The Hero in His Old Age (Part Two)

One would not be able to find La Mure on the map. Even if one asked the people of Grenoble, few would know of this small village. However, if one mentioned the name “Napoleon”, everybody’s expression would surely be one of a rude awakening.

On 1st of March 1815, at 3 am, Napoleon Bonaparte once again stepped onto the soils of France. Standing on a beach in Golfe-Juan, he addressed a soldier who had taken off his hat in respect, announcing his famous line, “Soldiers! I heard your cry while I was in exile. Now, I am finally back in France.

“Your commander, who was made a king by the people’s cheers, and who was set on the throne by your support, has now returned. Come and join him, abandon the flag of the Bourbon king.

…

“Soldiers, gather together around the flag of your commander. His interest and his honor are aligned with yours, completely aligned. Victory is approaching. The Eagle emblem which dons the colors of our people will fly from minaret to minaret, all the way to Notre Dame’s Tower in Paris. In just a while, you will be able to display your battle scars with pride and honor; you will be able to boast of your achievements. You will become the country’s saviors. You will soon be able to heroically announce, ‘I have purged Paris of all the rebels and enemies, and have thus cleansed the land.’

“All honor and glory to the soldiers! All honor and glory to France, our motherland!”

…

Three days ago, this sonorous voice sounded. When Huang Xuan discovered that the target Rolin was searching for was Napoleon, he was extremely astonished. There was an inexplicable feeling in his heart.

There were few military talents that the world acknowledged. Napoleon was definitely one of them. The world was interested in everything about him, from his hideous handwriting to his leadership of others into victory. To Huang Xuan, Napoleon was one of the few men in history that he knew about.

His voice was hoarse when he asked, “What do you want to do?”

“It’s not me, but you,” Rolin corrected, “You should thank the Heavens that we didn’t wind up in a primeval time period when money is scarce. Otherwise, the only thing we would have been able to do was to gather explosives and see if we could sell them for some money for us to return home.”

“You believe in God too?” Huang Xuan was just looking for a change in topic. He was already in La Mure and was seated about 1 km away from the main road, atop a small hill. He was already becoming light-headed from being under direct sunlight for so long.

“That’s fabricated,” Rolin concluded. He returned to the earlier topic and asked, “What are you planning to do?”

“I thought you brought me here because you had already decided.”

“I will not decide for you,” Rolin stated plainly. “However, Napoleon is indeed a classic character in the history textbooks. In a standard plane, everybody would pay close attention to him.”

“Why?”

“Because his existence very clearly explains the temporal and spatial theories,” Rolin systematically explained. “Look, Napoleon is a genius. In this time period, and even in the entire history of mankind, he is known as an elite commander. From the beginning, Napoleon’s existence was used to refute the temporal and spatial theories. Scholars thought that not just any average man could replace such a skilled commander like Napoleon. Not even someone who has gone through the same education and same experiences could necessarily be like him. Having the exact same brain as him wouldn’t guarantee it either. Thus, Napoleon is an obvious target to the entire plane. If he dies, or if his parents die, the buffer zone will surely lose large amounts of energy.”

Huang Xuan was listening closely to every word. It made logical sense to him, so he questioned, “Isn’t that so?”

“No,” Rolin replied. “In fact, Napoleon could only become a commander and display his talents because the situation in the 19th-century continent allowed for it. France needed a talented commander, and they chose the most suitable candidate. If Napoleon died, the plane might lose a significant amount of energy, but it will definitely not be enough to destroy the entire plane. In time, the plane would search for a commander with comparable skills. Although he might not be able to perform as well as Napoleon, compared to a chap from Corsica, this person would still easily be promoted and easily achieve the same level of honor as Napoleon.”

“But the effect would still be significant.”

“You’re right,” Rolin admitted. He continued, “In the study of the plane system, Napoleon still serves as proof.”

“Oh?”

“Napoleon is a capable commander. He defeated the coalition forces 5 times, and each time was a decisive battle. Yet, in the end, he was still defeated and sent into exile. Even though he later found his way back to France, which is what is happening now, he will still be defeated by the Seventh Coalition. This is inertia. It is also one of the workings of the buffer zone. If this entire event were reversed, it would be very difficult for a primitive plane to survive for so long.”

Huang Xuan was quite familiar with Napoleon. This was compulsory homework for every boy. He thought for a moment, and retorted, “But if Napoleon did not attack Russia, there wouldn’t be much loss…”

“That could be decisive, but so is the reason behind making such a decision. Napoleon attacked Russia for no other reason than the situation in Europe.”

“That sounds logical.” Huang Xuan used his hand to cover the sun. He had already taken off his leather hat and removed the inner lining. He wore the alloy and lay among the small trees, with a sniper rifle beside him.

