Reincarnated as Napoleon II-Chapter 182: Informing the People

At Place de la Concorde, Paris, France.

Its construction began in 1757 under King Louis XV. Back then, it was never meant to be just an open space. It was designed to represent authority—wide, exposed, and structured in a way that placed the center in full view from every angle. Nothing obstructed it. Anyone standing there could be seen by everyone around them.

Over the years, the square changed with the country.

It held ceremonies. It held crowds. And during the worst years of the Revolution, it became a place people remembered for different reasons—where the state showed its power in a more brutal way.

That part of its history still lingered.

Napoleon II understood that.

He wasn’t there to repeat it.

He was there to use what the place offered.

The square sat at the center of Paris, connected by wide roads that fed directly into it. People could gather without being pushed into tight spaces. Movement could be controlled without it looking forced. And if needed, troops could be positioned without turning the entire place into a military zone.

By early morning, preparations had already begun.

Workers moved across the square, setting up barriers along the edges—not to block people out, but to guide where they would stand once they arrived. Officers walked the perimeter, checking placements, speaking to the guards already in position.

The Imperial Guard had been deployed, but not in heavy formation.

They stood at intervals, spaced out, visible but not overwhelming. Enough to maintain order. Not enough to alarm.

At the center of the square, a platform had been built overnight.

It wasn’t large or overly decorated. Just high enough so that a man standing on it could be seen by a crowd filling the entire space. A lectern had been fixed at the front. Behind it, a section had been reserved for senior officials—ministers, generals, and a few selected figures from the administration.

The imperial banners were already there, positioned along the edges of the square where they belonged. Nothing more had been added.

Napoleon II did not need spectacle.

By mid-morning, people began to arrive.

At first, only small groups. Workers, shopkeepers, passersby who had heard that something would be announced. Then more followed. Word spread quickly through the city. Not through panic, but through expectation.

By the time the sun had fully risen, the square was filling.

Guards adjusted their positions as the numbers increased. Officers moved through the edges, keeping the flow steady. No one was rushed. No one was pushed. The space handled the volume the way it had been designed to.

And Napoleon II was waiting in the automobile, reading the draft of his speech that he had written earlier in the morning. It was after all time to announce to the people that a war existed between Austria and France. It would be a bad optics for the Imperial Government if the people were to learn of the war from other sources.

That could not happen.

Napoleon II held the paper in one hand, reading it again without moving his head. The words were already set. There was nothing to revise. Still, he went through it line by line, checking the weight of each sentence, making sure nothing in it would cause hesitation once it reached the crowd.

Across from him, Charles-Louis sat with a folder closed on his lap.

"The square is nearly at capacity," he said. "Outer roads are still feeding people in, but the flow is controlled."

Napoleon II did not look up.

"Any disturbance?"

"No, Sire."

Napoleon II gave a small nod.

"And the Guard?"

"In position. Rotations prepared if needed."

"Good."

Then thirty minutes later, Napoleon II stepped out of the vehicle. He was escorted by the Imperial Guards who were already in position along the cleared path.

They did not crowd him.

Two in front. Two behind. Others spaced along the sides, forming a corridor that opened as he moved forward. Officers stepped ahead to ensure the line remained clear, signaling quietly to adjust the flow of people nearest the route.

Napoleon II walked at a steady pace.

He did not look at the crowd immediately. His attention stayed forward, fixed on the platform at the center of the square.

People turned as he passed.

Some leaned slightly to see him more clearly. Others remained still, watching without speaking. No one crossed the line set by the guards. No one stepped out of place.

The path held.

As he reached the base of the platform, a senior officer moved ahead and stopped, turning slightly to face him.

"All positions secured, Sire."

Napoleon II gave a short nod.

He stepped onto the first stair.

The guards adjusted again, tightening their spacing without making it obvious. From below, it looked unchanged. From within, the structure had locked into place.

He climbed without pause.

At the top, the space opened slightly. The officials already in position straightened as he stepped onto the platform. Charles-Louis moved to his assigned place behind the lectern. Berthier stood further to the side, his posture fixed, eyes forward.

The podium stood at the front.

It had been fitted that morning.

A metal stand anchored into the floor. At its top, a microphone had been mounted—wired, connected through a system running beneath the platform and out toward several relay points positioned discreetly around the square. The engineers had tested it earlier. The signal carried cleanly across distance without distortion.

Napoleon II stepped behind it.

For a moment, he did not speak.

He placed the paper down on the flat surface of the podium, smoothing it once with his hand. His other hand rested lightly against the edge.

The microphone stood just below his mouth.

He did not adjust it.

From the square, the last of the movement settled.

The murmur faded.

Rows of people stood facing him now, their attention fixed upward. The guards remained at the perimeter, still as before. Officers held their positions, watching the edges rather than the center.

Napoleon II lifted his gaze.

He did not need to raise his voice.

The system carried it for him.

"To the people of the French Empire," he said and went on to read his speech.

He spoke it in just five minutes and when it was done, the reaction did not come at once.

For a brief moment, the square held still.

Then a voice broke from the front.

"Long live the Emperor!"

"Long live the Emperor!"

The line spread.

From the center outward, the sound built as more voices joined in. Not scattered. Not disorganized. It moved like a wave, taking hold of the crowd section by section until the entire square answered as one.

"Long live the Emperor!"

Napoleon II did not move.

His hands remained where they were on the podium. His gaze stayed forward, fixed over the crowd as the sound rose.

It did not stop.

"Down with Austria!"

The words came from the right side first, then caught on.

"Down with Austria!"

More voices picked it up, louder now, less controlled but still contained within the lines held by the guards. The officers at the edges watched closely, but they did not intervene. The energy held without breaking formation.

"Long live the Emperor!"

The chant returned again, stronger this time.

Flags lifted above heads. Some raised their arms. Others simply stood and shouted, their voices carrying into the mass of sound that filled the entire square.

"Now then, time to discuss the war plan."