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※ The content from the previous episode has been revised and additional content has been added.

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The story of the amphibious training initiated for the simple reason of containing Romania has taken a serious purpose.

With a perfect justification of landing in Greece and Italy, of course.

Naturally, Romania’s blabbering will cause a stir if Greece and Italy find out, but by then, it will be legal to tear Romania apart.

“Understood. But in the end, Romania will also know that the excuse is to attack Greece and Italy, won’t it? If Romania lets that slip.”

“We’ll just tear them apart, claiming they’re communist collaborators, and that will be that.”

What’s so hard about this?

It’ll work like this: “You’re a red collaborator, aren’t you? So let’s just tear you apart.” That’ll suffice.

“I’ll have an audience with Admiral Kolchak from the Navy Department. Oh, and I’ve heard that radio is becoming quite popular lately.”

“Yes. And?”

“I heard anti-aircraft propaganda on the radio. Just a personal opinion, though.”

“Go ahead.”

I listened attentively to the words of Baron Beria.

It seemed like there might be a good idea in there.

“What if His Majesty directly speaks to the citizens of the United States through the radio broadcasting station?”

“Hooh. Me?”

I find those things entertaining, but what on earth would I say?

Isn’t that just an abuse of power?

Oh right, I’m the Tsar. I kind of do want to try a radio broadcast. Wouldn’t that be hilarious?

Directly doing anti-aircraft propaganda is another matter, though. Still, me speaking is… because I have some position and face to maintain.

What kind of Tsar would do that?

The staff at the radio station might be like, “What the hell? That Tsar is abusing his authority to broadcast.”

“Yes. Directly doing anti-communist propaganda might be a good idea. You have experience in Yekaterinburg and Moscow, as well as Petrograd, after all.”

Yeah. That’s a good idea.

I could clap my hands and express my admiration.

But still, thinking about whether I should do that has a different connotation.

“By the way, can I say something?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’m not a broadcast station employee or anything, so isn’t it a bit much of me to say I want to go and broadcast directly?”

Using the Tsar’s authority to conduct a radio broadcast!

That feels quite excessive.

Of course, it probably wouldn’t cause significant trouble.

But since I had a reporter on hand at the Tsvetkov Gun Factory, I didn’t get caught.

If even a little bit of this came out, it would be awkward.

Thus, the Tsar, intent solely on anti-communism, seized upon the airtime at the station.

What happens when this gets recorded?

Ah, that’s a bit embarrassing. After all, such matters can be quite shameful.

“I think it will be more welcomed, though.”

“Why? Aren’t you exploiting the Tsar’s authority? Saying the radio station would be used for anti-communist propaganda? I think there will be quite a bit of chatter about it.”

Isn’t it the case that there are many socialists in places like the media?

There might be some in the Moscow radio station too. Though, if you listen to the radio, there’s no mention of socialism, really.

“Hm, won’t they come at us with guns or something?”

“Maybe you don’t realize how popular you are, Your Majesty.”

My popularity? What are you talking about?

“Honestly, even calling it popularity seems a stretch.”

Being popular is really just being liked a little on SNS in the 21st century, right?

Besides that, is it just whining that I want to do this?

“Well, I’ll follow Your Majesty’s wishes, but it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. They’ll probably accept it.”

Hmm, thinking again, if the Tsar broadcasts directly!

Just saying that makes it seem more believable. A Tsar personally broadcasting from a radio station? Just that would make the broadcast famous.

To begin with, what other stations are there besides the Moscow Radio Station?

If the Tsar directly worked at the radio station, it has some weight, doesn’t it?

Wouldn’t it get a lot of attention?

“Let’s try it when the thought strikes us.”

“Yes. Then I’ll take my leave for now.”

So, I sent Baron Beria away.

Thinking about it, doing the radio broadcast myself seems like it could be quite enjoyable.

If I’m going to do anti-communist propaganda, wouldn’t it be better for Tsarina Anastasia, who is the symbol of anti-communism, to step forward?

Hmm. That doesn’t sound bad, does it?

Then I should try it out.

“Maria? Are you outside?”

I called the woman named Maria, who recently became my secretary at the Kremlin Palace.

She was kind of like a maid who confirmed my scores in my office and did what I instructed.

A girl of my age entered my office at my call.

“Yes, Your Majesty. You called for me?”

“Can you contact the Moscow Radio Station? I want to broadcast that the Tsarina wants to give it a try.”

I guess I’ll just see if I can.

It’d be pretty embarrassing if the radio station rejects me, even if I’m calling myself Tsarina!

It might be good to give Duke Yusupov a heads-up too. He seems pretty busy lately, so it may not be necessary to call him.

“Yes. I’ll check right away.”

“Oh, and if they refuse, don’t say a word, okay? Pressuring the station with authority is a bit off.”

“Yes. Understood.”

I like how she accepts things without questioning the reasons.

Maria. It’s a common name in Russia, but she’s actually a woman from the White Army.

She came out from Yekaterinburg to serve as a volunteer with me.

There were so many of them that I can’t remember all the names, but that’s how it was.

Besides Maria, those from Yekaterinburg worked in the Kremlin Palace, and they were in charge of protecting me at the Kremlin.

Among them, Maria is kind of like my personal secretary in terms of employment status.

Originally, I thought about bringing in people who served the Romanovs during the previous Empire, or those who worked as maids or teachers when the OTMAA five siblings were around.

But many of them either died during the Civil War or returned to their home countries.

So, I hired a lot of those from Yekaterinburg to work in the Kremlin Palace.

Just because Moscow became the capital doesn’t mean I’d abandon Yekaterinburg.

