She changed Europe

Page 39

“Tsk, magic armor.” Richelieu noticed the huge black shadow painted blue. It was obviously the French army’s current revolutionary model magic armor, and the latest Revolution VI model at that.

"Are you from the military?" Richelieu could only guess based on the weapons and equipment.

Of course, all that responded to her was a dense hail of bullets and the smoke and dust kicked up by the shells.

As Shirley leaped into the air, she effortlessly wove her magical energy into a simple shield. For an excellent magical user, this was nothing more than a simple action. As for the strength of the shield itself, it was no match for the shield mounted on the magical armor.

The shockwaves from the bullets and magic cannons struck Shirley's shield, sending her and Count Bordeaux flying.

Intense pain shot through her body; clearly, in protecting the Earl, Shirley's right hand had been dislocated by the impact, and crimson blood flowed down her forehead to the ground.

Even though he was a magic user, he still had some difficulty facing a fully armed magic armor...

“Since you have chosen this path, you should pay the price.” Shirley drew the Sword of Roland with her left hand, using it to support her body, and looked solemnly at the crowd of people in the darkness and the tall magic armor.

"Tsk! This is really troublesome." At this moment, Xia Li bit her slightly pale lips.

"How disheveled you are! My dear Sister Xia Li, I never expected to see you here." At this moment, a young man slowly stepped out of the shadows. His black butler uniform made him look particularly dashing.

“Victor de Vere Hugo! How could it be you! Weren’t you exiled by the Emperor?” Shirley’s face, which had been expressionless as she prepared to die, showed a hint of unease and surprise.

This Victor de Verne Hugo was the youngest son of the famous writer Victor Hugo. Because his father's political views differed from Napoleon's, he was exiled by the emperor and eventually died abroad.

"Tell me? How long has it been since we last met?" Victor smiled and slowly walked up to Shirley, gently pressing his right hand on her shoulder. He brought his head very close to Shirley's and took a deep breath.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! It’s that familiar scent, the rich fragrance of violets. That’s right, this scent is unique to you, the eldest daughter of the Richelieu family. There’s also the smell of blood, the smell of soil, and yes, the smell of gunpowder.” Victor’s voice trembled, sounding suppressed and manic.

"My dearest Esmeralda, I am the ugly Quasimodo." Vidocq stood up, reciting a passage from Notre Dame de Paris, and shouted into the air with his arms outstretched.

“Do you know that the human heart can only hold a certain amount of despair? Once a sponge has absorbed enough water, even if the ocean flows over it, it cannot add any more.” Victor lowered his head again to look at the girl in front of him.

“Magnanimity is the only light that can illuminate a great soul; that’s what you told me,” Shirley said, looking at the man before her.

"Mercy? To whom? To His Majesty the Emperor who wields the butcher's knife against the people? Or to the damned fate that took you away from me?"

“Stop using that idea of ​​loyalty to the country and the obligations of a pathetic family to hold you hostage. You are not Richelieu, you are Charlie Jean de Plessy.” Victor deliberately omitted her surname.

"So, Shirley, quickly hand this man over to me, and then we can go back to how things were before, and you'll always be my sister." Victor's tone suddenly changed; his previous hysteria had vanished without a trace. Shirley had indeed admired the talented Victor, for he had inherited his father's romanticism and poetic sensibilities.

He was multi-talented and humorous, but unfortunately, the two never took their relationship any further...

“Victor, you know this means betrayal.” Richelieu bit her lip, then raised the Sword of Roland in her left hand. Trembling, she gently touched the hilt, channeling her magical energy into the weapon. The rapier gradually glowed, clearly a prelude to her attack.

"Is this your answer?" Victor sighed with a hint of self-mockery after seeing the girl who still chose to do her duty despite all this.

“As you can see, I will only pledge my loyalty to the Second French Empire, so…” Richelieu took a deep breath, with a hint of helplessness, and slammed the tip of her sword heavily into the ground. With the release of magical energy, the street surface centered on her immediately cracked in all directions, and the most central area sank directly.

The violent tremor caused Hugo, who was nearby, to stumble and nearly fall to the ground.

"Shirley, don't forget the promises we made to the people." As a staunch republican, Victor had his own clear political stance.

