I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 126

The Pieces Are All Gathered

“This goddamn awful army. I’m so sick of it, I might just quit.”

Andre Massena, a commoner from Nice, was once again battling the stress that washed over him daily.

“Just because they’re nobles, they think they’re all that? A battalion commander who got here through connections, full of nothing but pretense.”

Massena was born into a very ordinary family that ran a shop.

But when he was six, his father died, and his remarried mother sent him to live with relatives.

Eventually, he had to survive on his own, working on a merchant ship from the age of 13 until he was 17.

Soon after, he joined the French army and was gaining experience as a non-commissioned officer in a regiment near Italy.

With an intuitive grasp of the battlefield and an exceptional ability to coordinate his subordinates, he was a born leader.

Anyone with an eye for talent could see how capable a soldier he was after working with him for just a short time.

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone in all of Europe with as much military talent as Andre Massena.

He was so gifted that the title of genius wouldn’t be an exaggeration, which allowed him to rise to the rank of non-commissioned officer in such a short time.

But even that genius was now blocked by the wall of social status, a potential great man with a broken wing.

“Sigh… Damn it. I want to quit, but I need to save up some money before I can even think about it.”

Under the current French system, commoners cannot become formal officers.

Even becoming a non-commissioned officer was a considerable honor, but Massena didn’t see it that way.

He had just been chewed out by that damn noble who became a battalion commander simply because he was a noble, and for some ridiculous reason.

What does a guy who doesn’t even know the basics of the military know that makes him act so high and mighty?

He wished he could just flip everything over, but the reality that he couldn’t was the most depressing thing of all.

“Since I can’t become an officer anyway… it’s stupid to keep sticking around here.”

If he worked for about 10 more years, he’d save enough money to start another business, so he had to endure it here until then, no matter how dirty it was.

Why couldn’t he have been born as the son of a noble?

It didn’t have to be a powerful or wealthy family.

If he had just been born into a family that was a noble in name only, he could have at least become an officer.

Then he could have proven himself with his ability and climbed up the ranks, and he wouldn’t even have to worry about such miserable things.

What could he do?

Unless he was a wealthy bourgeois [middle class], a commoner like him couldn’t buy his way into nobility, so he had to live like this for the rest of his life.

As he was suppressing his anger, the platoon leader hurriedly looked around and ran towards him.

“Massena, the battalion commander is urgently looking for you.”

“…If it’s about the reconnaissance, I already got chewed out this morning.”

“No, it seemed like he had other business. He looked incredibly flustered?”

“Alright. I’ll go see him right away.”

What kind of trouble is he trying to cause this time?

With heavy steps, Massena went to find the battalion commander, and as soon as he entered the barracks, he sensed that something was wrong.

That was because not only the battalion commander but also the regimental commander, whom he had never even had a private conversation with, was looking at him with a serious expression.

“Oh, you’ve come? Massena. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“I heard you were looking for me. I apologize for not coming right away because I was doing other work…”

“No, no. Don’t worry about that at all. Aren’t we close? Hahaha!”

Who’s close to who?

The battalion commander’s affectionate tone, which he had never heard since becoming a non-commissioned officer, sent shivers down his spine.

Did this guy eat something wrong? Why is he suddenly acting like this?

Maybe he’s just pretending to be a good superior because the regimental commander is here.

If he doesn’t play along here, who knows what he’ll say later, so he decided to assess the situation first.

“Is there something wrong?”

“What problem? I know how well you always manage things, so there’s no way a problem could arise. The reason I called you here today is that there was a call from the central government looking for you.”

“The central government is looking for me?”

The regimental commander, who had been silent until now, handed a letter directly to the dumbfounded Massena.

Massena’s mouth dropped open when he saw the royal seal stamped on it.

“By central government… do you mean Versailles [the seat of French power]?”

The battalion commander nodded with a smile so kind it was chilling.

“Yes. And they specifically mentioned Andre Massena. Goodness, you’re so mischievous. If you had connections with Prince Christian, you should have told me sooner.”

What nonsense is this about having ties with the prince?

He’s a lowly commoner who hasn’t even met the local dignitaries, let alone a prince.

However, the moment he checked the contents of the letter he received from the regimental commander, a shock that felt like a blow to the back of his head ran through his entire body.

-Andre Massena is hereby appointed as an officer in the Nouvelle France [New France] Illinois garrison.

“Me… as an officer? Is this even possible?”

“It’s impossible in the regular army, but the army of Nouvelle France is under the jurisdiction of Prince Christian, so if he appointed you, it’s definitely possible. They say he’ll even grant you a noble title if you perform well in battle, so it’s an incredible privilege that’s hard to come by.”

He had to go to the distant New World, but he could become an officer, something he had dreamed of.

And if he performed well, they would even grant him a noble title, so what place couldn’t he go to?

But why all of a sudden?

It was strange enough that one of the most powerful people in France knew that he existed, but now they were even giving him a chance to advance in his career?

This obvious question lingered in Massena’s mind.

“Did His Highness the Prince say anything else? Did he write down the reason why he appointed me…”

“The message was just to come to the Tuileries Palace [royal palace in Paris] in Paris as soon as you’re ready. He said he’ll give you a detailed explanation there.”

So that’s how it is.

Massena began to understand the situation a little better.

For some reason, Prince Christian, the most influential figure in France, was keeping an eye on him.

The intermediate process was incomprehensible, so anyone would have to suspect that they had a private connection.

The battalion commander’s sudden change in attitude and the regimental commander’s direct visit here were probably because they were worried that I might complain to the prince.

Other princes might be different, but Louis Christian was not a typical royal.

A significant number of the 34 Marshals of France under Louis XV supported him.