The problem is with the Moscow Radio Station over there.

Now, what will I do if they refuse?

“If they refuse, that would feel embarrassing.”

Well, I can’t help that. If that happens, I’ll have to set up a personal radio station at the Kremlin.

* * *

Moscow Radio Station

Dmitry, the director of the Moscow Radio Station, was one of the people involved in Yusupov’s radio business.

As the radio began to spread throughout Moscow and the station opened, he assumed office as the director and was somewhat aware of who had the behind-the-scenes power in the radio station.

Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova.

Yes. The Tsarina was behind this radio station.

Duke Yusupov had said that the true owner of the radio business was the Tsarina.

In both Yekaterinburg and Moscow, it was said that the Tsarina had initiated the radio business.

Dmitry, who knew this fact better than anyone else, received a strange contact.

“Um, Director?”

“What is it?”

“Um, this lady from the Kremlin, the Tsarina’s secretary, said that the Tsarina wants to do an anti-communist broadcast.”

What? The Tsarina wants to do an anti-communist broadcast?

For a moment, Dmitry blinked in disbelief.

So what exactly is going on here?

Is my hearing right? The Tsarina wants to do a radio broadcast?

“Uh, r-really?”

It was just absurd.

The Tsarina could just come anytime and say she wanted to broadcast, and that would be the norm at this station.

Of course, doing things without any procedure would be bewildering for them, but claiming she was careful about asking sounds unnecessary.

She could just come and casually ask if she could broadcast, and that would be fine.

There’s really no reason for her to be so cautious.

“Hm. Anti-communist propaganda, huh.”

Honestly, it doesn’t sound too bad. And the Tsarina broadcasting directly?

That’s something they’d want too.

After all, having the Tsarina, who is the most influential figure in Russia, directly broadcasting would pique interest in radio among the Russian people.

Of course, it’s still expensive, so the penetration rate isn’t high right now.

I’d wager there are only a handful in Moscow.

Yekaterinburg was the Tsarina’s base during the Civil War, so it seems the National Duma took care to increase the radio penetration rate there. But right now, the Russians aren’t really inclined to buy radios.

But what if we made a slight course correction?

To hear the Tsarina’s voice?

I doubt the deep-rooted royalists would be able to resist that.

In the last war, as the Red Army was swept away, many royalists constituted a significant proportion of the surviving White Army. So if they could hear the Tsarina’s voice, they would naturally use radios.

Thus, the radio station would flourish.

Setting all that aside, we’d be talking about ‘that’ Tsarina.

How could anyone ignore her?

Dmitry himself, personally, belonged to the White Army. If the Tsarina wanted to broadcast, he’d want to cancel all his other schedules and give her the station.

Broadcasting hasn’t really been activated that much anyway.

They’re doing some singing and preparing a few things, but radio sales have to be encouraged now since the penetration rate is low.

In that kind of situation, him offering would bewilder me a bit.

But if that’s the case, it means it’s a win-win.

“Let’s accept her immediately.”

Thus, began the visit of the Tsarina to the radio station.

All the personnel at the station welcomed the Tsarina.

To my surprise, the Tsarina entered the station dressed modestly.

She walked in wearing a suit and greeted each of the employees, not holding back in her encouragement.

“Everyone’s been struggling this morning because of the silly Tsarina.”

There was a working-class feel, very common, rather than aristocratic elegance to her manner of speaking.

“No! We’re honored!”

Initially, Duke Yusupov’s radio business was designed as a royalist project centering on moderate socialists and not on hard-line ones.

So, all employees at the station were structured to praise the Tsarina when she came.

“I’m thinking of doing anti-communist broadcasting. Hm. What would the citizens of the United States find interesting? I’d like to think about that while I’m at it.”

Dmitry clapped at the Tsarina’s suggestion.

Could that be difficult?

Honestly, the citizens of the United States would feel joy and sentiment just from the Tsarina’s experiences.

“Oh yes. It’s easy. Just briefly explain how the Tsarina established the Provisional Government in Yekaterinburg and the process of the Civil War, along with all the brutal actions of the Communists at the time, and wouldn’t the kids of the United States grow up to possess a fine anti-communist mentality?”

I doubt there will be any room left for communism in Russia anymore.

“Oh! That sounds good. But what if it gets boring?”

“Uh. Hmm. I don’t think so?”

Dmitry, the station director, answered with a reluctant expression.

Well, that’s understandable. The Tsarina’s narrative of the Civil War is nothing less than the narrative of a hero.

Recruiting volunteers in Yekaterinburg, establishing the Provisional Government, joining forces with the Commander Kolchak’s White Army, and retaking Tsaritsyn alongside the White Army in Southern Russia.

With many welfare policies, she turned public sentiment, which had swayed towards Bolshevism, back again.

Following that came heroic battles in Moscow.

That battle, which left the famous Tsarina’s saying “Nothing happened,” was indeed the Battle of Moscow.

Although Anastasia was unaware, the words she left behind that day, “Nothing happened,” remained in the hearts of the White Army and the Moscow citizens who had first entered Moscow to greet her.

Conveying all of that calmly on the radio wouldn’t be bad at all.

“Hm. Yeah. Just to pass the time, it wouldn’t be bad. Let’s give it a shot.”

Let’s give it a shot.

With that one line, the decision was made. The Tsarina had commanded.

Just the fact of that made the radio station activate faster than usual.

As a station composed of royalists among the White Russians, it moved as if blood was flowing with the Tsarina at the center, preparing the broadcast environment for the Tsar.

“Ahem. Now, shall we get started?”

 

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