I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 20

Becoming a Hidden Power in the British Empire 20

The Prodigy of Eton

20 The Prodigy of Eton

Modern people might expect a prestigious school like Eton to hold a grand entrance ceremony, but the reality is a bit different.

While the graduation ceremony was relatively grand, there wasn’t really an official event for admission.

However, that only meant the school didn’t prepare anything; the front gate was crowded with people seeing off the new students.

“Hehe, to think my son will be living here from now on, growing into the best talent in the country? Still, I can’t bear to leave you here.”

“You don’t need to worry, big brother. James will periodically go to Eton to take care of him, and I’ll look after him whenever I have time.”

“I’d be grateful if you would…”

“Is there a reason to be grateful? Killian is my lovely nephew, so it’s only natural for me to take care of him.”

Perhaps because they had been interacting closely for over half a year since the family meeting, my aunt came all the way to Eton’s front gate to see me off, even though I didn’t specifically ask her to.

“Killian, if anyone looks down on you or bullies you for being from Ireland, you must tell me, okay? I’ll tell your uncle to give them a piece of his mind.”

“Don’t worry too much. He’s a student who came in with the Duke of Wellington’s guarantee, so who would dare to touch him?”

“I wish I could call you to the palace every week, but… I’m still too conscious of others to do that.”

“It’s okay. Just visiting once before was a very meaningful experience.”

If possible, I wanted to become acquainted with the Duke of Sussex before entering, but unfortunately, that was too much.

Even though she lived with the Duke at Kensington Palace, Cecilia still had to be mindful of others.

No matter how much she wanted to see me, calling me to the palace every time would naturally draw attention, so it’s more comfortable to meet outside like this.

I had only exchanged greetings with the Duke of Sussex when I went to the palace before, but it was clear that he thought quite well of me.

In the first place, who in the world would dislike the nephew whom his beloved wife cherishes most?

There’s plenty of time, so there’s no need to rush.

I should slowly narrow the distance through my aunt.

“Father, Aunt, then I’ll be going.”

“Alright. I’ll send letters often, so please reply when you have time. Make sure to eat well and get along with your seniors and classmates.”

“I’m telling you, I’ll take good care of Killian, so you can just go back with peace of mind.”

“Goodness, it’s nice that you two have become close, but I don’t know when you got so close. Anyone would think you’re his mother, not his aunt.”

“Actually, there are far more people who see me as his mother than those who see you as his father, big brother.”

While my father was dumbfounded by my aunt’s words, she subtly approached me and whispered.

“Oh, I’ve finally found a way to contact Princess Victoria recently. Contacting the Duchess of Kent and Sir John Conroy first, just as you said, was the right answer.”

“That’s a relief. If you ever meet the Princess later, you must remember what I told you.”

“Of course. When that time comes, I’ll brag about my handsome nephew to my heart’s content.”

Even the King and Queen can’t see Victoria often due to her own mother, the Duchess of Kent’s, tight protection, so I wonder if my aunt will be able to. But it’s worth a shot.

If I can get a chance to know the Queen who will rule England for over 60 years, even through someone else, I should try anything.

Anyway, the more cards I can use, the better.

* * *

In the 1830s, Eton usually admitted about 150 new students each year, most of whom were called ‘Oppidans’.

Oppidans were students who paid tuition and attended Eton without receiving scholarships, and they were naturally from wealthy families.

Conversely, students called ‘Collegers’ received scholarships and attended school, and their number was about 20 per grade.

Both groups attended the same school, so they naturally received a similar education.

However, Colleger students were strictly managed in the school’s main building, College Hall, while Oppidans usually lived in boarding houses in the town of Eton and commuted to school.

The boarding houses where Oppidans stayed were run by the school’s housemasters or their wives, and the first place I was guided to was one of these boarding houses.

“Welcome! This will be your room from now on. It’s a bit cramped, but it’s one of the few double rooms, so it’ll be more comfortable than other places. It’s rare for a freshman to be assigned a double room right away, so you’re lucky.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“As you know, our Eton has a foundation of forming students’ character through strict discipline. Although it’s a double room, the student living with you will be your senior, and he will supervise you.”

I think the custom of lowerclassmen serving upperclassmen is called fagging [a practice where younger students perform tasks for older students].

I’ve heard that it’s a tradition that most public schools have, not just Eton.

The purpose is to learn how to naturally obey the authority of superiors, but it looks like a trick to make dormitory management easier.

Maybe I’m just overthinking it.

“Yes. Then, who is the senior who will be sharing the room with me?”

“He’s already here, so you can greet him.”

The housemaster, who had taken me to the front of the room, told me the simple schedule for the day and then left to guide another student.

Opening the door, the antique wooden smell and the view of the room came into view at once.

Even though it was a double room, it was unbelievably small and shabby for the sons of nobles to use.

Personal beds and wardrobes for students were placed in the corner, and there was only a common table in the center where they could study together.

Judging from the quality of the candles and fireplace, they didn’t seem to have very good lighting or heating functions.

Still, I should feel romantic because even these poor environments are part of the old prestigious school dormitory.

I think it would feel something like this if you actually set foot in the dormitory of a certain magic school.

“Oh, you’ve arrived. You’re Killian Gore, right?”

“Hello. Did you hear my name from the housemaster in advance?”

“No. My father used some influence to make sure we could be in the same room from the start, so I knew it would happen. Anyway, nice to meet you.”

I was wondering if someone had pulled strings since I was assigned a double room as soon as I arrived. It seems like there was someone who used their influence.

Still, if someone can make these adjustments before entering, they must be someone with some power. I wonder why they specifically chose me.

