1794, Madrid, Spain
"Change the batch!"
Clement shook his head and waved dismissively as he looked at the dozen or so blonde, blue-eyed women in nurse uniforms standing before him.
Hearing the order, Cavalus quickly gestured for the young women to leave the hall. Then, with a wry smile, he said to Clement,
"Your Highness, this is already the fifth batch. Are you still not satisfied?"
"Satisfied? What a joke," Clement snapped. "Are you trying to make my soldiers commit crimes by sending nurses like these?"
His gaze lingered briefly on the women's figures before he turned sharply to his most trusted confidant and rebuked him angrily.
"I'm looking for women who can go onto the battlefield and treat the wounded, not personal maids. Why are you bringing me young, pretty girls?"
He continued, his tone growing sharper.
"My dear Baron, do you want our soldiers pretending to be wounded every day just to visit these girls? Let me make this clear again: we need married, strong, capable women—not young beauties—to serve as nurses."
Cavalus shrugged and nodded innocently.
"Understood, Your Highness. I thought that young and pretty nurses might boost the soldiers' morale."
"Sigh…" Clement let out a long breath and began to lecture.
"You don't understand. Our soldiers are hot-blooded young men. What do you think goes through their minds when they see beautiful young women? Need I spell it out?"
He shook his head.
"I'm trying to reduce casualties, not satisfy their impulses."
Cavalus gave Clement a strange look.
Hmm… His Highness is only in his early twenties, unmarried, and full of youthful vigor… I see. Perhaps these girls can wait and be assigned as palace maids later.
Unaware of his subordinate's wild thoughts, Clement continued,
"By the way, how is the troop deployment coming along? Are the supplies ready?"
He paused, then added grimly,
"This is my first time on the battlefield. I have no desire to be taken prisoner—who knows if those rebels might cut off my head as well?"
"The supplies are nearly ready, and some have already begun transport," Cavalus replied immediately. "As for the troops, they should be fully assembled by the end of the month."
He hesitated, then asked cautiously,
"Your Highness… are you truly going to the battlefield yourself? Won't you reconsider?"
Clement's expression darkened. After a long pause, he spoke softly,
"If I can't stop this war, then I should at least control it. Besides, protecting you all comes at a price."
In truth, Clement harbored a deep fear of the battlefield. As an ordinary youth from the 21st century who carried memories of a past life, war had once been something distant—something seen only in the news.
Even so, fear was meaningless. This was a chaotic era, and he had no choice but to adapt, learn, and master it.
Clement was the eldest son of King Charles IV of Spain and held the title of Prince of Asturias—the undisputed heir to the Spanish throne.
Yet being crown prince was far from easy.
Perhaps due to Clement's arrival, the original prince—who should have died young according to history—had lived until the age of ten, before his soul finally dissipated.
Clement was satisfied with his new identity. In his previous life, he had been nothing more than an overworked nobody. In this life, he was a crown prince, destined to be king. The contrast was undeniable.
He did not dwell on his past life. The memories and experience he carried were more than enough to help him achieve great things in this one.
However, reality did not entirely match his expectations.
Armed with his knowledge of history, Clement displayed remarkable talent in his early teens, earning high praise from King Charles III of Spain:
"My grandson is truly outstanding. Perhaps Spain will one day have its own Sun King."
This praise made many things easier for Clement. He gained support for early investments and technological research and even obtained limited advisory authority in matters of national policy.
The Spanish "Republicans," represented by Cavallos—who should have been purged during this period—remained united around Clement thanks to his efforts.
Cavallos knew all this well. When he looked at Clement, his eyes held both gratitude and deep concern. He opened his mouth, hesitated, and finally said only,
"Your Highness… please take care."
Clement rolled his eyes, almost laughing in exasperation.
"Enough. Don't try to turn me into some tragic hero. I'm not Charles XII."
Besides, he thought, Charles XII was at least a king. I haven't even ascended the throne yet. And the fact that I'm here at all says plenty.
If this were a novel, I'd clearly be the protagonist. Give me a system and I'd conquer the world without effort.
Even so, Clement knew his limits. Despite all his efforts, he had been unable to prevent the outbreak of the French Revolution or save Louis XVI from the guillotine.
The consequence of that failure was Charles IV's fury.
Though largely indifferent to politics, Charles IV valued family honor above all else, and Louis XVI's execution was intolerable to him.
With Charles IV's full support, Spain took the lead in forming an anti-French coalition and declared war on France.
War with France.
Clement had no idea where his father found the courage for such a move—perhaps Spain's recent strength, bolstered by Clement's presence, had inflated his confidence.
Regardless, war was inevitable.
To minimize Spanish losses and prevent Spain from becoming the primary target of the French revolutionary government, Clement resorted to a last measure after failing to dissuade his father: he requested permission to personally lead the army.
If war could not be avoided, then Clement would preserve Spain's strength—even if it meant betraying the coalition.
The formation of a nursing corps was just one of his many preparations.
Snapping back to the present, Clement waved his hand again.
"Alright, hurry up and recruit and train the right people. We don't have much time."
He turned to leave.
"I can't talk anymore. I need to go to the palace."
As he walked away, Clement muttered under his breath,
"Damn it… being single in my past life was bad enough. Now I'm the crown prince—and I'm still single."