I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 85

Father of Arts and Athletics

Most of the best fertile lands among the many granaries in Europe are in France.

It’s not for nothing that France is said to be the land God created on his best day.

Even in this era where the law of diminishing returns holds due to the limitations of agricultural technology, the fact that over 20 million people can live on the mainland alone is proof of that.

And among these, many of the most fertile lands belonged to the Duchy.

“…This is the currently identified assets of the Duke of Orléans. It has been inspected by the Duke of Chartres, and after three additional verification processes, there should be no missing items.”

“I knew it was a lot, but this is truly insane.”

As I skimmed through the list of assets compiled by Lavoisier, a hollow laugh escaped me, a mixture of disbelief and admiration.

Simply combining not only the Duchy of Orléans but also several other duchies and their associated territories amounts to 5% of the French royal domain.

How enormous would the income generated from this be when combined?

I had expected it, of course.

Still, seeing with my own eyes that assets easily exceeding tens of millions of livres [French currency] would all be vested in me, it was hard to suppress the twitching at the corners of my mouth.

“With such a large amount, considerable costs and manpower must be invested in management. Should we… replace them all with Your Highness’s people?”

“No. Causing unnecessary changes here will only instill anxiety in people. Leave it as it is for now. Instead, boldly eliminate those who are embezzling in the middle.”

“Yes. We have selected some to be punished as an example.”

“Then that’s fine. I’ll leave that to you, so handle it and report the progress.”

After giving these rough instructions, I arrived at my destination.

As I got out of the carriage with my vassals, I noticed people gathered in droves.

“They’ve gathered in enormous numbers.”

“They must be anxious and expectant, since the person who will control their lives has changed.”

Having newly inherited the territory, it is necessary to reassure the dependent territory residents.

In particular, since the previous lord had been torn apart for treason, many were anxious that the fallout might affect them.

Of course, since the person who newly inherited the territory was me, famous for my good reputation, there wasn’t that much unrest.

However, the territory of the Duke of Orléans was so vast that I couldn’t visit every region in person.

So, as a temporary measure, I decided to gather the local leaders and territory residents who wanted to attend to convey future guidelines.

“Your Highness, it’s time.”

“Good.”

As I stepped onto the temporarily erected platform, a roar loud enough to make my ears ring echoed.

“Wow!”

“Long live Prince Christian!”

“Father of the vaccine!”

I didn’t bother to calm the commotion and calmly accepted the territory residents’ praise.

“Some of you in this place may have already heard the rumors, and some may not have. I have already promised the nobles and staff that there will be no drastic changes.”

Some people, mainly nobles and landowners, breathed a sigh of relief.

As the new Duke of Orléans, my slogan was stability.

Originally, the vested interests tend to show resistance to rapid changes.

Many of the current French nobles are watching my future actions with anxious eyes.

To reassure them, I made it clear that I had no intention of meddling any further.

The fact that I left the Duke of Chartres alive and well was also intended to make people clearly aware of my intentions.

Even though almost all of his assets were confiscated, he was living well in the Palais Royal in Paris.

Seeing that, people would naturally think, ‘He spared that guy, so he wouldn’t harm me, would he?’

Now that I’ve appeased the nobles like this, it’s time to win the hearts of the territory residents.

“Of course, there may be many who are satisfied with their current lives, but I am well aware that there are also many who struggle to make it through each day. None other than myself lived such a life in my childhood. So I think I understand your hearts better than anyone else.”

The fact that Prince Christian lived in a slum in his childhood is now a well-known fact.

I have been actively appealing to this point to win the hearts of the citizens.

So at this point, it is necessary to turn that favor into enthusiasm with practical policies.

“First, we will conduct a thorough investigation of the territory’s assets and adjust areas burdened with excessive taxes to an appropriate level. In addition, we will investigate the average yield and lower the territory tax and rent when a poor harvest falls below the average. However, in this case, you may have to pay a little more in a good year than you do now. Of course, the burden you will bear will definitely be less than it is now, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Ooh!”

Temporarily reducing taxes in the event of a famine is actually a system that has existed since before.

However, 18th-century France was a hellish place where such common sense and ethics were twisted and destroyed.

In a time when the population was rapidly increasing, nobles freely exploited and extorted peasants, regardless of whether they lived or died.

If the system had been operated within the bounds of common sense, a revolution would not have happened in the first place.

Of course, the more I look after the convenience of the territory residents, the more my income will decrease, but if I think of this as an investment, it’s not a waste at all.

“The reason why this country of France can be maintained is because of your existence, working hard and sweating today. As long as you live under my shadow, you are now my family. You don’t have to worry about anything anymore. I, Louis Christian, will take responsibility for your lives.”

“Wow! Hooray!”

“Long live Prince!”

For citizens, the declaration to cut taxes resonates more deeply than a hundred great speeches.

Some even cried and shouted my name.

My profits written on the books will decrease quite a bit from the next quarter, but after a few years, I will be rewarded with enormous benefits that cannot be converted into money.

I raised my hand in response to the cheers of the citizens and came down from the platform.

※※※

Having drawn enthusiasm from the citizens with my speech, I naturally prepared a time for them to directly experience and enjoy the next event.

It was soccer, in which I had recently invested heavily and was producing results.

The members representing the Orléans territory, carefully selected by me, were running around kicking the ball on a spacious field.

The opponents were the representative players of the county governing the nearby territory.

The citizens who filled the area around the stadium were unilaterally cheering for their team and falling into real-time over-immersion.

“No! You should shoot there!”

“Don’t just keep passing the ball, be more aggressive! Yes! Break through there!”

“No! That bastard just tripped him from behind! Is the referee not watching properly?”