This sniper rifle looked exactly like a Barrett XM109. Its caliber was 25 mm. Many people referred to it as the “shoulder cannon” because of its appearance. However, officials referred to it as the “high-precision grenade launcher”, which worked well with new and improved grenades.

According to the American design, this was originally a semi-automatic rifle which had an effective range of 2000 m. Its barrel was 17.6 inches long, its riflings were 22 inches, and it weighed 15 kg. It could easily destroy a light-armoured target. However, its performance was made completely different after Rolin’s adjustments.

Firstly, in consideration of Huang Xuan’s skill, this rifle was made fully automatic. Not only was it able to automatically reload, but it had infrared and heat sensing capabilities added. Although the rifle was no match for Rolin overall, it was specialized for its function. Moreover, the grenades launched by this 25 mm caliber rifle had been improved as well. They were now similar to modern ice bombs. The only difference was that they did not melt upon entering human bodies. Instead, they melted automatically according to the time and distance from which they were launched. In other words, they could be adapted to the needs of each unique situation.

The most important part of the rifle was its scope. Due to Huang Xuan’s low standard, Rolin installed a fully automated scope. It could lock in on the target on its own, regardless of how far the target was, as long as it remained within sight. There was no longer any need to calculate the humidity or wind speed; the rifle scope was capable of making those calculations. If there was some form of basic guidance, Huang Xuan might not even need to do a thing. He only had to set the target, and the rifle would take care of everything else.

Lastly, the Barrett’s most marked improvement was in its penetrative power. The grenades fired by the original XM109 had relatively low initial velocity. Rolin gathered information and re-designed the rifle into a long-range weapon. Within a 2000 m radius, the grenades could penetrate straight through barriers of earth and rock (as long as the target was locked in). Human bodies will not be able to stop the grenades, even at a distance of 8000 m. The effective range of the rifle was 12,000 m.

Apart from this, Huang Xuan was granted what he had strongly demanded. The rifle, which originally only had 5 rounds of ammunition, was now able to accommodate 20 rounds. Huang Xuan was greatly relieved.

However, as he picked up this huge rifle, which was mainly made of tungsten resin, Huang Xuan began to feel uneasy. This was murder, even if the person he was about to murder did not belong to the same plane as him.

It was the 3rd of March, two days after Napoleon landed. News had traveled to Paris. On the 7th of March, the royal army began to form up in La Mure.

Before this, Napoleon had made a speech in each city and village he passed through. He promised never again to resort to war to glorify himself. The French people were already beginning to resent the useless Bourbon dynasty, especially because the nobility who returned from exile were slowly regaining possession of the land that had been distributed during the revolution. Taking full advantage of this resentment, Napoleon gave orders to hang the three-coloured flag up on every street that he passed through. Even the garrison was donning their tricornes.

At dawn, Napoleon’s army arrived at La Mure, which was on the outskirts of Grenoble. The royal army, in their formation, blocked the path that led into the village.

Huang Xuan lay among the bushes in silence. He was covered with alloys, without any camouflage on. The barrel of the Barrett was pointed toward the main road beneath the hill. Through the scope, he could see the royal officer’s white tights and his red clothes flowing in the wind. He could even see the officer’s tuft of a mustache.

Just as it appeared in history books, both armies stood, facing each other. Each ensured that their enemy was within their rifle range. The army which held the three-coloured flag had their arms in their left hands, with the barrel pointing downward.

“Prepare to aim,” Rolin reminded Huang Xuan.

Napoleon was still wearing the white tights which Europeans adored. The bottom of his white tights was gray with dirt. His gray officer coat was similarly stained. However, these did nothing to affect his image. His facial features were not those of a handsome French man. Instead, he had a round face and a little bit of a potbelly.

At that moment, Napoleon looked determined. His eyes were filled with charm as he locked eyes with his opponents. Slowly, he walked toward the formation of soldiers across from him.

Huang Xuan subconsciously aimed his scope at this tiny man. The scope focused with a click, and the muzzle slightly adjusted itself upwards.

Napoleon unbuttoned his coat and revealed his chest. He shouted something that flustered the royal army. Suddenly, Huang Xuan heard loud cheers. The soldiers who originally stood opposite Napoleon all ran toward him, cheering, “Long live the King!”

Through the scope, Huang Xuan witnessed the passion of the soldiers who surrounded Napoleon. They eagerly kissed his hands, his knees and his feet. Some were even wailing like babies.

“Fire, Huang Xuan,” Rolin urged him once more. Given their distance from Napoleon, no matter how many soldiers stood in the way, the bullet would still penetrate through him.

Huang Xuan’s hands began to tremble uncontrollably.