"So, can we test drive this?" Napoleon II asked.
"We can, Your Imperial Majesty. But the question is where? We are in the center of Paris and the people would see it..."
"It’s fine, let them see what the Ministry of Science and Technology had been working on. What’s missing is the field test, so let’s go to the field. I’ll drive since I designed it," Napoleon II said.
There was a brief silence in the garage.
Nicéphore glanced at Claudine-Antoinette. Lemaine stiffened slightly but did not object. Charles-Louis on the other hand didn’t react and simply watched the interactions. He still doesn’t grasp the concept of automobile despite being here in the place where Napoleon II had explained it to the brothers.
Claude stepped forward first.
"We will need to open the rear gate, Your Imperial Majesty. The engine has already been ward earlier for calibration. It will start without difficulty."
Napoleon II nodded.
Nicéphore moved to the front of the vehicle and lifted the hood. He perford a final inspection
He checked the fuel line connection, tightened the carburetor linkage, confird that the ignition timing lever was set to neutral advance, and verified oil circulation through the sight glass. The lubrication system was chanical, pressure-fed by a gear-driven oil pump. The gauge needle sat at a steady reading.
Satisfied, he lowered the hood and secured it with two side latches.
Claudine-Antoinette entered the driver’s side first and adjusted the seat position forward slightly. The seat fra slid along a chanical rail and locked with a tal click. She stepped out again and gestured.
Napoleon II entered the vehicle again, this ti in the driver seat. He grabbed the steering wheel and caressed it and began to feel nostalgic. He was really speeding up the technological tree so as to bring modern convenience to this world.
He looked at a large circular speedoter at the center. Smaller gauges for oil pressure, engine temperature, and fuel level arranged in a clean horizontal line. The steering wheel was wide in diater to provide leverage, wrapped in stitched leather.
Three pedals were positioned at his feet. Clutch on the left. Brake in the middle. Accelerator on the right.
The gear lever stood to his right, with a four-speed manual gate: first, second, third, fourth, and reverse.
Claude leaned in slightly from the open door.
"The fuel valve is already open. Ignition switch is here. Starter lever below the dashboard."
Napoleon II nodded once.
He turned the ignition key to the first position. A faint chanical click followed as current from the lead-acid battery energized the ignition coil.
He pressed the starter.
The engine turned over with a heavy tallic rotation, then the combustion caught.
Napoleon II placed his left foot on the clutch pedal and pressed it fully down. He moved the gear lever into first.
Smooth engagent.
He released the parking brake.
The large garage doors at the rear were opened fully. Sunlight spilled across the concrete floor.
"How would this contraption move," Lemaine muttered under his breath.
"We shall see for ourselves," Charles-Louis said.
Napoleon II slowly lifted his foot off the clutch while gently pressing the accelerator.
The automobile moved forward, eliciting reaction from Charles and Lemaine.
"It’s moving!"
The automobile rolled out of the garage and onto the stone courtyard of the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts.
Napoleon II kept his hands steady on the steering wheel as he guided the vehicle in a slow arc across the open grounds.
He pressed the accelerator slightly more.
The vehicle responded at once.
The suspension absorbed the uneven joints between stone slabs. The coil springs and hydraulic dampers did their work quietly. The chassis did not rattle.
He completed the first circle at low speed, around fifteen kiloters per hour.
On the second pass, he shifted into second gear.
Clutch in. Lever forward. Clutch out. Throttle applied.
The motion remained controlled.
The steering felt heavy but predictable. The recirculating ball chanism required firm input, yet the front wheels obeyed precisely. There was no excessive play in the column.
He increased speed slightly.
Twenty-five kiloters per hour.
Napoleon II completed another circle, this ti testing braking response. He pressed the brake pedal progressively.
The hydraulic master cylinder transmitted force to all four drum brakes. The vehicle slowed in a straight line. No pull to the left or right. The weight transfer was noticeable but controlled.
He released the brake and continued.
On the third lap, he increased throttle further. The engine climbed in revolutions. The sound deepened but did not strain. Oil pressure remained stable. Temperature needle steady.
Thirty-five kiloters per hour.
For a closed courtyard, that was sufficient.
He eased off and guided the automobile toward the garage entrance again. He brought it to a smooth stop.
He turned his head toward the onlookers.
"Get in."
There was hesitation.
Nicéphore moved first. He opened the front passenger door and sat beside Napoleon II. Claude entered the rear on the left side. Charles-Louis followed him. Lemaine hesitated only a mont before taking the remaining rear seat.
The doors closed with solid weight.
Napoleon II pressed the clutch again and engaged first gear.
The automobile moved once more, now carrying five adults without difficulty.
The engine did not struggle. The torque at lower revolutions handled the added weight easily.
He drove another full circle of the grounds, this ti slightly faster than before. The long wheelbase provided stability even with the increased load.
Inside, the cabin remained relatively calm. There was vibration, but it was damped. No wooden creaking like a carriage.
"So this is what you call the future of transportation?" Charles-Louis asked.
"It is," Napoleon II confird.
He guided the automobile toward the rear gate of the grounds.
Guards who were at the gates were confused as to what’s approaching them. They signaled it to stop the mont it reached the gate.
Once the vehicle stopped, the guards approached it and there they saw high-ranking officials.
"Let us through gentlen," Napoleon II simply said.
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