LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 38: Revolutionary Period - National Assembly (1)
Translated by – Mara Sov
༺ Revolutionary Period – National Assembly (1) ༻
As I stepped down from the podium, I started to exchange some greetings with the members of the National Assembly when an unexpected figure approached me.
A handsome man with delicate features who was just a little shorter than me.
This might be the first time he had ever seen me in person, but I knew him rather well.
How could I not?
The man strode towards me, took off his hat, and performed an eccentric greeting.
“Aha! What a pleasure to meet you, General Lafayette! I’m Raphael Valliant!”
“…Likewise, General Valliant.”
While the members of the Assembly insisted on calling me Marquis, as if to remind me of my aristocracy, this man has already started to refer to me as a General……
But more importantly, why is he even here?
“I was under the impression that the Northern Army had already begun their march towards Reims, so imagine my surprise in meeting you here.”
“Hahaha-. Say, mind if I ask you something?”
“……Hmm-. Go ahead.”
With a brilliant smile, Valliant offered me a handshake, and as I accepted, he asked.
“When do you think they’ll begin their offensive, General?”
“…should be soon, it should be after the Germania Empire has linked with King Louis’s forces, but they will likely be late due to their long march. At the latest, it will be after the arrival of the Northern Alliance’s forces……
So after the winter has passed.”
The Northern Alliance is a nation formed from the union of the numerous peninsular kingdoms located north of Germania.
Among them, two kingdoms have to journey through the sea, therefore it’s easy to conclude that their arrival will be much later than the Germania Empire.
Valliant smiled at my answer.
“Oh, great minds think the same after all. That’s why I’m here, hehehe-. There’s no need for me to stay bored there when an enemy attack is not occurring soon, right?”
It’s not that he’s wrong with that statement…But those are some confident words right there.
Perhaps it’s the kind of confidence that makes him think he’s always right.
“And, well, I kind of wanted to meet with you, General.”
Why would Valliant, someone whom I only clashed against as an enemy commander, be so interested in me now?
“You think I could borrow a moment of your time, General?”
When he winked at me while saying this……
I felt a strange chill run down my spine.
–
In a secluded room with just the two of us, Raphael Valliant became cheerful again as he said.
“Oh, I have to say it again, but it’s great finally meeting you, General Lafayette. God knows how much I’ve been looking forward to this day, Hehe-!”
…Did this guy even realize the faces some of the National Assembly members had just before?
The Republic, as per our agreement, had to provide us with the military positions we demanded, a one-year grace period for our governance and positions in the civil administration like mayors or governors, as well as various privileges like tax exemptions and pensions, just to not handle the office of Commander-In-Chief for me.
With the tax exemption of Aquitaine and with my army being funded by them, the Republic suffered a great economic loss even after they gained control of our lands.
By placing Raphael Valliant in a rank equal to me, they must be banking on the chance that Raphael as a commoner would be the one hailed as the Republic’s ace.
“…I am also aware of General Valliant’s reputation.”
But even with the political pressure on him, the way he’s welcoming me is quite……
Well, to say that my feelings on this matter were complex would be an understatement, but Valliant continued to smile at me as he said.
“During the Civil War, a young commander showed up and started using tactics that no one in this Kingdom had seen before, quickly becoming famous because of it.”
No, I was just copying you……Maybe he thinks I’m some sort of a tactical genius?
“Well, things were interesting until then, but what got my attention was what you did afterward. You cut ties with Duke Lorenne and built a new faction in the south, then, to my surprise, you joined the Republic.”
“Had I created an independent force, we would still fall after King Louis and the foreign powers crushed the Republic.”
Thanks to the crushing defeat of the Royal Army at the end of the Civil War, the Revolution sparked earlier than before, but this also led King Louis to make some rather desperate moves.
Originally, King Louis wouldn’t be this desperate when the Revolution sparked, so he didn’t resort to selling his subjects to the Abyss Corporation, and naturally, the revolutionaries also didn’t oppose the Abyss Corporation.
Moreover, the Civil War was still occurring in the early stages of the Revolution, so King Louis’s main enemy was us, the remnants of the First Prince faction.
After repeated failures in trying to suppress the Revolution, King Louis reached out to us a whole year after the Revolution began. So he sought help from foreign countries and only interfered much later.
So, in my previous life, the Revolutionary government had a lot of time to establish itself during the post-revolution chaos, they created a national conscription system, secured their troops, and were able to arm them with the guns bought from Abyss Corporation.
