He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 477

(477) Eugene’s Magic Bullet Pierces the Tsar

A wide-area battlefield makes it impossible to defend every front.

“This is the gap! Charge!”

The French Imperial Army’s left flank was originally the front where Augereau faced Bennigsen.

Conversely, it was also the position where the Cossack cavalry, whom Napoleon had kept far from the main force, was stationed.

The left flank was also the northernmost end of the French and Russian front facing east and west.

While Augereau engaged Bennigsen, the Cossack light cavalry charged through the opening.

-Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!

This was an era where continuous firing from horseback was rare, only truly possible with the Beauregard breech-loading rifle.

However, among the Russian Imperial Army’s troop types, only the Cossack light cavalry could effectively [rapid-fire].

Not with guns, but with bows.

The Cossack cavalry shot arrows at the enemy, the Russian Imperial Army, who were, ironically, allies until just a month ago.

But in front of them, a man in a black uniform was running.

“Hee-ho! Hussars, no, Cossacks! Charge! Defeat the enemies!”

“Hey, [Adjutant]! You’re not our commander, don’t give orders!”

“Ah, of course not. Your Highness, Platov!”

The man in the black uniform, the uniform of the New French army, was Lasalle, winking mischievously.

“But if you really want to be king, you must win today!”

The Cossack cavalry commander, Platov, frowned.

But the opponent is Lasalle, Eugene’s assault commander who made a name for himself at Austerlitz.

A man who led only 26 cavalrymen and penetrated the Austrian Imperial Army, roamed the New World like his own home, and now runs across the Russian plains.

Even the Cossacks, who usually look down on soldiers who are not nomadic cavalry, found it difficult to dismiss Lasalle so easily.

Platov snorted and instructed his subordinates.

“Hmph, you don’t have to tell me, I’ll do it myself. Charge!”

“No, turn around!”

“What?”

Suddenly, Lasalle abruptly turned his horse and shouted in broken ‘Russian’.

“If you go in further, you’ll get swallowed! Everyone, follow me!”

Even the Cossacks, who didn’t understand French well, started following him without thinking.

It was truly swift horsemanship, like herding sheep.

Efremov whistled and followed behind Platov.

“That guy seems more nomadic than us.”

“Is this the time to be impressed? Efremov, follow me!”

“Yes! Ataman!”

The basics of nomadic equestrian tactics are ‘hit and run’.

But Lasalle, who wasn’t even a nomad, was teaching the Cossacks turning cavalry tactics.

At that moment, someone from the opposing Russian Imperial side shouted and rushed out.

“Fight back! Fight the enemies, the traitors!”

The deputy commander, Ilovaisky, reported.

“It’s Bagration!”

The Eagle of [Georgia], Bagration, was galloping, leading the cuirassiers.

Considering that Bagration was originally leading the breakthrough at the central fortress, it was a tremendous shift.

Seeing the central ranks collapsing, Bagration turned clockwise and raced back to the left flank.

But he encountered the Cossack light cavalry on the left flank.

Platov let out a scream-like shout.

“Ha, damn it. All I wanted was to bake some bread!”

“What should we do? Bagration is the best cavalry commander in Russia. If we clash like this!”

“It’s hard to change course here. Advance as is! Huh?”

Platov was giving orders to Ilovaisky when he widened his eyes.

“What the hell is that self-proclaimed hussar doing?”

The 21 members of the New French Vice-Royal Guard Cavalry, who were running with Lasalle, thought the same thing.

The cavalrymen who had been with Lasalle during the 26-man breakthrough in the old Italian campaign.

They had crossed the Atlantic with Lasalle for nearly 20 years, but there were times when they couldn’t understand him at all.

Lasalle’s cousin and adjutant, Pierre du Prel, asked.

“Good heavens, Cousin Lasalle! Are you really going to charge now?”

“Of course, Pierre. If not me, who’s going to catch that guy here?”

“That’s what we should leave to the Cossacks! Strictly speaking, you shouldn’t even be officially on this battlefield!”

