Is there such a thing as fate?
Napoleon wrote Supper at Beaucaire as in the original history.
All I did was take him to a coffeehouse.
“How about it?”
“Napoleon, let’s publish this as a pamphlet.”
“Publish it?”
“Yes, the content is good, so if we’re lucky, the Convention might take notice.”
“Do you think my writing could attract the attention of the Convention?”
Napoleon looked doubtful.
From his perspective, not knowing the future, it would have been hard to imagine that the Convention would take notice of the writing of a mere junior officer.
But I knew.
I knew that Supper at Beaucaire would catch the attention of the National Convention.
That this attention would make Napoleon the artillery commander at Toulon.
“Trust me, Napoleon.”
I spoke with confidence.
“The Convention will surely show interest.”
“Since you insist so much, I’ll go ahead and publish it.”
The mention of the “Convention” spurred Napoleon to decide on publishing the pamphlet without much hesitation.
Being a minor noble, Napoleon was desperate for success.
But even so, he did not seem to have high expectations.
It would have been odd to believe that a thin political pamphlet could open the path to success.
And a few days later, Supper at Beaucaire was published, only to be buried without much notice.
Its reception was so dismal that even saying it was “buried” seemed excessive.
After all, in revolutionary France, dozens of political pamphlets were released every day.
However, while it failed to make a societal impact, Napoleon’s pamphlet did manage to attract the attention of one person.
“Who is this man called Napoleon?”
That man was a member of the National Convention and the younger brother of the French revolutionary leader Maximilien.
He was Augustin Robespierre.
According to history, Augustin, impressed by Supper at Beaucaire, would appoint Napoleon as the artillery commander at Toulon.
He would later become the strong backer who helped Napoleon rise to the rank of general.
Unless something unexpected happened, Augustin would support Napoleon again this time.
The problem was timing.
“The Siege of Toulon has been going on for a while now.”
In history, Napoleon caught Augustin’s attention with Supper at Beaucaire shortly after the siege began.
But now, the siege had already been underway for quite some time.
Even if Augustin took an interest in Napoleon, the chances of assigning him as the artillery commander of Toulon were slim.
It was unlikely that they would replace a commanding officer in the middle of a war.
However, I had to make Napoleon the artillery commander at Toulon.
— Help Napoleon win the Siege of Toulon!
To complete the quest from my status window, Napoleon had to participate in the siege.
“But how…?”
As I racked my brain, my eyes landed on the shelves of a general store.
There sat a cheap tea set I had bought through home shopping.
“This might work.”
My dilemma seemed to have an unexpectedly simple solution.
In early modern Europe, “the mystery of the East”—Orientalism—was in vogue.
This fascination was evident in Marco Polo’s The Travels of Marco Polo and Isabella Bird’s Bishop’s Travels.
Those who visited the East invariably described it as a mystical and fantastical world.
Thus, Europeans harbored an inexplicable fascination with the East.
One of the most coveted items influenced by this trend was blue-and-white porcelain.
Today, such designs are common on tea sets and cheap flower pots, but this was not the case in early modern Europe.
The cobalt blue pigment used in porcelain was an incredibly expensive material, even for the nobility.
To Europeans, blue-and-white porcelain, painted with intricate blue patterns on a white background, was a symbol of luxury and vanity.
Owning blue-and-white porcelain signified wealth and power, as well as refined taste in recognizing art from the mysterious East.
Augustin Robespierre, a member of the National Convention, was also someone who took great care in cultivating such a refined image.
“This is… blue-and-white porcelain!”
His eyes widened at the sight of the teacup on the table.
Porcelain was already hard to obtain, but here was a blue-and-white porcelain teacup.
The finely drawn Eastern landscape on the cup was enough to captivate Augustin’s interest.
“The owner of this teacup wishes to see me?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Bring them in at once.”
Following Augustin’s orders, his aide left the office.
A moment later, the aide returned with a young man of Eastern descent.
“Welcome.”
Augustin stood up to greet him politely.
“I am Augustin Robespierre, a Montagnard member of the National Convention.”
“I am Seojun Choi.”
“May I call you Sir Choi?”
“Call me whatever you find comfortable.”
“Haha, please have a seat.”
Augustin took a liking to this young man from the East.
Not only had he brought blue-and-white porcelain, but his fluency in French also made a strong impression.
“Sir Choi, you are quite proficient in French.”
“After years of trade, I became fluent.”
“Still, it is remarkable. I have never met an Easterner so skilled in French before.”
After praising Seojun Choi for a while, Augustin casually inquired,
“This teacup… It appears to be blue-and-white porcelain, is that correct?”
“You are absolutely right. You have a keen eye.”
“Haha, I have seen a few pieces at the Palace of Versailles.”
Augustin, who had received praise for his insight, had a smile on his lips.
“By the way, is it really true that this teacup is a gift for me?”
“Yes, I couldn’t come to see you, a member of the National Assembly, empty-handed.”
Augustin was secretly surprised by Choi Seojun’s answer.
It was no wonder, as blue-and-white porcelain was so valuable that it was referred to as ‘white gold.’
One piece of pottery could be worth the price of a luxurious house in Paris.
Especially for such an exquisitely crafted teacup, it must have been of immense value.
To bring such a precious teacup as a gift…
Augustin began to like Choi Seojun even more.
Of course, he was not so naïve as to think that Choi Seojun had simply given him the teacup out of goodwill.
“Choi, what brings you here?”
“I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor? What kind of favor?”
Augustin felt a slight tension.
If someone were to bring such a precious item as a gift, it was clear that a difficult request must be waiting.
Augustin, who was very fond of the teacup, hoped for a request that he could grant.
However…
“It concerns the appointment of General Napoleon.”
“Napoleon?”
The unexpected name made Augustin blink.
“Are you referring to the officer who wrote Supper at Beaucaire?”
“Yes.”
Augustin was well aware of Napoleon, as he had read his pamphlet with great interest and was considering calling him to Paris.
A transfer of officers was not difficult for Augustin, who held significant power within the National Assembly.
The request turned out to be easier than expected, and Augustin was inwardly pleased, though he put on a firm expression.
“Receiving something in return for transferring an officer is procedurally illegal.”
“I’m not asking for an illegal favor. I am simply making a ‘recommendation.'”
“Hmm, if it’s just a recommendation, then that’s possible.”
Upon hearing the word ‘recommendation,’ Augustin’s expression softened.
In the subtle political world of the National Assembly, the distinction between illegal and legal could be defined by a mere difference in expression.
Then, Choi Seojun spoke.
“I would like to recommend Napoleon as the commander of the artillery at Toulon.”
The French Revolution was a revolution led by citizens.
As a result, the revolutionary army had no officers with real combat experience.
It was common to see a dentist as a commander and an artist leading the front lines—things that would be unthinkable in modern times.
The revolutionary army was a parachute appointment system where connections mattered more than ability.
Napoleon, an elite artillery officer from a military academy, could be considered the elite among elites.
Even so, it was rare for a commander to be replaced in the middle of a war…
“I have… been appointed as the artillery commander at Toulon.”
“That’s great.”
“How did this happen…?”
“Congratulations, Napoleon.”
Contrary to expectations, Napoleon was appointed as the artillery commander for the Siege of Toulon.
Recommender:
- Maximilien Robespierre, President of the National Assembly
Thus, ‘Steel Parachute’ Napoleon made his appearance.