I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 65

“Madam, being kind is good, but that kindness doesn’t always have a positive impact on the other person.”

“Excuse me? Did I make a mistake just now?”

“No. It’s just that it’s highly likely to be seen as a minor incident. However, being kind to the natives who live separately from the colonists is not a good idea. If we’re not careful, they might misinterpret our intentions and think too highly of us.”

“I don’t understand…”

“Simply put, if a person underestimates the danger of a wild animal nearby, the higher the chance they’ll be bitten to death.”

Marie still looked puzzled.

“Wasn’t there an official declaration that Native Americans are the same as us? I don’t think it’s strange to be kind.”

“I wish everyone was as kind and gentle as you, but unfortunately, the world doesn’t work that way.”

“Um… I’m sorry. I really don’t understand this.”

“You’ll understand in time.”

I didn’t elaborate.

I had no intention of forcing her to act differently, and it wasn’t logical to definitively judge something that hadn’t happened yet.

However, there were many Native Americans who believed the colonists would be friendly, unlike the British, only to be betrayed.

This was an undeniable historical fact.

The possibility that she might develop similar expectations based on childhood memories and encounter problems in the future, however distant, was never zero.

However, several hours later, I realized once again that even this thought was an optimistic view of reality.

The carriage, which had been moving smoothly after dropping off the child, stopped again due to an unexpected event.

However, this time it wasn’t a minor incident like before.

The guard approached the carriage and carefully knocked on the door.

“Count, there are armed British soldiers ahead. It seems they’re not just doing a routine check; they’re fully armed.”

Jefferson, who was sitting across from me, frowned, looking embarrassed, and muttered to himself.

“I’ve never encountered British soldiers on this road before…”

“It can’t be helped. We have nothing to hide anyway, so it’s better to proceed. Turning around here might only arouse unnecessary suspicion.”

“The Count is right. We have confirmed identities, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

However, contrary to Jefferson’s words, the atmosphere ahead was tense, to say the least.

The British soldiers, who seemed very nervous for some reason, pointed their guns at us as soon as they saw us and shouted.

“Who are you! Put down your weapons and identify yourselves! Otherwise, we will fire!”

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Jefferson got out of the carriage with his hands raised.

“Calm down. We are not suspicious people. Mr. Adams here is a member of the Massachusetts Colonial Assembly, and I am Thomas Jefferson, a lawyer from the Virginia Assembly. The people behind us are Count Lamarche, who is visiting from France, and his guards.”

“France? Count?”

Approaching the bewildered soldier, I took out a formally issued document from my pocket and handed it over.

“This is an official document issued by England. The possession of weapons is also properly permitted.”

“Oh… um, I see. I’m sorry. I was rude.”

The soldier, who had been threateningly growling just a moment ago, quickly changed his attitude and bowed.

Even if England and France are enemies, they should avoid actions that could cause trouble when they are not at war.

In particular, verbal abuse or violence against high-ranking officials is a sensitive issue that can immediately escalate into an international conflict.

It goes without saying if they threatened with guns.

Of course, they could make excuses that there was a good reason, but that is an action that someone in a similar position can take.

A mere soldier cannot take such a risk, so naturally, he has no choice but to be outwardly polite, no matter what he thinks inside.

“Then can we pass?”

“No… just a moment. First, I have to get permission from the lieutenant. There was a strict order not to let anyone pass without permission.”

“Then would you get permission?”

“Um… that’s… the lieutenant is currently performing a mission over there… Ah, this is driving me crazy.”

The soldier scratched his head and looked at his companion next to him.

The companion also responded with a gesture as if asking why he was asking him.

The soldier eventually sighed and turned around as if telling us to follow him.

“Ha… I don’t know. He’s a count, so I can’t make a decision on my own, and the lieutenant will take care of it.”

The soldier, grumbling as he walked, went back the way we came and entered the forest.

Following behind, I reflexively frowned.

A pungent and disgusting smell.

Even without seeing it directly, it was easy to tell that something was burning.

And unfortunately, from this soldier’s reaction alone, I could infer what was burning on the other side.

I thought it would be better for Marie to wait here, but she would get angry if I suggested that.

I had no choice but to take her with me.

As expected, the place where the British soldier led us was already a scene of hell.

Whirr! Whirr!

Was it fortunate that there were no screams?

The scene in front of me was full of red.

Perhaps because they had just started the fire, I could visually identify the shape of the burning houses.

Moreover, the smell carried by the wind was not just of something burning.

The soldiers, who were constantly moving, were throwing something that looked like a human form into the burning houses.

The dark red liquid dripping from there.

…Was it the smell of blood?

Even with a rough look around, there were no living natives, but the sticky traces stuck to the dirt floor clearly showed what had happened here.

The officer who was commanding the soldiers discovered us, frowned, and strode over.

“What is it? Why did you bring outsiders here?”

“That’s… Lieutenant, this person is a count from France who came with official permission from the home country and said he needed to pass through here quickly… But Lieutenant, you told me not to let anyone pass for the time being.”

“You idiot… If that’s the case, you should have just let him pass! Are you such a blockhead that you can’t even judge that?”

The lieutenant shouted, and the soldier lowered his head.

He was probably cursing all sorts of things inside.

If he had let him pass on his own, he would have been severely criticized for doing it without permission.

