I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 26

You make money to spend it.

“Hey guys, believe it or not, that con artist I told you about before? He got caught recently, apparently.”

“Oh, really? He managed to evade capture so well for years, what made him slip up?”

“Apparently, there was an anonymous tip that accurately pinpointed his movements.”

Gladstone, this time, joined the tea time of his own accord without Robert even asking.

It seemed he wanted to share the news of Mark Turner’s capture with us.

In fact, I was secretly welcoming it since I also wanted to hear an analysis of this case from a third-party perspective.

“Do you happen to know who the informant was?”

“Well, it’s definitely good that the con artist was caught, but there are quite a few mysteries surrounding this case. First of all, the informant’s identity isn’t confirmed. It seems someone hired a private investigator, but we don’t even know who that private investigator is. Besides, I don’t understand why that cautious guy got caught at the bank.”

“Didn’t he confess during the arrest?”

“He claims he was scammed, but that’s a ridiculous excuse. From what I’ve gathered, when con artists are arrested, they make such absurd claims, saying they don’t have a penny left. I guess they’re desperate not to lose the money they’ve saved up.”

Uh… This time, it’s not an excuse, but I appreciate them thinking that way.

Well, if a guy who’s been scamming people for years coincidentally gets scammed himself when he’s arrested and claims to have no assets, who would believe him?

Even if I were a cop or a lawyer, I’d probably just feel more disgusted, thinking he’s resorting to such lame excuses.

Besides, even if they investigate someone named Richard Twain, they won’t find anything, so they’ll have no choice but to think that way even more.

“So, Gladstone, what’s your take on this case? Didn’t you say some of your acquaintances were involved?”

“Ah, thankfully, my acquaintances managed to get some of their money back. The private investigator I mentioned earlier gave them quite a large sum as an information fee. That’s why I don’t understand it even more. Who on earth hired that private investigator?”

Perhaps because the topic was so intriguing, Robert, who had been listening intently, asked the question I wanted to ask.

“Didn’t your acquaintances actually talk to that private investigator? Did they happen to find out anything?”

“They said they didn’t even get a good look at his face. If that’s the case, he must have been trying to hide his identity from the start, so he probably altered his voice too. That’s why I don’t understand. Why go to such lengths to hide his identity?”

“It sounds like something out of a novel, quite intriguing. A detective of justice operating in the shadows?”

“Honestly, I’m also tempted to investigate further. I’m even considering putting together a team to investigate after the election.”

Oh dear. This isn’t good.

It’s one thing for Robert to be interested, but if Gladstone takes too much interest, I don’t know how this snowball will roll later on.

After all, Gladstone is a talent who will be elected in this general election and rightfully seize a seat in the British House of Commons.

What good would it do to have someone who will later be considered one of Britain’s greatest prime ministers digging into my past, whether it’s out of simple curiosity or not?

It doesn’t matter if it’s just curiosity or not.

“Just my personal opinion, but isn’t the truth simpler than you think?”

“Hmm? Do you have any insights?”

“Isn’t it strange that the con artist was caught at the bank in the first place? I heard he’s been changing locations and identities to commit fraud for years, but he gets caught so easily at a bank?”

“According to the bank, a person named Richard Twain brought in an account that was mortgaged to the bank. He was caught trying to withdraw money from it, so he’s claiming that he was scammed by Richard Twain.”

But Richard Twain is not a real person.

That’s why so many hypotheses arise, but in this case, the best way is to create the most plausible story myself.

“Were any of the con artist’s accomplices caught? Logically, he couldn’t have been operating alone for years.”

“Only the main culprit was caught, and it’s hard to catch the rest since we don’t even know if they exist. Anyway, those kinds of guys usually fall apart naturally once the main culprit is caught, so they probably won’t pay much attention to it.”

“Then, in my opinion, there’s only one answer. Usually, when organizations like that collapse and the leader is caught, it’s mostly because of internal strife.”

“Internal strife… Well, I guess that could be it. Actually, I did consider that possibility… Indeed, internal discord. There’s a possibility.”

