I Became the Last Princess of the Brown Bear Kingdom

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Yekaterinburg Provisional Government Office

Lenin had not attacked for a while, perhaps shocked by the defeat in Yekaterinburg.

And I was able to hear about the state of the First World War.

That too, from a special envoy sent from a Germany that was on the brink of collapse.

“What is this? The First World War is ending so pitifully?”

Of course, someone had to take responsibility, and so the Austro-Hungarian Empire had now simply become the Austrian Empire.

But the situation was better than the original history.

Italy had taken South Tyrol, and Serbia had taken Bosnia, while Hungary had declared independence, but the industrial regions of Czechia had been maintained, and the monarchy had remained intact.

How did it come to this?

In the original history, the great powers learned of the Tsar’s family news late—did they get the information sooner in this timeline?

“Our Kaiser has diligently sent the military uniform worn by Princess Luise, urging us to fight.”

The German envoy handed me the neatly folded military uniform of the German princess.

I was at a loss for words in disbelief.

I stared at the neatly folded German princess’s uniform in front of me.

This, judging by the circumstances… surely Wilhelm II was up to something in the middle of all this.

I, too, didn’t even have a proper military uniform. I was just wearing the Russian imperial military uniform I had haphazardly folded.

“What is going on with the war in Europe? It couldn’t have been an easy war to end.”

“The Kaiser has said that the threat of the Bolsheviks poses a danger to world peace, thus he allied with Britain and decided to support the princess for the time being.”

“That means…”

“The Kaiser was very stern. He urged us to definitely crush the Bolsheviks.”

Ah, now I understand.

The infamous reputation of the Bolsheviks known in the European powers was more horrific than in the original history.

They had all kinds of righteous causes but were branded as barbarians and Satans for brutally executing the Tsar’s family and even violating the Empress and princesses.

Among socialists and communists who wanted to dethrone the monarch and establish their own country, there was much talk. But as the grand plan of the Soviet Union was revealed, the communists must have grown in power.

Wilhelm II had suddenly thought of what it would be like to be the emperor of a defeated nation.

His precious daughter Luise might face such a fate as well.

Right. Even if he was a diplomatic failure, he had done reasonably well domestically. Hearing such news would be infuriating.

And then news came that his relative, Nicholas II, had died.

Could this have turned into a snowball effect?

That neighboring country had surely put shackles on Germany; they probably had to cough up their colonies as well.

Initially, they had botched the war, so they wouldn’t have the capacity to manage the colonies either.

“Then will Germany support us?”

“Yes. It has already been discussed with other great powers, so if you need help, just let us know. We will probe it.”

Germany decided to take the helm and support us?

Good. If that’s the case, then make it happen as we wish.

“First of all, our situation in Russia is dire, so there are issues with local weapons production. Additionally, we plan to establish a new railway network centered around Yekaterinburg.”

Weapons production is important, but so is the railway network.

The vast territory of Russia absolutely requires a railway network for supplies.

In the actual Russo-German War, it was the railway network that allowed troops and supplies from the east to fight against the Germans.

If the Germans were to be overrun, they would load up new troops onto the trains repeatedly.

Even the German army was impressed by such Soviet forces.

That just shows how crucial the railway network was in the vast expanse of Russia.

“Yes. I will contact the homeland regarding this and have it reviewed positively. The Kaiser will support local production, and I will also look into the railways.”

Right. But then…

It suddenly occurred to me to ask.

“And can we also get tanks?”

The fact that Germany had started to falter in the war had much to do with the absence of tanks. Still, just to be safe, I threw out the inquiry.

The German envoy appeared startled for a moment, as if he had been caught off guard.

These guys were definitely thinking something regarding tanks.

Will France end up giving Germany a hard knock because of this?

“I’m not sure about the tanks. However, I will report this back to the homeland.”

If it goes according to the original history, the hundred days of combat would lead to rebellious sailors advocating self-destruction, hastening the fall of the German Empire.

Then comes the November Revolution, resulting in the empire’s collapse.

But that’s not the case right now.

With a resolution not for surrender but for an “armistice,” it seems the monarchy is holding on.

Additionally, the Don Republic has decided to join Yekaterinburg.

Considering Germany’s backing the Don Republic, it seems they have probably discussed this with them.

Anton Denikin is still in Southern Russia, but he sent news that he would connect with us at any time.

The Soviet Union’s condition is worse than in the original history.

Now, the opponent they’ll have to face is a massive wall. What will they do?

Like cockroaches, treated like Satan, all the European great powers are sending whatever remains of war over this way.

From the Black Sea, it’s even enough to receive old warships and rebuild a fleet.

Well, we don’t need a fleet to fight the Red Army, though.

But it would be necessary for the reconstruction of the imperial fleet.

“Britain and France have sent some tanks.”

After the German envoy left, Kolchak and General Gaida of the Czech Corps entered to report.

The British MK series and the Renault FT.

There are also German-made tanks, but they look downright clunky.

“Looks like they’re quite urgent.”

They’re even ready to send their own officers to train tank crews.

That’s impressively serious.

They probably want to protect the benevolent king of the British Empire. That’ll be it.

If we can have tanks here, we might gain the upper hand in the Red-White Civil War.

But then again, wouldn’t that lead to worrying about what will happen after the civil war?

France and Britain wouldn’t support this for free.

