Descending On France 1780
Chapter 125 - 119 Captain Cano’s Doubt

Chapter 125: 119 Captain Cano’s Doubt

The same afternoon, Lazar Kano was busy compiling the roster for the first instruction squad in his office.

These were the talents he had personally selected from the unit he brought from Anning and the newly conscripted recruits. Lazar Kano was preparing to go to the front lines himself and train them into qualified officers in a short period of time.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door of the room.

"Come in." As Lazar Kano responded to the door, he looked up to find that it was not his secretary who had jumped out, and so he paused, raising his head in confusion.

The person entering was Sergeant Paul, who was responsible for the recruitment work.

"Is there a problem with the recruitment?" Cano asked, puzzled.

Sergeant Paul hesitated for a moment, then mysteriously said to Lazar Kano: "You are an educated man, and I have a question that maybe you can help me solve. It’s about the General."

Kano put on a serious expression, placed the quill pen into the holder, clasped his hands together, and looked intently at Paul: "Go ahead."

"The General had previously asked me to pay attention to a few individuals, he gave me a list, and asked me to report to him immediately if I found anyone from the list among the recruits."

Paul looked confused: "But this list is strange, I can understand some of the people on it. For example, he wanted me to look out for a student from the Auxerre Cavalry Officer School named Davout. But I completely cannot understand why the General would be interested in some of the other people on the list!

"Includes the one I just found, called Jean Lannes, a dyeing shop apprentice, who has had no military training whatsoever."

Lazar Kano frowned: "Davout... if it is a cavalry officer, then it’s not surprising indeed, the General is now very eager for experienced cavalry officers, perhaps he heard of this student when he was teaching at the Paris Military Academy... You should have come to me earlier, I could have written to my classmate who works at the Self-Defense Army headquarters staff.

"As for that dye worker apprentice... uh..."

Cano’s brow furrowed heavily, he adopted a contemplative expression and muttered to himself: "This... I don’t know what this is about. Did that Jean Lannes come to enlist today? What did you think of him after seeing him?"

Sergeant Paul immediately responded: "I think he’s just an ordinary dyeing apprentice, no different from the long-trousered fellows who make up the bulk of our troops. Oh right, he’s pretty solid, very tall, but the new recruits who have been coming to enlist lately are all very tall."

Cano: "... are you sure it’s this person the General is looking for?"

"Yes, the General walked around him a few times and he seemed very happy, as if he had dug up a gold nugget from the ground."

Lazar Kano’s brow furrowed tightly: "Perhaps... someone recommended him to the General? But who would recommend a dyeing apprentice to the General?"

Just then, someone knocked on the door again.

"Come in!" Cano called.

And so, a tall, young man with a head of fluffy brown hair opened the door and came in: "Reporting! I am Jean Lannes, the General has sent me to find Captain Lazar Kano."

The Captain stood up: "I am Cano, you... are you that Lannes?"

Sergeant Paul: "Yes! It’s him! The tall fellow, with bushy hair!"

Cano approached Lannes and examined him carefully from top to bottom, circled around him, and then shook his head in confusion: "He seems to be just an ordinary robust young man. Mr. Lannes, can you read?"

Lannes nodded: "I can recognize letters, learned at the Sunday school the Priest opened."

Cano: "Have you had any military training?"

Lannes shook his head vigorously: "I’m just a dye worker, an apprentice."

Cano scratched his head puzzledly, turning to look at Sergeant Paul. The latter spread his hands.

No help there, Cano turned back to Lannes: "Do you know why the General particularly values you?"

Lannes: "I do not know? I mean, I don’t know, sorry for the home accent."

Lazar Kano paced the room, mumbling as he walked: "The General wants someone to keep a special eye on a dyeing apprentice? A dye workshop?"

Cano clapped his hands, turned, and asked Lannes: "Does he want you to oversee the production of military uniforms?"

"No, he wants me to learn from you how to organize an army, and how to march and fight."

Cano was completely confused: "This... Are you sure that’s what he said?"

