Grande Armée in Another World: The Eagle and the Queen

Chapter 16 - At the Bathtub 2

Since arriving at Riverside City, Bonaparte had requisitioned a large mansion near the Aurault Palace where Cloumille resided, using it as a temporary residence and headquarters. It was once the residence of Duke Dordafton.

The mansion had a spacious, well-maintained garden, and with numerous rooms, it was large enough to accommodate Bonaparte, Chief of Staff Berthier, and other headquarters personnel, aides, guards, attendants... and more.

Bonaparte didn't seem to have any particular impressions about the paintings and sculptures displayed in the mansion. He merely ordered scholars who would arrive later to assess their value, showing no artistic appreciation himself. However, upon hearing about the presence of a large bathhouse nearby drawing hot springs, a smile instantly lit up his face. He immediately ordered to prepare a bath, eager to rid himself of the dirt and fatigue of the battlefield.

. . .

"Ohhhhh..."

A sigh of admiration escaped Bonaparte's lips as she felt her entire body embraced warmly and softly, every burden on her body melting away.

"This world is generally behind our civilization, but the comfort of hot water surpasses all. Berthier, we'll have this hot water piped to France. We'll build aqueducts that would even astonish the Romans, drawing hot water from here to Paris."

As she casually made such remarks, Bonaparte immersed herself in the bath up to her shoulders.

"Let's have General Caffarelli's engineering unit consider that."

Berthier, who had naturally brought documents into the bathroom, responded seriously.

"Just kidding."

"Of course."

"........."

Bonaparte scooped water from the bath to wash her face.

"There's plenty to do. Just having my army isn't enough to empower Cloumille. We need to transfer the tax and administrative functions currently held by the nobles to the queen, strip the nobles of their military power, and if they resist, we'll need an army to crush them. In other words, we need to organize bureaucrats and an army, and establish laws to manage them."

"Then it's like a revival of absolute monarchy. It's ironic that we, who overthrew monarchy through revolution, are now helping to create a strong monarch in this land."

"Indeed, it's a revival of absolute monarchy, but if we want quick unity and stability, there's no other option."

"You're right."

"There's a lot to consider in training bureaucrats and organizing the army, and to employ people constantly... First and foremost, it's money. Moneymoneymoney..."

Bonaparte held her head in her hands.

The army Bonaparte desired was a standing army. That is, in this world of Gulbas, it wasn't about gathering peasants or townsfolk only during times of war to fight. It meant keeping soldiers employed constantly, trained as professional soldiers even during peacetime. Employing people requires money. Moreover, those hired individuals ate, drank, and required expensive weapons and armor without tilling fields or producing goods. It was different from merchants hiring employees or peasants hiring laborers. It simply costs a lot of money.

"Our budget is in the red. The maintenance costs of the army, such as soldiers' salaries, food, and ammunition, are enormous, and we're also burdened with the cost of building workshops for weapon production in this land."

"What about the military funds brought from France?"

"We still have some leeway, but it will eventually run out. Our only hope is the military aid promised by Madame Cloumille, but even that is like a drop in the bucket."

"I suppose so..."

Both Bonaparte and Berthier were confident in their unmatched skills when it came to warfare, but they were amateurs when it came to matters like generating money. There were no immediate brilliant ideas to produce money.

"Let's put this aside for the time being."

"Agreed. By the way, there's one thing that's been bothering me."

"What is it?"

"The reason why we can't return to France."

"Well, if ships are being turned back, there's not much we can do about it."

"What could be the reason for that? There's a strange power here called 'spirits.' Perhaps, they're behind it."

Until now, they had prioritized supplying the army with necessary resources over returning home, but ultimately, the reason they were doing things akin to nation-building here was that they couldn't return to France. If they found a way back, they could leave this place promptly. Even if not, once they could establish contact with France, they could call for reinforcements or supply goods.

"That's a possibility. I'll ask Cloumille about it."

However, Bonaparte harbored complex inner feelings.

If they found a way to return home, the generals and soldiers would likely demand to return. If that happened, she wouldn't be able to fulfill her promise to Cloumille. There was the option of returning to France, organizing the army, and then coming back, but it was uncertain whether she would still be chosen as the commander of this world's expeditionary force. Moreover, she didn't know what had happened in France while she was away. There was a possibility that the revolutionary government had fallen, and the monarchy had been restored, leading to a return and immediate execution. Above all, while she was a general in France, she was the commander of one of the world's foremost armies here, and a friend to the queen. She could dream of a great conquest like that of Alexander the Great.

However, she didn't want to stay in this world forever. Soldiers would want to see their families back home. Bonaparte herself wanted to see her family and Josephine. Somehow, she wanted to establish contact with France. She wanted to go home, but that could only happen after everything was over... It was a conveniently suitable situation.

"Haaa... Berthier, Berthier, there's a lot to think about. But for now, I just want to soak in this bath until my blood boils. You're dismissed."

Having decided that there was no point in thinking about it further, Bonaparte dismissed Berthier from the bathroom and decided to enjoy the benefits of the hot springs boasted by Riverside City until she became flushed.