I Reincarnated as Louis XVI to Stop the Revolution and Be Happy with Antoinette

Villainous Intentions Righteous Opportunity

"...So, it's someone of considerable stature. By the way, who is it?"

"It's... Cardinal Rohan, Your Majesty."

"...Come again? Did you say Cardinal Rohan!?"

I couldn't help but be surprised and shot up from my chair. Cardinal Rohan had gotten himself involved in this. He was the kind of scumbag who had sexual relations with numerous women and still abused his power. It would have been fine to keep him as the worst kind of guy in the court until now, but if he was involved in this incident, it changed everything. I wanted to shout at him, asking if he had gone so far as to take lives in addition to his pursuits of women's breasts and asses.

"Cardinal Rohan... that Cardinal Rohan with a reputation for having eyes only for women and an everlasting lust? Is he involved in this case?"

"Yes, we have obtained evidence that Cardinal Rohan is at least involved in the establishment of the Republic of Krakow. Major Kościuszko, who originally came to the French army as part of the military youth, provided testimony. It seems that Cardinal Rohan's organization has been sending French-made weapons to Poland multiple times since 1771."

As I listened to Jeanne from the Department of Land Administration who had brought the report, it seemed that Cardinal Rohan had his own weapons procurement network, and as long as you could place an order, he would supply you with weapons. In other words, he was running a business resembling that of an arms dealer. What's more outrageous was that the weapons were illegally replicated from firearms taken from the French arsenal and then circulated to the organizations and countries that had placed orders. When I first saw the report, I was so taken aback by the unexpected involvement of this man that I had to ask for confirmation.

"I see... Is this information highly credible?"

"Yes, when we cross-referenced the information about the arms smuggling case Major Kościuszko mentioned, it all adds up. Besides, just last year, Cardinal Rohan spent a significant amount of money renovating his residence in the east and contributing to the construction of church facilities. His financial situation seems somewhat too good..."

"What the hell is this... a clergyman who should be preaching God's teachings engaged in such grandiose activities... If this is indeed true, his actions are unforgivable! Of course... he must face the full force of the law... Listen carefully, make sure he is captured alive. Secure the crime scene and inform me when he's apprehended."

"Yes, Your Majesty! I will definitely report back."

I honestly didn't know that he was this much of a scumbag... In works depicting figures like Antoinette, he had the impression of being the mastermind behind the Affair of the Diamond Necklace that undermined the authority of the French royal family, but now I was acutely aware that he was an even darker and more sinister character than I had imagined.

Well, certainly, I never expected Cardinal Rohan to be involved in the case. I had expelled him from Versailles and from the political scene to avoid any troubles like the infamous diamond necklace affair, as I didn't want him to bother Antoinette. But getting involved in something like this... Perhaps it was the backlash for changing history.

One option that came to mind was to send an assassination team using the king's authority, but I decided against it. No, perhaps quickly assassinating him would be the best course of action, but we were currently accommodating investigators from Britain. If Cardinal Rohan were to die here, the case would become a mystery, and even if he were the culprit, it would be said that "France silenced the suspect to avoid responsibility." To prevent such a situation, we should thoroughly secure physical evidence and then arrest Cardinal Rohan. The joint investigation between Britain and France was going well, and d'Eon was playing an unexpectedly crucial role as a conduit across the Channel.