I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 17

Became a Hidden Power in the British Empire 17

Amiable Family Meeting (1)

‘All the talents of the British Empire come from Eton.’

It’s a statement that Harrow or Winchester would be furious to hear, but Eton’s people sincerely believed it.

In fact, while it’s hard to definitively name the ‘best of the best,’ Eton was recently ranked as the top school in England.

John Keate, the headmaster of Eton, took particular pride in Eton being the best school and in his role in making it even greater.

He had been the headmaster for 22 years since 1809, nurturing numerous talents who would be responsible for the country’s future.

Initially, his policy of emphasizing tradition and discipline above all else was criticized as being too stifling, but the results spoke for themselves.

The noble aristocrats welcomed Eton’s return to strict traditions and discipline reminiscent of the old days, and the newly wealthy also considered it a privilege to join these traditions.

There is no value as great as tradition, and this is something absolute that must be maintained as long as Eton exists.

John Keate had always vowed not to change this policy until the day he retired.

And today, he was about to meet a student he hoped would embody this tradition.

‘Killian Gore. The son of Arthur Gore, the 3rd Earl Aaron. An illegitimate child with mixed Eastern blood.’

Eton is a place where the sons of the best aristocrats in England, as well as those of emerging merchants and legal scholars, gain entry.

Of course, the background information of all prospective students is thoroughly checked and reviewed.

So, Keate was initially taken aback when he first received Killian’s file.

His origins alone were less than ideal, and there was little sense of established tradition.

Of course, recently, many children from families with less-than-perfect pedigrees were entering, and Keate didn’t want to quibble over that.

The problem was that this student had a letter of recommendation from the Duke of Wellington.

Although he had lost in the recent election and was now part of the opposition party, the Duke of Wellington’s name still carried enormous weight at Eton.

It was about six years after Keate took over Eton that the news of the Duke of Wellington’s victory at the Battle of Waterloo sent Eton into a frenzy of celebration.

Even Keate, who was famous for being strict, allowed the students to cheer and celebrate as much as they wanted that day.

Afterwards, by inviting the Duke of Wellington to give a speech and promoting his words, the competition for new student admissions increased immeasurably.

‘The victory at Waterloo was won not on the battlefield but here on the campus of Eton.’

It was a bit of an exaggeration, but the result was positive, so what was not to like?

In any case, Keate, who benefited greatly from this ‘Waterloo marketing,’ could not refuse the Duke of Wellington’s request.

The reason why the headmaster himself decided to interview the new student was precisely because of this.

It was also quite surprising that this young child arrived with the Duke of Wellington’s second son, Charles Wellesley.

In fact, both of the Duke of Wellington’s sons remained clearly in Keate’s memory.

Both brothers attended Eton and were brilliant students who went on to Oxford.

Would Killian be as brilliant as them?

As he waited with a mixture of expectation and doubt, a classic carriage pulled into the campus.

Keate first greeted his former student who stepped out of the carriage.

“Welcome. It seems like only yesterday that I saw you here on campus, but you’ve already grown up so much.”

“It’s been a while, teacher. I’m glad to see you looking so well. My father also asked me to send his regards.”

“I’m just grateful that you still visit me after graduating. I suddenly remember you competing with Gladstone in the oratorical contest.”

“Haha… I was completely defeated, but it’s still a fond memory. He was a really smart guy. Ah, he’s still a smart guy, of course.”

The mention of the student who studied alongside Wellesley and went on to Oxford around the same time brought a natural smile to his face.

“I see. Are you still in touch?”

“We’re both busy, so we don’t meet in person. I just hear news from time to time. The most recent news I heard is that he’s going to run for election in two or three years. Even for an ultra-elite like him, it won’t be easy to get elected right away in his first election.”

“Still, if it’s Gladstone as I remember him, I feel like he’ll be able to get elected in one go.”

“To be honest, I think so too. But teacher, I think the student you’re interviewing today is no less than him. I think he might be an even greater guy.”

Keate doubted that could be true, but still, Wellesley wouldn’t make something up out of nothing, so his expectations rose slightly.

Considering that the Duke of Wellington himself wrote a letter of recommendation for a child with such a collection of perceived weaknesses, Wellesley’s words might be true.

