He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 251

(251) Let’s Destroy the Empire

The year is 1799, the end of the century, with the 19th century just around the corner.

In fact, France is currently experiencing what could be called an era of women’s liberation.

Many women are actively participating, like Madame Desmoulins, Lucile, or Marceau’s wife, Angélique.

Even the issue of women’s suffrage is being seriously discussed in parliament.

Of course, as often happens, it didn’t pass because the rural voters disliked it even more than the parliamentarians.

Nevertheless, this wave of liberation has also extended to fashion.

The so-called ‘see-through’ fashion is being promoted in the name of revolution.

Napoleon, who had been staying in Paris, was also a lecherous man who enjoyed secretly watching such fashion.

However, the clothes his sister wore shocked even Napoleon.

Napoleon jumped up and shouted.

“What on earth is that, Pauline! A military uniform!”

Pauline smiled, sticking out her chest and crossing her legs as she stood like a model.

“How is it? Does it suit me? I’m a formal soldier.”

“What nonsense! Are you out of your mind? A young girl barely of age stows away among soldiers, and now she’s playing soldier?”

“I’m a proper member of a unit, though. Have you heard of the nursing unit under the Knights of Saint John [a Catholic military order]?”

Napoleon, who had been glaring, turned his glare to Eugene instead.

“What is this, Eugene?”

Eugene quickly wiped the cold sweat with a handkerchief and replied.

“Yes, if I had to put it, I’m the assistant commander of the medical unit. Uh, a colonel. Of course, it’s not the French army, but a unit of the Knights Hospitaller [another name for the Knights of Saint John] under the Holy See [the government of the Catholic Church].”

In fact, no matter how much Eugene was the de facto [in reality] leader of the Egyptian expeditionary force, his official position was only Chief of Staff.

The ‘Orient Repatriation Army’ he is currently commanding is not a formal division when you get down to it.

Therefore, he has no authority to organize new units, whether it’s a nursing unit or anything else.

However, it is possible with the Knights Hospitaller, an independent organization of the Holy See.

Of course, the Knights Hospitaller would not have accepted women becoming soldiers in peacetime.

It was accepted because they were defeated and came under the command of the French army, and because of the continuous amazing situation of acquiring holy sites.

Napoleon, who had quickly calculated all of this while rolling his eyes, frowned.

“This is absurd. You’re under house arrest as soon as you get home!”

“Why? What did I do wrong?”

“So, rumors have spread that you’ve been playing around with your nephew, and you think I’ll just let you be!”

Eugene was sweating bullets again.

Who on earth passed this information on to Napoleon?

In fact, there are several routes.

Even Surte listens to Eugene’s orders, but he has been close to Napoleon all along.

Moreover, Napoleon is Eugene’s father and also the commander-in-chief of the French army.

Napoleon didn’t interfere much with the bank, but Surte interfered with everything.

As a result, information that came to Surte from the Orient was placed directly on Napoleon’s desk.

However, the information collected by intelligence agencies is not only about grand things like war, diplomacy, or territorial division.

There are also stories about Desaix creating a harem, or Désirée, Hoche’s wife and Napoleon’s relative, giving birth to a child, and Pauline’s daily life.

For example, a soldier witnessed Pauline and Eugene kissing.

At that moment, Pauline brazenly approached Eugene and linked arms with him.

“Really? We were dating each other?”

Napoleon’s eyes sparked with murderous intent.

“Eugene?”

Eugene’s face turned pale.

At this rate, he’ll die in the barracks rather than on the battlefield.

It’s not an exaggeration; Napoleon is easily excitable, so it’s entirely possible.

Just before Napoleon’s gaze turned to his loosened saber, Eugene quickly knocked Pauline’s arm away and slammed the desk.

-Bang!

In the moment that Napoleon and Pauline were surprised and stepped back, Eugene urgently shouted.

“Father, now is not the time for such jokes.”

“Jokes? How far did you go? Did you sleep with her?”

“No! Besides, the war isn’t over yet!”

At this moment, Eugene shouted more desperately than on the battlefield.