The lieutenant, who had been scolding his subordinate for a long time, clicked his tongue one last time and turned his gaze to us.

Looking back and forth between the burning village and us, he smiled awkwardly as if he had already judged that he couldn’t make excuses.

“Ah… I’ve shown an unpleasant scene to a guest from afar.”

“No. But is this a village where Native Americans lived?”

“Yes, well, that’s right. I’m saying this in case you misunderstand, but this is a legitimate execution of official duties. We told them several times to vacate the land, but they didn’t listen at all. We spoke nicely for several months, but they ignored us, so we had no choice but to use physical force.”

The British lieutenant was busy justifying his actions, rattling off facts that he hadn’t even been asked about.

He seemed to be doing this because he was worried about bad rumors, but he didn’t seem to feel any guilt at all.

“Logically, if we said we would give them compensation, they should have left right away, right? They didn’t even like that, so we said we would find them land in another area, but they didn’t like that either. So, when we tried to forcibly remove the village, they resisted with weapons. So, there’s no choice. We have to kill them all.”

I guess the compensation they said they would give was only a pittance.

England’s methods are so well-known that there’s nothing more to be surprised about here.

“Even if you kill all the natives living here, won’t there be potential problems?”

“Not at all. They don’t even have proper citizenship in the first place. To be precise, the people who lived in this place will be considered to have never existed from the beginning. Hahaha!”

When I turned around, Adams and Jefferson’s expressions were stiff.

However, unlike Jefferson, Adams’ eyes were carefully scanning every part of the devastated village.

He was probably planning to describe this scene as plausibly as possible and use it as a tool for propaganda.

And contrary to the two, Marie’s face was pale, and her hands were trembling.

I was surprised by her more intense reaction than usual, but when I saw the direction of her gaze, I could understand why.

Two small objects that I thought were fortunate to have been discovered.

The snacks that Marie had given to the Native American child were rolling on the dirt floor.

Even I couldn’t easily guess her feelings as she looked at the blood-soaked and crushed snacks.

I didn’t feel so good either, looking at her, whose face was often filled with worries these days.

To be precise, I was annoyed at those who provided such a cause.

The lieutenant subtly blocked the front so that we couldn’t see the burning village any longer and pointed to the opposite side.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t disclose what you saw here today as much as possible. I apologize for holding you for too long and hope you have a pleasant tour.”

“Yes. Then we will leave now.”

I didn’t want to stay in such a place any longer, so I just greeted him roughly and turned around.

As soon as we turned away far enough that the British soldiers couldn’t be seen, Adams raised his voice in a seemingly angry tone.

“Did you see that? That is the reality of the oppressors. If we continue to allow their excesses, we may one day become like the Native Americans who were just massacred.”

“…Is that so? So, the colony has no intention of oppressing the natives like England.”

“Of course! They are no different from comrades who have suffered from the oppressor together, so there is no reason to do such a thing.”

I couldn’t help but laugh when the people who would become the leaders of a country that would reduce hundreds of millions of natives to hundreds of thousands said these words.

Of course, I didn’t forget to nod vigorously, agreeing with Adams’ thoughts on the surface.

“This incident has made my decision even more certain. If we continue to leave this continent to England, the same tragedy as before will only be repeated.”

“The Count is right. This is not just a struggle for interests. It is a fight to realize justice.”

Jefferson, who was moved by Adams’ impassioned argument, nodded slowly.

“It’s a good thing. Let’s talk in detail about what we just saw at the upcoming meeting. Everyone needs to know for sure about England’s terrible atrocities.”

“If we can get help from the Native Americans to drive out England, things will be a little easier. It’s important to fill the ranks first. Count, would you cooperate?”

“Of course. Let’s work together. For a world full of freedom, equality, and fraternity.”

“Oh, that would be a good slogan. Freedom, equality, and fraternity.”

The reality of turning even the inhumane atrocities that took place before my eyes into material for incitement was bitter, but this is ultimately the path I have to take.

Unlike Jefferson and Adams, who were simply angry at the British soldiers’ atrocities, and Marie, who was sad, I had no choice but to think from a different perspective.

The continued development of the New World.

And the conflict with the natives that would arise from it was an inevitable and certain future.

How many times has England committed such evil deeds?

The fact that we witnessed this was not a coincidence with a very low probability, but evidence that such things are being committed a lot.

Not only in the United States but also in Canada, hundreds of bodies of young children, estimated to have been buried in the 18th and 19th centuries, have been found at once [referring to the mass graves found at indigenous residential schools].

It’s that kind of era.

I had no choice but to have many concerns.

Still, if I had to pick a fortunate point, it would be that I had a clear justification for preparing for war.

Having seen with my own eyes the atrocities of the British army and the reality of the colony, which harbored antipathy towards them, Deon would have no choice but to submit the same report to the King as I did.

If both of us say the same thing and Louis XV takes our side, even the stubborn ministers will eventually have no choice but to change their minds.

Thanks to this, the direction of this war has also been clearly decided.

France will become a country that upholds the values of human history, advocating liberation and justice, and the British side will be covered with all sorts of negative images such as the ringleader of the slave trade and the massacre of natives.

My conscience was not pricked at all.

Well, in fact, even if the former is debatable, the latter is a fact.