“Yes, in my opinion, that’s the only explanation. The fictitious Richard Twain, the private investigator who approached your acquaintances, it all makes sense if it was an internal betrayal, doesn’t it?”

For bright people like Gladstone, if you give them a plausible outline, they’ll take care of all the finishing touches and coloring on their own.

As expected, after being lost in thought for a moment, he snapped his fingers as if he had understood something and nodded.

“That’s right. I was wondering how they managed to approach my acquaintances, but it all makes sense if it was an internal conflict? After all, they probably knew who he had scammed.”

“I think so too. Isn’t approaching them to get information just a pretext? What they were aiming for was to use the victims’ names to accuse the con artist and induce a warrant.”

“Now that I hear it, it seems like that’s the case. The biggest reason why those kinds of organizations collapse is usually internal strife over money. It’s clear that the other members conspired to take down the leader and run away with the rest of the money. As you said, Killian, the essence of the case seems simpler than I thought.”

“Oh, what? So, there was no detective of justice operating in the shadows after all?”

Robert seemed disappointed, but Gladstone, on the other hand, wore a refreshing smile as if a nagging tooth had been pulled.

Good. Don’t worry about unnecessary things and focus on winning the election and getting into parliament.

“By the way, how’s the election preparation going, Gladstone?”

“Ah, that’s actually the most important thing, but I’m trying my best. I’m putting in all my effort, so I believe good results will come out, and I have no choice but to keep trying until the end.”

“Not all constituencies have confirmed candidates yet, right?”

“That’s right. But since it’s just us, I’ll tell you, unfortunately, it seems difficult for our party to win this election again. The election law amendment passed by the Whig Party this time is receiving tremendous support.”

I remember hearing about that topic several times from James and Charles.

It was definitely a reform bill that guaranteed more voting rights to the bourgeois class [middle class] and adjusted the constituencies more in proportion to the number of voters.

Of course, there was more opposition from the Tory Party [Conservative Party] and the House of Lords, but public opinion overwhelmingly favored the Whig Party [Liberal Party], so they couldn’t resist the tide of the times.

Of course, even then, the majority of ordinary workers still didn’t receive the right to vote, but it was a definite fact that the distorted constituencies were corrected and the number of people who received the right to vote noticeably increased.

Seeing them dragged down while throwing opposition votes in such an ugly manner, the Tory Party really lacks political sense.

Well, that’s probably why they’ve been constantly losing to the Whig Party for years.

The Duke of Wellington is a respectable person as a soldier, but his capacity as a politician doesn’t quite measure up.

Originally, it was rare for outstanding soldiers to excel in politics, so it wasn’t particularly strange.

“So, the Tory Party won’t be able to escape being the opposition party this time either?”

“Probably. Depending on the situation, we might even suffer a worse defeat than last year. Besides, in Ireland, the party led by Daniel O’Connell might take dozens of seats… We have no choice but to say it’s a crisis for us.”

“Even in that situation, if a senior running in his first election can bring in a seat, he might be able to establish a certain position within the party?”

“Theoretically, that’s true, but it will be a difficult fight. But to be honest, our party needs to change with a sense of crisis. To do that, young and innovative people like us need to stand out.”

Gladstone looked around at me and Robert once before continuing in a determined voice.

“To that end, I must first enter parliament and pave the way for the juniors who will follow. There are only a few months left, so please support me!”

Already at this age, he’s thinking not only about his personal success but also about the direction the party should take, and he’s trying to put it into practice.

A politician destined for greatness is different from the start, but I can’t just admire him.

Sorry, Gladstone. We’re in the same party now, so I’ll help you, but I can’t let you dominate.

I’ll send a friend next to you, so please compete well.

* * *

The day after parting with Gladstone, I immediately called James and Charles Wellesley to summarize the situation so far.

“Well, the experiment is over with this. The information gathering and the method of capturing prey have been verified to work without any problems. The police and officials don’t seem to think that there are people moving behind the scenes like us. Someday they will know our existence, but for now, it’s best to stay as inconspicuous as possible, right?”

