The Fox of France

Chapter 24: The New Teacher

After the recent experiment, Joseph's days returned to being both fulfilling and boring. His daily routine now revolved around studying the mathematics of this era. This was twofold: to avoid accidentally introducing futuristic concepts into the curriculum due to insufficient knowledge of the era's math and to prepare for future teaching.

Amid this busy schedule, winter gradually passed. The past winter had been cold and dry, with not a single snowfall, which was not good news for France. It hinted at potential agricultural problems in the coming year. Across the English Channel, Britain faced a similar issue, but the loss of North America and India during the Seven Years' War left France unable to rely on colonial resources, making the risk of crop failure much more significant for them than for the British.

However, Joseph didn't pay much attention to this. Even if there were soaring food prices in the future, the teachers at the Paris Military Academy wouldn't go hungry. Their family still owned some land in Corsica, where droughts were rare. They could probably produce something there and, if they managed to transport it to Paris, even make a profit, despite the substantial taxes involved. Paying these taxes honestly would be profitable enough.

"Unless we find a way to smuggle food with warships in the future, making money won't be that easy. But for now, I can stockpile a bit early. I remember that old Gellon Dumartrat in Balzac's novels made a fortune by hoarding." Joseph thought.

However, this was just a thought because Joseph had very little money on hand. Some of it had to be sent back home, and what remained barely covered his expenses. Even if he wanted to speculate, he didn't have the money to play.

"And speculation is risky. Even if you have a rough understanding of history, the specific operations are still risky. My risk tolerance is a bit low. So, for now, I can't do much except wait for my salary." This was the sorrow of the poor. For the wealthy, a failed speculation was just a learning experience. But for the poor, the consequences of a failed speculation might lead to drastic measures, such as trying to escape to America or India. Or worse, they could be caught by creditors and forced into various old and illegal businesses to repay debts.

In economic activities, the risks for the poor were always greater than those for the rich because they had no capital, just their lives. Joseph, overall, was not someone who wanted to take unnecessary risks.

"Anyway, there are still a few years until the French Revolution. I can accumulate slowly," Joseph thought.

Once winter had passed, Joseph had only one more semester of high school. In fact, in this last semester, there were hardly any classes left. Those planning to continue their education were already in the university preparatory program at the School of Emperor Louis. Those not planning to continue their education had already started looking for jobs in Paris. Joseph, on the other hand, neither intended to attend university nor seek employment, so he continued to go to school every day, spending his time in the library reading.

But he wouldn't be staying much longer. He had already passed his graduation exams during the winter. So, shortly after, Joseph received his graduation certificate from the School of Emperor Louis, and he could now report to the Paris Military Academy.

"Mr. Bonaparte, even though I've heard from Mr. Montgolfier and Mr. Laplace that you are quite young, I never expected you to be this young. But with their joint recommendation, your abilities should be beyond doubt, especially Mr. Montgolfier, who believes your future achievements will surpass his. You may not be aware, but we are in great need of a teacher capable of instructing geometric art here," said Count Dupont, the school principal, when Joseph reported for duty.

"Thank you for your trust," Joseph nodded.

"Young man, strictly speaking, I am not trusting you. I just have a lot of trust in Mr. Montgolfier. Although he can be stubborn at times, he is undoubtedly a very reliable person. Initially, I wanted to transfer him from the Royal School of Military Engineering to our academy. But he's quite stubborn... and he's not very fond of some of the students here. Perhaps I should remind you; our school is quite different from the Royal School of Military Engineering. Many of our students come from noble backgrounds, and many of them attend merely due to family tradition. Mr. Bonaparte, do you understand what I mean?"

Joseph clearly understood the meaning behind Count Dupont's words. It was well known that the Paris Military Academy had the best faculty but the worst students. Many of these noble students attended just for the prestige, intending to enter the army as officers and rapidly rise through the ranks, either becoming generals or leaving the military for other positions. The military knowledge taught at the academy was of little importance to them. For these students, success was achieving their life goals, not mastering military science. It was clear to Joseph that this was one of the reasons Mr. Montgolfier had not transferred from the Royal School of Military Engineering to the Paris Military Academy.

"I understand," Joseph replied.

"Well, that's good," Count Dupont nodded, but then added, "Mr. Bonaparte, even for those noble students, we must not be too indulgent. We need to make an effort to ensure they learn something, or else it won't reflect well on the school's reputation."

Joseph also understood the implication behind Count Dupont's statement. It meant that, in any case, they had to make sure the noble students learned something. They couldn't graduate as complete ignoramuses. It would tarnish the school's reputation.

"I will focus on teaching the conceptual aspects," Joseph replied.

Focusing on conceptual teaching meant reducing quantitative analysis in mathematics to a minimum, so students only needed to grasp the concept. This approach would suffice for most of these students since they likely wouldn't go to the battlefield. Even if they did, the quantitative analysis would be handled by non-noble staff officers.

"Furthermore, the French Revolution is not far off, and most of these nobles won't escape the guillotine. The final imperial wars won't rely on them either. Right now, I just need to earn money steadily. If I can make use of these people destined to hang from lampposts, I can earn some extra money," Joseph thought.

"Very well," pleased with Joseph's understanding, Count Dupont continued, "We have prepared a dormitory and an office for you. You can also receive an advance payment for a month's salary, and you'll receive two sets of uniforms annually. You can arrange these with Marcel in our logistics department."

"Thank you for your assistance," Joseph responded.

After leaving the principal's office, Joseph visited Mr. Marcel, the logistics officer, spending an afternoon settling in. Then he spent an evening preparing the course materials, ready to start teaching his students in a few days.

...

Napoleon sat at the front, his short stature preventing him from being visible from the back. The new semester's timetable included a new subject: "Military Geometry." Napoleon knew that this course contained classified information. All students taking this course had to take an oath to maintain secrecy, and the school made it clear that leaking this knowledge would lead to charges of treason in a military court.

Many of his noble classmates didn't take this requirement seriously, but it piqued Napoleon's interest. He had always been very interested in geometry, excelling in it. Moreover, geometry was crucial for artillery, a branch he held in high regard. Thus, he had arrived early at the classroom. It wasn't until class was about to begin that his fellow students started to trickle in, gradually taking their seats. The classroom came alive with chatter, resembling a bustling market.

As the class bell rang, everyone hushed. This was a new subject, and they weren't sure what to expect from their new teacher.

The moment the bell ended, a young man in a brand-new military uniform strode onto the platform. He placed his lecture notes on the lectern and surveyed the students. Then he began, "I am your teacher for Military Geometry, Joseph..."

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