NOVEL WEB Chapter 24: Discovery (Part 1)
February 1920, Nikolayevsk
"Major General Arima, please take a look at this."
Lieutenant Arima showed his father, Major General Arima, the letter that had been in the possession of the elderly man named Rubanov.
"What is this?"
"Sir, this letter was found on a civilian who was shot by the Red Army. It appears to be a letter written by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia."
"A letter from Nicholas II?"
"Yes, sir. The seal and the signature on the letter confirm it. It was written in January 1917, just before the Russian Revolution. The contents are a request to Rubanov, a servant of the Tsar, to protect and evacuate the Tsar's children in case of emergency. The elderly man who had this letter was sheltering a young girl."
"I see. So, there's a possibility that the girl is one of the Tsar's daughters?"
"Yes, sir. That seems highly likely. The girl has a refined appearance and an air of nobility, unlike an ordinary town girl. Her hands show no signs of having done manual labor like cooking or laundry. She must be from a noble family."
"Understood. Assign someone to keep an eye on the girl to ensure she doesn't escape. Also, have Captain Nakaso interrogate her, and arrange for an interpreter. Oh, and report this to your direct superior as well. If we've indeed protected a child of the Russian Tsar, it would be a significant achievement."
"Yes, sir. Should I report this to His Highness the Regent as well?"
"Of course. That would be beneficial for your career, wouldn't it? As a father, I'm pleased. Having the Regent as your direct superior is enviable. Someday, you'll serve directly under His Majesty the Emperor. It's an honor for the Arima family. However, there are those in the Army who mock the Space Force as 'the Regent's plaything.' Such disrespect is intolerable. Achieving a feat like this would be good for the Space Force as well."
"Yes, sir. Thank you for your consideration."
"Your grandfather is stable for now, but his condition is still critical. You must be very worried."
"...."
"Now, let's get to the main point. Your grandfather was carrying this letter. Do you recognize it?"
Lieutenant Arima showed the girl the letter with the double-headed eagle seal.
"!!... No, I don't know it..."
"Is that so? This letter was written by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. It asks for the protection of his children. You are Grand Duchess Anastasia, aren't you?"
The letter didn't explicitly name Anastasia, but based on her age, Lieutenant Arima made an educated guess.
"...No, I'm not. I'm Anna."
At that moment, an Army soldier entered and handed a note to Captain Nakaso, who then relayed its contents to Lieutenant Arima.
"We've contacted the landlord of the house where you were staying. According to him, your grandfather's name is Yegor Titkin, and your name is Anna Titkina. Is that correct?"
"..."
"You were so distraught that you accidentally called him by his real name, didn't you? That elderly man is Rubanov, a servant of the Russian Tsar. And you, who addressed him so familiarly, must be Grand Duchess Anastasia."
"..."
The girl remained silent but glared at Lieutenant Arima with a piercing gaze that made him falter.
"The Tsar's family was reportedly arrested and protected by the Red Army. Did you escape alone? Where are the rest of your family now?"
At the time, there was confusion surrounding the official announcements about the Tsar's execution, with conflicting reports. However, the Red Army consistently claimed that the family was being protected.
"...Ugh... Uuuu... Waaaaaahhh..."
Suddenly, as if a dam had broken, the girl began to cry. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably.
"Everyone... everyone was killed... In Yekaterinburg... Mother shielded me... I'm the only one who survived... Ruslan is dead too..."
"Is... is that true? The Red Army announced that the family was being kept safe..."
"No... They gathered everyone in the basement... Father, Mother, my sisters, Alexei... everyone... everyone was killed..."
"How could they... kill women and children..."
Anastasia, who had been speaking with her head down, suddenly looked up and glared at Lieutenant Arima.
"Kill women and children? How can you, a Japanese, say that! On my way here, I saw hell everywhere. Villages massacred by the Red Army and the White Army... and countless bodies of women and children killed by the Japanese Army! You're all the same! You're no different from the Red Army who killed my sisters!"
"How dare you! Our glorious Imperial Army would never kill women and children! Never! Take back your words!"
Lieutenant Arima stood up in a rage. The idea that the Imperial Army, under the command of His Majesty the Emperor, would kill women and children was unthinkable.
"Ha, what a sheltered young master you are. Just like me when I was sixteen. I couldn't believe it when my father ordered soldiers to shoot at civilians. I knew nothing. Just like you, with that clueless look on your face..."
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T/N: If you like it please vote with power stone please. More stones equals faster release.
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A/N: Thank you for reading Chapter 24!
What will become of Anastasia?
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