Ch.6Blindsided

* * *

I had hoped that the Czechoslovak Legion would voluntarily withdraw from this situation.

I had even prepared to act like a tragic heroine in case they tried to kidnap me or forcibly take me away.

But here’s the thing.

Things are taking a strange turn.

“We will help you, Your Highness. We will be your steadfast shield.”

What’s wrong with these people?

“Hmm. But there must be conditions, right?”

“Our demands are simple. After resolving the civil war, you must guarantee the independence of Czechoslovakia.”

“That shouldn’t be difficult.”

Oh, I really want to cry.

This would happen regardless of whether I promised it or not.

Austria-Hungary will be torn apart like a dog, and the independent Czech state will want the legion to return.

Such promises would be fulfilled naturally without me having to make them.

“Additionally, please help us maintain our power in Czechoslovakia.”

Are they planning to establish a military regime in Czechoslovakia?

Was the Czechoslovak Legion that kind of group?

“That won’t be difficult either.”

After the Great War ends, Czechoslovakia will become independent and the legion will return home anyway, so why do I need to promise something that will happen regardless?

“But are you saying you trust a young, powerless princess like me? You’d be risking your lives.”

I’d be concerned if history changed here.

Though they don’t feature prominently in history, the Czechoslovak Legion also sold weapons to independence fighters.

Of course, they sold to anyone who paid, not just independence fighters, but still.

It’s not that I’m thinking about the independence fighters because I’m Korean.

The issue is that I don’t know what might happen because of the historical changes I’ve contributed to.

Alright then.

Let’s see how far you’re willing to go to help me.

“What are you thinking, that you stand so confidently? Are you planning to confront them?”

“That’s right.”

“Please tell us your thoughts.”

Ha.

These bastards are now volunteering to be my errand boys?

Fine, let’s see what I can make them do.

“Unfortunately, we only have a few hundred volunteers here. We need to gather an army.”

“We agree. Although our legion is strong, we believe reinforcements are needed to defend Yekaterinburg. We will do our best to dig trenches and defend Yekaterinburg directly.”

Right. They’re saying we lack troops.

Kolchak of the White Army should be around, but they’re saying we lack troops.

They’re telling me that if I want to be a rallying point, I need my own strength.

They’re saying they alone aren’t enough.

Indeed, I’ve heard that during the Civil War, some people who criticized the Bolsheviks for collaborating with Germany and the Entente ended up joining the Red Army because the White Army accepted foreign intervention.

Hmm, what should I do?

I have several options.

I could contact Anton Denikin of the soon-to-be-formed South Russian government, even if it’s a bit risky. He wants a return to the old era, so he might want to join forces with me.

Pyotr Wrangel is also there.

There are a few other options too.

“The Don Cossacks. I want to make contact with them. The Don Republic, right? The state established with German support.”

The Don Republic is an anti-communist republic formed by the Don Cossacks, the South Russian Army.

It must have been established quite recently.

Its leader is certainly Pyotr Krasnov, who has served in the military since the imperial era.

He once tried to suppress Lenin, was defeated and captured, then pledged loyalty to the Bolsheviks as a lie before escaping and becoming the Ataman of the Don Cossacks.

Having crossed a point of no return with the Reds, he could join me.

He’s risen to the position of Ataman, and the German Empire has supported him.

Krasnov, Anton Denikin, Pyotr Wrangel, and others will likely engage in the Battle of Tsaritsyn in a few months, not too far in the future.

They’ll fight for nearly two years before ultimately being defeated.

“Are you asking us to make contact with the Cossacks?”

“They are a people who received all kinds of benefits on the condition of being the Tsar’s sword. They too would not want the Bolsheviks to control Russia.”

Didn’t the Cossacks receive tax exemptions and other benefits in exchange for being the Tsar’s dogs? Would Cossacks who received such autonomy-level benefits welcome the Bolsheviks? Isn’t that why entities like the Don Republic emerged and specifically threatened the Bolsheviks?

So what I’m saying isn’t entirely implausible.

While Alexander Kolchak is the center of the White Army, now that I’ve survived, couldn’t this kind of development be possible?

“That makes sense.”

“And well…”

“Please continue.”

“While you’re at it, tell the White Army to cooperate with me. Tell them I’ll establish a Duma. That I’ll implement a constitutional monarchy. Or if they prefer, a republic is fine too. For now, let’s rally around me to defeat the Bolsheviks. I’ll write letters for you.”

Build whatever country you want. Just not the Reds.

That should be enough.

Anyway, now that the Romanovs have lost their mandate, even a constitutional monarchy might be difficult.

A constitutional monarchy typically respects the royal family, but the Romanovs’ authority has fallen to the ground, so they might think it’s not worth respecting.

I don’t want such a prominent position either.

At the very least, I should clean up the mess and then step back to enjoy wealth and glory.

“Are you saying you’ll relinquish power after the civil war ends?”

“Don’t worry. I will definitely keep my promise to General Gajda. I only want to defeat the Bolsheviks. At this point, the Romanovs have no right to claim power again.”

“Understood.”

“Also, we need to inform the Entente, including the United States. Tell them that military supplies are fine, but direct military intervention is absolutely not allowed. We need to promote this everywhere. Say that due to the urgency of the civil war, we’ll accept help from anyone, whether it’s Germany or the Entente.”

“Isn’t every soldier valuable right now?”

