I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 337

The Genius of the French Royal Family

< Dragon vs. Dragon >

A few days after Napoleon’s ultimatum was issued.

The government of the Korean Empire, having heard the French position, was in complete turmoil.

A meeting was convened to discuss the future, and representatives from Manchukuo, Japan, and Vietnam were all present.

“What do we do now?”

Kono, who had been dispatched to try and negotiate a peaceful resolution, sighed.

The annoying face of Kondo, who had clicked his tongue and said he was right, came to mind.

He had been spreading rumors that the Prime Minister and his ministers were ruining Japan with their excessive greed.

‘They should have crushed his head and thrown him into Lake Biwa,’ Kono thought, ‘but the Prime Minister’s weak judgment had made things worse.’

He wished someone would come up with a brilliant idea to overcome this crisis.

Unfortunately, no suitable answer came to Kono’s question, which was filled with such hope.

“Who was it? Who said France wouldn’t come on so strong?”

“Now, General Ryu, you shouldn’t say that. Didn’t you agree as well?”

“I just went along with it because everyone was insisting so strongly…”

“Wasn’t it Vietnam’s opinion that they could hold their own against France if they fought in the jungle?”

“Well, yes! That’s because Japan…”

In the end, it turned into a blame game instead of finding a solution.

The unproductive and miserable political maneuvering continued for several minutes, but of course, no answer was found.

Ryu Hyo-won muttered wearily, as if spitting out the words.

“What’s the point of figuring out who’s to blame now? France has demanded that we return all the territories we’ve occupied.”

“…Can’t we just accept the initial proposal now and ask them to do that?”

“We could try, but wouldn’t that make our alliance look ridiculous?”

“That’s true…”

How could they throw away all the prestige they had built up until now in one fell swoop?

The people of the Allied forces now believed that the alliance was on par with the great powers of Europe.

It was none other than the politicians of each country gathered here who had created this perception.

“Let me be honest. If I bow my head here and back down, my political career is over. Is it any different for you?”

“…That’s probably the same for me…”

“I don’t think I’ll be safe either.”

When Ryu Hyo-won pushed out Jeong Yak-yong, who was against it.

When Kono treated Kondo like an idiot and got the Prime Minister’s approval.

The reason they were able to act so freely was all thanks to the overwhelming support of the people.

But this jingoism, which they had so enthusiastically stirred up, was now blocking their retreat.

Just then, Nguyen Son, the hero of Vietnam, asked with a suspicious tone, as heavy sighs flowed out.

“…But does France really intend to attack us?”

“What are you talking about? Didn’t you see Marshal Napoleon’s ultimatum?”

“I don’t understand. Do you all find it convincing? This kind of coercive attitude.”

“I heard that if the Asian front expands, there’s a high risk that European countries will join the war. So, I think they’re telling us to stop here.”

“That’s something we should endure. We’re not the kind of people who have to kneel in front of Europe.”

Nguyen’s words represented the feelings of everyone gathered here.

To be honest, they felt wronged.

They were just about to stand tall, but the Europeans couldn’t even tolerate that short moment and were trying to suppress them.

What made them so great?

But what could they do? In the harsh reality of international society, they had to shut up when someone stronger told them to.

“Whether France’s demands are unfair or not is not the issue to be discussed now. Their proposal has already been made, and we need to discuss how to respond.”

“No, no. I mean, we need to check if this is really an ultimatum first.”

“No matter how you interpret it, I think this is an ultimatum.”

Contrary to Ryu Hyo-won’s blunt answer, Kono did not speak, seemingly lost in thought for a moment.

Soon, he clicked his tongue softly and opened his mouth.

“No. This might just be a bluff. In England, they call it bluffing [pretending to have a strong hand in poker].”

“Bluffing? So, France is pretending to be strong to make us kneel?”

“Yes. The reason I think so is because of France’s sudden change in attitude. I know France is confident in its national power, but this is too extreme.”

“Could it be that they’re just angry because we rejected their demands and hurt their pride?”

In Asia, France has a prestige similar to that of the Emperor of China in the past.

If they thought that those they considered their vassals were rising up, they would naturally be angry.

“General Ryu’s words make sense. But as far as I know, King Christian of France is a monarch who doesn’t favor war. Does he force people to listen by beating them up because he doesn’t like them? That doesn’t seem to fit his well-known personality. And most importantly…”

Kono looked around the room and lowered his voice slightly before continuing.

“Frankly, the military power of Guangdong France alone can’t completely push us back.”

Ryu Hyo-won was speechless for a moment.

The military power of Guangdong France is not enough to overwhelm the four dragons of Asia [a metaphor for rapidly growing Asian economies].

Could that really be true? Or is it just Kono’s delusion?

Currently, the only forces France has sent to Guangdong France are Napoleon and the small fleet he led.

The strongest army that France boasts of has not come.

Is it a judgment that the military power of Guangdong France is enough, or is it really just a bluff?

“…Guangdong France is developing at an incredible rate. We are also rapidly increasing our strength, but it is on a different level.”

“But it’s 4 to 1. Of course, I’m not arguing that we can beat Guangdong France in a head-on fight. But wouldn’t they suffer enormous damage too? To push us back without any damage, the French mainland and the French Pacific fleet would have come. Naturally, army forces would have been dispatched as well.”

