Receiving Commissioner

In the Palace of Bliss, Lucien is receiving Victor Treville, one of his rising stars.

"Victor," Lucien said, "I've heard you have an older brother who is now working for the Count of Provence."

"Yes, Your Excellency Minister," Victor replied frankly. "I reported these matters to the disciplinary inspection department long ago, in accordance with regulations. Moreover, my political views have always differed from his."

"I know all that, Victor. I think your brother is just averse to Robespierre and his ilk, not truly opposed to the republic. Also, as far as I know, the Count of Provence may be leaving Britain for North America. I think this is practically the end of the Bourbon's power. Do you agree?"

"You're right, Minister," Victor replied.

"Bourbon is no longer of any value. When the Count of Provence decided to leave Britain for North America, he had already admitted his defeat—he and Bourbon had no future. Therefore, many of his subordinates need to think about their own futures. On the other hand, with the Republic's position more consolidated, we can be more lenient. I think you understand what I mean, right?"

"I understand. Only the strong have the right to be tolerant," Victor replied.

"Among the former nobles of France, there were many outstanding figures. It would be a great waste to let them disappear from the stage of history along with the Bourbon Dynasty. In fact, many people of noble birth have made outstanding contributions to the Republic, and the Republic does not discriminate against them. It is also willing to give them the rewards they deserve."

For example, your uncle, Admiral Treville, was of noble birth. Because of his victory in North Africa, he was about to be promoted to "Marshal" and receive the titles of Roman Nobility and senator; he would also receive a mine in Tripoli as a reward, and the Turkey Sultan would also award him a plantation rich in olive oil. My friend, France is now a republic, and there are no longer any nobles; but Rome was an empire, and it had nobles—nobles whose lineage could be passed down through generations.

Victor, since the establishment of the Consulate, France has internally reformed its order, initially establishing a republic of the people, by the people, and for the people; externally, it has won countless battles, illuminating the whole of Europe with France glory. Today, France stands at the pinnacle of the world, enjoying unprecedented glory. Even the best of times for the Bourbon is like a firefly compared to the full moon in the sky compared to France today.

Recently, the Republic is about to grant another amnesty. Nobles who, for various reasons, went astray and stood on the opposite side of history, as long as they repent and sincerely return, with their talents and abilities, why should they worry about not finding a place to use them? I think after the amnesty decree is issued, you can contact your brother. Talented people shouldn't waste their talents on unworthy things. Understand?"

"I understand," Victor quickly replied.

"Furthermore, given your outstanding performance and the many important tasks you have accomplished, I, as the tribune of the Roman Empire, have proposed to the Imperial Senate that you be admitted as a citizen of the Roman Empire. Do you have any objections to this?"

"I am very grateful for your recommendation. It is an honor to be a citizen of the great Roman Empire," Victor quickly replied.

"Very good. Besides, your son's drawing skills are quite good." Lucien suddenly smiled. "After Jacques - Louis David saw his paintings last time, he praised him for his talent. He even offered to be your son's art teacher. I think he will become a good painter in the future."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency Minister," Victor said.

"Alright, finally, we have one more thing we need you to do on a long trip. I know you just got back from your trip not long ago. You want to stay home longer and spend more time with your wife and kids. But, Victor, why do we all toil and struggle like this outside? Isn't it so that they can have a peaceful life at home in the future?" Lucien said.

"Minister, where am I going this time?" Victor asked.

"North Africa. To be precise, Tripoli," Lucien replied. "Go there with Pastor Peter of the Holy See. Once you get there, determine the land allocated to those freed slaves, organize them, and establish a capable militia."

Also, keep an eye on the Holy See. Although they're on our side for now on this matter, the organization must be kept under our control. Victor, do you know what to do?

"Understood." Victor nodded.

"Tell me your thoughts," Lucien asked.