“I would like to formally introduce myself to you, senior. I am Killian Gore, the eldest son of Earl Aaron Backer Arthur Gore. What is your name, senior…?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t introduce myself first. Let me introduce myself again. Nice to meet you. I’m John Robert Manners, the second son of the 5th Duke of Rutland, John Henry Manners. Actually, I’m only two years older than you, so you don’t have to worry too much about fagging or anything.”

I was secretly expecting the name of someone amazing, but the Duke of Rutland… It’s subtle, very subtle.

If he’s a duke, he should be someone who has some influence, but I’ve never heard of him.

Robert asked, as if my lukewarm reaction was somewhat unexpected.

“Ah~ Come to think of it, you said you haven’t been in England for long, right? Is that why you don’t know?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve only lived here for two years, so my knowledge is very limited.”

“Our father is a member of the Tory party [a British political party, historically conservative] and close to the Duke of Wellington. So he heard about you and seemed quite curious. He wondered what kind of person the child whom the Duke of Wellington is trying to raise as the leash of Ireland is.”

“It seems my existence has already spread widely among the party leaders.”

“Of course. Do you know how fast rumors spread in British society? The day after the Duke wrote you a letter of recommendation, the leaders of our party already knew about it. And the Whig party [a rival British political party, historically liberal] would have known about it a day later.”

Even though there was no internet, I knew that I shouldn’t ignore the speed of personal connections or social networks at this time.

That’s why I thoroughly separated the superficial appearance and the hidden identity, and it seems like it was an excellent choice.

“Then, Senior Robert, you must know almost everything about me?”

“Not just almost everything, but almost all the information my father knows. If I say that he knows that you haven’t been here for long and that you’re close to the second son of the Duke of Wellington, that should explain it, right?”

“Amazing.”

He’s boasting as if it’s amazing, but to sum it up, he doesn’t know anything other than the information I’ve revealed superficially.

Thanks to that, I feel relieved.

“By the way, it’s a bit shocking that even my father doesn’t know, let alone me. Even though he’s the current Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire. And among the nobles, he’s the envy of everyone as the owner of the Epsom Derby winning horse.”

“Ah! Are you the owner of the Derby winning horse? I know that. That’s amazing.”

“What? Should I have explained it like this from the beginning?”

His appearance of being instantly elated was a bit much, but apart from that, being the owner of the Derby winning horse was a great honor in England.

Commonly, horse racing in modern Korea is recognized as nothing more than gambling, but England is different.

In England, horse racing is a leisure activity enjoyed by the upper class to show off their wealth, and it is an event with considerable authority and tradition.

Among these horse races, the best flower is the Epsom Derby [a prestigious British horse race].

The race is simply called the Derby.

The reason why this Derby is special is that only 3-year-old horses that are exactly 3 years old can participate.

You can’t have two 3-year-olds, so you can understand that it’s a race that you can only participate in once in the horse’s entire life.

So, having a horse that won this Derby or having ridden it brought great honor to the owner and the jockey.

So much so that Churchill said he wanted to have a Derby winning horse more than being the Prime Minister, and even Queen Elizabeth tried her whole life to raise a Derby winning horse.

To the British people, this Epsom Derby was not just a horse race but a festival and social event.

Even the two world wars could not stop this Epsom Derby.

If you try to watch the race in a shabby outfit, thinking about the domestic horse racing scene, you will be cut off at the entrance and you will not even be able to enter the stadium.

But anyway, horse racing is horse racing.

As long as there is a race, a huge amount of money is bound to gather, which means that my prey is overflowing everywhere.

I don’t have any intention of doing anything in the horse racing scene right now. But I have to get close to this kind of person no matter what.

It’s like a gift bundle that will bring good information and connections in the future.

Above all, it is important that my actions and attitude in front of this person go directly into the eyes and ears of the Tory party leaders.

Even if I act obediently, it will be more exciting if there is an audience to watch it. How grateful I am that he came to me on his own.

Go ahead and try to gauge and understand me as much as you want.

Because the only answer you can get is the conclusion that I am a talent that perfectly suits your taste.

“I was worried about adapting to school life, but I’m so glad I can meet such a reliable senior. I look forward to your guidance in the future!”

“Hahaha, of course. My father told me to follow you, but I was worried, but I’m glad you’re a student who looks docile. Let’s have a good relationship in the future.”

“Of course. I’ll trust and follow you, senior.”

“Really? Then it would be better to include you in our meeting. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there are quite a few unofficial gatherings in Eton besides the officially active clubs.”

I was expecting that.

If this is a school full of nobles and wealthy people, it would be stranger if there were no social gatherings for them to gather.

Since this is a society that revolves around connections that cannot be compared to modern times, it is good to join these places if you can.

“Can I also join the meeting?”

“Of course. You’re a student who the Duke of Wellington wrote a letter of recommendation for and asked the headmaster to take good care of, right? I think there are quite a few students who are curious about you.”

“Thank you. It seems that being in the same room as you, senior, was the best luck in my school life.”

Robert waved his hand with a pleasant smile as I spewed out shameless words without even wetting my lips.

“What’s with this? Anyway, there will be a time to have tea with the alumni in two weeks and listen to various words of wisdom, so I can introduce you then. The senior who is coming this time was quite popular when he was in school. William Gladstone.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said we’re having tea with the alumni.”

No, forget about the tea time, who’s coming?

The name that was briefly mentioned in the conversation between John Keats and Charles Wellesley last time.

I didn’t know that the opportunity to meet one of the giants, who is considered one of the greatest prime ministers in British history, would come so quickly.

I’m glad I came to Eton.