"A promise?" Shirley's expression held a hint of self-mockery.

"What a high-sounding reason! More than half a century has passed. Victor, do you still believe in so-called liberty, equality, and fraternity? Whether it was the Girondins, Jacobins, or Montagnes of the past... or the Bonapartists, Order Party, or Republicans of today, they are nothing but self-serving, ambitious people who think they represent the people. Democracy is nothing but a tool to be manipulated." Shirley wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and stood up with difficulty.

"A republic in name only is better than a dictatorial empire." This was Victor's stance, a stance he upheld throughout his life.

“Napoleon III crossed a line he should not have crossed.” Napoleon III initially became president of the Second French Republic through democratic elections, but fueled by his ambition, he staged a successful coup, turning the republic into an empire. His actions offended not only the republicans but also the Order Party (mainly composed of the Orthodox monarchists and the Orleans faction).

“Charles brought at least a few decades of stability to this chaotic and turbulent country.” The difference in political stances between Sharly and Victor may be the real reason for their estrangement.

"As long as I am here, you will not be able to harm this gentleman."

“Then I’ll have to kill you.” Victor turned his back and walked back towards the shadows. Rather than keeping this person who was destined to become his enemy because of personal feelings, it was better to let her die with dignity. Thinking of this, Victor couldn’t help but clench his fists.

PS1: Two Richelieu options, choose whichever you prefer.

Chapter 142 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 3 Jeanne and Shirley (Vote Requested)

The last chapter of the previous volume has been released 0v0

Upon hearing the order, Victor's men raised their weapons, but they hesitated briefly, for as Frenchmen, they were about to shoot their own country's magic user.

"Get to work!" Victor urged his men.

At this moment, Shirley planted Roland's sword in the ground, straightened her back, and despite her dislocated right hand and numerous wounds, the beauty and imposing presence of the girl before her were not diminished in the slightest. After all, she prided herself on being the last knight of France and had her own pride, and she would face death without fear.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Gunshots rang out, and at that moment Victor Hugo turned around abruptly, wanting to witness with his own eyes the way his former friend, or even his one-sided lover, died.

But an unexpected event occurred. In a location unnoticed by everyone, a magical armor descended from the sky like a meteor and crashed heavily to the ground, raising a huge cloud of dust while shielding Shirley from the bullets aimed at her.

"Damn it! What's going on now!" Victor struggled to hold onto the magic armor beside him with his right hand and shielded his eyes from the billowing smoke with his left. He tried to open his eyes wide to see what was happening inside the smoke.

A woman with her silver hair tied up stood in front of them, her magical armor composed of blue, white, and red, holding a huge banner-like spear in her magical armor.

"Jeanne de Darc! Why are you here!" Jeanne de Darc is a household name in France. As a descendant of Joan of Arc, the French national heroine, her very existence is a manifestation of the French national spirit.

Of course, Jeanne has never failed her surname. Decades ago, during the war between France and the Chinese Empire, she was only fourteen years old and served as a magic user in the vanguard. Together with Erza Augusta, the Duke of York (Dean Serena), a hero of the Crimean War, she fought against Su Beiming, a magic user of the Chinese Empire.

In terms of the outcome, although she was unable to defeat that powerful enemy, considering the opponent's extraordinary combat strength, Jeanne's defeat was not a shameful thing. After all, Su Beiming later fought twelve people at once, which can be considered a legend.

“Where should I be if I’m not here? Provence? A bug is a bug!” Jeanne narrowed her eyes, her expression full of mockery towards Victor.

As is well known, this descendant of Joan of Arc was arrogant and conceited. She didn't care about anyone's thoughts except for those she admired, as if these rebels were nothing more than insignificant ants in her eyes.

"Damn Bonaparte lackeys!" Unlike his lingering hope for Shirley, Victor clearly had no liking for Jeanne at all.

"Hahaha! Have the insects evolved into dogs? Are they already barking at people like dogs?" Jeanne deliberately inflated her voice, her tone still full of disdain.

"Sir, what should we do?" one of Victor's men asked in a low voice from behind him.

"What else can we do but retreat?" Victor knew perfectly well that the magic users piloting the magic armor could deal with them as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

He sighed, took four white spheres out of his pocket, and held them up.