Victor thought for a moment before replying, "Organizational ties based on economic integration are the most stable. So the first priority is to organize those Christ farmers into a commercial and production sector, having them produce olive oil or other profitable products, and then uniformly purchase and sell them, just like the Veterans Association does in the countryside. Moreover, because North Africa isn't necessarily suitable for growing food, once such a structure is formed, their dependence on us will deepen. Of course, this is just the general idea; the specific methods will only take shape after I understand more."

"Excellent!" Lucien clapped his hands. "Victor, I was right about you. You are indeed a discerning, capable, and promising individual! Go find Ferrero later; he should have prepared the relevant materials by now. For the next week, you can read these materials in the small reading room of the Palace of Bliss every day, but you cannot take them away, understand? After a week, submit your complete plan to me. If there are no problems, we can arrange for you to go to North Africa."

After leaving Lucien's office, Victor went to the secretariat and found Lucien's real secretary Ferrero.

Ferrero was a thin, short, middle-aged man who always wore a black suit, making him stand out starkly against the atmosphere of the Palace of Bliss. After Victor explained his purpose, he carefully examined Victor's various documents—even though he had just come from the minister's office. Once he was certain that the man before him was not an imposter, he nodded and said, "Mr. Treville, the relevant documents have been prepared for you. Please follow me."

Victor followed the short man into a small reading room. Ferrero opened the door and said to Victor, "Mr. Treville, please wait here for a moment. I'll bring you the materials right away."

Victor went in and sat down at the desk, looking around the reading room. Unlike the other rooms in Palace of Bliss, this reading room was exceptionally simple. The large desk was simply varnished, flat and without any decoration. There was only a small button on the right side. To the right of the desk was a state-of-the-art typewriter. The chair was also of a common style, without any carvings. Even the lamp overhead was a very ordinary one. However, because the reading room had large floor-to-ceiling windows, the natural light was excellent, making the room quite bright.

As Victor was looking around, he saw Ferrero enter with a servant pushing a small cart filled with various books and documents. The servant pushed the cart in and then turned to leave. Ferrero then said to Victor, "Mr. Treville, these are the documents the minister asked me to prepare for you. You can look through them here, but you cannot take notes or take them out. If you need food or tea, or if you wish to leave, you can press that button; the servant is next door."

After saying this, he nodded slightly to Victor and then left the reading room.

Victor then walked to the car and began to look at the documents.

Clearly, Ferrero had found quite a comprehensive set of information for Victor, categorized in great detail. It included information on local history, geography, culture, climate, and products, as well as the latest intelligence. Victor first picked up the latest intelligence, returned to his desk, and sat down to read it carefully.

A week later, Victor handed Lucien a stack of printed documents. After carefully reviewing them, Lucien said to Victor, "Very good, Victor! Go home and rest for a couple of days, prepare yourself, and we'll arrange for you to go to Tripoli soon."

Almost simultaneously, in the Holy See, the Pope was also giving instructions to a bishop named Torres. Since presiding over Napoleon's coronation, the old Pope's health had been declining day by day, and he knew that the day he would be called by God was not far off.

Regardless of whether the Pope truly believed in God, at this point, reflecting on his life, he couldn't help but recall his predecessor, Pope Urban VIII's assessment of Richelieu: "If God truly exists, then our brother's fate on the other side can be explained; if God doesn't exist, then his life was truly remarkable."

As for the question of whether God exists, well, you should ask His Holiness the Pope, and of course he'll say He exists. Especially now, when this will soon be proven, he's unconsciously started thinking about "how to explain this to God." Under his rule, the Holy See's status has declined significantly, which is indeed difficult to explain.

So His Holiness the Pope felt he had to seize this last opportunity to do something big—no, something truly pleasing to God. He said breathlessly, "Torres, my brother, you know those lambs in North Africa have been straying from the Church for a long time... We must find a way to guide them back to the right path, to be worthy of God's trust. In North Africa, we must rely on the France, but also... we must also be wary of them, we cannot let... we cannot let their things corrupt... corrupt the lambs... Do you understand?"