They might ask for something afterwards, perhaps even claiming a piece of the pie.

It’s possible, but even so, the great powers are all likely to be exhausted.

Even if they try to extract something from us, they’d have no means to pressure.

The United States is originally a wealthy nation, so they might support us with the goal of stopping communism.

Though that’s a long shot.

However, it’s hard to believe that France or Britain would just provide free support.

For now, I need to observe more closely.

In the original history, I didn’t receive support from foreign troops in the Red-White Civil War.

I only received supplies.

Of course, there were “volunteer armies,” but that wasn’t outrageously bad.

Originally, the USSR was condemned for being a traitor with a secret deal with Germany, but seeing the White Army receive foreign military support, public sentiment began to turn in favor of the Soviets.

But what’s the situation now? The White Army isn’t all that bad. That’s important.

In any case, this means I am doing my utmost within my limits.

“Princess, how long do you intend to defend?”

“Aren’t we supposed to start attacking those Bolsheviks soon? They may have numbers, but they’re nothing more than a rabble. We can easily crush them.”

General Gaida of the Czech Corps and Kolchak appear somewhat fidgety.

Didn’t they get wiped out in the original history?

It’s important that the Czech Corps is completely on my side right now.

Even if it looks like we’ve seized the lead at the moment, it’s still only appearances that seem intact.

In the original history, the White Army ultimately crumbled into a coalition of warlords.

I would rather not drag out this civil war too long.

“I intend to extend this civil war a little longer.”

“This war, you mean?”

“There’s no guarantee of victory just because we act in haste. Even if we win, those who were under the Bolsheviks will still carry distrust towards the monarchy. More than anything, if we end this civil war quickly, those European great powers might start to take something from us.”

There are many variables remaining.

Thus, it’s difficult to aim for anything.

Even though the great powers are in a state of exhaustion, they won’t be able to force us to yield.

We simply cannot drive the Soviets out by force right now.

“Then…”

“Of course, I do not intend to completely stagnate. There’s Japan in the Far East. At the very least, I must fully secure Southern Russia.”

I gazed blankly at the map hanging on the wall.

A new map of Russia centered on Yekaterinburg.

I focused on one location on the map.

“Well then, Anton Denikin. I must join forces with Pyotr Wrangel.”

“Yes. Once we’ve reorganized the army, we’ll need to retake Tsaritsyn.”

The Soviet Union is acting extremely as their situation has worsened compared to the original history.

In a bid to win against us in wars and civil wars before facing defeat in system competition, they’ve been recruiting everywhere.

It seems that they’re being harsher than in the original history.

But even that doesn’t seem easy.

If left as is, the image of the Soviet Union as a bunch of bastards will be firmly established.

And they will see the hopes of reform we are preparing for a new Russia centered around Yekaterinburg.

Now, we cannot win, nor can we crush them with force, nor can we see the end of the red plague.

The red plague must collapse under the vaccine of the new Russia that I created.

“A horse with two heads can never move forward. We must unify the army led by the White Army generals who’ve joined us here. I plan to turn this White Army into the regular army of the new Russia. That’s why we are here.”

I pointed at a location on the map with my finger.

Tsaritsyn.

In the original history, Stalin had grabbed the collar and defended against the White Army’s attacks, severing the connection between Southern Russia and Siberian White Army.

Afterward, Tsaritsyn is called Stalingrad and becomes a city that fights in the Russo-German War.

“Once the army is prepared, we must target Tsaritsyn alongside Anton Denikin of Southern Russia. Until then, we need to block the Bolsheviks’ movements.”

“Understood.”

The future is the real problem.

This is ultimately a race against time.

The frantic Bolsheviks’ idol Lenin will have no choice but to resort to extreme measures.

The Red Army gathered under the red flag will surely plunge into this side.

Before that, we need to secure a certain degree of influence here.

The number of White Army troops gathered has not been officially counted yet, but I estimate in the hundreds of thousands.

Considering the number of Russian Imperial troops that participated in the great war, that number is quite low.

It indicates just how much the civil war has split the military.

Therefore, to increase troop numbers, we must secure Tsaritsyn.

“Additionally, I will take the lead myself.”

“Are you serious this time? Defense and attack are different stances. Please reconsider.”

Gaida had opposed me when I went into the trenches myself.

However, I found myself in the trench, pulling the trigger at the Bolsheviks.

If I’m doing defense, then the same applies when attacking directly.

Would shells tear my body apart? That’s probably what he was worried about.

To take the White Army ahead of the enemy, I must step forward.

There’s no help for it.

At least I’m grateful I’m not from a peaceful generation.

“While my situation has improved somewhat, I am still a Romanov. I am the daughter of the Tsar who oppressed the subjects. For a while, I plan to step forward to raise the people’s morale, dragging them up.”

“If it’s too dangerous, you should fall back. The only hope of the White Army right now rests with you, so you need to protect yourself.”

“Understood.”

It’s not like I want to die.

I don’t know how long my body will remain invincible, but if I need to retreat, I’ll do so, but I must achieve something before then.

I must step forward for the victory of the White Army.

At the moment, Tsaritsyn is under siege by Krasnov of the Don Republic.

And the leader of the enemy defending that Tsaritsyn is none other than the infamous human butcher from Georgia, Stalin.

I can’t help but wonder what would happen to Lenin’s succession plan if I managed to take Stalin down.

Or there could be other methods too.