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Chapter 1298: The Scars of War

Joseph couldn't help but frown.

'Russia's disregard for its "cannon fodder" was an old tradition,' he thought. 'But this complicates my plans. After all, France actively sending prisoners back to another country would look highly suspicious.'

"I'll have to discuss this with Mr. Lavalette when I get back."

Alexandra nodded, then hesitated. "Also, some of the prisoners want to fight for you. I believe they're loyal enough; do you think we could give them a chance?"

Joseph wasn't surprised. France held significant cultural influence in Europe during this era, and with the recent victory, it wasn't unusual for Russophiles to want to join the French army.

In fact, during Napoleon's time, large numbers of foreign legions served him, and some of them proved to be quite effective in combat.

He inquired, "How many are there?"

"Tens of thousands applied, but only a little over two thousand are truly reliable."

Joseph nodded. "Very well, I'll have the General Staff Headquarters organize them. You've truly given me a valuable gift."

It was important to remember that even if all these Russian soldiers died, it wouldn't impact France in the slightest, and they wouldn't even require much in the way of pensions. They could be incredibly effective in situations where France found it inconvenient to deploy its own troops directly.

The Crown Princess smiled happily. "I'm glad I could help you."

Of course, what pleased her most was Joseph's demonstrated trust in her.

As they spoke, the surrounding music swelled once more, and the procession slowly began to move.

Joseph walked for a full two hours along the route, waving to the crowds until he felt utterly drained, before finally arriving in front of Notre-Dame de Paris.

After a series of religious ceremonies led by Archbishop Beaumont, Joseph ascended a wooden platform with the King and Queen to deliver a speech titled "The Victory of France." He was the primary speaker, of course, with his parents serving as a backdrop.

It wasn't until the sun had vanished from sight that Joseph was finally able to break away, returning to Versailles with his parents and the Crown Princess aboard a steam rail omnibus.

Just this April, Paris had converted its wooden tram lines into Iron Rails, equipping them with specially designed light steam locomotives for a new urban public transport system.

This "light rail" system could carry over 30 people at once, traveling continuously at 24 kilometers per hour. Excluding stops, it could circle the entire city of Paris in just two hours.

This also brought a tremendous benefit: people living in various districts of the city, and even the suburbs, could now travel to the industrial zones in northern Paris for work via the public transport system.

As a result, the labor force for factories immediately became plentiful. Factories in the Antoine district expanded by more than 30% in less than six months!

The steam omnibus rolled towards Paris's new district, and from outside the window came the booming voice of a poet reciting by the roadside: "Where your sword points, kings bow like fallen leaves. Where the golden iris appears, no thorns shall grow again..."

As the Gas Streetlights flickered to life, the entire city of Paris erupted into an all-night celebration, with songs, music, and laughter echoing without pause.

That same afternoon, in a small town over 20 kilometers from Paris, a cleric hurried to a luxurious golden carriage and bowed. "Your Holiness, it is said that the Crown Prince has already entered the city."

Inside the carriage, Pius VI slapped his thigh in frustration.

He had initially intended to wait and observe the conflict between France and Austria, delaying both nations' demands whenever possible. He never anticipated France would suddenly achieve victory in the war, catching him completely off guard.

What was worse, that Muzarelli fellow had staked everything on France early on and actually gambled correctly.

Pius VI immediately felt a great sense of urgency. He had rushed to France with lavish gifts, hoping to greet the French Crown Prince's triumphant return and salvage some goodwill.

However, he encountered heavy rain on the journey, delaying his travels by two days.

"I should have taken that thing called a Train," he muttered, shaking his head in disappointment.

French officials had previously suggested he take a Train from Lyon, which would save him over 70 kilometers of travel. But he harbored doubts about this colossal, never-before-seen machine—he had heard rumors that steam engine boilers could explode—so he insisted on continuing by carriage, ultimately missing the French Crown Prince's entry ceremony.

Pius VI urgently told the attendant beside the carriage, "Quickly, we must reach Versailles before nightfall!"

Meanwhile, after Joseph returned to Versailles, he simply had dinner with his parents and wife, then skipped the ball and went straight to his chambers to fall asleep.

He had been campaigning on the front lines for the better part of a year, and now he could finally enjoy a peaceful sleep on a velvet-covered bed.

The sounds of revelry from central Paris became his best lullaby.

The next day.

It was another grand military parade, this time with the First and Second Armies returning to Paris, their formations even more impressive than the day before.

Joseph sat on the viewing platform, watching columns of soldiers march down the Champs-Élysées, but his attention was focused on Berthier's report beside him.

"...Which means total casualties amount to 47,000 men. The captured soldiers have largely been exchanged and returned home."

Joseph let out a sigh.

Although France had achieved a tremendous victory, the losses were equally staggering. Most of these casualties occurred on the Baden defense line, where French new recruits used fanatical Bayonet Charges to quickly repel the enemy, suffering heavy losses themselves in the process.

Of course, compared to the combined losses of Prussia, Austria, and Russia, France's casualty figures weren't as large.

Austria's casualties had not yet been fully tallied, but conservative estimates placed them at over 100,000. Russia alone had as many as 50,000 soldiers captured by France.

Even Britain suffered over 30,000 casualties and captured soldiers in this battle. It was worth noting that their entire expeditionary force to the European continent consisted of only around 50,000 men.

Berthier continued, "According to preliminary estimates from the General Staff Headquarters, a one-time disbursement of pensions will require 82 million francs. Afterward, an additional 10 million francs or so will be needed annually."