Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 045
Chapter Title: The King's Inquiry
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I admit it honestly.
Even if they were testing me, I was dead certain that the most they'd send from England would be the Prime Minister's brother, and from France, Cardinal Fleury at the very top.
I hadn't even considered the possibility of the king himself popping up out of nowhere and suggesting we get chummy.
Thinking back, I'd wielded the perception that I was just some "green kid" to my advantage all this time.
I'd overlooked the fact that if the other side was a king just starting his personal rule, any youthful slip-ups could be brushed off more lightly.
Above all, in my memories, Louis XV came across as a king lacking leadership and resolve, so I never could've predicted this bold move.
I wonder why someone who was sharp-minded and daring enough as a youth ended up like that later in life.
Or maybe since I look about his age, he sees me as an easy mark and feels free to act casual.
"Your Majesty, then did you come all this way just to wrap up the Lorraine matter I mentioned to Count Polignac?"
"Ah, no need to be so tense. You're not officially the Duke of Lorraine yet, so I can't give you a firm answer right now, can I? Of course, to keep our current relationship going, we'd both want peace in the Lorraine region—no denying that."
So basically, keep being friends, and hand over Lorraine as a friendship fee.
Even 21st-century elementary schools teach kids that anyone demanding a "friendship fee" isn't a real friend.
"I too wish I could reach a position where I can make decisions like Your Majesty as soon as possible."
"It's just a matter of time—you'll get there eventually. But to be frank, as I mentioned earlier, the rumors about you reaching my ears are so wildly off from reality that it's hard to judge properly."
"That's more than understandable."
"That's why even among my ministers, plenty still doubt your intentions. So part of why I wanted to meet you was to hear it straight from the source."
He's too spot-on for me to argue.
And this isn't just anywhere—Lorraine is a hotspot where France and Germany went at it like mad even up to World War II, fighting over "mine" and "yours."
If ownership of a place like that flips back and forth based on nothing but verbal promises without official documents, you'd have to be insane to trust it.
"So, after seeing me in person, does that give you a bit more faith?"
"I can tell you harbor no hostility toward us. But the real issue isn't the present—it's the future. What do you say we talk about that?"
"...You're referring to the future relations between France and Austria, as I see it."
A sudden one-on-one summit, complete with an unexpected interview.
Considering I had zero prep time, any ad-libbed response might dazzle for a moment but that's it.
Fortunately, I had experience from my past life witnessing a diplomatic revolution that shocked the entire world.
Sorry, Kaunitz—mind if I borrow some of your future ideas for a sec?
"To sum up my vision in one phrase... the reversal of alliances."
"Hm? Reversing... alliances?"
"Up till now, Austria has been France's greatest rival on the European continent—and vice versa. But how long do you think that dynamic will last?"
The notion that only Austria can check France's army in Europe, and vice versa, has been entrenched for over a century.
The Ottomans and Russians are too far off to even factor in.
"My ministers say neighboring states with shared borders can never get along. Aren't we in that position?"
"Yes. But as Your Majesty says, it's not impossible to get along. France's biggest enemy going forward is definitely not going to be us—it's going to be England."
"...England's been Austria's long-time foe, so that's not wrong, but... hasn't your country always been allied with England?"
"That alignment is already shaking. England signed the Prussian-Hanoverian treaty, and we've allied with Spain."
I glanced around and grabbed a large map conveniently nearby, spreading it out on the table.
"The era of carving up Europe is over. Let's take an extreme example: suppose Austria crushes France and occupies Paris. Could we hold it forever? I'm certain it wouldn't last even 50 years."
"Ho, why do you think that?"
"Because the French already have a rock-solid identity as French people. Same for the English and Austrians. No matter how brutally we fight in Europe, all we gain are a few strategic points. Meanwhile, the world is vast, and the New World is overflowing with empty land."
I pointed to France's vast pre-claimed territory in North American Canada.
"Unlike Europe, this massive continent has no owner. Win one war decisively, and you could claim all these colonies. Or lose them just as easily. Within a few decades at most, England and France will clash big over dominance here. India will be a fierce battlefield too."
"True, no matter how much we fight in Europe, invading the English homeland is a stretch. You've got a point."
"Same for us against France—we'd struggle to take land. But within the Empire? Bavaria, the Palatinate, Brandenburg—they all share German culture. Swallowing them outright isn't impossible."
France's future archenemy is England; Austria's rivals are the other electorates inside the Empire.
That's why a reversal of alliances is inevitable.
Louis XV was gradually getting swept up in my passionate presentation.
"Austria dominates the New World and India colonies, while France seizes hegemony in the Empire? It does paint an ideal partnership. Feels a lot more convincing."
"The world order so far is just a structure imposed by our elders. A true hegemon doesn't ponder why the world exists—they deliberate how it ought to exist."
A king isn't one who follows the old order—he's one who builds it.
For a young king just starting his reign, no advice could thrill him more.
Plus, doesn't everyone think that way in their fiery youth?
The coming era must be shaped by us young ones, not the fossilized old guard.
Me as Holy Roman Emperor, him as King of France.
Young and capable, we can dictate Europe's order.
"So Your Majesty, don't be bound by the petty old world's chains. Focus only on the new order you'll create. 'King' means one unbound by providence."
From there, I kept pumping helium into Louis XV without pause until his lungs were fit to burst.
Not just generic king-worship—I mixed in countless plausible lines from the 21st century, singing him praises he couldn't resist.
This is the silver tongue of a royal on his third life—after modern office drone.
Of course, all this follows original history, so it'll diverge plenty this time.
Precisely because I'll change it.
