Reincarnated as Napoleon II-Chapter 142: The Exposition Part 3

After spending time on the top of the Bonaparte Tower, they returned to the grounds where they would go to the next attraction.

The elevator descended with the same steady motion as before. When the doors opened at the base, the sound of the exposition rushed back in—steam vents hissing from machinery halls, voices rising from thousands of visitors, and the distant rhythm of engines operating in demonstration pavilions.

Napoleon II stepped out first. Elisabeth and Elsa followed, with Napoleon I and Marie Louise behind them. Charles-Louis walked a few steps to the side while guards reformed their loose perimeter.

"Where to next?" Napoleon I asked.

Napoleon II turned toward the eastern section of the grounds. In the distance, towering above the roofs of the exhibition halls, a large circular structure slowly rotated against the sky.

"The amusement park," he said.

Napoleon I raised an eyebrow.

"An amusement park?"

"Yes," Napoleon II replied. "Not every demonstration today involves steel production or artillery calculations."

They began walking down a broad avenue lined with smaller food stalls and souvenir booths. Vendors sold pastries, roasted chestnuts, and bottled drinks. Children ran past holding colored flags printed with the imperial tricolor.

As they approached the amusement section, the atmosphere shifted. The heavy hum of machinery gave way to laughter, excited shouts, and the rattling clatter of mechanical rides.

The first structure that caught Napoleon I’s attention was the Ferris wheel.

It rose high above the park, a giant iron circle supported by two angled towers. Enclosed passenger cabins moved slowly along its rim as it turned.

Napoleon I stopped walking.

"That thing rotates people in the air?" he asked.

"Yes," Napoleon II answered calmly. "It offers a view of Paris from a different angle."

Elsa was already staring upward.

"I want to try it."

Napoleon II glanced at Elisabeth, who gave a small, amused smile.

"Well," he said, "that settles it."

They approached the boarding platform. An attendant quickly recognized the imperial party and bowed before guiding them toward one of the cabins.

Once inside, the door was secured and the wheel continued its rotation.

The cabin lifted slowly from the ground.

Elsa pressed her face close to the glass window.

"It’s like the tower again," she said.

Napoleon I looked down through the window as the ground shrank beneath them.

"But slower," he noted.

From the top, the entire amusement park came into view. Lines of people moved between attractions. Music from a mechanical bandstand drifted faintly upward.

When the cabin returned to the platform, Elsa stepped out smiling.

"That was good," she said simply.

Napoleon II gestured toward another attraction nearby.

The roller coaster towered above the rest of the rides. A wooden track twisted and dipped across a wide structure supported by timber frames.

Cars climbed slowly toward the first peak, pulled upward by a chain mechanism. At the top, they paused for a moment before plunging down the track.

A group of riders screamed as the car rushed past.

Napoleon I folded his arms.

"That looks less controlled."

"It is controlled," Napoleon II replied. "Mostly."

Napoleon I looked at him.

"Mostly?"

Napoleon II allowed himself a brief smile.

"Well, there is only one way to find out."

A few minutes later they were seated in one of the cars. The operator secured the restraints and signaled the mechanism.

The car began climbing.

Click. Click. Click.

Elsa laughed nervously as the city rose into view ahead of them.

When they reached the top, the track dropped sharply.

The car plunged forward.

Wind rushed past them as it raced down the slope, climbed another rise, and twisted through the wooden structure.

Napoleon I gripped the side bar but did not shout.

When the car rolled back into the station, he stepped out and adjusted his coat calmly.

"That," he said, "is a strange invention."

Charles-Louis looked slightly pale but nodded in agreement.

They moved on to another ride.

The Viking ship swung back and forth on a massive steel frame. A long boat filled with passengers climbed higher with each swing until it nearly reached a vertical angle.

Elsa insisted they try it.

Napoleon II sat beside her as the ship began its motion. At first the swings were gentle. Then they grew larger, lifting them high above the platform before sweeping back down.

Elsa laughed loudly as the ship rose again.

Napoleon I watched from the platform this time, arms behind his back.

Marie Louise stood beside him.

"Your son built flying machines and computing devices," she said. "Yet this is the thing people cheer for the most."

Napoleon I watched the riders shouting in excitement.

"People will always enjoy gravity," he replied.

When the ship finally slowed and stopped, Elsa stepped off with clear satisfaction.

"That one was the best," she declared.

Napoleon II looked around the lively amusement grounds—the spinning rides, the crowds, the constant laughter mixing with the distant hum of industry.

"This section may be the most popular by the end of the exposition," he said.

Napoleon I nodded slowly as he watched the people moving between machines and entertainment.

"For a fair about industry," he said, "it seems you understood something important."

Napoleon II glanced at him.

"What is that?"

Napoleon I looked toward the crowds again.

"That people come for wonder as much as progress."

"That’s true, and that is how rulers keep their power," Napoleon II. "You give them something that they want, and they’ll swear their loyalty to you. It’s the reason why I could govern our empire so easily."

Napoleon I studied him for a moment.

"You say that very plainly."

Napoleon II rested his hands on the railing that separated the walkway from the next ride.

"It is plain," he replied. "Industry gives them work. Stability gives them security. But moments like this—festivals, spectacles, things they can share with their families—that gives them attachment."

Elsa was still watching the Viking ship as the next group of riders boarded.

"So all of this is politics?" she asked.

Napoleon II shook his head.

"Not entirely," he said. "People should enjoy their lives too."