I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 179

The atmosphere of Paris, as it approached the 19th century, was distinctly different than before.

The burden on citizens had noticeably decreased simply by reforming the unreasonable taxes of the past.

In addition, the massive amounts of food flowing in from the New World were also playing their part.

As citizens began to feel secure and well-fed, they naturally turned their attention to other things.

Discussions regarding politics and community issues were constantly erupting throughout society.

The fact that the recent missionary murder case was able to ignite such a strong reaction was also thanks to this environment.

If the majority of citizens were struggling to make ends meet, who would care if a missionary died in another country?

Perhaps it would have been nothing more than a minor issue until politicians actively incited it.

Moreover, this was a time when nationalism, devout religious faith, and gradually maturing capitalist ideologies were all intertwined.

You could open a newspaper and find a truly overwhelming array of topics and opinions on them.

In other words, seizing an issue first meant you could shape public opinion in any way you wanted.

“We have also heard about this incident. His Imperial Majesty has asked me to convey his message that he will pray for the sacrificed missionaries.”

“I am truly grateful that His Majesty Joseph has sent a personal letter. By the way, it has been a while since I’ve had a conversation with the Ambassador like this. How have you been?”

The Holy Roman Empire’s Austrian Ambassador, Mercy Argento, smiled, wrinkles forming around his eyes, and nodded.

He glanced subtly at Marie, who was sitting next to me.

“How could there be any problems when the Princess is living happily and the relationship between our two countries is harmonious?”

Ambassador Argento, who had initially subtly competed with Marie for influence, had now become her loyal supporter.

This was because after Theresia’s death and Joseph II’s sole rule, the dependence on her had only intensified, rather than decreased.

In fact, Marie’s importance as a conduit connecting me and Austria was growing day by day.

Perhaps she was being treated as the most important figure in the Holy Roman Empire, second only to Joseph II.

The reason Marie was present at this meeting to discuss important matters was that it facilitated smoother conversation.

“Although there have been many changes in France, rest assured that our friendship towards your country remains unchanged.”

“It is truly reassuring to hear you say that. Then, can I assume that there have been no changes to the matter previously discussed with His Majesty? His Majesty added that France’s cooperation is essential, so he hopes to hear a positive response.”

“Now that the American Civil War has ended, it should be fine. Of course, this is on the premise that you will grant what we desire.”

Several years ago, the Holy Roman Empire succeeded in annexing southern Bavaria, but that did not solve all their problems.

The Holy Roman Emperor was not the possessor of absolute power as many people thought.

The structure of the empire itself was divided into dozens, even hundreds, of entities, and it was made up of a collection of numerous ethnic groups, so there was no way it could achieve unity.

The Holy Roman Empire of the original timeline was dissolved during the Napoleonic era and reborn as the Austrian Empire, but even that did not last long and eventually fell apart.

Even though the current Holy Roman Empire was in a much better situation, that was only relative, and the fundamental problems of the empire had not disappeared.

Frankly speaking, it would be difficult to last even 100 years—no, even several decades.

However, in order to restructure the country in a way that naturally leaves only the valuable parts behind rather than collapsing entirely, they had to continue to produce tangible results.

Joseph II’s thoughts were probably not much different from this.

Ambassador Argento, the Emperor’s spokesperson, did not bother to hide their situation.

Was it because he knew that denying it would not work on me, or was it to evoke Marie’s sympathy by conveying the difficulties of her homeland?

Or perhaps it was both.

“We are willing to accept any conditions if France helps us.”

“That is a wise decision. If you can suppress Prussia and seize control of the Rhine [a major European river], it will be much easier to manage the country. We also have no intention of making excessive demands, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

The only time the Holy Roman Empire can pressure Prussia is, frankly speaking, now.

Before long, the era of full-scale industrialization will arrive.

When that time comes, the Holy Roman Empire, which is struggling to sustain itself and is primarily focused on agriculture, will never be able to surpass Prussia, even if it undergoes a complete rebirth.

