Chapter 492

"I actually think the story structure is quite good..."

"Shut up, Erice, you're his daughter, of course you're on his side."

"Oh no, I..."

Erice wanted to object, but ultimately coughed twice and said, "Oh."

There was nothing that could be done about it. Anastasia was closing her eyes as if she wanted to refuse to listen anymore. If it were just her and Novia, she would definitely cover her ears with her hands and keep shouting.

"As a princess of Russia, you are far too petty, Anastasia."

Novia, standing to the side, smiled nonchalantly, "Alexei is much more magnanimous than you; he even dares to catch chickens from the palace all by himself now."

"Huh? If you like him that much, then why don't you just teach him?"

"This is the Tsar's will; there's nothing I can do about it."

Hearing Novia say this, Anastasia, whose eyes were closed, frowned even more deeply.

"I don't really want you to teach me. There are plenty of people all over Russia who want to be my Teacher; you could line up from Paris to London."

I hope so.

"Hmph, I can go to the Clock Tower, you know. There aren't any Magecraft of your caliber there. You've been teaching me for so long and I still can't see Vi. Maybe I'll see him when I come back from my studies there."

"Clock Tower?"

"Hmm, that's an institution that all Magecraft in Europe want to attend. Someone like you has probably only been to their branch in Russia at most."

"No, I've never been to the Russia branch. If I had to say..."

Novia thought for a moment, then joked, "I'm just mining there."

"I think I heard there was something like minerals under the Clock Tower. So you really went there."

Anastasia's tone suddenly became curious, "How is it? How is London? My mother said London is a very good place, the environment and everything else is comparable to the palace."

Alexandra was Queen Victoria's most beloved granddaughter, so much so that she hoped she would become the next Queen of England.

"Every place should be viewed separately. London is indeed very good, but just as Petersburg has Grass Market Square, London also has Whitechapel District."

Grass Market Square and the surrounding streets and alleys in Saint Petersburg are the darkest and most terrifying areas of this ancient city.

The narrow and cluttered alleyways, the low shacks that looked like caves, and the various hooligans, thugs and cripples gathered in the stalls selling all sorts of things and the second-hand clothing stores. Some had short arms and legs, some had scars all over their faces, and some were blind.

Because poverty is an incurable disease for them, they don't have enough money to see a doctor and are forced to take desperate measures.

Here, a person might be born at some unknown time, on a filthy bed made of only a straw bag; and grow up somehow, perhaps destined to grow up in an environment filled with stench, cats chasing rats, and mountains of garbage.

Such people are forced to do menial jobs, or steal, cheat, or beg, eventually becoming so-called scum, living like stray dogs in the eyes of nobles, or relying on the charity of kind-hearted people to eke out a living.

Russia writer Dostoevsky experienced life here and wrote "Crime and Punishment" based on this background, creating the character of Raskolnikov.

"Really? But the London that Mom described is quite..."

"Given Her Majesty's status as the Empress, it would be difficult for her to go to the Whitechapel. Even if she did, the Royal Police Officers would be stationed around the area, and so would you."

"Hmm..."

Although unwilling, Anastasia couldn't refute it at all, but she was still very unwilling, and continued to mutter, "It's as if you're very familiar with Grass Market Square."

"I'm fairly familiar with it."

"That's right."

"Why."

Massaging the Russia princess's back, Erice replied listlessly, "Because my father, mother, and I live there now."

"Ah?!"

This startled Anastasia, who immediately opened her eyes and saw a pair of blue eyes that were practically touching hers.

"As a member of the Church, it's perfectly normal for me to go there."

The silver-haired youth responded in a calm voice.

His expression seemed to be telling Anastasia that this was only natural.

"They actually live there...?"

Upon hearing this murmur, Nicholas II outside the door couldn't help but frown.

That place was one that even someone as frugal as him wouldn't want to go. This Novia, as Rasputin's Teacher, seemed strange to Rasputin's fondness for a comfortable life.

"... No, that..."

An unusual tension crossed Rasputin's face, because he himself hadn't expected Novia to live in such a place.

He even had the urge to punch himself a few times, telling himself to eat less Lobster and drink less alcohol, to contact Tunguska Novia more often, and to make sure he was doing well, since Tunguska was better than that place.

"Perhaps Lord Novia was deceived and accidentally ended up staying there..."

"Fine."

Nicholas II simply smiled wryly and waved his hands a few times.

