He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 127

127. The Underground Secret Passage

“I can’t tell you how relieved I am to see Lord Sanderson safe.”

Prime Minister Frederick North also approached, expressing his relief at Theo’s safety.

Theo, with a grave expression, addressed Prime Minister North.

“It seems General Howe meticulously planned everything, timing it with the North American colonies’ independence approval.”

“Yes, it appears so.”

Commanding over 20,000 troops and seizing key areas of London in half a day indicated the extent of his planning and preparation.

“Prime Minister, how many of the military commanders stationed in London have defected to General Howe’s side?”

“Most up to the rank of captain have gone over.”

Indeed, none of the generals holding key positions were to be seen.

Only a few retired aristocratic generals or powerless generals in unimportant posts were present.

Some military commanders might be imprisoned in the Tower of London, but it was highly likely that a significant number had sided with General Howe.

‘……’

The faces of those gathered were filled with anxiety.

The rebels could storm this place at any moment.

If the situation concluded as General Howe intended, and even King George was executed, a bloody purge would follow.

‘The problem is General Howe….’

If General Howe hadn’t been so trusted within the military, it would have been much easier to counter this rebellion.

However, many in the army followed him. Even the soldiers highly praised his leadership and abilities.

Thanks to this, he was able to command the 20,000 elite troops with such precision.

A retired general, well aware of the situation, spoke with a heavy heart.

“If Commander Howe, who is so trusted by both officers and soldiers, has prepared and taken action like this, more troops within England will likely side with him and move accordingly. That is my greatest concern.”

They were 20,000 now, but if their forces grew, reaching 200,000 would be only a matter of time.

And if that happened, reversing the situation would become impossible.

Another high-ranking official beside him agreed.

“That’s right. Even when General Howe resigned from his command, didn’t many officers and soldiers tearfully try to dissuade him? If such a General Howe has raised the banner of rebellion, they will quickly rally around him as the central figure.

As I see it, the situation is turning too unfavorable for His Majesty. We need to respond militarily as soon as possible, but the entire military has sided with General Howe….”

Everyone sighed deeply, worried about the future.

“Ah—I am truly concerned about the future of England.”

“I wonder what His Majesty is doing now.”

Prime Minister North looked at Theo and said in a subdued voice.

“It is truly regrettable that Lord Sanderson, with his remarkable foresight, did not foresee this grave situation.”

Theo felt bitter, wondering if his attempts to steer things in a better direction using historical knowledge from the future had backfired into this great disaster.

“I am also truly sorry. I naturally assumed that General Howe of the Whig Party [a British political faction] would support colonial independence.”

“Lord Sanderson, please tell us a clever plan to overcome this situation. Frankly, you are the only one here we can trust and rely on, aren’t you?”

The high-ranking officials and nobles gathered all looked at Theo, their eyes fixed on his lips.

Theo’s remarkable judgment, which he had shown so far, was needed more urgently than ever.

Although he was afraid and burdened by the unexpected turn of history, Theo resolved to actively tackle this situation, considering his significant responsibility in it.

“I believe this might be the best opportunity for us.”

Theo’s statement caused a stir around him.

Lord North asked with an incomprehensible expression.

“A good opportunity? Isn’t this the worst situation?”

“I believe General Howe has made another misjudgment.”

People tilted their heads, puzzled.

“In what way is it a misjudgment?”

“General Howe may be respected by the rebels, but he certainly isn’t by the British people.

Conversely, His Majesty may be a target for the rebels to eliminate, but he receives far greater support and respect from the majority of the people than General Howe does.

Moreover, even nobles or ordinary citizens who disliked His Majesty would inevitably harbor considerable antipathy towards a military regime taking control of England.

In the end, General Howe is making an unreasonable move by trying to overcome the insurmountable sacred authority of the King.”

King Louis XVI of France had his head cut off during the French Revolution, but even in that moment, a significant number of people respected and recognized him as their king.

Moreover, in this altered history, George III was in good health, actively implementing policies for the people, and accelerating industrial development.

And the results were beginning to affect the lives of the people.

Of course, not everyone could be satisfied, but it was clear that the public’s assessment of George III was changing more favorably than the records in history books.

“General Howe did not even bother to chase the enemy in the war with the North American colonies.