"I..." Jean Lannes was unsure himself, "That’s probably what he said, right? I don’t know why the General holds me in such high regard. It’s my first time seeing him today."

The three men in the room stared at each other, at a loss.

Suddenly, Sergeant Paul said: "Could it be that the General received a revelation from God..."

Cano: "A man who confiscated all the property and territory of the Pope Hall in Conte from the Pope, received a revelation from God?"

Sergeant Paul hesitated for a moment before saying, "Perhaps it’s the deity of the New Religion."

Having said that, he immediately paled with fright and quickly crossed himself repeatedly on the chest.

Lana: "Why not just go ask the General? What’s the big deal?"

"Wait!" Cano called out to stop Lana who was about to leave, "Never mind, it doesn’t matter why the General noticed you. Since the General’s order has been given, you stay here and learn to organize and train the troops with me."

Sergeant Paul: "Then... my question... just let it go?"

"Of course," Cano replied, "The heavenly duty of a soldier is to execute orders. Once such an order is issued, it should be followed without question. Write down whoever the General wants you to keep an eye on and make a list for me."

Sergeant Paul: "Yes, I’ll write it now."

"Private First Class Lana... with the authority of my position, I can only give you the rank of a private first class. Go find the quartermaster and get yourself a set of uniforms."

"Yes!"

Watching Lana hurry out of the room, Cano’s expression was complicated. He muttered in a voice only he could hear, "Could it be that our Commander can also read the stars? Only through mathematical analysis of the sky and peering into destiny can one find a reasonable explanation."

**

On the other hand, the conclusion reached by the maid Vanni was completely different.

She spoke softly when she was left alone with Anning in the study, "First the short lad Napoleon, then this brawny big lad Lana—you aren’t checking out men through the carriage window on the streets every day, are you?"

Anning: "You’ve misunderstood me greatly, I like women!"

"Eh, really?" Vanni obviously didn’t believe it, "Then why haven’t I seen you bring any pretty ladies home? And when you’re at home, you’ve never even patted a maid’s bottom."

... Hmm? Wait, is that something one can do?

Anning: "I’ve just been busy... no, aren’t you, as a maid, being a little too nosy?"

"As a maid, of course, I need to be concerned about what kind of mistress will come into this house, as it’s the maid’s survival instinct. If the future mistress is too picky and difficult to serve, it would make my life as a maid dismal and dull."

Anning: "Alright, survival instinct, no blame there. But you’ve really got the wrong idea, there’s none of that."

"You don’t have to deny it. Actually, there are quite a few among the Nobility who are like that, but they tend to marry at the appropriate age."

Anning: "Are you referring to our Locksmith King?"

"Like His Majesty. You should get married first and then pursue your personal hobbies."

Anning: "Like meddling with locks and guillotines?"

Vanni: "Right, like that."

Anning shook his head: "Vanni, I must have told you, the future is a very turbulent time, not a time suitable for romance and love talk."

Vanni pouted: "Fine, I’ve already worried about your marriage for you, fulfilling my duty as a maid. If anything happens in the future, I can’t be blamed."

Anning: "Of course, I won’t blame you."

Vanni paused for a few seconds before asking again, "So why did you choose that Lana? I didn’t see anything about him that warranted special attention."

Anning: "Someone told me that he will become a great General."

Vanni: "A... dyeing shop apprentice?"

Anning: "I’m a Leatherworker myself. There’s a mysterious technique from the Eastern Ancient Country called Face-reading. I know a thing or two about it, and that Lana, he looks commanding and courageous, certainly General material!"

Vanni: "You know the secret arts of the Eastern Ancient Country? Where did you learn that?"

"In Briena..."

"Where?"

"I mean, from my hometown Caen, the Priest taught me!"

Vanni had spent nearly the whole Briena period with Anning, and such a blatant lie would not fool her.

Vanni pursed her lips: "Never mind, it’s not the first time you’ve shown your exceptional talents, I’m not surprised anymore. I’m going to prepare dinner."

With that, Vanni left the terrace.

Anning breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the teacup, and took a sip of coffee.