“Winning the battle doesn’t mean winning the war! We’re in a desperate crisis right now!”

Napoleon’s eyes widened.

It’s obvious that it’s a cry to escape the predicament, but it’s not wrong.

The French army has clearly won repeatedly.

Furthermore, they have repeatedly defeated the Austrian and Russian armies.

However, the structure in which Austria, Prussia, and Russia behind them are hostile to France has not changed.

Furthermore, Britain in the west is probably attacking the entire French port.

The longer it takes, the more disadvantageous France will be, with its trade routes blocked.

Napoleon, who had been quietly looking at Eugene, asked.

“So? What do you want to do, Eugene.”

Only then did Eugene wipe the cold sweat and let out a deep sigh.

“We have to annihilate the empire. With this opportunity.”

It’s the same thing Napoleon said when he first sent out the French expeditionary force.

If there is any difference, it’s that Napoleon’s idea was relatively impromptu.

On the other hand, Eugene has been thinking about this issue for a long time.

Because he knows the situation that occurred in the original history.

“I don’t have the authority to do that?”

“It’ll be different if we occupy Vienna again.”

“If that happens, does that become your achievement?”

Looking at Napoleon, who was subtly showing jealousy again, Eugene rather smiled.

This is easier.

If it’s jealousy, it’s enough to give the glory to Napoleon.

However, there is no solution to the problem with Pauline.

“No. Look at what’s next. The conquest of Vienna is just the beginning.”

“What?”

“You said? That you don’t have the authority to do that. But if you conquer Vienna and dismantle the empire, you must have the authority to do so.”

Eugene stared at Napoleon with his sweat-soaked face and asserted.

“I will put France in your hands. This time for sure.”

Until now, Napoleon only had practical influence.

But now, Eugene is saying that he will make him the true power holder.

After staring at Eugene for a moment, Napoleon opened his mouth.

“Pauline, get out.”

“Why? I want to tell you about my love story with Eugene?”

“If you go out and spread that nonsense, you’ll have to marry Archduke Charles [a member of the Austrian royal family] right now.”

In the moment that Pauline’s eyes widened, Napoleon gestured.

“If you don’t want that, shut up and get out. Now, Eugene. Tell me. What’s your plan?”

This time, even Eugene was surprised.

Why Archduke Charles of all people?

However, there was no time to think deeply about this issue.

Pauline bit her lip and left, and Eugene let out a sigh of relief.

“I’ll explain, Father.”

Because he barely had a chance to explain without dying.

***

Of course, Pauline left the commander’s barracks filled with anger.

“Unbelievable. Archduke Charles!”

He said it as if passing by, but Napoleon seemed serious.

He wouldn’t have brought up Charles’s name for no reason.

Could it be that Napoleon had some kind of plan while she was in Egypt?

Just as Pauline was clutching her complicated head, someone spoke next to her.

“Hmm, Archduke Charles isn’t handsome, but he’s unmarried, though?”

“You startled me. What, Hippolyte? Why are you here?”

“Oh, you ignore the existence of a person, young lady. An adjutant should be next to the commander. Marmont is here too, right? Hehehe.”

Just as Hippolyte, who was guarding the commander’s barracks, was grinning, the handsome Marmont waved his hand next to him.

“Long time no see, Pauline.”

In fact, in the original history, Pauline also had a scandal with Marmont.

But now, Marmont is not even in Pauline’s eyes.

Also, there is a separate woman that Marmont is chasing after.

Pauline snorted and asked Marmont.

“Hmph, have you gotten a little closer to Caroline? While I was gone?”

“Well, we’ve been in Paris together all the time.”

“When are you going to get married?”

That is, Pauline’s younger sister and the woman who was originally married to Murat, Caroline.

Marmont was quite close to the Bonaparte family.

Because Napoleon cherished Marmont, using him as a subordinate since he was a young officer.

As a result, Letizia, in particular, regarded Marmont as her second son along with Junot.

Now that Junot is not next to the Napoleon family as much as in the original history, Marmont is almost the same as the Bonaparte family.

Pauline knows that Caroline, who has not yet found a marriage partner, likes Marmont.