He certainly didn't like going there, but he also remembered that every Easter when he was giving kisses to people in the city center, the people in the Grass Market Square were dressed in the most shabby and ragged clothes, and their body odor was hard to shake off... But no matter what, they were still people loyal to the Tsar.

Since that's the case, let's wait until we have a chance to sneak off to the Grass Market Square without Alexandra, and maybe have a meal at Novia's house while we're at it.

However, Nicholas II's idea did not come to fruition; he was unable to take his family to the Grass Market Square and to Novia, where they lived, for a meal.

Because on June 28, 1914, Serbia's National Day, Grand Duchess Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo.

One month later, on July 28th.

Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, thus triggering World War I.

Chapter 509 'How the Steel Was Tempered'

"My mother always said that Romanov was always poor, but he lacked nothing."

Alexei said.

"On the contrary,"

Novia stroked the Crown Prince's head and said, "Romanov has always been very wealthy, but he never had enough."

Nicholas II led Russia into World War I with great ambition, but various problems led to setbacks on the front lines, and Germany and Austria-Hungary launched a counterattack into Russia territory. Fortunately, in the summer of 1916, Tsarist General Brusilov tried using assault troops, and the Russians won a great victory in the Austro-Hungarian front, forcing the Germany to redeploy troops from the Western Front. Russia was no longer seen as the weakest of the Allied powers.

Since the start of the war, Nicholas II moved out of Tsar Village and established the Supreme Command in Mogilev, Belarus.

However, one victory was not enough to give the Russian people confidence, Tsar could sense that he was gradually losing control of political power in Petrograd.

Nikolai never imagined that things would get so bad if no official was willing to lead the government for him. At this point, Duma's debate was tantamount to open criticism, with liberal leaders directly attacking him. "Is this stupidity or treason?"

But the Russia people still held hope for the Tsar. They believed that Rasputin, who had persuaded the Tsar not to go to war with Germany and Austria-Hungary before the war, had bewitched him and was working hard with the Germany Empress to secure benefits for the Germany. They thought that if this Demon Monk died, perhaps the Tsar would regain his senses.

If the Supreme Command and officials at the front lines advised Nikolai to compromise with the Duma leadership for his own and the country's benefit, to form a government "responsible to the Duma," Nikolai would certainly change his mind after learning of an event—

Like Stolypin, Rasputin was assassinated.

That day, Novia was with Alexei in Grass Market Square in Saint Petersburg.

Nicholas II entrusted Saint Petersburg to Alexandra, but she suffered from autism and had no talent for handling government affairs. Moreover, she frequently reassigned new ministers, causing the government to remain in an unstable and inefficient state.

Furthermore, she believed that the Tsar's power did not require the people's approval, so she did not trust the ministers, but focused on the suggestions of Rasputin, with whom she had a good personal relationship. However, Rasputin did not understand politics, but was quite interested in accepting bribes.

However, this very fact gave Novia the opportunity to bring Alexei to Petersburg.

Balconies along the street were adorned with wreaths and brightly dressed women. The sounds of church bells, military bands, and cannon salutes carried all the way out of the city, but they could not mask the tragic atmosphere within. In the darkest streets of Petersburg, cut branches were roasted as if they were boiling, emitting a stench no less than that of sewage.

You can see the funeral procession of the poor, carrying their loved ones who starved to death to the Monastery for a vigil.

There were also signs of panic, because in the morning a rabid dog bit several people of varying ages, including a young nobleman who shouldn't have been loitering in the area. The rabid dog also bit several children and was eventually stoned to death. The dead dog was hung from a tree, waiting for someone with a death wish to eat it.

"I 'Future before. Speaking of which, Teacher..."

Alexei looked around, then added seriously, "I didn't hear a rooster crow."

To Alexei's astonishment, not a single person on the road recognized him, which was undoubtedly a strange lesson for him.

"There are no chickens here, nothing at all."

Novia said, "Nobody here can afford chicken."

Suddenly, Alexei saw the rabid dog that had been crushed to death being pulled down by several people. Despite the stench, the dog was still being sniffed with relish, and then greedily cut off a piece with a knife. This action inspired the people around him, who began to tear at the rabid dog's body with various objects. Some even bit it like children, refusing to let go.

This made Alexei panic and grab Novia's hand, saying, "They'll die!"

He vaguely remembered that two years ago, groups of soldiers marched through the streets, and military trains passed by one after another, loaded with soldiers and artillery. All of Russia was in an uproar, marching westward, ready to raze Germany and Austria-Hungary to the ground.