So they have to take action against them now.

The existence of a unified Germany is bound to be frightening no matter how powerful the country is, so the interests of both sides align.

Ambassador Argento, who still did not know what we wanted, asked with a nervous expression.

“What are the conditions that France wants? I will immediately inform His Majesty and get permission.”

“Saar… or, in your language, it would be Saarland [a region in southwestern Germany]. We will have to take the coal and steel from that region across the Moselle River [a river flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany].”

“Would you like us to cede the Saarland region?”

“No. It is reasonable for your country to maintain its occupation. We only need to take the mining rights for the coal and steel that come from there.”

Saarland is the smallest state in Germany, and France has been raising troops to occupy this region since the Bourbon dynasty [a major European royal house].

This was because they were trying to expand their territory with the Rhine River as the border, but my purpose now was not that.

The majority of the people there already speak German, and their national sentiment is completely alienated from us.

There is no point in taking land occupied by such people, as we will inevitably have to relinquish it as time passes.

If we immediately rush into it as soon as we see an opportunity, we will end up with the same fate as Napoleon in the original timeline.

Knowing roughly what the future of Europe will look like, I had no intention of taking such a foolish route.

The Austrian side looked much relieved at the statement that we did not want to directly occupy the land.

“Recognizing our sovereignty in exchange for guaranteeing mining rights to resources… that sounds like a reasonable proposal.”

“Yes. It is good for you because you can suppress Prussia, and it is good for us because we can receive fair compensation. It will be an ideal cooperative relationship where neither side loses.”

The only reason I am eyeing the resources of Saarland is this.

The next 10 years from now were a golden opportunity to raise France’s stature by several levels.

Machines using steam engines began to show remarkable development, and Europe began to transform into a completely different state from what it had been.

Even though we have Alsace-Lorraine [a region in eastern France], the more coal and steel we have, the better.

Saarland, which is directly adjacent to France, was a region where that steel and coal were abundantly buried.

Of course, as these industries begin to decline as we move into the modern era, the local economy will naturally decline, but at least not now.

In the era when we have to develop from the modern era to the present era, there was no better land of opportunity than this.

In other words, the best choice for France would be to exploit it thoroughly and then hand it over to Austria, Prussia, or Germany.

Ambassador Argento, who does not know these facts in his wildest dreams, is probably secretly delighted, thinking that it is an acceptable proposal.

“But since we are not directly expanding our territory, won’t there be criticism within France after the war? No, even before that, will the citizens support you when you try to raise an army…?”

“There is no need to worry about that. The citizens of France are furious right now.”

There was a similar situation when the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred, in which countries that had been acting disrespectfully towards the United States rushed to issue messages condemning the terrorism.

This was because they knew what they would suffer from the United States, which had gone mad, if they didn’t.

I cannot say that now is exactly the same as that time, but it was similar in that the citizens were furious.

“Right now, our citizens are eager to find someone to blame. Who wouldn’t they attack if they had a suitable excuse? It wouldn’t be strange if that unfortunate target became Prussia.”

“Ah······.”

“So, please provide a suitable excuse on your side. I believe His Majesty Joseph can do that much.”

At least you have to pay the fare to get on the bus, right? Trying to freeload is a thief’s mentality, right?

If I said this, they would roughly understand and immediately take action.

Then, shall we see my brother-in-law’s skills in setting the stage?

※※※

Napoleon, who had been appointed as the Marshal of the Army of the New French Army, was in high spirits due to his continued success.

He did not say it directly, but it was clear that all of his friends felt the same way without even asking.

Among the children of Orléans, there were many who had entered their 30s, but Napoleon was not even that old yet.

Even though it was a colonial army, he was appointed as the Marshal of the Army at the young age of 20.

How many people in the world would be promoted so quickly?

