I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 205

It’s a well-known fact that among those who flaunt their machismo and call themselves ‘manly men,’ very few actually live up to the title.

This truth is borne out by countless historical accounts, media portrayals, and personal observations gathered through diligent, if somewhat comical, investigation.

And from what I’ve witnessed, Bismarck, with his constant references to ‘Germans’ in nearly every sentence, seemed more like a caricature of a manly man, a cosplayer of masculinity.

Seriously, what kind of self-proclaimed ‘manly man’ challenges someone to a fistfight over a simple disagreement?

I was prepared to intervene if things escalated, but thankfully, no one sustained serious injuries.

Imagine if Marx and the future Iron Chancellor had gotten into a brawl during a debate and suffered concussions.

Not only would it be a significant loss to humanity, but they might not achieve the same level of renown as in the original timeline.

That simply cannot happen.

Consider the epoch-making masterpiece, ‘Clash of Ideologies,’ that I commissioned recently.

To ensure its prominent display in the National Gallery, Bismarck and Marx need to be even more successful than they were historically.

Of course, that doesn’t mean they should transform into genuine communist villains.

Or perhaps, in the future, communism might be understood through entirely different lenses, with meanings and concepts distinct from those of the original timeline, in which case it might not be so bad.

Still, now that they’ve exchanged blows, it’s probably wise to keep Bismarck and Marx separated for a while.

Watching them once was amusing, but if they fight again and actually get hurt, it’ll become a genuine problem.

So, I had Bismarck, Marx, and Engels resting in separate rooms, but you won’t believe what happened next.

I went to the room where Bismarck was supposed to be recuperating, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Where did the Prussian nobleman who was resting here disappear to? Did he already leave?”

“No, Your Highness. He mentioned he was going to speak with other young Prussians.”

Is this guy seriously unable to accept defeat and gone seeking revenge?

Anxious, I hurried to the room where Marx and Engels were resting, only to be greeted by hearty laughter emanating from within.

“Hahaha! I understand now. So that’s why you came all the way to London. France is hopeless, as expected.”

“We were also impressed by Bismarck’s insight. It’s definitely more beneficial to gain experience here in London to address the various problems currently plaguing Prussia.”

Is this truly the conversation of the same individuals who were, just moments ago, preparing to lecture the ignorant Junkers [Prussian noble landowners] on behalf of all Germans?

Bismarck, noticing my entrance, stood up and bowed politely.

“You’ve arrived, Your Highness. I’m grateful not only for your presence at the duel but also for providing us with a place to rest.”

“Yes, well. But why aren’t you resting quietly in your room? Why did you come all the way here?”

“I wanted to speak with the spirited young Prussians who bested me. They proved with their own fists that they are not mere bookworms. So, naturally, I must acknowledge their strength.”

When he phrases it that way, it’s difficult for those listening not to return the compliment.

Engels nodded, his face still bearing the marks of the fight, and smiled.

“We feel the same way. Bismarck is not just a Junker but a man of firm conviction. I can still feel the throbbing where he punched me.”

“Hahaha! Your punches were equally fierce. Truly, strong young Germans. Even scholars who study possess such robust physiques. As they say, a healthy mind resides in a healthy body. With such strong bodies, your beliefs must also be correct.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Is this the 19th-century equivalent of a sweaty, macho bonding session?

The atmosphere is stifling, making it hard to breathe.

“…Anyway, I’m glad you’re all getting along.”

“It’s all thanks to Your Highness.”

“What did I do? You resolved things yourselves.”

It’s said that the ground hardens after rain, and there are many instances where people become friends after fighting and making amends, but a situation where they acknowledge each other after actually exchanging blows?

When hairy, middle-aged men display this kind of shonen manga [Japanese comics and animation, typically targeted at a young male audience] -like sentiment, it doesn’t feel touching but rather makes my stomach churn.

Perhaps mistaking my reaction for admiration, Bismarck laughed heartily and thumped his chest.

“Originally, German men don’t dwell on minor squabbles. We’re different from those whiny French guys.”

Great Germans… strong people… Ugh, my head.

“Haha… I see. Anyway, it’s good to be friendly. In my opinion, all of you here possess outstanding abilities.”

“Is that really true? But Your Highness, you’re meeting me for the first time today…”

“Bismarck, was it? As Marx mentioned earlier, the fact that you came all the way here to London proves your extraordinary nature. You’ve accurately identified the current problems in Prussia and come here to find clues for improvement, haven’t you? I guarantee that among the Junkers in Prussia right now, there aren’t even three people with your insight.”

“Oh! Hearing you say that fills me with confidence.”

If Bismarck becomes the Prussian Chancellor as in the original timeline, building personal connections like this would be an excellent boon for the future diplomatic relations of the British Empire.

The butterfly effect of history is unpredictable, so I can’t say for sure that he will definitely become the Iron Chancellor, but if I intentionally support him, I can certainly influence that uncertain future.

“In my opinion, you have the makings of a chancellor. You know who the Prime Minister of our British Empire is, right? I get a similar feeling from you as when I first saw him, so you should roughly understand.”

“Are you talking about the Prime Minister of the British Empire, the Duke of Wellington? That’s too much, even if you consider…”

“I’m just saying that’s the feeling, so don’t take it too seriously. But if you keep working hard, you’ll definitely achieve great things, so keep striving.”

Unlike the image of a warmonger, Bismarck in the original timeline always tried to resolve issues through diplomacy first in any case.