But if they declare that they will execute the King of this country, who has done no great wrong, simply because their honor has been tarnished and they don’t like the approval of colonial independence, how will the people accept this?

They let the enemies they were supposed to chase go free, yet they are determined to chase and kill the King, who is like a father to them—their contradictory behavior.

In the end, even if they succeed in the rebellion, they will not be able to gain the support of the people and will not last long.”

At Theo’s words, exclamations erupted from here and there.

“Of course! He is a man who has forgotten his duty!”

“He is no different from a parricide who points a knife at his own parents!”

“He deserves to be killed!”

As in most European countries in the 18th century, the King was still recognized as a sacred figure, like a father to the country.

Moreover, if it were a coup that erupted because the economy was so dire that it could no longer be sustained, it would be understandable, but the British economy was slowly heating up.

There was no change that could be felt yet, but everyone acknowledged that the economy was growing in a positive direction.

In such times, a rebellion without justification is likely to face a backlash from the people.

Theo continued to speak.

“It is a turbulent time, with the approval of independence for the North American colonies causing internal and external commotion. If His Majesty suppresses them in one fell swoop at this time, he will be able to show the image of a strong monarch and gain a firm grip on both domestic and foreign affairs.

However, General Howe must know that their justification is weak, so they will try to execute King George and his close aides as quickly as possible.

Therefore, we must cut off their roots and stop them before their power expands. And that must be done as quickly and swiftly as possible.”

Lord North shook his head.

“In terms of the justification battle, His Majesty will naturally be ahead, as Lord Sanderson says. But how can we quickly break through General Howe’s forces, which have completely seized the area around St. James’s Palace and blocked all roads leading into London?”

Theo approached the map spread out on the table.

Then, he grabbed the baton lying on the map and pointed to one spot.

Thwack—

“Right here!”

Theo pointed to Westminster Abbey, which was just across the Thames.

It was not far from St. James’s Palace, where King George was.

“For us, with our absolutely insufficient forces, it seems urgent to first use this place as a base to deploy infiltration teams in various places, disrupting the rebel ranks.”

Westminster Abbey, with its high towers, solid defenses, and many rooms and passages inside, was the perfect place for the numerically inferior government forces to use as a base and fight from.

Then, a general was taken aback by Theo’s words.

“No, that’s only possible if you break through the rebels’ strict defenses guarding the Thames, isn’t it? Unless you pop out from underground, what good are infiltration teams when you have to break through the Thames defenses anyway? They will all be annihilated before they even cross the river.”

Theo nodded.

“That’s right.”

“That’s right?”

“As you just said, we need to pop out from underground.”

“……?”

Not only the general but everyone else looked puzzled.

“Look here!”

Swish—

Theo swept the lower reaches of the Thames with his baton.

“As you can see, this place is quite far downstream, and according to Admiral Bentham, it is outside the rebels’ controlled area. But as far as I know, somewhere here is the entrance to a complex underground passage.”

Tap—

Theo’s baton pointed to a place near Westminster Abbey.

“And through that underground passage, there is a path that leads near Westminster Abbey. We will use this underground secret passage to break through and ascend into Westminster Abbey.

After that, as I said earlier, we will use that place as a base to operate infiltration teams and harass the rebels.”

The general asked with a surprised expression.

“But… how does Lord Sanderson know so much about the complex places in London and come up with such a plan? Moreover, an underground secret passage connected to Westminster Abbey? I’ve never heard of such a thing in my fifty years of living in London.”

“I have been diligently exploring various places in central London to create business opportunities that I have been planning for years. I never knew that the knowledge I gained then would be so useful now.”

Theo was able to devise this plan thanks to ‘Theo Street.’

And the person he met while planning Theo Street was Lord Thomas Llewellyn, the chairman of the Urban Planning Experts Council.

Through him, Theo was able to hear detailed stories about not only the streets of London but also secret underground facilities.

Lord Llewellyn was a disciple of Christopher Wren, who redesigned the entire city of London after the Great Fire of London. He had to examine the underground passages beneath the city center to handle the increasing urban population and the waste they produced.

And in the process, he learned about the existence of numerous medieval underground caves and secret passages created by smugglers, and he even made a map of them.

“……If Lord Llewellyn is with us, we will be able to deploy infiltration teams to Westminster Abbey through the underground secret passage. That way, support units coming into London will be able to enter more easily.”

