Reincarnated as Napoleon II Chapter 23: A Year Later

It was October 15, 1815. In the original tiline, this is the ti where Napoleon I would arrive in St. Helena where he’ll spend the rest of his life there as an exiled statesman.

But in this tiline, he was with Napoleon I, they were on their way to a certain factory at Le Creusot to inspect sothing.

"So you were saying that this is the ti I arrived on that desolate island huh? Those damn British, I’ll get back on them the mont France regained its footing," Napoleon I said, clenching his fist. "Even if it didn’t happen to , the fact that it happened in another tiline made want to invade their pitiful and depressing island and turn them into a colony."

"Now now father, calm yourself. There will be a ti where we will beat the shit out of the British economically and militarily. And we are going to inspect those machines that we have ordered to be constructed a year ago."

"I know son, I really hope you introduce to the wonders of modern weapons. If what you said was right, I don’t have much ti on this Earth."

"Father, just because you died in my tiline in 1821 doesn’t an you’ll die on the sa date. There are a lot of factors, one of which is the condition on where you were exiled," Napoleon II said. "Relax, you’ll outlive my tiline."

"I have been taking care of my health since you told about my death. I don’t want to die yet. I am destined for more," Napoleon I said.

Napoleon II smiled, yes, he’ll make sure that Napoleon I would see a modernized and industrialized France before he passed away.

The carriage stopped and the two of them looked out of the windows. It was a building made out of brick with black smoke billowing out of the chimney, a typical factory.

One of the Imperial Guards approached the carriage and opened the door. Napoleon II went out first, followed by Napoleon I.

Then a familiar figure stepped forward.

"Sire, Your Highness," it was Antoine Lefèvre, who bowed before them respectfully. "Your presence honors us," Antoine finished, straightening. "If you would follow , Sire. Everything is ready."

He led them inside.

The mont they crossed the threshold, the air changed. Hotter. Heavier. It slled of coal smoke, oil, and hot tal. The floor vibrated faintly underfoot, a steady pulse that didn’t co from n.

Napoleon I noticed it imdiately.

He stopped walking.

"What is that?" he asked.

Antoine smiled, just a little. "That, Sire, is the engine."

They rounded a corner, and it ca into full view.

A massive iron machine dominated the center of the hall. Thick columns bolted into stone. A wide flywheel turning slowly, steadily. Pistons moving with a rhythm that felt deliberate, controlled. Steam hissed softly through valves, not violently, not wastefully.

Napoleon II watched his father’s reaction closely.

Napoleon I said nothing at first.

The flywheel completed another rotation. No jerking. No sputtering. Just motion.

Antoine spoke carefully, like a man explaining sothing sacred.

"This is not a Newcon engine," he said. "It uses a separate condenser. The cylinder stays hot at all tis. Steam does the work. Not atmospheric pressure."

Napoleon stepped closer.

"How much coal?" he asked.

"Less than half of what the British engines consu," Antoine replied. "And it runs continuously."

Napoleon placed a hand against the iron housing. It was warm. Alive.

"One engine," Antoine continued, "drives the entire hall."

He gestured upward.

Overhead shafts ran the length of the ceiling. Belts dropped down from them, each one feeding a different machine.

They walked.

First stop: the lathe.

A heavy machine. Long bed. Thick fra. No decoration. A steel shaft spun slowly between centers while a cutting tool shaved it down, tal spiraling away in long curls.

Napoleon I watched the process.

Perfectly round.

No hamring. No guesswork.

Antoine spoke again. "We can reproduce shafts to the sa size repeatedly. That was impossible before."

Next was the milling machine.

A rotating cutter bit into a block of iron fixed firmly to the table. Flat surfaces erged where rough tal had been monts before.

Napoleon II nodded. This was the one he cared about.

Flat surfaces ant alignnt. Alignnt ant precision.

Then ca the stamping press.

A heavy fra. A slow, deliberate cycle. The press descended, crushed heated tal into shape, then rose again.

Antoine raised his voice slightly over the noise.

"Once the die is made, every part is identical."

Napoleon turned his head sharply.

"Identical?"

"Yes, Sire."

That word lingered.

They passed drill presses next. Slow rotation. Heavy clamps. No man holding tal by hand. No missing fingers.

Napoleon I exhaled slowly.

"This is an army," he said.

Antoine hesitated. Then nodded. "An army of machines."

Napoleon II smiled faintly.

Then Delaunay stepped forward.

"Sire," he said. "If you will follow ."

They moved deeper into the factory, into a section cordoned off by thick stone walls.

The heat intensified.

At the center stood a massive vessel, tilted slightly, thick-walled, its interior glowing orange-white.

Napoleon I squinted.

"What is that?"

Delaunay didn’t answer imdiately.

Air roared upward through the molten tal. The sound was violent. Sparks burst out like fireworks. The surface of the tal foad and writhed.

Napoleon took an involuntary step back.

Delaunay spoke over the noise.

"Pig iron," he said. "Impure. Brittle. Worthless for machines."

He pointed downward.

"Air is forced from below. Oxygen reacts with carbon, silicon, manganese. They burn off."

The roar intensified, then slowly began to subside.

The glow steadied.

"What remains," Delaunay continued, "is steel."

Napoleon stared.

"How long?" he asked.

"Minutes," Delaunay replied.

Napoleon turned to his son.

"Minutes," he repeated.

Napoleon II nodded. "Not hours. Not days."

Delaunay continued, voice tight with excitent now.

"We can produce more steel in one day than an entire region could before. And it is consistent."

Napoleon looked back at the converter.

"Cannons," he said quietly.

"This would change everything, Sire."

Napoleon was silent for a long ti.

The machines kept working.

The engine kept turning.

Finally, Napoleon spoke.

"I want this machine working for the developnt of France. I want every sector industrialized. This is how we are going to make France an economic superpower in the continent. No, in the whole world!"

"Uhm, Sire, there’s more too," Antoine said.

"What do you an?"

Antoine flickered his gaze at Napoleon II and the two of them stared at one another as if they planned sothing.