I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 14

The Qualification

It took Wellesley less than a few days to take over all of Jack’s assets.

This was thanks to the lawyer he had brought and all the preparations he had made in the preceding days.

If Jack had had more time, he might have had a chance to hide his assets, but he was caught off guard so quickly that he didn’t have time to react.

It wasn’t quite 120,000 pounds, but Wellesley never expected to squeeze that much money out of him to begin with.

Wellesley knew this, and he couldn’t hide the wide smile as he burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahaha! Killian, did you see that? Jack looked like he was completely possessed by a demon.”

“Wouldn’t anyone be? He lost all his assets overnight and ended up in jail.”

“You could say he got what he deserved, right? I’ve never felt so good in my twenty years of life. It’s all thanks to you.”

“It’s not all my doing. It was only possible because you believed in me and diligently played your part, Wellesley.”

Half of that was just flattery, but the other half was genuine.

Charles Wellesley may have had some flaws, but he was capable of finishing the job if given a role.

At first, Killian was a little worried about his clumsy side, but now he thought it was just right.

If Wellesley was too perfect and capable beyond what was necessary, there was a high possibility that he wouldn’t need Killian.

In fact, Charles Wellesley alone has the solid background of being the Duke of Wellington’s son, but he is still a young man in his early twenties.

He is outwardly the best elite, but he is still a promising young prospect who has not yet completely escaped his father’s shadow.

If he is going to work with Killian in the future, this level of dependence is optimal—no more and no less.

“Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve ever had such a large sum of money in my hands at once without my father’s help. And since I have a gambling house, I’ll have a steady stream of additional income. Have you thought about what you’re going to do with your share?”

“Yes, I have a plan.”

“Really? Share what you’re thinking. An investment? Or a business?”

Logically, no one would ask a kid 12 years younger than them for advice on how to manage money.

But Wellesley was the first to ask Killian how he was going to use half of the income he had earned this time.

From the conversations they’ve had while working together, and through this project, Killian could definitely feel that Wellesley was treating him as an equal.

In other words, it’s time to harvest the seeds Killian had been diligently sowing.

“I do have an investment plan. But this is top secret, and I haven’t told anyone about it.”

“I’ve heard that if you start with that kind of talk, there’s a high chance you’ll end up broke.”

“I’m going to put all the money that’s mine into it this time. Not only that, but I’m going to keep pouring in all the income from the gambling house for the time being.”

“If you’re going to say that much, it must be a real honey pot, right? Let me know too. We’re going to be together for a long time, right? We should share the good stuff.”

“That’s right. There’s no problem in telling you since we’re going to be together in the future. So, I need to tell you something before that.”

Beyond being a simple business partner, Killian considered what he would do with Wellesley in the future and how far he would raise him to make him a strong bulwark.

It is necessary to show a glimpse of the approximate picture Killian is drawing for the future.

That way, he can remodel Wellesley into a strong ally who absolutely trusts only him and never thinks of betraying him.

To gain the trust of the other person, you have to make sure to satisfy their desires.

“Wellesley, what do you think is the reason why I want to work with you?”

“Hmm? Well… isn’t it because it’s a huge benefit to you to be friends with me?”

“That’s right. You are the son of the Duke of Wellington, the national hero of this country. But you are also the second son who cannot inherit the title of Duke. That’s why I want to work with you—not in a bad way, but only in a good way.”

“You’re going with me because I can’t become a Duke? Shouldn’t it be the opposite?”

“No. If you are going to inherit the title of Duke, it is easy to become passive. You will automatically have great power and authority, so you just have to protect it. On the other hand, you are not like that, are you? Deep down, you must have a strong desire to rise higher using your own power.”

Wellesley nodded silently at Killian’s words.

The reason why he joined the military right after graduating from Eton College [a prestigious boarding school in England] was because of that.

Even his father, the Duke of Wellington, was the third son of a noble family who had no chance of inheriting the estate, so he threw himself into the military.