Lasalle chuckled at his cousin, who was mentioning the military regulations set by the Chief of the General Staff.

“Who came here to seek merit? I just want to prove that I’m the best hussar in the world!”

The 21 light cavalrymen, the hussars in black uniforms, charged across the battlefield.

Naturally, Bagration’s cuirassiers also saw the light cavalry charging out.

His adjutant, Raevsky, shouted as he followed Bagration.

“There, there are crazy light cavalrymen coming!”

Bagration frowned and took out the pistol he had on his waist.

“Everyone, draw your pistols!”

It was the moment when Bagration’s cavalrymen were hurriedly moving their hands to load their pistols.

-Bang! Clank, bang! Clank, bang!

The enemy, Lasalle’s 21 cavalrymen, fired their musketoons from horseback.

Bagration was surprised and tried to dodge, but the firing didn’t stop.

Rapid-fire.

Before he could even dodge, a bullet tore through Bagration’s leg.

“Cough, r-rapid-fire!”

Just as Bagration was about to cling to his horse, Lasalle passed right next to Bagration.

“Hee-ho! Sorry I couldn’t kill you. See you next time!”

Lasalle pierced through 10,000 cuirassiers and broke through with 21 light cavalrymen.

-Doo-doo-doo!

It was the moment when Lasalle was writing another legend at Borodino.

***

However, there is an emperor on the battlefield of Borodino who cannot admire this legend at all.

“What, what is going on! Barclay!”

Tsar ‘Self-Proclaimed’, Alexander, rebuked the general next to him.

Originally, in the original history, Barclay would have been appointed by Alexander as Minister of War.

But now he is just a Chief of Staff, and even that is just advising without real power.

Seeing the central front becoming a mess, Barclay de Tolly hurriedly spoke.

“Your Majesty, it would be best to take shelter for now.”

“Why! Kutuzov said we were winning until just now! Surely, the enemy’s ranks have been broken through!”

“The signs are not good. It’s a chaotic battle, and the victory or defeat has not yet been decided, but.”

Barclay, who is top-notch only in grasping the battlefield even if he lacks decisiveness, hesitated and said.

“The Imperial Guard is too thin.”

It is not that the Imperial Guard led by Kutuzov has collapsed yet.

Also, Bagration has blocked the light cavalry that broke through the French left flank and the Russian right flank for now.

Although Lasalle posed a threat, it only inflicted fatal damage on Bagration personally.

However, the problem is that the Leib Guard, the [Life Guard] who should be guarding the Tsar, has scattered in the meantime.

Right now, the troops guarding the Tsar are less than a regiment.

“Does it look like Napoleon has fled?”

“Yes?”

“Has the enemy’s emperor abandoned this battlefield! Are you telling me to run away now, leaving 400,000 soldiers to me!”

Nevertheless, Alexander glared at Barclay with bloodshot eyes and rebuked him instead.

Of course, from a political point of view, Alexander’s words are not wrong.

If the emperor runs away alone here, a major incident may occur in a situation where Pavel, the [legitimate] Tsar, is still alive.

But if the Tsar is caught in the war, wouldn’t that be a major incident instead?

Barclay, who was not bold, could not say that, so he spoke indirectly and advised.

“T-then, for now, a temporary [tactical] retreat to the rear.”

Alexander shook his head firmly.

“I do not allow it!”

“Y-Your Majesty.”

“The war situation is clearly advantageous to us. If a war of attrition breaks out, we will definitely win, didn’t you say? The number of enemies is limited, and we still have hundreds of thousands of reserves left!”

The total number of troops mobilized by the Russian Empire just before the Battle of Borodino is 900,000.

The number of troops brought here is only 400,000, but the troops on the list are still in the rear.

Besides, isn’t there also Wittgenstein’s army besieging Saint Petersburg?

So, strategically, Alexander’s words are correct.

Alexander, intoxicated with himself, shouting theoretically perfect logic, shouted with conviction.

“We will definitely win!”

At that moment, a bullet was fired.

-Bang!