"Yo yo yo! Is this a sign of surrender? So eager to raise your hands?" Despite her words, Jeanne did not let her guard down. She raised her hand, pointed the spear on her battle banner at her opponent, and then infused it with magical energy.

"Goodbye! You can save your revenge on the madwoman for next time." Victor threw the four spheres heavily to the ground, and a bright light rose up. The magical energy contained within them emitted a huge radiance, piercing the darkness of Paris in an instant.

Nadalk instinctively stopped her attack, raised the arm of her magic armor to block her vision, and also activated her magic shield. However, she never strayed far from Shirley behind her, since her primary objective at the moment was not to kill.

"Tsk!" After the bright light faded, only a huge magic-powered armor remained at the spot. The armor's hatch was now wide open, indicating that the magic-powered pilot who had been piloting the armor had retreated with Victor and the others.

After confirming that the enemy had indeed left, Jeanne stopped powering her magic armor. She easily removed the armor, jumped to the ground, and skillfully untied her hair, which had been tied up. Her waist-length, dazzling silver hair was thus exposed to the bright moonlight, adding a touch of holiness to her golden eyes and snow-white skin.

She slowly walked to Richelieu, who had fallen into a coma, and placed her slender fingers on the tip of the girl's beautiful nose, gently touching it and feeling her breath.

"What a troublesome fellow, daring to call himself a knight of France?" Jeanne's words seemed barbed, but her eyes were incredibly gentle, a stark contrast to her earlier hostility towards the enemy. As if sensing something strange at the tip of his nose, Richelieu struggled to open his eyes, only to see the familiar pretty face of the silver-haired girl.

"Thank you, Miss Darque," Richelieu said in a weak voice, expressing his gratitude to the silver-haired woman before him.

"I was just passing by!" Jeanne blushed slightly when she saw Richelieu expressing his gratitude to her so meticulously. As if sensing the strangeness on her face, she turned her head slightly to the side.

“Of course, saving you was just a side effect.” Jeanne tilted her head slightly, as if to emphasize it deliberately. Unfortunately, Jeanne’s little gesture did not attract the attention of the straight-laced Shirley. She first looked around and then turned her gaze to the middle-aged man who had fainted beside her.

"Is the Count alright?" Richelieu had not forgotten his duty.

“He’s fine, but if he’s dead, he’s dead.” Jeanne clearly didn’t care about things he wasn’t concerned about.

"Phew! That's good." Richelieu breathed a sigh of relief.

"By the way! Shouldn't you be in Provence preparing for the match? Why are you in Paris?" Perhaps confirming that he had not neglected his duties, Richelieu finally showed interest in Jeanne's situation.

Because of a secret agreement between France and the Savoy dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Sardinia, the French army had already secretly assembled troops in southern France last year, ready to send troops into northern Italy at the first sign of war when the Kingdom of Sardinia launched its war against Austria-Hungary.

"Just wandering around, just to relax..." Jeanne naturally didn't intend to tell Charlotte that she had come to help because she had received intelligence that someone might be carrying out an operation in Paris, and considering that Charlotte's morbid sense of responsibility might be in danger.

"You're still so carefree, completely disregarding His Majesty's orders." Hearing this, Shirley sighed and tapped Jeanne on the head.

“Oh…” Jeanne rubbed her silver hair and responded softly.

PS1: I still think Jeanne Alter's design is more in line with my expectations.

Chapter 143 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 4 Shadows Within Shadows (Seeking votes and subscriptions)

—Located in the suburbs of Paris

Inside a manor where sounds echoed, a woman was enjoying a long-lost moment of tranquility until a knock came at the door.

Seemingly with a sense of unfulfilled regret, the woman stood up with slight dissatisfaction, rolled up the bed sheet to wrap herself in, and kicked her immobile partner off the bed.

"Please come in." The woman crossed her legs and looked coldly toward the door.

“Lord Thiers, Lord Victor has failed.” The girl outside the door looked down at her feet, not daring to look directly at the woman in the room. Sarah Adolph Thiers, yes, the historical Thiers in this world. Historically, most people's understanding of him is limited to his harsh suppression of the Paris Commune, and his mentors' evaluations of him were mostly negative, because he stood against the people.