But now? The Revolutionary government crossed the point of no return with Abyss Corporation, and King Louis sought foreign help much earlier before the Republic could even sort itself out.
By the time when other nations would normally involve themselves into the revolution would have secured the South. Had we not joined the Republic, I’m sure that they would have collapsed swiftly.
Raphael Valliant may be a tactical genius without equal, but even he couldn’t win against such odds.
Interestingly enough, Raphael smiled as he heard my words about the Republic’s perilous state.
“Ah, I had forgotten how good it was to have a competent person by my side!
Honestly, I was already losing all hope, hahaha!”
“I’m glad the General thinks well of me.”
Valliant snorted, understanding the meaning of my words.
“Those fools want me to keep the Gene-, no, the Marquis in check. But that’s just petty politics that have no place during a war. The Republic’s army barely exceeds 20,000 men, while our opponent is bringing an army of more than 40,000. Now it’s not the time for internal strife and political plays.”
I chuckled at his words and said.
“I’m enjoying the conversation more and more. The southern army I led here numbered 6,000 soldiers. Although the Republic will continue to conscript, the current balance between our armies is rather ambiguous.”
Raphael quickly caught my hint.
“Honestly, the quality and quantity of the Northern army is very messed up, we have too many soldiers and not many officers to take care of them. So I’d like to give you some 7,000 soldiers.”
Oh, this was a surprise.
I didn’t expect Valliant would be this cooperative, but this makes things a great deal more comfortable for me.
“What would you want in return?”
“You have a lot of experienced officers, give me some of them, please. As I said, the northern Army has a lot of soldiers but we lack trained officers to control those lads.”
“Very well. I’ll send some personnel who can assist you, General Valliant. I also have a suggestion of my own.”
“Oh, please say it!”
“……I wish to also send you some trustworthy Knights who won’t trouble you as instructors. Even a basic knowledge about mana can be quite beneficial for cavalry in this imminent war.”
Every single person has mana, but they simply aren’t instructed on how to properly harness such power.
Among them, the ones selected to be part of the heavy cavalry are usually strong men, even by commoners’ standards, and if those people, even if only a few managed to harness their mana, it would be of great help. Of course, they won’t be comparable to a Knight who is taught the art from childhood.
Even if only ten heavy cavalry learned how to harness their mana, they could already engage the average Knight.
We must do everything in our reach to gain just the slightest advantage for this upcoming war when both our people and our land were already devastated by several conflicts.
Valliant beamed at me as he grasped my hand, shaking it up and down.
“Marvelous! To have a noble like you as a General, truly what an inspiring Noblesse Oblige! Perhaps there’s hope for this country after all!”
I almost knocked this guy away by sheer instinct, but I endured as Raphael kept looking at me with a……Dangerous gaze, his eyes sparkled so much it shouldn’t be normal, and his smile threatened to slit his face in half.
The Raphael Valliant I knew was a fearsome general whose genius tactics instigated a fear even in me, but the man before me was……Not what I expected.
“Ah-. I can already see that ignoring my nagging officers and rushing here was the right decision! I can already see that we’ll be best friends in the future! Together we will save this country and become heroes!”
“That……Is…good to hear. I’m pleased to learn that you’re a cooperative individual, General Valliant.”
“Hehehe-. But of course! I look forward to working with you, my friend! May victory shine upon you, General Lafayette!”
Valliant was behaving as if we were old friends who were sharing a drink.
While I also wanted to establish a good relationship with him, the way things were progressing was almost disconcerting.
Well, it’s not like this was a bad result.
“I also look forward to working with you. May your future be filled with glory, General Valliant.”
–
About a month after Valliant left for the frontlines.
I spent my days sifting through the non-commissioned officers to send, distributing troops to replace them, and reorganizing each unit.
I also selected some Knights who had little aversion to commoners, like Sir Gaston, to train the cavalry of the northern army, and at the same time, I selected those who would instruct the southern army’s cavalry.
During these busy times, I welcomed Christine to my mansion in the Capital for the first time in a while.
“How is it? This is a favored brand even among the high society of the Theocracy.”
As I listened to her words, I lowered my mug, savoring the rich taste of the coffee, as the bitterness spread around my tongue.
“Hmmm, it’s definitely excellent.”
It also helped me clear my mind a bit.
Christine smiled at my response, lifting her own mug and drinking the coffee.