Tsar Alexander blinked and looked to the side.

“Barclay?”

Barclay de Tolly, originally a German who came to Russia to seek success.

Although he was treated coldly because he was a foreigner, was not easygoing, and was shunned by soldiers, he was competent.

If given the opportunity, he might have risen to the position of Minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the entire army, just like in the original history.

Thus, when Russia stood tall as a European power, he might have shared the glory with the Tsar.

If he hadn’t been shot in the head and collapsed right now.

-Clank, bang! Clank, bang! Clank, bang!

I don’t want to think about it in reality.

But when I see the soldiers dying next to me, trying to fight back, I can’t help but realize the reality.

It was when the last guardsman fell and died from the bullets.

“As expected, this place is the most [dangerous].”

Right in front, a young man riding an Arabian horse with a golden mane approached and smiled.

“The most dangerous person in this empire was here. How do you do, Tsar Alexander?”

Tsar Alexander gritted his teeth.

It’s not the first time I’ve seen his face, which makes it even more frightening.

Napoleon’s infamous son.

The marksman of magic bullets, Freischütz, has arrived.

***

Finally, Eugene stood before the Tsar.

“Wait, what are you doing now? Pointing a gun at the emperor of a country?”

The Tsar Alexander’s voice, shouting with his chest out, can be heard.

Of course, this era still has a strong remnant of the divine right of kings.

The idea that the monarch is appointed by God is even stronger in Russia.

Therefore, even if the other party is a monarch, he may think that a commoner cannot dare to kill him.

But for Eugene, the opponent in front of him is truly a task of life.

It took 20 years to get here.

Even just speaking of the battlefield task, he had to go through a tremendous process.

700,000 troops clashed.

He induced the enemy’s attack again on the chaotic battlefield.

He sent a steam-powered car to attract attention, and made the Cossacks gather the entire enemy army on the left and center.

Only then did the gap between the center and the right wing appear.

Eugene did not miss that gap.

He came running with the New French Vice-Royal Guard Cavalry.

With Juno, Champot, and Hippolyte.

Eugene frowned as he looked at the silver letters that appeared in front of him.

Normally, he would be relaxed because it was an event that happened within the plan.

But not now.

“I don’t need surrender, not from a usurper.”

“What?”

“Did you forget? The one our French Empire considers the true Tsar is your father. Not you.”

This is the justification of the French Empire.

There is no need to save Tsar Alexander.

Alexander’s face turned white and he knelt down.

“Save me, Freischütz!”

When Eugene stared blankly, Alexander shouted desperately.

“I have to live. That’s how peace will come to Europe!”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Think about it! What did our father, no, the crazy Tsar, think! Conquer India, conquer the New World! But wouldn’t he fight with France!”

All are correct.

Tsar Pavel, even if he lived long in the original history, would have eventually fought Napoleon.

However, is Alexander different?

“If I live, this Europe will be peaceful! France too!”

For a moment, Eugene almost fell for it.

Originally, in the original history, the Russian Empire does bring peace to the Vienna system.

But what about after that?

“No.”

Eugene coldly glared at Alexander and said.

“Your descendants will oppress and massacre the people.”

“W-wait a minute. What is that.”

“And you’ll foolishly jump into war, fail, and even lose the throne.”

Eugene’s pistol aimed at Alexander’s head.

“That’s your future, and the future of the Romanovs.”

What happens later in the original history.

The Romanovs will eventually fall.

In fact, it’s not Alexander, but the descendants of his brother Nicholas I who do it.

Alexander, with an unfair face, or an absurd face, shouted as if protesting against a future that had not yet happened.

“Then what’s different now!”

Here, if the Tsar dies, what will be different?

“At least the Romanovs and your descendants, or relatives, will remain as monarchs.”

Alexander doesn’t have a son yet, but he has a daughter.

-Bang!

August 15, 1809, 4:44 PM.

10 hours after the start of the battle.

Borodino.

The bullet fired by Freischütz, the marksman of magic bullets, pierced the Tsar’s head.