, I did manipulate it a bit to avoid being labeled as reactionary.

I included “revolution” in the title and added some red-flavored content.

“We knew too little about status windows. To include the proletarian revolution in a status window—my friends and I cried a lot reading it. You’re truly great, teacher!”

Some students were also inspired by my novel.

No, actually. To be completely honest.

I dislike Reds, so I just packaged it with revolutionary and communist names. The content itself didn’t deviate much from web novels.

Even if you rename ramen as udon, the essence of ramen doesn’t disappear, right?

Anyway, my novel was just packaged with various wordplay additions.

I didn’t expect the novel to become this well-known.

The status window and superhuman elements might be rare in this era.

Then one day, as I was returning from the Writers’ Association, Maria greeted me with a lukewarm expression.

“Um, sister. Someone sent by Stalin is here to see you.”

“Stalin?”

Why is Stalin suddenly being mentioned here?

* * *

Kremlin Palace

Anastasia’s novel “My Revolutionary Status Window” was on the lips of the people, spread by political officers and secret police, and finally reached Stalin’s ears.

Initially, one might dismiss it as just a novel, but it was a bit unusual.

It was set in the Soviet Union, so it was essentially a contemporary setting.

“Beria, this is the novel that’s popular among the people these days.”

Stalin, after reading the novel received from the secret police chief Beria, spoke with an interested expression.

“Yes, they’re quite engrossed in it, Comrade Secretary-General.”

I see. The disappointing thing is that it’s not a novel promoting the party.

‘It’s not exactly reactionary, but it’s not communist propaganda either.’

You can tell at a glance. It’s just wrapped in a red package to avoid censorship.

Regardless, Stalin found this novel quite unique.

One day, suddenly, a worker named Sergei 1 has a status window that revolutionizes his body, allowing him to defeat Tsarists and live as a worker in a fictional country that appears to be set in the Soviet Union.

In the process, he educates those who are jealous of him in various ways, catching the attention of political officers and party officials.

“Hmm, there doesn’t seem to be any complaint about me.”

Honestly, it feels like a novel that doesn’t fit the current era.

There hasn’t been such a novel until now. It’s quite unique.

Who would have thought someone in the Soviet Union would write such a novel? It’s quite good, especially since it’s set entirely in the Soviet Union.

It seems like something to read for entertainment.

Moreover, looking at the protagonist’s past, it reminds Stalin of himself, which is nice.

The difference is that Stalin reached his position through effort, while the protagonist Sergei entered the Soviet Union after awakening to his status window in a difficult moment.

“Not bad, but a bit strange.”

The content itself isn’t bad. But something is lacking.

Stalin realized what was missing in this novel.

Yes. That’s it. It lacks desperation. This writing lacks desperation.

The content is entertaining. The part where the imperialists are punished, embodying the triumph of good over evil, was really good.

But despite having such power, while there are smooth developments, that very smoothness becomes a hindrance, making it lack desperation.

That’s why it bothers him more.

It’s just a novel, but the protagonist’s past is so similar to his own.

It’s not like the author knows his past. Honestly, there would be many protagonists with similar past settings.

And at this point, he’s curious.

‘What happens to this protagonist?’

He has become the Secretary-General, but what will happen to this character in the novel?

In the process of continuously struggling for revolution, there’s a lack of desperation and crisis awareness.

How will the author satisfy readers with the next part of the story?

This is absolutely not because he’s curious about the next story.

“Beria, who is the author of this book? I want to see them.”

“It’s a woman named Irina who lives with her younger sister in Moscow. She discusses writing with others at the Moscow Literary Association.”

Huh? A woman? That’s unexpected.

“A woman?”

“Yes, a very beautiful comrade in her twenties.”

It was unexpected. Can a woman write such a novel?

Judging by the content, I thought it would have been written by a man who likes heroic psychology and justice. Impressive.

This is typically a male preference, not female.

“A woman in her twenties, if you say so, she must be quite beautiful.”

“Ahem. So, should I bring her before you, Comrade Secretary-General?”

“Yes. I have a few pieces of advice and questions.”

“Yes.”

Beria didn’t know if Stalin would be interested in that novelist, but as Stalin’s loyal servant, he simply followed his orders.