After his father, Nicholas II, read the declaration of war, he went to the balcony of the Winter Palace, waiting for tens of thousands of people in the square to kneel down and sing the national anthem with him. The eternal Russia Empire appeared before their eyes...

Whether in the Middle Ages or in the present day, the people always have to kneel before the Tsar, his father said at the time.

But the mother wept uncontrollably.

"It's better for them than to die now."

As Alexei turned his gaze to the other side, a group of people wearing small red flags and armbands were distributing freshly baked Maize Bread and porridge made from rapidly fermenting Maize Kernels. He was curious, but pulled Novia along, indicating that he could go and see it.

Novia pondered for a moment, then took him along to listen to the lecture alongside the others who were listening intently.

Everyone should have food to eat. Land should be distributed to farmers. The privileges of the rich should be stripped away. Lord should be abolished and a people's government established.

"In the city center, a nobleman's hat could feed an ordinary family for two months; their horses are bloated from overeating, while thousands of children are swollen with hunger!"

The speaker, gesturing with his fist at the end, declared, "The working class will triumph!"

Afterwards, Alexei felt extremely uncomfortable. Even when he was in great pain from Hemophilia before, his hands never trembled, but now they were shaking.

This reminded him of Ilya's fate.

When Ilya arrived in Giv, he led the poor to beg for food from the Grand Duke, offending him and making him wary. Nikitich then suggested that the two of them have a meal to reconcile. To invite Ilya, Nikitich even became sworn brothers with him. However, the Grand Duke's hospitality was not generous, giving each person only a cup of wine and a piece of dry bread.

This angered Ilya, Grand Duchess retorted, "There's plenty of good wine in the floor; if you think it's not good enough, then tell those unworthy guests to get it themselves."

Upon hearing this Ilya went straight to the cellar, picked up a barrel of wine in one hand and kicked another as he walked into the Hall. "Guests, come and drink! I'll get you more." He repeated this, which enraged the Grand Duchess, who ordered his servants to close the cellar, block it with iron bars, cover it with yellow sand, and weigh it down with century-old oak logs, so that Ilya would starve to death inside.

And so Ilya died, and the begging guests were driven away with whips. This scene chilled the hearts of the Russian Bogatyrs, who rode away on their horses before they had even finished eating.

From then on, Grand Duchess Vladimir the Red Sun, had not a single brave soldier left in Kyiv.

"... If only I were a genius, things might have changed."

Once a person can see the world, it is impossible to pretend to be blind.

Do you know Hugo? That France writer.

Novia said, "He once said, 'Genius is not born for genius, but for humanity.'"

In fact, Alexei hadn't been absent from Saint Petersburg all the time. He and several of his sisters, including Anastasia, were arranged to visit the wounded soldiers at a private hospital in Tsar Village. Novia could see that Anastasia was indeed doing her best to encourage the soldiers.

The wounded soldiers applauded the princess's puppet show enthusiastically, but what were they really thinking...?

On one occasion, a young captain originally from Pavlovsky said to Novia:

"We are delighted that His Excellency the Grand Duchess would put on a show for us wounded. However, it would be better if he could send a wagon of bread for us and our brothers on the front lines, or some jam and vegetables. We dream of getting a small piece of meat. Forget meat, even a small piece of bread would be fine... That would really be much better than watching a show, that's for sure..."

Twelve-year-old Alexei remained silent; he could not understand, could not comprehend, or perhaps he would only understand in the Future.

But he still said, "Even so, I want to create a world where every Russia can reach out and interact with each other in a friendly manner."

The same words, so Novia patted his head, her voice leaving the same reply to him:

"In that case, you need the courage to challenge Fate."

On that very day, Rasputin died.

In an attempt to change the palace's stance on withdrawing troops, a Romanov prince and a right-wing Duma deputy devised a plan to assassinate Rasputin.

That evening, Rasputin was invited to the palace by the prince, which made Rasputin extremely happy. After all, apart from the Tsar's family, the other members of the Romanov family disliked him, so he was very pleased to feel that he had been recognized.

"A man is currently imprisoned for killing someone under the guise of 'justice'."

Rasputin could even utter a witty remark while eating his cake, he laughed first.

"Is he a Faith in the Lord?"

The prince ignored him and instead recounted in detail some recent events.

He can request to leave prison for health reasons.