It Came Without the Slightest Effort

As the two were talking, they heard a slow, rhythmic drumbeat coming from the north side of the Playground. ♞♢ ☢🐊

The Instructor in charge of training on the Playground immediately called for a halt and began to gather the troops. The group of police officers closest to the Playground gate had already lined up and run towards a gray building not far away.

Diboa patted Alexander on the shoulder and gestured towards the gray building. "Time for lunch. Ah, what day is it today?"

"Wednesday."

"Oh, right, it's Wednesday. You're in luck; they have Stewed Beef and Butter pea soup today."

In the spacious Dining Hall, Alexander looked at the hundreds of cadets waiting for their meal and asked in a low voice with a hint of doubt, "François, aren't we going to the officers' Dining Hall?"

Diboa replied matter-of-factly, "This is the officers' Dining Hall, and of course, the cadets' Dining Hall."

"But..." Alexander subconsciously thought of the black bread and cured meat that soldiers in his army usually ate, "Are we really going to eat here?"

Diboa knew why his old friend had this question.

In the France army, officers and soldiers belong to two separate classes, and the Police Force is similar. Soldiers or police officers are equivalent to ordinary people, while officers and police officers are considered Nobility. Their living conditions are vastly different, and they would never eat together, much less eat the same food.

He nodded and explained, "Yes, that's how it is here. Officers and police officers mingle together; I'm used to it."

Before he finished speaking, a police officer came over with a tray, bowed to him and Diboa, and then placed two dishes in front of them.

Alexander was stunned. It was Stewed Beef and Butter pea soup, along with white bread and half an egg.

He quickly turned to look at the tables of other colleges, and found that they were serving the same food!

He looked at Diboa in surprise and whispered, "The trainees here eat so well?!"

Diboa handed him the cutlery, shaking his head. "We can only have Stewed Beef on Wednesdays, and lamb or turkey on Fridays. The rest of the time it's just pork or fish."

Alexander stared wide-eyed, finding it hard to believe. In the army where he served, soldiers' rations consisted of bread, Wine, and a small piece of cured meat. Here, a plate of stew in front of the policeman was equivalent to three days' worth of meat for those soldiers.

Moreover, it's freshly stewed, piping hot and incredibly fragrant, far superior to cured meat.

No wonder those officers can run a Lieue in 15 minutes carrying 18 pounds of weight. It's all thanks to their excellent food!

He looked at Diboa again and asked, "How much will this cost?"

"Each person needs 5 to 7 su per day. His Crown Prince said that we must not skimp on food."

"So many!" Alexander exclaimed in disbelief. Was this really Police? His soldiers only made 300 soldiers a day...

He suddenly realized something. "François, why do you keep mentioning the Crown Prince?"

"Because this Police Academy was founded by His Highness," Diboa said, chewing on his beef. "His Highness directly allocates the funding. He also sets the training syllabus. Oh, and His Highness often comes to listen to lectures or participate in training."

As he was speaking, he heard an Instructor shout from the doorway, "Everyone stand up!"

Everyone in the Dining Hall immediately stood up, followed by the boy's friendly voice. "Please, everyone, have a seat. Don't let me disturb your meal."

Alexander turned his eyes and saw a young man in Paris Police uniform, accompanied by several Police Academy Leadership, enter the Dining Hall.

Diboa lowered his voice and said, "I knew it, His Highness comes here often."

"Is this His Crown Prince?"

"Yes, he usually only comes on Mondays and Thursdays, but sometimes he'll drop by while he's in town."

The other officers did not sit down until Joseph took a seat at a table.

Soon, several officers proudly placed Stewed Beef and other dishes on the table for Joseph and the Dean of Academic Affairs. Serving meals to His Crown Prince was an unparalleled honor, requiring two consecutive excellent performances in the exercises to qualify.

Thank you very much.

Joseph nodded his thanks to the officers, then his gaze suddenly fell on an unfamiliar face next to Diboa.

"Major Diboa, and who is this?"

Diboa and his companion hurried over, raising their hats in greeting.

Diboa gestured to his side. "Your Highness, this is Major Berthier, whom you asked about before."

Alexander Berthier appeared very reserved and immediately bowed again. "It is an honor to meet you, Your Crown Prince."

Joseph's eyes lit up immediately. He had only decided to attend a Logistics Support Course on a whim, but he hadn't expected to gain so much.

Chief of the Chief of Staff, I've finally met you in person! This time, I absolutely must keep you here!

He smiled and nodded at Berthier: "Please have a seat. I've heard of your outstanding performance at the Battle of Yorktown; without your meticulous planning, the United Kingdom might have held out for much longer."

Berthier sat up straight and said, "It was a tough battle, Your Highness. Fortunately, we won in the end with victory and glory."

Joseph then began to talk to Berthier about the Battle of Yorktown.

"Oh? Major Diboa invited you to visit the Police Academy?"

As Joseph spoke, he subtly gave Diboa an approving look.

"Oh, yes, Your Highness," Berthier stammered, still somewhat nervous. "Actually, I have a cousin in Paris getting married, so I rushed over. François just wrote in, saying he works at the Paris Police Academy and that it's a very special place..."

After he finished speaking, Joseph asked casually, "By the way, Major Berthier, you're serving in Soissons now, aren't you?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Diboa leaned closer and whispered, "Your Highness, François has been serving in the Engineer Battalion' battalion. Actually, he came to Paris this time to try and find a way to be transferred back to Paris. However, I'm afraid he doesn't have 'sufficient qualifications' yet."

Joseph knew that the "conditions" he mentioned referred to the cost of smoothing things over. He never expected that the Chief of Staff would be in such a sorry state within the old military system.

But for me, it was like finding something I'd been searching for everywhere without even trying.

He was secretly delighted, thinking, "It's good that I want to go back to Paris; I really need manpower right now."

He smiled at Berthier, "Perhaps I can recommend you to the Marquis de Saint-Priest for a position in the Imperial Guards or the French Guard."

Berthier was overjoyed that the Crown Prince would do her such a great favor, and immediately stood up excitedly. "Your Highness, I truly don't know how to express my gratitude!"

Bessonval pulled up his collar; the winter wind was so cold it made it hard to open his eyes. "This damn weather."

He shook the reins and turned to ask the officer beside him, "How much further?"

"General, there are less than 3 Lieue left."

"Okay, everyone, hurry up."

"Yes, General."

As soon as the officer gave the order, the drumbeats quickened, and hundreds of French Guard soldiers hurriedly followed suit, increasing their pace.

Bessonval muttered to himself, "Why didn't those distinguished ladies wait until it was warmer before coming..."

(End of this chapter)