No matter how good his abilities were, it would have been impossible if there was no one to recognize them.

A true lord who recognized a man’s worth.

The desire to be loyal to that lord and pursue great ambitions grew day by day.

Moreover, another unbelievable piece of news arrived from across the Atlantic today.

“As a reward for successfully carrying out this operation, they will award all of us the title of Marshal of the Army of the French Army. They say to finish preparations and return to the home country immediately?”

“Not a colonial army, but a real Marshal of the Army of the French Army? Really?”

“That’s right? Who would have imagined that I, a nobleman from a small village in Corsica, would become the Marshal of the Army of the Great French Kingdom?”

“Hey, but you are still a nobleman. I am the son of a coachman. But a real Marshal of the Army? Me? Huh…”

Ran checked the letter several times as if he couldn’t believe it.

Napoleon smiled as he watched him start to grin after a long time, as if he was finally realizing it.

“Now, now. Let’s all celebrate after returning to France, and let’s finish the preparations now. We have to go and assist the Prime Minister as soon as possible.”

“That’s right. But we are now the Marshals of the Army of the Great French Kingdom, so shouldn’t we pay attention to our dignity? I think we need to get new uniforms made.”

“That makes sense. Then, should I get a new suit made at this opportunity?”

While Napoleon and Ran were chatting idly, Davout chimed in jokingly.

“By the way, how many times are we going back and forth across the Atlantic now? At this rate, I’ll memorize the entire Atlantic map. Haha!”

“That’s true. Aren’t we being overworked? Hahahaha!”

As Ran laughed heartily and echoed the joke, Napoleon also smiled faintly without saying a word.

But why is that?

It felt like something of unknown origin was slowly rising from inside his throat.

Strange. For some reason, the feeling is uneasy.

“If the Prime Minister is looking for us so urgently, it must mean that another big incident is brewing, right?”

“Probably so?”

“Yes… that’s why they’re looking for us.”

It’s not being exploited, but being trusted.

Surely, the great lord Christian would not keep us working tirelessly like this for the rest of our lives.

It’s just that incidents have been happening a lot recently, and when time passes, we will have time to relax.

And that’s why the speed of success is so fast, isn’t it?

Napoleon shook off unnecessary thoughts and tightly gripped the order.

And he told Professor Laplace, the chief secretary of the New French Governor-General’s office, who had delivered this news, that they would return.

“Oh, really? You’re going to Europe?”

“Yes. The country is calling, so I plan to follow the orders as quickly as possible.”

“Ah~ yes, yes. Congratulations. You look very satisfied, judging by your expression.”

“It is often said that a man will risk his life for someone who recognizes his abilities. How can I not be excited when the country does this for me?”

“Hmm… you won’t come to your senses until your resignation is rejected later.”

Napoleon’s ears did not hear the last words properly because he was mumbling in such a small voice.

“Yes? What do you mean reject the repair?”

“No, no. The general doesn’t need to know. Have a good voyage~”

He felt like there was a subtle pity in the gaze looking at him, but Napoleon dismissed it as an unfounded feeling and turned his body.

When you think about it, Laplace was also recognized for his abilities by Christian and rose to the position of chief secretary of the Governor-General of New France, wasn’t he?

I heard that he left behind tremendous achievements with Acting Governor-General Lavoisier.

Surely he must be proud of what he has done as well.

With that, Napoleon left the room with a measured gait.

Laplace, who was watching his retreating figure, let out a sigh mixed with a bitter smile and a chuckle as Napoleon completely disappeared from his sight.

“Looking at this, there’s one more pitiful victim.”

He thought exactly like that until he was deceived by Lavoisier and brought here.

He couldn’t help but laugh because it was like seeing his past self.

He didn’t know why he was laughing while feeling sorry.

But strangely, he began to understand why Lavoisier dragged him in as a companion.

For some reason, he felt like he wouldn’t even need to eat a late-night snack while working overtime today.

End