For him, war was also a part of diplomacy, and he only used it as a last resort.

However, if there was no way to solve a problem other than war, he did not hesitate to choose war.

After all, a person who rose to the position of Chancellor through a diplomatic route wouldn’t unrealistically shout, ‘Gentlemen, I love war!’ and go around, would he?

And because of Germany’s geographical conditions, Bismarck had a strong tendency to value diplomatic relations with Russia.

-Diplomacy means not fighting with Russia.

This quote he left behind was so famous in later generations that there’s no need to elaborate further.

Of course, even though he valued diplomacy, it wasn’t without its drawbacks.

Looking closely, the Iron Chancellor’s policies were practically just empty promises that gave nothing away, and many were stopgap measures that robbed Peter to pay Paul [an idiom referring to a policy that solves a problem by creating another problem].

Although his merits and demerits were clear, the fact that he raised Germany’s presence to a level unmatched by any other country never changes.

From my perspective, a big shot with whom I absolutely had to build a good relationship had rolled in on his own two feet.

“Well, let’s stop with the complicated stories. How much longer are you planning to stay in London?”

“I haven’t really thought about it. To be honest, coming here was a very impulsive decision, so…”

“Is that so? Then there’s no need to rush. If you’re willing, stay here longer and see the various sights of the British Empire. And I’m planning to invite the Prussian ambassador for dinner next week, so it would be good if you could join us then.”

“Excuse me? Can I really attend the dinner with the ambassador?”

“If you make connections with people in high places like that, you can more easily demonstrate the wisdom you’ve gained here in your home country, can’t you?”

“To do this much for me… Thank you. I will never forget this favor, even after I return.”

For Bismarck, a local nobleman without any particular connections in the central government, making connections with the Prussian ambassador in this way would feel like a great opportunity.

Of course, if I make a fuss about this, that gratitude will instantly be reduced by more than half, which is human nature.

I simply nodded as if it were nothing and got up from my seat.

“Then I’ll take my leave now, so have a good time talking with people from the same hometown.”

“No! Of course, I must escort you to the outside. I happen to have a good wine in my room, so I’ll bring it. You guys, wait here. I’ll let you taste the best wine from our hometown.”

“We can only be grateful. Let’s have a fun discussion while drinking today!”

“Good. Just wait there. Let’s go, Your Highness.”

After throwing punches, they share a drink and have a discussion all night long… At this point, I might have to acknowledge that they are at least hearty German men.

Perhaps I was just looking at them with prejudiced eyes because I have the sensibilities of the 21st century, but this might also be the romance of the 19th century.

I took my eyes off the three people who were exchanging warm greetings and left the room.

Bismarck, who followed me out, bowed deeply, saying he would return to his room, and turned back.

I was walking along, thinking that I had a very enjoyable experience today.

“Oh no, sir! What’s with your face? How did you end up like this!”

Hearing the fussing voice coming from behind, it seems he ran into the servant who came with him on the way to his room.

I stopped walking for a moment and listened to what the two were saying.

“Ah, it’s nothing. There were two guests who came before me, and I had a bit of an argument with them, so I had a duel.”

“A duel? Are you saying you fought two against one?”

“Well, yes. No matter how good I am, it wasn’t easy to win when two people attacked at the same time.”

What is he even saying? It wasn’t a tag team, but a one-on-one fight.

Perhaps thinking that I had already gone far away, Bismarck kept bluffing without even wetting his lips.

“But who am I? I beat them both to a pulp. After getting beaten like that, their rotten communist minds seemed to have been somewhat corrected. Hahaha!”

“So that’s why your face is bruised like that. But isn’t this where those thugs’ room is? Why did you come out from here?”

“Even if I beat them up, isn’t it the dignity of a nobleman to show generosity to the losers? I’m on my way to give them wine in the sense of congratulating them for fighting well. They were so grateful that they didn’t know what to do.”

“As expected, sir, you are a magnanimous person.”

“Hahaha! What’s the big deal about this much? You should have seen them flying away and falling pathetically from my punch…”

Bismarck’s laughter gradually faded away and soon became completely inaudible.

I hesitated for a moment whether to tell Marx about this or not, and as I was standing there, this time I heard murmuring from inside the room where Marx was.

“Engels, what are you doing now?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to write a memoir in advance before Bismarck comes back? So I’m trying to finish it in advance.”

“That would be good. Today was a truly rare experience. How should I write the content?”

“You can say that I gave a proletarian iron fist to a Junker who doesn’t know his place and doesn’t know the world on behalf of the proletariat, right? Hehehe.”

“That’s good. Ah, but how about changing this part a bit? If you say we fought too fiercely, it’ll lose its flavor, so it’ll be more flavorful to say that the Junker just spilled blood from his nose and fell over with one punch of mine.”

“Okay. Then I’ll completely remove the part where I ran away and drained his stamina and change it to say that he collapsed pathetically with one punch of yours. And the Junker who tasted that bitterness later became surprisingly docile and began to praise our ideology…”

Okay. Let’s just pretend I didn’t hear anything and go back.

Is this the magnanimity of German manly men who understood each other with their fists?

It’s so amazing that my chest feels cramped.

That the true nature of the Iron Chancellor, who will represent future Prussia, and the great scholar who will resonate with the hearts of many intellectuals is like this makes me feel sorry for no reason.

Iron Chancellor? Great scholar of the era?

No. These guys are just… just inferior men.

Okay. So that today’s amazing incident is not forgotten for a long time.

I should also write a memoir as soon as I get back.