It was just when Keate was thinking that he should slowly step down from the position of headmaster in about three to five years.

This might be the last time he was directly interviewing a student, so he just hoped that the child named Killian would meet his expectations.

* * *

“Welcome, Killian Gore, was it? Nice to meet you.”

“Hello, my name is Killian Gore. It is an honor to meet Mr. John Keate, who is so highly regarded as the head of Eton.”

Whether it was thanks to Wellesley’s persuasion or the Duke’s letter of recommendation, Keate greeted Killian with a very friendly demeanor.

Knowing from prior information that Keate was a traditionalist, Killian maintained perfect posture throughout the interview.

“I heard that you’ve only been in London for about a year, but you’ve accumulated a great deal of knowledge in a short period of time. Very impressive.”

“Thank you.”

“As you know, our Eton is a prestigious school with a long history and tradition. If you don’t mind, could you tell me why you chose Eton over other places?”

“That’s because, as you said, Eton is a school that values long tradition.”

The headmaster smiled softly and slowly shook his head.

“There’s no prestigious school that doesn’t value tradition. Harrow, Winchester, and Westminster are all the same.”

“That’s true. But my father, Earl Aaron, always said that Eton is at the forefront of preserving and cultivating that tradition. When I asked Mr. Wellesley, he said that this trend has become even stronger since you took office as headmaster, Mr. Keate.”

“That was my policy. Are you worried that this atmosphere might be a burden to a young man like you?”

“Rather, it’s a great help.”

Killian smiled more confidently than ever. It was a victory of preparedness, as he was sure that at least one of these questions would come up and he had prepared answers in advance.

“I think what’s more important than preserving tradition is creating tradition. But I learned that you can’t just create something like that just because you want to. Since you already know, I’ll be honest, my foundation is weak. I don’t think it would be strange to hear people call me rootless behind my back, even if it’s not obvious in front of me.”

“There won’t be anyone so ignorant in our Eton, so don’t worry too much.”

“But that’s not the case outside. So I want to spend time here, where the authority of tradition is valued more than any other school, and newly build the tradition of me and my family.”

*Killian knew that Keate, who had produced so many politicians, could easily predict how the Duke of Wellington intended to use him.*

A catalyst to easily assimilate Ireland and a hunting dog to bite off the anti-revolutionaries instead.

In addition, a trainer who can translate the language of the ‘yellow monkeys’ [a derogatory term for people of East Asian descent] who speak human words over there in the east is what they see me as.

After that, for over an hour, Killian praised the traditions of England and Eton and answered Keate’s questions, signaling that he was ready to be completely assimilated.

And Keate, who was convinced that Killian Gore was suitable for the role of lubricant to keep the British Empire running smoothly, decided to admit him on the spot.

“In fact, the official announcement will be made in a few months, but I don’t think we need to make you wait any longer, since you brought the Duke’s recommendation. It’s also surprising that you have insights that don’t match your age after talking to you directly. Major Wellesley seems to have seen you very well.”

“Thank you!”

“I hope that the knowledge you will gain here will help resolve the long-standing conflict between Ireland and England. The items you need for admission will be sent to your mansion in a letter when the official announcement is made, so please check it then.”

‘What. Is it okay to say that you’re going to accept me so openly, instead of just hinting at it?’

As expected, the romance of the 19th century. A completely transparent screening process that is unimaginable in modern times is rampant.

Thankfully.

Killian was momentarily stunned by the pre-admission notice that he had never imagined, but he quickly bowed his head again and thanked him.

Still, since his admission had been confirmed faster than he thought, he could now finish preparing with peace of mind.

Now he was going straight home to discuss it with James…

“Ah, then I’ll tell you about the mindset you should have as a student of Eton from now on. It’s going to be a story that will become your blood and flesh, so listen carefully. Ah, before that, I should give you a rough explanation of Eton’s history.”

“…Yes?”

“Eton was founded in 1441, and His Majesty King Henry VI at the time…”

“……”

Okay. I should avoid running into this headmaster as much as possible after I get in.

