No Battle No Life

TL: Filler paragraphs, filler paragraphs everywhere… So much set up though, the later chapters better be worth it…

France, Paris, Palais des Tuileries

“This topic is now settled, onto the next item on our agenda…”

Seated around the oval table were about 20-odd people. There were people of all ages, some exhibited the fearlessness of youth while others held the glimmer of wisdom.

Their attire was mostly plain, nor did they wear wigs for the youth who sat at the head of the table wore a plain military uniform without any accessories or decorations whatsoever. If their leader did not dress himself up, how could they?

A few high level officers from the military, including the young king, were there to represent the king in listening on the legislative discussion. They too wore their military uniforms without their gold aiguilette or medals.

The youth was now wearing a face of calm as he surveyed the members of the Const.i.tutional Convention, that the newly appointed Prime Minister Tu had gathered together, as they decided how the country would function henceforth.

Name, birth, looks or factions were unimportant in deciding their appointment. Whether the role they took on was more or less critical, all of them were talented and capable individuals. All were treated equally and given opportunities to prove themselves whether they were “original inhabitants” of the world or players.

— Each and every one of them were selected based on their abilities alone and were then officially appointed by the king.

— After a few months of chaos and teething pains, a bourgeoisie regime was forming under the king…

The Convention members, thus, had different origins and specialties. Some were players who had an uncanny knowledge of the law while others were famous original inhabitants, or NPCs.

“I object to this clause!”

“Oh? Share with us your thoughts.”

“I think that…”

As the highest ranking official in the government in name, and the commander-in-chief of the French army, the youth did not actually speak all that much. Most of his contributions were also regarding military affairs.

During the meeting, Tu kept wondering why he was needed to oversee the meeting when these people were so effective. It was lucky that his military reforms had pa.s.sed smoothly which was also why he didn’t bother to stop the endless debates amongst the Convention members.

The old royal French army was currently undergoing a drastic transformation, partially thanks to the experience it had with the Prussian army. Apart from careful selection and promotion of talents within the officer corps, the French army’s artillery was undergoing a rapid upgrading.

National education that focused on loyalty to the country was infused, the rebellion incident was used as a springboard to shake up the military leadership, the rank structure underwent reforms and the bulk of the military budget went into the land forces of which the focus was on building a formidable artillery…

Only after he had finished planning and executing all these changes did Tu realised how much he was doing himself. And now, he turned his attention to administrative reform. Though he hadn’t gotten much sleep these days, Tu’s excitement and fervor had not diminished in the least.

They were currently meeting in the glorious Palais des Tuileries which the previous king had ruled the government from. Now, the new king was ruling with the government there.

The silk drapes and red golden l.u.s.ter from the carpet that was a reminder of the former decadence, was a stark contrast from the austere garb that everyone there was wearing.

Ever since Paris was attacked by Prussia, France was engulfed in chaos and civil war as regions outside of Paris disobeyed central commands while Paris itself became a giant military encampment with factional disputes and conflicts between revolutionary and royalist forces. Inflation was rampant and goods were scarce.

The France now was like a woman who had grown tired of unending romantic misadventures and was now returning to the arms of the one who could keep her in control and maintain stability.

Though this might not be an appropriate a.n.a.logy for the one that France needs, who is currently stifling a yawn, is admittedly not experienced in the matters of love– For he has never had a lover before.

— The sparks that danced about Paris were currently aflame but whether they would continue burning strongly would depend entirely on the youth.

“Alright, let us begin the next item!”

Austro-Hungarian Empire, in the woods in Vienna

“Know… Your… Place! Waa!”

A dull crashing sound rang out as a razor sharp sabre fell heavily onto the gra.s.s. It belonged to the young man wearing a military uniform who currently lying motionless in pain on the gra.s.s.

“I’ve said it before. As a knight of the empire, I will not accept a foolish man… You think too highly of yourself.”

The golden haired young girl’s face was devoid of emotions, not even disgust. Her waist-length honey coloured hair seemed to emit golden rays of light as she stood under the setting sun.