Hmm… that sounds plausible.

Ryu Hyo-won and Nguyen Son, as well as the Crown Prince who came as a representative of Manchukuo, naturally nodded their heads.

Because it sounded plausible.

“Kono’s words are certainly persuasive. I admit it. But we can’t act strongly without solid evidence.”

“So, let’s check this time. Napoleon told us to come to Guangdong France. So, let’s pretend to accept the request and take a look.”

“If France really hasn’t sent additional troops to Guangdong France…”

Ryu Hyo-won stopped talking and swallowed hard.

The words that would follow were obvious, but no one could dare to say them yet.

However, their eyes, which were already overestimating themselves, were filled with nothing but greed to not let go of the power they held.

※※※

The train goes on, even if the dogs bark [a proverb meaning to ignore criticism and continue on one’s path].

Regardless of what answer the four dragons of Asia come up with, Napoleon was diligently preparing what he had to do.

“Marshal. They have arrived.”

“Hmm… did they come willingly?”

‘They should have done this from the start; there are some people in the world who only listen when you show them your fist,’ Napoleon thought.

Napoleon, getting up from his seat, headed to the conference room, not hiding his annoyance.

Just in case, he had already sent a message to Christian in the home country and asked.

-Is it really okay for me to do whatever I want?

-I told you, didn’t I?

-Are you really going to let me do whatever I want?

He had confirmed that it was a legitimate exercise of power, not an overreach, so there was nothing to hold back.

‘Then shall we see the true intentions of these unbridled colts?’

Whether to withdraw the raised fist or strike down was entirely up to their choice.

“Greetings, representatives of the allied nations. I am Napoleon, Marshal of France.”

“Haha… nice to meet you. I am Ryu Hyo-won, representative of the Korean Empire.”

“I am Kono, representative of the Great Japanese Empire.”

“Of the Great Vietnam Empire…”

“Of the Great Manchu Empire…”

None of them are missing the word ‘Great Empire’ in their names.

‘There are four Great Empires existing simultaneously on one continent?’

Well, Europe is similar now, with not only France but also England, the Holy Roman Empire, and Northern Europe all advocating for federal empires, so it may be similar to Asia.

But even so, the Holy Roman Empire and Northern Europe didn’t attach the word ‘Great’, so isn’t that a bit shameless?

Napoleon, suppressing the urge to twitch his lips, said solemnly.

“Can I interpret your presence here as a willingness to accept my proposal?”

“…First of all, I think we need more conversation. We have always been proud to be good allies of France. But frankly, the conditions presented by the Marshal this time are too harsh. Even if we wanted to accept them, domestic public opinion would not allow it.”

“Harsh?”

‘It seems that the residents of the countries you rule, who have such terrible judgment in rejecting the initial arbitration proposal, are living harsh lives,’ Napoleon thought.

“If you offer slightly more lenient conditions, we will agree immediately.”

“But didn’t you reject my initial arbitration proposal? So, you’re asking me to offer even more lenient conditions than that?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

At this point, he really wanted to open their heads and see what they were believing in.

To be honest, Napoleon was also worried before entering this room.

‘What should I do if they grab my trouser legs and beg me to return to the first condition?’

Considering the hardships they have caused so far, I really don’t want to listen.

But that’s just the whisper of the devil in my heart; as allies, shouldn’t I reluctantly listen?

Once again, Christian’s advice to be more relaxed and treat others with tolerance came to mind.

The king, whom he respected, had always emphasized the importance of tolerance since the first time they met.

Frankly, now that I’m this old, I think I know why the king said that.

Even if someone else had said such platitudes, Christian had shown and proven it himself, hadn’t he?

Should I suppress my temper this time and follow the advice of the king I respect?

I was definitely going to do that…

‘Your Majesty. Isn’t it because you’re so tolerant that these guys have gone crazy?’

I just don’t know anymore.

Napoleon shrugged his shoulders and shook his head from side to side.

“I still can’t believe you guys are mistaken that you have a choice.”

“…Does that mean that if we reject your demands, you will declare war? Are you threatening us now!”

“If it sounds like a threat, accept it that way and make your choice. I will give you time to discuss among yourselves. The deadline is tomorrow, so think carefully.”

Feeling like he was going crazy if he stayed here any longer, Napoleon left the room as it was.

As the thick door slammed shut, the enraged representatives of the allied nations slammed the table.

“To be so arrogant! I have misunderstood France until now.”

“What are you going to do?”

“What else can we do? We have to make a choice as soon as the information is confirmed.”

“According to what we’ve found out, there are no signs of additional troops coming from Europe or the New World.”

Even if it’s just a few soldiers, you can’t perfectly hide a large-scale dispatch of troops.

To even pretend to prepare for war, there would be some kind of sign, but France is silent itself right now.

It means that reinforcements will not be coming from outside Asia for a while, even if it’s not in the future.

Kono, judging that someone might be eavesdropping, quickly picked up a pen and wrote on the paper.

-Let’s pretend to accept it for now and gather our troops. If we show our strong will and power, they will eventually have to back down.

As the other three nodded resolutely, Kono set the paper on fire to destroy the evidence.