“But unfortunately, it will be difficult for you to become like the Duke of Wellington. I’m saying this because I’m afraid you’ll feel bad, but I’m not talking about the difference in ability.”

“Even if I have the same ability as my father, I can’t become like my father? Why?”

“That’s because there will be no great enemy like Napoleon to threaten this country in the future.”

“Ah! That’s what you meant. That makes sense.”

“Yes. No matter how successful you are in the military, it is unlikely that you will follow the same path as Scipio [Roman general who defeated Hannibal], who defeated Hannibal and became a hero of Rome, or the Duke, who defeated Napoleon and became a hero of this country. And I am not going to inherit much either. Even if I inherit the title of Earl of Aaron, I am an Irish nobleman, so I will not be able to enter the British House of Lords.”

Looking at the background alone, they all seem plausible, but if you look closely, there are subtle flaws.

Both are nobles, but Wellesley shook his head with a bitter smile at the common point that they could not enter the House of Lords.

“So, you’re saying that even if I’m in the military, it’s hard for me to become like my father, so I should just stay in the military for a while and then switch to politics?”

“Yes. You don’t need to have any regrets about the House of Lords. After all, the trend of the times is that the power of the House of Commons is gradually strengthening. The power of the House of Lords is still strong now and will continue to be strong in the future, but the gap with the House of Commons will continue to narrow little by little.”

“The House of Commons…”

“You are qualified to be the representative of the House of Commons. If I am your right-hand man, I will be able to receive another British noble title, not an Irish one.”

“In the future, my goal is to become the Prime Minister of this country, and yours is to become a member of the House of Lords. It’s too ambitious for a ten-year-old to dream of… no, it’s good to have big dreams when you’re young.”

Killian felt like he was still taking his words as a joke, but he wondered if Wellesley would still feel that way in a few days.

“Anyway, that’s why I’m trying to make a lot of money. Whether it’s an election or politics, it’s all about money, right? The more you have, the more you can invest. So, I’m going to become a huge rich first.”

“No, what is a kid saying… Tell me honestly. You’re not ten years old, are you?”

“I told you, sometimes there are people in the world who can’t be understood by common sense, and you should think of me as that. I only pretend to be a moderately talented person in front of other people, but I’m showing you everything in front of you.”

“What? Hahaha! Yeah, yeah. That’s a great honor.”

It was half close to the truth, but he just brushed it off as a simple joke.

Well, Killian didn’t intend for him to take it seriously from the beginning, so it’s normal for him to react like this.

Wellesley, who had been laughing for a while, hardened his expression again and spoke.

“I understand your intentions. You’re saying that we should be real partners who are not just working together, but also planning for the long-term future?”

“Yes. But you can’t completely trust what a ten-year-old kid is saying, so I’ll show you a little more of the information I have. You said you’re worried about where to invest your money? Invest in America.”

“America? That America across the Atlantic? I’ve heard that they’re booming these days, but is it such a promising investment destination?”

“Among them, the best right now is real estate. I heard that there is a huge canal construction plan scheduled in Chicago or the entire state of Illinois… I think it was the entire state. It’s going to skyrocket soon, so I’m going to gather all the money I can and invest it all. My analysis is that it doesn’t matter if I just pour in all the money as it comes in for the next two years or so.”

“Analysis? What information did you get to analyze it?”

That’s the information Killian got from the economic crisis cases he memorized when he was pretending to be a professor.

The first global economic crisis that broke out in the 19th century, when capitalism was ripening and the economies of each country were slowly becoming closely linked.

This crisis, which superficially started with the collapse of cotton prices in the United States, will cause considerable damage not only to the United States but also to Europe.

In fact, Killian’s not a real expert, so he lacks very detailed information, but he still remembered one important point for sure.

That is the fact that the land prices in the core areas of Illinois, including Chicago, will soar by more than 1000% from the early 1830s due to the canal construction plan Killian told Wellesley, forming a huge real estate bubble.