"Oh? Is that so? Isn't that what I expected?" Thiers' tone was very calm, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

“But sir, the Count of Bordeaux has a list of a large portion of the opposition figures we are secretly in contact with.” The girl didn’t understand why the woman in front of her could be so calm.

“From the beginning, I never expected to rely on those hopeless Republicans. Compared to instigating an internal upheaval to overthrow Bonaparte, there is clearly a better strategy right now.” Thiers stood up, a strange smile playing on his lips, and walked toward the girl standing in front of the door.

“Do you understand what I mean, Charlotte…” Thiers whispered playfully in the girl’s ear, while her right hand brushed across the girl’s cheek.

"I don't understand what you mean, sir." The girl's cheeks were slightly flushed, but she still stood there meticulously.

"The opportunity is in Italy!" Thiers smiled as he observed the girl in front of him, then took her hand and placed it on his chest.

"Can you feel the throbbing here!" Two gentle and beautiful things were laid out before them, and even as a same-sex person, one could not help but be attracted by Lord Thiers's beauty.

The next second, Thiers pinned the girl against the wall, roughly touching her soft, jelly-like lips and her fair neck...

"Charlotte, let Italy bleed, and everything in France will be mine." Thiers looked at the girl before him with icy eyes and murmured softly.

By March 1870, nearly a year had passed since the war with Denmark. Gisela had not had an easy time during that year, as the sword of Damocles of the Prussians had been hanging over her head, forcing her to spend a great deal of time secretly increasing the empire's chances of winning the war.

Fortunately, she performed exceptionally well in the war against Denmark, defeating Princess Alexandra of Denmark in a one-on-one duel. These achievements enhanced her prestige within the army to some extent. Of course, the battle summary report submitted to Emperor Joseph by Gisela and her sister, Princess Sophie, also forced the emperor to acknowledge the gap between the Imperial Army and the Prussian Army in terms of weaponry and training.

In fact, if the main attacking force had been the Imperial Army instead of the Prussian Army, the casualties and losses would likely have been even greater. The troops needed a complete refit with breech-loading rifles; the Prussian army had proven their reliability in combat, and the more varied firing methods allowed infantry more tactical maneuvers. Furthermore, breech-loading offered faster reloading efficiency and greater firepower.

On the other hand, there was the concept of machine gun defense. The sheer number of enemy troops charging in the field made Gisela realize the immense value of machine guns in defense. Fortunately, Denmark's weaponry was outdated, and they didn't consider using machine guns as a weapon to enhance their defenses. The world's first machine gun was invented as early as 1860 by Richard Jordan Gatling. However, this invention didn't receive much attention from Western powers, and machine guns only saw limited use during the American Civil War.

The report also included specific plans for nighttime artillery bombardment, as well as training exercises specifically incorporated into the military manuals for the coordination of infantry and magical armor. Unfortunately, the infantry lacked effective vehicles for deployment, and ordinary mass-produced magical armor did not possess strong mobility, which rendered Gisela's vision of a "mechanized" force ahead of its time a pipe dream.

To achieve a qualitative leap in military strength, technological advancement is indeed the only sensible approach. Aside from military matters, Gisela also secured control of the Kingdom of Bohemia from the old emperor. You might wonder why the emperor would entrust the heart of the empire to Gisela?

In fact, the right to govern Bohemia was originally intended for Gisela's younger brother, Rudolf, who is now the Crown Prince. After all, he is also the one who will inherit the throne of Bohemia. However, because Rudolf is still young (he is 12 years old, while Gisela is 14), her second sister has been asked to assist him in governing Bohemia. This is equivalent to finding a magic-wielding bodyguard for Rudolf.

Of course, having the right to govern does not mean that one must actually participate in management, because the empire has a well-established bureaucratic system. Officials are responsible to Rudolf, but even more so to the emperor.

Gisela was thus packaged together with the old emperor and sent to Prague, the capital of Bohemia.

On the royal train, Gisela was watching the blond, blue-eyed boy with amusement. Perhaps due to his parents' good looks, the boy's demeanor and appearance surpassed those of his peers. Although he seemed somewhat ethereal, the ascetic aristocratic youth was still quite popular in this era of IM aliens. (Of course, handsome young boys often have a talent for cross-dressing, lol.)