If fierce guerrilla warfare breaks out in the city, the rebels, unable to accurately assess the size of the government forces, will inevitably move their troops to fight in a hurry.

Then, the defense blocking the roads and ports of London will inevitably become more vulnerable, and the entry of support troops will be easier.

“Then shouldn’t we bring that urban planning expert here quickly?”

“Yes, Admiral Bentham has already gone to fetch Lord Llewellyn.”

The general, who had been showing a negative reaction, finally nodded.

“Hmm—if there really is such an underground secret passage, it could be a very excellent plan, as you say.”

As the general agreed, Prime Minister North chimed in.

“Taking advantage of that confusion, we could bring the navy located at Portsmouth and Chatham Dockyard to the Thames and launch a landing operation, couldn’t we?”

“Yes! That’s right. And if it coincides with the arrival of Earl Montague’s troops from the north and General Paine’s troops from the south, it will be a worthwhile fight.”

The subdued atmosphere of the Great Hall began to revive with Theo’s plausible plan.

Thud—

At that moment, Admiral Bentham and strangers burst into the room.

“Lord Sanderson! Something troublesome has happened!”

Admiral Bentham shouted in a worried voice as soon as he entered the Great Hall.

“Lord Llewellyn is not there! It turns out he has been inside St. James’s Palace for several days due to repair issues!”

“What? Inside the palace?”

It was a disaster that Lord Llewellyn was not there.

To disrupt the rebel ranks, there was nothing like a surprise attack using the underground secret passage.

Only by disrupting the defenses in that way could the support troops in the provinces break through into London, and ships could enter the Thames to launch a counterattack.

But for that, it was impossible without Lord Llewellyn right now.

‘Ha… what to do….’

Admiral Bentham, reading Theo’s troubled expression, pointed to the strange men he had brought with him.

“Lord Sanderson, these people are also members of the Urban Planning Experts Council. I brought them here in a hurry, just in case.”

The people the admiral brought might also know a lot about the city of London, but what was needed right now was someone who knew the underground space inside and out.

Theo looked at them with bewildered eyes, and one of them cautiously opened his mouth.

“Excuse me, Lord Sanderson?”

“……?”

“My name is Duncan Brown, and I am in charge of buildings and sewers in the southern part of London.”

“Yes, nice to meet you, Mr. Brown.”

“As I was coming here, I overheard Admiral Bentham saying that you were looking for Chairman Llewellyn because he knows the underground passages of London well.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Duncan, who had been hesitating for a moment, opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

“Actually… Lord Llewellyn didn’t explore the underground space alone.”

At his words, Theo’s eyes lit up.

“What? I heard that it was a confidential matter, so he went alone, is that not true?”

Duncan Brown nodded.

“That’s right. It was a secret operation, so he didn’t go with people who held official titles. But he couldn’t be completely alone, and there were people who helped him, even though it was a clear violation of confidentiality.”

In an instant, Theo thought of apprentices. Lord Llewellyn had also been an apprentice to his master, Christopher Wren, and had always been with him, taking care of chores.

“Then… perhaps an apprentice?”

“Yes, that’s right. Apprentices took turns helping him. Especially if it’s the area above the Thames, which is now occupied by the rebels… I know that an apprentice named Andres Green was mainly in charge of helping him.”

It seemed that one was not meant to die. Theo asked urgently.

“Can we meet that apprentice, Andres Green, now?”

“Of course! He lives near my house, so I know him well. If I had known you were looking for us because of the underground passages, I would have brought him from the beginning.”

Prime Minister North, who had been listening with interest, interjected.

“There is a gig carriage [a light, two-wheeled vehicle] in the stable here. If you drive that, you can come back quickly.”

A gig carriage was a small, light two-wheeled carriage pulled by one horse. Although it could not carry large loads or more than three people, its light and small body allowed it to move much faster.

“Thank you. I can bring him quickly if I take that.”

We need to set up an infiltration operation as soon as possible. To do that, we definitely need someone who knows the underground passages well.

Theo grabbed the hand of Duncan Brown, who was about to leave, and said.

“Time is of the essence. Please bring him back.”

“Yes, don’t worry!”

Theo’s plan, which had almost lost its way and sunk, was moving forward little by little, albeit precariously.