“That man… Who could he be…”

The girl threw the branch in her hand at the side of the man on the ground. It was truly humiliating for her blade, the thin silver rapier had yet to be drawn.

As she exited the forest, she appeared to be brooding about something. That something was probably the dream she kept seeing these days which she never got to see the end of. The dream seemed to foretell something, but the girl did not know what of.

France, Paris, night of the 6th day since Tu has entered France

“It’s finally over! Monseigneur Blum, it’s finally over! I feel like these few days have been crazy. Our esteemed majesty truly is energetic. But maybe it’s because I’m not young anymore.”

(TL: Original is 布鲁昂. The closest famous French guy that sounds like that is Andres Louis Blum, a 20th century French PM.)

Though there were still a number of details in the policies to be worked out, the discussions were over for now and the civil code, which was mostly based on the widely used French civil code, was now mostly done.

— Along with the civil code, 30 odd legal chapters and directives on how to improve the lives of civilians that covered themes from social cohesion to efficient methods to make bread…

And so, for every day before today, all legislative members of the Convention were locked up in the luxurious prison and debated from dawn till dusk; with their only respite being a short meal break late at night if the young king permitted it.

And in these short moments of rest, the famished legislators could only eat at a small restaurant beside the Palais. If the discussion did not end, those who weren’t debating would often fall asleep at the table.

Even the military officials who were allowed to go home, as Tu had already implemented the military reforms , could not relax. The moment they reached home, they would find letters signed by the king that contained instructions and required a reply by the next day.

“Perhaps it is indeed his majesty’s youth at work. But Monseigneur Tronchet, I feel that it is a good thing for France. Our king is truly worthy of our respect, a respect that comes from deep within unlike that of the previous Sun King.”

(TL: Francois Denis Tronchet was a juris at the turn of the 18th century.)

(TL: The Sun King is Louis XIV, who ruled at the turn of the 17th century. St.i.tched up timelines, it seems.)

“Haha, Monseigneur Blum, you wouldn’t be referring that unique a.n.a.lytical ability and view of the law of his majesty, would you? Seems like our king likes to ask questions like ‘is this fair?’ or ‘is this practical?’ Quite unlike the Sun King.”

The white haired Tronchet said with a smile as he ate. Tu was the sort who respected his elders, and this extended to the so-called NPCs, which bolstered the admiration they had for him.

“His majesty is always ahead of everything. Hai… The things he has done these few days feels like they are more than what his father achieved in his entire lifetime…”

The young king worked tirelessly for 18 hours a day, and was quick and efficient to boot. Though the Prime Minister did indeed work as hard to help shoulder the burden, it felt like the king who had completed the military reforms in a short time had to deal with a lot more than the Prime Minister.

The young king had called this “cramming” which the original inhabitants could not understand at all. They only admired that figure of his that soldiered on no matter what and were unknowingly infected by his zeal.

(TL: Original term was 刷题, which has no translation. It’s a Chinese term that refers to doing loads and loads of practice exams.)

The gargantuan state apparatus was on the brink of collapse and stagnation but now, it was slowly moving in the right direction once more.

“Looks like we’ll have to work hard to so that we don’t lose to his majesty.”

“Haha, the old horse still dreams of galloping in the distant plains huh? haha.”

Austro-Hungary Empire, Vienna, Freud’s private clinic

(TL: Yes, that very Freud.)

“My lady, this condition you are in is a result of stress from too much impatience. Just wait patiently and that man will appear before you. A black haired young man… What a strange dream.”

“Is that so Mr Freud…”

In this clinic that appeared decades before it was supposed to, the golden haired young girl was currently consulting the famous psychologist on the recurring dream she was seeing about the black haired young man who reached out to her.

She had heard that this clinic was very accurate in its a.n.a.lyses of dreams and she came eager to get to the bottom of a conundrum that had been d.o.g.g.i.ng her for a while now. But all she got was an ambiguous answer which only strengthened her desire to know about the young man and why she was seeing him in her dreams.

— That young man who appears in my mind, what sort of person is he…

— Would I, really be able to meet him?