Having sorted out Napoleon, Anning inspected Verdun on his way back to Paris City.
Actually, Anning sort of wanted to fend Verdun himself, mainly because he was familiar with the area.
As a military history enthusiast, he had read a lot about the meat grinder that was Verdun. Now that he saw the terrain, all his memories came flooding back.
But Bertier, who accompanied him on the inspection, fought tooth and nail to prevent Anning from taking on the role of Verdun's defender himself.
In the end, Anning let Bertier recommend a trustworthy officer for the task, and Bertier recommended Bernadotte.
The moment Anning laid eyes on Bernadotte, his own eyes lit up: Good lord, another future Marshal!
However, this fellow had always been at odds with Napoleon in real history and even cuckolded him—the green-hat kind.
Thinking of this, Anning's expression grew complex when he looked at Bernadotte.