She even saw the sparks flying between Marmont and Caroline in Vienna after the end of the First Coalition War.

But Marmont smiled bitterly and shook his head.

“That’s not easy. The commander-in-chief has some grand plans.”

Pauline frowned and asked.

“Don’t tell me, that’s not marrying me off to Archduke Charles, is it?”

“Hmm, did that kind of talk come out? It’s not necessarily decided. But it’s true that he’s thinking about marriage to a prestigious family, especially someone like an archduke.”

“Unbelievable. By whose authority?”

Marmont, Napoleon’s closest secretary and adjutant, said with a strange smile.

“The commander-in-chief is the de facto head of the Bonaparte family. The Bonaparte family is not an aristocratic family, but it will now have more power than the old aristocracy. Arranged marriage is natural, Pauline.”

Even Marmont doesn’t know how far Napoleon will go in the future.

But he knows that he is likely to become the most powerful person in France at least.

Although France is a country where the aristocracy has disappeared, it is a natural law for the family of a powerful person to find a good marriage partner.

However, from Pauline’s point of view, it means that she has to let go of Eugene in that barracks.

“I can’t accept it!”

Then Hippolyte shrugged and said to Pauline.

“Wouldn’t that be a better chance, Pauline?”

“What?”

“If you just elope, the woman Eugene will hold hands with is Princess Marie. That’s what I’ve seen. I’ve seen both of them, right?”

Just as Pauline was about to burst into tears, Hippolyte chuckled.

“Maybe it would have been a little different if you had ambushed him in Egypt.”

Then Marmont widened his eyes and jokingly asked.

“You haven’t ambushed him yet? It’s different from the rumors?”

“What are you talking about? It’s a very wholesome affair. We’ve only kissed.”

“There were rumors here that you’ve already had a child.”

Pauline, whose face was filled with regret, anger, and annoyance, finally shouted.

“Both of you shut up!”

Then the headquarters barracks opened.

***

The commander-in-chief finally came out.

Along with his adopted son Eugene, the savior of Marengo [a decisive battle Napoleon won].

By then, soldiers who had been scattered around celebrating the victory flocked together.

Among them was the king of the newly born country, who had not even properly greeted him yet.

“Oh, Commander-in-Chief. Nice to meet you. I am King Constantine of Greece!”

Looking at the King who hurriedly came and greeted him in front, Napoleon, an ‘ordinary’ soldier, arrogantly nodded his head.

“Ah, I heard from my son. That you are a great independence activist.”

“You flatter me. It’s all thanks to your son!”

“If so, you will see even more amazing things now.”

Suddenly, Napoleon twisted his lips and looked back at his generals.

“Generals, listen. And spread it to the entire army.”

The first to approach was Chief of Staff Berthier, who had to spread the order.

Massena and Augereau, his arms on the battlefield.

The veteran Sérurier and the rising star bald Davout, and the quick-witted Soult.

Here, Lannes, who has an excellent sense of the battlefield, Murat, who is reckless, and Bessières, who is brave.

And Junot and Desaix, who returned from the Orient, shine their eyes.

Some of them later became Napoleon’s marshals in the original history, some left their names after death, and some became traitors.

Nevertheless, they all have one thing in common.

They are all the highest-level generals who will be recorded in French history.

Napoleon announced to the generals who would become future Marshals [the highest rank in the French army, equivalent to a field marshal in other armies].

“Now, we are going to Vienna.”

Looking at the generals, soon Generals, whose eyes widened, Napoleon declared.

“Go and completely dismantle the empire! That is my reward for our army!”

Eugene, who was standing next to him, shouted the slogan.

“Viva la Révolution [Long live the Revolution]! Shout, to complete the revolution, destroy the damned Habsburg Empire [the ruling family of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire]!”

Defeat the empire for the revolution.

This is the true task of the revolutionary army.

At that moment, the soldiers of the French Revolution roared in unison.

“Ooooo! Viva la Révolution!”

Now the French Italian Expeditionary Force and the Orient Repatriation Army have met.

To march to destroy the Habsburg Empire.