Can you imagine? The handsome young man before you is your own brother, sharing the same bloodline. And the crucial point is, do you know what? Beneath his cool, dashing exterior lies a secretly passionate heart. Sending a love letter to his own sister with such blatant flirtatious words written in an envelope—what kind of stunt is this? Thinking back to the letter from a year ago, Gisela felt there was plenty of room for maneuver.

After all, Gisela isn't some kind of demon, is she?

(The beginning has been abridged)

PS1: Charlotte in France easily reminds me of someone, haha ​​0v0!

Chapter 144 Irises Fading in the Alps: Capter 5 My Foolish Brother

Rudolph can't really be blamed for this. After all, in her opinion, her second sister, who is usually quite transparent, has suddenly become much more active in the past two years. She has even awakened to become a magic user and has grown a pair of exotic animal ears on her head.

These things were naturally very attractive to the young man who was just beginning to experience love, not to mention that his second sister was becoming more and more "beautiful". Her long golden hair was as smooth as Eastern silk, her fair and lovely face was beautiful and her lips were delicious. Her figure was also developing in the direction of their mother, Queen Elizabeth, the most beautiful woman in Europe.

This perfect person, who combines Western and Eastern styles, is not only a magical wielder but also a genius musician. If he were to make her his "empress" in the future, she could not only help him rule the empire and handle government affairs but also give birth to an excellent heir. Most importantly, this also involves the sense of immorality brought about by incestuous blood ties. All of this undoubtedly aroused more anticipation in Rudao, who was prone to daydreaming.

Compared to them, the aristocratic young ladies who preen themselves all day long are simply boring and uninteresting.

As for your eldest sister Sophie, forget about her. After all, she's too strict. If she found out about your little schemes, she'd definitely report you to Mother, unlike your second sister who's so gentle...

Thinking of this, Rudolf looked up at his second sister Gisela, who was sitting opposite him. Gisela was also watching her brother with great interest, considering how to get something out of him.

"Sister, the weather is really nice today!" Rudolf seemed to notice his sister's gaze, so he pretended to be calm and gave a smile.

Rudolf had been prepared for his parents to find out about the letter he sent a year ago, but nothing has come of it yet. So he can only assume that his sister doesn't seem to reject his feelings, and that he can be bolder.

“Indeed.” Gisela replied coldly, naturally turning her head to look out the car window at the scenery rushing past.

It's hard to say how far Bismarck and her king have prepared. A year is both a long and a short time, and if Prussia were to launch an attack now, everything would be over. She has never been more eager for an economic crisis than she is now.

The Italian independence movement had not yet erupted, and France's involvement in the war against Sardinia might not have been a bad thing. If Sardinia attacked the Empire alone, although the Empire was confident of defeating Sardinia, Prussia would undoubtedly be in trouble if it betrayed them at that time. With France joining, the war became a war between the great powers of France and Austria, and at this point, the wise Bismarck would absolutely not betray the Empire.

Because if Prussia betrayed the Empire, it would be tantamount to forging a de facto alliance with France. Regardless of whether such an alliance actually existed, the British Empire would have ample reason to get involved. For Great Britain, if the Empire were to fall, who would counterbalance France and ambitious Russia on the European continent? Clearly, compared to the mediocre Habsburg Empire, France, which had produced Empress Napoleon, was a more formidable adversary, especially since the current Emperor of the French Empire was also "Napoleon."

Britain would never allow multiple wars to break out among the major European powers. What they wanted most was to maintain the status quo. The strength of the British Empire during the Victorian era was the foundation upon which they were able to implement such a strategy. The British were now the most likely ally of the empire, since common interests always attract each other.

"What are you thinking about, Your Highness?" Rudolf asked casually, seeing that Gisela had no intention of continuing the conversation.

"Nothing, just thinking about some things for the future." Gisela turned around and looked at the boy in front of her again, her tone rather indifferent.

"The future?" Rudolf murmured softly, then lowered his head and rubbed his hands together somewhat awkwardly, which Gisela saw.

Having been a man herself, she had a fairly clear understanding of what her younger brother was thinking. However, you wore your anxiety on your sleeve, my foolish brother.

No wonder pretty girls can easily manipulate men; they're just too easy to understand...