“Wait, Killian. In that case, shouldn’t you have targeted guys who have no relationship with Gladstone in the first place, or at least not approached his acquaintances?”

“I did it on purpose. Since it’s the first time, I was curious to see how the people around us would view this kind of incident. I can directly contact Gladstone, so I can gloss over it like this.”

It’s obvious, but there’s no point in attracting the attention of the political world.

I felt this in my previous life, but no matter how powerful money is, money without power has clear limitations.

Power also needs money, so the two are inseparable, but money without the backing of power is just good prey.

So, for the time being, until we have the power to cover it up even if we get caught, we need to be sensitive to the reactions of those around us.

The Wellesley’s connections are strong, but it’s a power that needs to be exerted indirectly through someone, not a strong power that we can wield directly.

From that point of view, it also means that it’s time for us to acquire direct power.

“Wellesley, I was talking to Gladstone, and he said the atmosphere isn’t good because the party is expected to suffer a crushing defeat in this year’s election?”

“Don’t even mention it. My father is constantly depressed because of that, and the atmosphere at home is uneasy.”

“Then that’s even better. There are still constituencies where candidates haven’t been confirmed yet, right? Wellesley, you can run in one of those places. The justification is clear, so no one will say anything.”

The election system at this time is too rough compared to modern times, so even now, with the election two or three months away, there are still many places where candidates have not been confirmed.

Charles is the second son of the Duke of Wellington, the current leader of the Tory Party [Conservative Party], so his reputation is certain, and there will be no problem with the candidacy itself.

“But I’m still in the military?”

“You can retire. It’s a good time right now anyway. The Tory Party led by your father is struggling, so you retire from the military to help him in the election. If you proudly take a seat and enter the House of Commons to help your father, how many senior members will look at you favorably?”

“That’s true when I hear it… But if I do as you say, shouldn’t I run in a constituency where our victory is certain?”

“Of course. If you do that, the Duke will only get criticized for taking care of his son’s position even in this difficult situation. It’s best to go to a place where the conservative forces are not weak, but the Whig Party [Liberal Party] is a little ahead.”

Coincidentally, the three of us put our heads together and found a perfect constituency.

South Hampshire.

It is a newly created constituency under this reform bill, with a total of two members of parliament, and the current confirmed candidates are two from the Whig Party and one from the Tory Party, so there is one seat for the Tory Party.

And according to preliminary predictions, the Whig Party is strong, so both Whig Party candidates are expected to be elected, and the Tory Party is not expected to win a single seat.

“If you run here and get elected, the Duke will be happy, and Wellesley, you will be able to speak out proudly. In addition, since you are being elected in your first election, you may be linked to Gladstone and be promoted as a young hope for the conservatives.”

“Are you assuming that Gladstone will be elected?”

“Yes. That’s why Wellesley, you must be elected. If you want to grow into a great figure in the Conservative Party in the future, you must not let Gladstone dominate.”

“Hmm… That’s certainly true, but there are so many variables in an election.”

I have to wait several more years until I become an adult and enter the House of Lords or the House of Commons.

So, I need people to go in and establish a position before me, and Wellesley was one of them.

I have to get him elected in this election and send him to parliament.

“Elections are full of variables, but we already have a good way to reduce those variables, don’t we?”

“Ah! That’s right. I don’t know why I was thinking so naively?”

“Yes. What did I say when I said I had to make a lot of money? Elections are money-guzzling hippos.”

“So, you told me not to put all the money in the United States. That’s why you put James as the representative, and that was the plan from the beginning.”

No matter how much they are implementing a parliamentary system, it is not the 20th century, but the era heading towards the middle of the 19th century.

It is a society where money-based elections are rampant and bribery and entertainment are taken for granted.

And Wellesley and I had a lot of money earned through back channels.

“Of course, it was all planned from the beginning. So, Wellesley, feel free to run and get elected. I’ll have James put plenty of food in our money-loving hippo.”

Of course, it is subject to criticism for a nobleman to openly spread money, but that’s why James was appointed as an agent, wasn’t it?

A ticket to enter the National Assembly?

We can just buy one without making it obvious.