It was certainly good, but something about this concerned me……
“How much was this?”
“Are you asking about the price of a gift?”
Christine looked at me with a feigned disappointment, so I shrugged my shoulders and said.
“If you insist, then I’ll just have to accept it huh?”
“Yes, please do. I had this prepared because you, Pierre, have been very busy and tired lately.”
I smiled bitterly at her words.
“Thank you, and……I’m sorry. Normally, I should have been helping you in the Assembly……”
Although I am a member of the National Assembly, I’ve been so busy organizing the southern army that I can count on a single hand how many times I have attended it.
“It can’t be helped. This is my battlefield, but the good news is that the other nobles seem to be adapting a little.”
“They must be learning from observing you. You are also working very hard, Christine.”
Christine smiled as she continued to enjoy her coffee.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the National Assembly has turned into her personal show.
At first, they ignored Christine. The fact that she was the first female member, coupled with her aristocratic background only cemented the National Assembly’s stance towards her.
However, Christine slowly gained the hearts of the citizens by conducting charity and donation activities with Eris since we arrived in the Capital. At the same time, she constructed the first intelligence organization linked with the Aquitaine trading company.
The first ones who started supporting her were the women in the Capital.
Most women favored Christine, simply because she helped stabilize the bread prices in the Capital, and when Christine began to speak for the women in the Assembly, their support only grew as those women likely influenced their husbands as well.
From then on, Christine started to act based on the intelligence she gathered. She usually targeted hostile or corrupt members, and those who used the Revolution as an opportunity to control others. Since none of them were prepared for such strikes against them, they always failed to react against it.
And while she had the major disadvantage of being the only woman in the Assembly, Christine had the backing of a certain individual.
“……I’ve noticed that you and member Jidor seem to be getting along very well.”
Maximillien Le Jidor was the one who acted quickly and decisively when Christine gathered proof of corruption.
They were getting along so well, that rumors about a secret alliance between the two had started spreading.
“Our relationship is more akin to a hostile symbiosis.”
Said Christine as she took another sip of her coffee.
“It has risks, but those with firm convictions can be used for our benefit. Of course, I must be cautious as well, his fangs could turn towards me at any time.”
Christine has already brought some of her own people to court for corruption or tarnishing the Aquitaine name, further strengthening her reputation as a fair and dedicated member of the Assembly.
Some of those people were left unchecked by Christine before, just so she could have the opportunity of dealing with them in Lumiere, in a bid to increase her reputation.
“I trust you, Christine. No matter what anyone says, this is your show to run.”
“Chuckle-. Leave it to me. Public relations in the Capital are progressing smoothly. If you manage to defeat the invaders I’ll make you a national hero.”
I smiled at her and joked.
“Heh-. I fear I might be relying on you a bit too much these days.”
“Nonsense. You were the one who laid the foundation for my actions, Pierre.”
Christine’s deep black eyes twinkled in amusement as she laughed.
The National Assembly may have thought that by bringing us to the Capital we would fall victim to their system, but the truth was far from it.
They have made clear to their citizens that we weren’t their enemies and even handed us positions of political influence.
By not punishing the noble’s past crimes, they preemptively stopped some unjust treatments and even handed us military authority to prevent a crisis. Not to speak of the economic and informational power Aquitaine was using to increase our public and political power.
If a noble held all those cards and still failed to utilize them properly, then he or she shouldn’t be deserving of joining the Republic.
Even if it had only been just one month.
Funnily enough, Christine’s black dress, which was ridiculed and thought to be her way of flaunting her status, now was perceived as a young woman’s grief for her father, who was killed by the demon’s poison.
Members of the Assembly now threaded carefully under the constant watch of both Christine and Jidor and once the other nobles who were members of the Assembly got used to their new environment, the atmosphere around the government gradually softened.
The guillotine has become a relic of the past. Only used in extreme cases, or when someone was caught cooperating with foreign nations.
“Sigh-. If only things could continue like this.”
“Indeed.”
Once the reorganization of my army was completed, I would march out to war, and should we repel the invasion, most of our problems would be resolved.
While I was thinking about this, my butler knocked on the door and handed me a letter.
As I read through it, I couldn’t help but frown.
“Bad news, Pierre?”
“……It’s an emergency summon from the National Assembly. There has been a protest against the conscription order, and some government officials have been killed or injured.”
TL Note:
Hold up dis clif for mua real quick
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