England’s hooligans are notorious, but in fact, Europe’s extreme fans are all similar beings.

And that gene doesn’t go anywhere, and even now, the seeds are sprouting in real time.

“The effect is much better than expected. In just a few years, it could cause a sensation throughout France.”

I sipped wine in the VIP seat and laughed happily.

“The league’s establishment is also progressing smoothly, so we can proceed with the professional league starting next year.”

Currently, each region has been temporarily granted one entry ticket to participate in the first division league.

And the work of selecting the strongest team in the region to win that ticket was in full swing.

The representative team of the county, which is being beaten hard by the strongest members I have formed, was also the team that won the championship in their region.

The count, who had conceded two goals in the first half alone, was heaving his shoulders to suppress his anger next to me.

At first, I thought he was playing reception soccer to please me, but looking at his face full of displeasure, it didn’t seem to be the case.

I felt like I was playing a simulation game in reality, which was strange.

I could understand why the chaebol [large business conglomerate] club owners acquire and operate sports teams.

“Those formed by Your Highness the Prince… are truly strong.”

“Haha, thank you. The Count’s team was also strong, but it seems this side was a little more skilled.”

No sooner had those words ended than the Count’s team conceded another goal.

“Good! That’s it!”

As I clenched my fist and stood up from my seat, the Count forced a smile with an expression as if he had chewed a bug and clapped.

“Ha. Ha. Ha. The skill difference is too great. I have to be careful not to be relegated.”

“There is still plenty of time left, so if you strengthen your organization further, you will be able to achieve good results.”

“Yes. I will instruct them to undergo intensive training as soon as I return. We can’t be relegated. Yes, that’s right.”

Seeing that not only the spectators but also the great nobles who run the team were over-immersed, I could be sure.

This is bound to be a hit.

In other words, it means that we can create a market that can earn a lot of money.

New business item ideas kept popping up.

A satisfied smile naturally appeared on my lips as I looked at the geese that lay golden eggs.

※※※

My plan to excite the citizens using soccer worked out wonderfully.

As a bonus, I also had a great time enjoying myself for the first time in a while, but Marie, who had been following me all day, didn’t seem so happy.

Originally, it is a typical case that can be easily found anywhere in the East and West that women get annoyed because of their boyfriends who are enthusiastic about soccer.

In fact, given Marie’s personality, it didn’t seem like she would enjoy sports like soccer, but as expected, the worries became reality.

Of course, she didn’t particularly show that she disliked it.

Rather, she showed a very good response.

However, I, who had been with her for more than a day or two, could roughly read her inner thoughts.

It was a great relief that I had prepared in advance in case this happened.

“Marie, in celebration of returning to the Tuileries Palace [Royal Palace in Paris] after a long time, I have prepared a surprise gift for you. Would you like to guess?”

“Yes? You didn’t have to go that far…”

“No, no. You’ve been working hard to keep up with my hobbies, so this time I have to repay you. Please enjoy this evening comfortably.”

Marie, who didn’t know what was going on, tilted her head, but soon smiled brightly and decided to enjoy the surprise I had prepared to the fullest.

First, we had a banquet with nobles and celebrities who had received invitations in advance.

Since only those who had a good relationship with Marie were invited, the atmosphere was friendly throughout the dinner.

After the dinner ended successfully, the servants naturally guided people to the garden.

“Wow~ Did you decorate it while we were eating dinner?”

Marie, looking at the concert hall that had been set up in the garden, smiled brighter than when she was watching soccer.

As someone who usually likes performances, she seemed to be looking forward to which maestro would be responsible for today’s performance.

And finally.

Marie’s eyes widened as she saw the performer who stood in front of the piano to applause.

His face must have changed since he was a child, but he still recognizes him.

“…That person over there, could it be…”

“He is a young genius musician whom I have decided to sponsor starting this month.”

“Amadeus…”

A precious relationship that created unforgettable youthful memories in Marie’s life when she was a child.

The promise to bring him to France had already disappeared in the rewound time, but I remembered it clearly.

“You’ve talked about it several times, right? That there is a genius musical prodigy named Amadeus Mozart.”

“…You remembered those words? So you called that person?”

“Yes. For the Duke of Orléans, sponsoring artists is a natural duty. I actually listened to a few songs, and he is a very promising talent. So I immediately offered him a position.”

While Marie and I were talking, Mozart, who had greeted us, calmly sat in front of the piano and performed.

Light and bright.

Marie’s eyes trembled with excitement as she listened to his performance as if he were flying.

Now, the two are no longer a boy and a girl.

Now, each of them is living their own lives in their respective positions, but it will be a time to fully feel the atmosphere of their hometown after a long time.

Mozart, who finished playing the piano, stood up from his seat to thunderous applause and bowed again.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to His Highness the Prince for giving me the opportunity to perform in front of distinguished figures. I dedicate the concerto to be performed from now on to the generous Prince and the benevolent Princess.”

Tears welled up slightly in Marie’s eyes as she heard those words.

She turned to me with the happiest smile in the world.

“I’m so glad I married you… I never imagined such a surprise gift.”

“Your happiness is my happiness.”

I say that, but I couldn’t calm my excited heart either.

It’s none other than that Mozart.

Young Mozart is playing a piano concerto in front of me.

Just this fact alone made my heart swell and a smile never left my lips.

I felt like I was enjoying it more than giving a gift to Marie, but wouldn’t it be good for both of us?

I am the happiest person in the world right now, having the most beautiful wife in the world next to me and enjoying the heavenly melody.

Mozart’s performance was far more wonderful and of a higher level than I had expected.

He must not have reached his peak yet, but how much more amazing will he be in the future if he is at this level?