“Manessa, the reason I’ve been so strict with you is that I recognized your talent and wanted to help you climb to even higher places. I hope you understand my sincere heart.”

“Yes. Of course, I understand.”

Helping me grow, my ass.

What kind of person who is the embodiment of incompetence is talking about helping someone grow?

Even though his insides were twisted, Massena put on the most peaceful smile he could and nodded.

“Of course. I know that the reason I was able to grow this far is all thanks to the battalion commander’s strictness and kindness.”

“Yes, yes, you understand! Go to the prince and tell him how well our unit is performing its duties.”

He didn’t even know how the prince regarded him, so he wasn’t stupid enough to act rashly.

Manessa suppressed his excited heart and gave a polite salute.

Whatever it was, a ray of light had entered his miserable life like a miracle.

He had no intention of turning this golden opportunity into a futile one.

Whether it was Paris or the New World, he didn’t care.

If only he could push his abilities to the limit and receive a fair evaluation.

※※※

Whether it’s France or any other country, the appearance of a typical rural village is bleak.

Unlike a complex city, today is not much different from yesterday, and tomorrow will not be particularly different either.

The same daily routine repeats itself every day.

But even in such rural areas, several unusual things have been happening recently.

Jean Lannes, who was born as the son of a coachman in Gers, was surprised by the sudden visit of nobles.

He was thinking of becoming an apprentice to a dyer, but he received an unexpected full scholarship and entered a nearby junior military academy.

Jean Lannes’s father was worried that it might be a scam, but even the lord who ruled the area guaranteed the nobles’ identities.

“Um… I’m just the son of a coachman, so why am I receiving this support?”

The noble briefly replied to Jean Lannes, who was bewildered by this unbelievable luck.

“You are the child personally chosen by the Duke of Orleans, the first nobleman of the great French kingdom. The Orleans Scholarship Foundation will take responsibility for your life and the lives of your family, so do your best to repay His Highness’s grace.”

“…His Highness the Prince personally…?”

Jean Lannes could intuitively feel that an opportunity that would never come again in his life had arrived.

He was not the only one who had seized such good fortune.

Joachim Murat, who was born as the son of an innkeeper in Labastide-Fortunière in the Lot department and helped his parents with their work, also had the same experience.

Later, he would become known as the best cavalry commander in all of Europe, and he was able to receive higher education with the help of the Orleans Scholarship Foundation.

In addition to these, many others who were struggling due to the limitations of their status or the decline of their families were able to send their children to military academies or prestigious schools with the help of the Orleans Scholarship Foundation.

And of course, this news reached the ears of other members of the royal family.

“I heard you’re suddenly putting a lot of effort into charity work?”

Auguste asked in a nonchalant tone as he sipped tea together after a long time.

“Have you heard about it too, brother?”

“There are nobles saying that the Duke of Orleans is doing strange things these days. Some people are saying that he’s suddenly having fun collecting commoners.”

“They only know one thing and not the other. I’m collecting not only commoners but also nobles.”

The way I’m gathering talent is currently operating in two ways.

The first is to recruit immediately available forces who are already adults.

Bringing in Massena, who is already active as a soldier, was an example of that.

Andre Massena was considered the best in terms of military talent among Napoleon’s 26 marshals in the original history.

But now he was just an unfortunate man whose path to success was blocked.

Attracting these commoner-born soldiers was honestly easy.

Just tell them that you’ll give them a position that suits their abilities and give them a noble title along with an officer position, and that’s the end of it.

Massena immediately swore allegiance on the spot after receiving the offer to give him the position of battalion commander.

But it took more effort to win over those who were already officers’ children.

For someone like Alexandre Berthier, who would become known as the best chief of staff, I had to prepare a better bait.

But it was only a matter of time.

There was no one who refused to the end when I, the most influential figure in France, said that I would make them my direct subordinates.

These older people were sent to Nouvelle France to accumulate abundant practical experience and lay the foundation for them to grow even more than in the original history.

And the second is to educate promising talents who are not yet adults, like Napoleon, Jean Lannes, and Murat.

The real reason I created the Orleans Scholarship Foundation was for this purpose.

The foundation was systematically scouting and diligently educating outstanding talents.

“All the children I have found have talents that will be of great help to France. They will show their true worth in your reign later, brother.”

“…It wasn’t just a simple charitable project, but an arrangement for me?”

“I can’t say it’s not. Most of the high-ranking officials now are not your people or mine, but the people of His Majesty. We have to prepare in advance because we don’t know what the future holds.”

“I see… that’s definitely true.”

Well, as a result, my success was Auguste’s success, so this was definitely not a lie.

Auguste, who accepted my words without a shred of doubt, nodded with a determined look.

“Good! From now on, no matter what anyone says, I’ll take your side, so push forward with confidence. I’ll take responsibility for cutting off the nobles who say strange things behind your back.”

“Thank you. I’ll feel reassured if you take my side, brother.”

No matter how much it was me, giving noble titles to commoners indiscriminately could be politically burdensome.

But if the Crown Prince agreed, that would be a different story.

Just as I was about to pour another bottle of wine, enjoying the satisfying feeling to the fullest, Deon, who had hurriedly entered, whispered so quietly that only I could hear.

“Your Highness. Thomas Jefferson of the United States is urgently requesting to see you. The attendant says he seems to be trying to hide his anger.”

“Jefferson? Well, it’s about time he came.”

In fact, I thought he would come sooner, but it was a bit late.

I leisurely poured wine into my glass and handed Deon a piece of memo paper.

“Tell him that I have a dinner appointment with His Highness the Crown Prince today, so tell him to come to the palace tomorrow.”

The Pieces Are All Gathered End