In the end, Wellesley, who was waiting outside, couldn’t bear the boredom and went back first, and Killian had a special lecture on the history and tradition of Eton for 3 hours. With a look of boredom… no, with a look of overwhelming emotion, he shed tears.

Should I have gone to Harrow instead of Eton…

“As expected, the best school in the British Empire!”

“Indeed, Eton!”

During that time, Killian fully deployed the skill of thoroughly concealing his true feelings and words that he had built up in his previous life.

* * *

“Hehehe! James, did you hear just now? Our son passed, right? Isn’t this just saying outright that he passed?”

“Yes. If they make you explain the duties you must fulfill as an Eton student until sunset and then drop you, that’s just a mental disorder.”

“Good, good. The official acceptance announcement will be made soon, so I can speed up the plan a bit more.”

Acceptance was already a foregone conclusion since Killian received the Duke’s letter of recommendation, but perhaps it was inevitable for a parent’s heart.

My father, who heard the interview results, burst into laughter more heartily than ever and couldn’t hide his joy.

“From next year, my son will be a student at Eton, right? Hehehe! Good, good. If you graduate from Eton and go to Oxford or Cambridge, there will be no one in this country who can ignore you for your knowledge. And since you’ve even received a letter of recommendation from the Duke of Wellington, your relatives won’t dare say that you’re not qualified.”

“Relatives?”

“Yes. Originally, I didn’t have any children, so until now, my nephew was the heir. But now that you, my son, are here, I should naturally return everything to its proper place. I’ve been consulting with lawyers and talking to close aristocrats, so just trust me and relax.”

“Thank you. But I’m also worried that you’ll end up fighting with your relatives because of me.”

Killian knew that his father had been going around dealing with this issue, but he didn’t know that he had already finished preparing.

In fact, unless the relatives were living bodhisattvas [enlightened beings who postpone their own enlightenment to help others], they would naturally have no choice but to oppose my father’s decision.

If it were a legitimate son, it would be understandable, but they’re bringing in an illegitimate child with mixed Eastern blood and giving him all the property and title, so there’s no way they’d say anything good.

If Killian were a relative who was originally scheduled to inherit, he would have been so dumbfounded that he wouldn’t have been able to say anything.

“Don’t worry. We’re going to get together next week for the first time in a while, and I’m going to make sure to nail this issue down and move on. I’m going to handle everything cleanly without any legal issues, so just focus on preparing to enter Eton next year.”

“Yes. Then I’ll trust you, Father, and focus on studying even harder than I am now.”

In order to use Ireland as a political asset in the future, it is advantageous to secure the title of Earl of Ireland if possible.

If my father is going to take care of this, I can just gratefully accept it.

Frankly speaking, I’m not a fake son, and since I’m clearly my father’s biological son, there’s no reason not to be proud of the fact that I’m not illegally seizing the title.

Like my father said, now that I’ve been admitted to Eton and received the Duke’s letter of recommendation, there’s no way they can question my qualifications.

If I and my father are this prepared, I was sure that we could respond adequately to any variables that might arise.

However.

My existence, which I thought would be the hottest topic at the relatives’ meeting, was temporarily pushed aside by the biggest scandal in history that broke out a week later.

The mega-scandal that shook British high society in 1831.

Augustus Frederick, the Duke of Sussex, the sixth son of George III, announced that he would marry a woman from an Irish aristocratic family, of all people.

If it was just a simple marriage announcement, it would have been just surprising news, but this marriage was an illegal marriage that violated the Royal Marriages Act 1772 [an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain requiring members of the British Royal Family to obtain the Sovereign’s permission to marry].

Of course, it was legally invalid and was treated seriously not only by newspapers but also by high society.

If you only look at that, you might think, ‘A scandal broke out, but what does that have to do with me?’

The problem is that the Irish aristocratic family is none other than the Gore family that I belong to, and the prince’s marriage partner is my father’s half-sister, who is my aunt.

The head of the family, the Earl, brings in a mixed-race illegitimate child and gives him the earldom, and the aunt falls in love with a royal and commits an illegal marriage that violates royal law…

Oh my, it’s so easy to guess what the atmosphere will be like on the day of the meeting.

I’m really looking forward to a friendly and amicable family meeting.