Even if every soldier is valuable, some things must be refused.

The Japanese are probably desperate to devour Russian Far Eastern territories, including Siberia, during this opportunity.

Above all, we must prevent the Bolsheviks from rallying support with the logic of “They brought in foreign powers! We must fight against them!”

That’s how the Reds gained significant support from Russians. This would be disastrous for the already disadvantaged White Army.

“The Japanese are already salivating over Siberia. How arrogant will they become if we win the civil war? Moreover, the Bolsheviks will propagandize: ‘The princess brought in foreign powers to win the civil war! We must fight against them!’ Propaganda is their specialty.”

“Understood.”

At least the Czechoslovak Legion is already running around everywhere, so we can attach some justification to them. Externally, we can portray them as an independent force.

But.

These guys accepted this too.

At this point, shouldn’t they be thinking about kidnapping me and going back, saying “Ah, to hell with this”?

Surprisingly, they show a clear willingness to help me.

This is troublesome.

Alright. Let’s see how well you can do your job.

* * *

The Czechoslovak Legion was thorough.

They helped dig trenches in Yekaterinburg and even provided weapons to Anastasia’s fanatics.

They even trained the volunteers.

And I trained alongside them.

“The princess is training herself?”

“Surely you don’t plan to fight?”

With this small body, I need some way to protect myself.

Of course, Anastasia’s fanclub of zealots looked at me with admiration.

They seem to think I’m going to fight.

Well, that’s not bad. Going out to fight immediately. Then pretending to be dead and escaping among the corpses—

As I think this, I remember again that this body is a princess.

Wouldn’t Siberia, this Russian land, be too harsh for an unidentified woman with no connections to travel through?

This is just one possibility.

For now, my immediate goal is to deliver a satisfying slap to the Reds’ faces.

Since the Czechoslovak Legion is surprisingly obedient to my words, I really have no choice but to turn the civil war toward a White victory.

And.

The current situation isn’t actually that bad.

Soldiers are arriving in Yekaterinburg day by day, which explains why the Soviets wanted to execute the imperial family quickly.

Perhaps it’s because they realized the Soviet approach wasn’t simply for workers, or maybe they heard rumors about the brutal massacre of the imperial family despite their crimes and thought they could be next.

The number of wealthy people and their faction’s armies flocking to Yekaterinburg has increased considerably.

“Today, hundreds of Cossack troops have decided to join the princess!”

Not just Cossacks, but royalist imperial troops also gathered under Princess Anastasia’s banner in Yekaterinburg.

This is all thanks to the Czechoslovak Legion.

I don’t know where they keep finding them, but they keep bringing people, which has allowed us to expand our sphere of influence.

The Red Army couldn’t be seen even in cities around Yekaterinburg, perhaps preparing for a major battle.

Maybe it’s because of the South Russian forces or the Czechoslovak Legion.

No, it’s definitely because of them.

They ride those trains collecting various things. Western countries must have been informed by now.

“Hmm. Supplies remain the problem.”

The White Army lost partly because they were divided into warlord groups with different inclinations fighting for leadership, but also because key regions were in Red Army hands.

This might change somewhat if we receive support from neighboring countries.

The most important thing is to exclude foreign interference.

Should I set some bait?

When will the great powers make their move?

As I was thinking, Yekaterinburg’s guards rushed in to report to me.

“Your Highness. The Bolsheviks are coming.”

The Bolsheviks are coming.

Honestly, it was expected, but they’re coming sooner than I thought.

“The Bolsheviks?”

I went to the hastily constructed trenches and gazed at the Bolshevik army in the distance, like looking at a far-off mountain.

They marched with workers’ flags at the front, apparently wanting to display their dignity.

Even from a rough estimate, there are an enormous number of them.

Oh, we’re in trouble.

Look at how many are coming. It’s truly overwhelming.

If only we had tanks, we could do something.

There’s no choice.

We have machine guns, so if we hold the line tenaciously, we should manage.

And we have the Czech Legion.

The problem is that my zealots, whom I’ve worked hard to gather, might get scared and desert.

I have no choice but to step forward and encourage the soldiers myself.

I believe no soldier would hide in the back when the princess steps forward.

I’ll show them that I’m different from Nicholas II, the father of this body’s original owner, Anastasia.

“Your Highness, we will handle this area.”

The Czech Legion tells me to step back, but.

Not a chance.

Since I’ve come this far, I’m going all in.

“No. These people are standing here with guns because they believe in me. I cannot send them to the front while I command from behind.”

I stood in front of the Yekaterinburg defense force.

Looking at their faces, there were young men who had just left boyhood, middle-aged men who seemed to have served in the imperial army, and elderly veterans with gray hair.

The age range of the defenders varied from youth to the elderly.

Everyone seemed frightened, their eyes trembling.

They must be scared at the thought of fighting that massive red tide.

Regardless of their loyalty to me, when faced with a life-threatening situation, it’s unavoidable.

That’s human nature.

One’s own life is important.

Especially if the person they’ve pledged loyalty to isn’t worth risking their lives for.

That’s how Nicholas II, this body’s father, was.

Now, these men had to believe in me, a young princess.

They had to believe in a girl who looked incapable of firing a single shot.

They must know how reckless a gamble that is, even the most thick-headed among them.

I must appeal to them to believe in me.

To survive. At least to prevent that terrible future.