This bubble will burst due to the Panic of 1837 [a financial crisis in the United States], bankrupting many European investors who invested there.

“It’s hard to explain in one word because it’s a comprehensive analysis of information from various sources, not just one. But trust me and invest. Or I’ll just invest and you can watch for a while and then come in.”

“…Is that so? Then I’ll have to watch for a few months and then come in. Canal construction is not a job that can be completed in 1 or 2 years. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I just want to watch the situation a little and then come in.”

“Of course. Investment should be done carefully, so your judgment is not wrong.”

Even if it’s a few months, considering the time it takes for ships to travel back and forth across the Atlantic, Wellesley’s timing to enter will be almost a year later than Killian’s.

By that time, Killian’s investment will have already multiplied several times, so how much will it hurt?

But it’s okay. If he’s this sorry once, he’ll listen to Killian more obediently in the future.

Killian’ll be making money like crazy anyway, and he has no reason to stop Wellesley from sacrificing his profits and paying tuition.

He couldn’t help but laugh when he imagined Wellesley as a docile sheep next year.

* * *

“Who are you asking for a letter of recommendation for?”

The Duke of Wellington, who is the most influential figure in the British Empire and a national hero.

The Duke of Wellington, the pride of England who defeated Napoleon and the leader of the ruling Tory party [a British political party], frowned and looked at his immature son.

“Killian Gore, the eldest son of the Earl of Aaron, an Irish nobleman. You know the Earl of Aaron, Father, don’t you?”

“I know him. Wasn’t he a member of our party who won the House of Commons election? I thought he had given up his seat and returned to his hometown after receiving the title of Earl? Before that, did he have a son?”

“He’s said to be illegitimate, but the Earl seems to want to make him his heir no matter what. It’s a bit complicated to explain, but I promised him that I would get him a letter of recommendation from you.”

“You promised to get my letter of recommendation without my permission?”

As soon as he heard his immature son’s words, he reflexively sighed.

Did Charles really think he was a Duke because he was raised so kindly?

The Duke thought he had been educating him under strict discipline, but it seems he was completely mistaken.

“Charles, don’t you know how powerful my letter of recommendation is?”

“Of course I know. You are the one who has never lost first place in the ranking of alumni that Eton [a prestigious boarding school in England] is most proud of since Waterloo [a decisive battle where the Duke defeated Napoleon]. If you write a letter of recommendation, it’s as good as an acceptance letter.”

“Yes. Because it has so much influence, I don’t want to write a letter of recommendation unless it’s someone who really deserves it, but even if you’re my son, how can you make such a promise?”

“Father. Killian is a genius who would be a huge loss to this country if he didn’t go to Eton. As a nobleman of this country, I felt it was my duty to ensure that such a talent received the best education.”

The Duke was momentarily stunned by the novel excuse he had never imagined.

At the same time, he became a little interested in who Killian was that his son was praising him so much.

“Is the Earl of Aaron’s son that smart? But how do you know that?”

“You can tell just by talking to him. He’s not a genius that comes along once in a century… but he’s definitely a genius.”

“What are you talking about? Are you saying he’s *definitely* a genius?”

“Yes. There’s no doubt about it.”

Even if he was not as good as himself, Charles was a talented person who had been receiving gifted education at Eton since he was a child and was making rapid progress in the military.

If such a son is emphasizing that he is a genius, then there must be something about him.

“If he’s really that bright, I might as well write it. If he’s the Earl of Aaron, he’s been close to our party since Pitt [William Pitt the Younger, a former Prime Minister of Great Britain] was alive, so it wouldn’t be bad to raise a successor.”

Still, the Duke couldn’t just give out a letter of recommendation with the name of the Duke of Wellington on it.

“Bring him here. Since you’re saying that, I’ll take a look at him.”

In the end, no matter what anyone says, it’s something that can be decided after talking to him directly.

Whether Killian is a person who deserves to have a letter of recommendation with the name of the Duke of Wellington on it.