"I've got a good grasp of your thoughts for now. Back in Paris, I'll discuss with my advisors. And if you're staying in Soissons, let's talk more."
"If it means building friendship with Your Majesty, I couldn't ask for more."
We're destined to war eventually, but I'm not out to blindly antagonize France.
Hell, if they pay up the friendship fee, I could play along.
We can't hold the New World anyway, so let them have it—Lorraine and Corsica might be negotiable.
Hand over Lorraine, and France imports all its iron ore? Good luck industrializing.
Like I said—just food for thought.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Thanks to Louis XV's surprise appearance, the Soissons talks wrapped up far smoother than in my original-history memories.
With a king personally in attendance, the "listen to us or else" ploy felt too risky for them.
I got summoned by Louis XV almost daily, hunting together and spinning yarns nonstop.
"Wow~! Your Majesty's arrow stance is so elegant yet commanding."
"Haha, what about it?"
"No, really. In Indian myth, there's a hero who shoots an arrow to push away a falling cosmos. Your form matches the picture I saw perfectly—truly impressive."
No effort needed; poke a grad student turned researcher like me, and the boss-flattery jukebox kicks in.
I'd bet no noble on Earth today has a tongue as slick with superiors as mine.
"...Ah, you're good at chess too. I barely survived a brutal match with Prince Friedrich of Prussia last time, but I can't hold against Your Majesty. Do you have a private tutor for practice?"
"Hahaha!"
"When I stayed at Berlin Palace last time, it was clearly inferior to the original Versailles. They copied well, but only the source has that aura, right? So when I become Emperor, I'll remake Hofburg Palace like the Trianon gardens—not some half-baked Berlin knockoff, but capturing the true essence."
True flattery isn't empty praise—it's mercilessly stroking the other's superiority complex.
And such praise stems from comparisons, specific ones at that.
Bombarded with 108 objective reasons why Berlin and Hofburg pale next to Versailles, Louis XV's face melted into bliss.
Naturally, he started avoiding joint fronts with Cardinal Polignac, and negotiations sped up dramatically.
"Your Majesty, we've inserted clauses guaranteeing Atlantic trade safety with Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, and France all in accord. England grumbled but couldn't outright oppose."
"Hahaha, with Austria and France united, things get so much easier."
"All thanks to Your Majesty coming in person."
France secures safe slave trade; we neuter England's Ostend Company gripes.
Time to reap the rewards for all that jaw-dropping flattery.
This must be the sycophant's life, transmuting words into gold. Not bad compared to alchemy?
Anyway, aside from mental exhaustion, talks ended quicker, and Louis XV seemed to trust me—at least somewhat.
As the conference neared its close...
"In a few days, we'll have to part with our dear Duke Franz. Feels a bit regrettable."
"I feel the same, Your Majesty."
"Truth be told, from the first stories I heard about you, I felt this click. Now that we're somewhat acquainted, I'll be frank: rumors reached Versailles about your... peculiar tastes."
"...Pardon?"
No way that absurd slander spread from the Empire all the way to France?
When I become Emperor, first order: hunt down whoever started it and thrash them.
"Ah, of course, I knew right away it wasn't true. Call it intuition."
"Ooooh! As expected of France's great king. Such wise discernment! Insight piercing all truths!"
Louis XV... maybe not so bad after all. Sharp eye—I might've misjudged him.
"I just had this feeling. François Étienne is cut from the same cloth as me. What is there to hide? Like recognizes like."
"...Pardon?"
That's why you gotta hear people out... This guy's eyes are some next-level knot-hole. How am I like you?
"Bishops say kings must lead by moral example, but how can an emperor's heart dwell in one house alone? That's why your words struck me deepest. A king ponders how the world ought to be. Your feelings for that young archduchess? Just one branch of tastes as vast as the sea."
Don't twist my words like that. Do all royals passively interpret things to suit their fantasies?
And even if I strayed a bit in my past life, I can't stomach being lumped with this guy.
I never built a deer park to indiscriminately bed women decades my junior!
"Ahem... Your Majesty, my words encompassed not just women, but the nation as a whole..."
"You're exactly the man I thought. You've given me great courage. Thank you."
"Ah, yes..."
"Safe travels, and next time, let's share tales of valor over drinks."
Looks like I'd unwittingly set fire to Louis XV's heart in the worst way.
Sorry, France's 20 million citizens. Wasn't my fault.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Told him cigarettes are harmful, and he won't inherit the throne? No, wait.
Flatter him that kings can mold nations freely, and he plans a harem-like setup breeding young girls.
Have I been out of the modern world too long, numb to this era's sensibilities?
Dragging my weary body back to Vienna, I reported the conference success and stumbled to my room.
Exhausted.
Not like Berlin, but utterly drained all the same.
"Franz~! You did amazing, super super well!"
"...Huh? I-isn't this my room?"
Too tired, did I blunder into Theresia's bedroom?
My hackles rose instantly, but nope—definitely my room.
"Surprised? Don't freak out. I got permission to visit for a bit."
"Ah... right? Yeah, no way I'd mix up rooms even dead tired. How've you been while I was gone? Tried to hurry back—wasn't too late, right?"
"Nope, perfect timing."
Theresia beamed innocently, patting the bedcovers.
"Wanted to tell the hardworking Franz, back from a far-off land, to relax and rest easy."
"Ah..."
An unexpected welcome melted the weight off my shoulders.
"Secret from Papa, but I helped wash these sheets? They'll be the first you wrap up in when you return."
She raised a finger mysteriously, then flung her arms wide with an angelic smile.
"Welcome home, Franz!"
Can a future emperor's heart dwell in one place?
Louis XV, you're wrong.
My heart's home is here. Now and always.