I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 263

Everyone who knows, knows that Yeonhae Province [Primorsky Krai, a region in the Russian Far East] is a region of tremendous value to Russia.

Even if they could push the Ottomans back and take the Bosphorus Strait [a narrow, natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in northwestern Turkey], having ports to access the sea was always a plus for Russia.

Moreover, by occupying Yeonhae Province, they could easily operate a naval fleet extending to the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean in conjunction with the Kamchatka Peninsula, located at the easternmost tip of Russia.

There was a good reason why Russia put so much effort into building a base in Vladivostok.

But what if Sakhalin [a large Russian island in the North Pacific] suddenly disappeared?

The Russian Sea of Okhotsk would be literally cut in half and isolated.

Even if they abandoned Yeonhae Province and concentrated the Pacific Fleet on the Kamchatka Peninsula, there would still be problems.

Since Alaska had passed into Canadian territory, it was like having a bomb that could be detonated at any time, and they would have to worry about Sakhalin as well.

Russia had no choice but to face the problem they least wanted to discuss in Asia.

“Sakhalin… Are you saying we should cede that large island entirely to Japan? But Japan doesn’t have the administrative power to do that.”

“Is that so? Then, if Japan wants, our Great British Empire should lend them a hand. We could create a small-scale military base on the southern side of Sakhalin…”

“Ah, no. On second thought, it seems Japan’s administrative power is sufficient. However, giving up such a vast territory is too much to ask. How about agreeing to split it in half?”

“No. We will divide and rule it, including Joseon [an ancient Korean kingdom]. Half will go to Joseon, and half to Japan.”

Joseon said it was okay since they couldn’t maintain any additional land they received, but the important thing was to take Sakhalin entirely from Russia.

Since both countries had performed their roles well, there could be a perception that it would be unfair to give such a large territory to only one of them.

Of course, even if Joseon were given half of Sakhalin, they wouldn’t have the ability to maintain it, but that was also the case for Japan at the moment.

So, shouldn’t the Great British Empire, a good friend of Asia, help these two countries take root in Sakhalin?

Deploy some weapons and build some bases that can be used in case of emergency.

If Russia foams at the mouth and Japan and Joseon accept the demands and build bases, they have no right to say anything.

It’s not aimed at Russia, but rather to create a safety net to support Joseon and Japan’s poor administrative power.

But frankly, I can’t imagine how humiliating it would be for European powers to have territory taken away by weak Asian countries like Joseon and Japan.

Bismarck, who was looking at a map wondering where Sakhalin was, couldn’t hide his laughter.

“So, you’re saying that this place is occupied by a country called Japan? You’re saying they forcibly occupied what Russia was occupying?”

The Ottoman Empire couldn’t be left out when it came to criticizing Russia. Ali Pasha shook his head and clicked his tongue.

“It can’t be helped. No matter how strong Russia is, how can they deploy elite troops to that remote eastern region? I don’t know where this country called Japan is located, but even a stray dog can bark loudly in its own backyard. It’s not strange that Russia was defeated.”

“Who lost? You seem to be mistaken, but Japan attacked our base in Sakhalin without even declaring war this time. While we’re on the subject, Your Highness Killian, isn’t this an incident for which Russia should hold Japan accountable?”

“That’s true. But as everyone knows, this was a custom that was common in Europe, but Asian countries are not familiar with it.”

“But unlike Japan, Joseon declared war first.”

“So, when I asked, I was told that Joseon is a country that values etiquette and face in Northeast Asia. So, Asian countries are different from us. Of course, I will severely warn Japan and take measures to ensure that such a thing does not happen again.”

Those who used to say that Asians were inferior yellow monkeys are now suddenly saying that Asia is a civilization equal to us.

Besides, since there were no proper international treaties on war at the moment, it was difficult to hold them accountable for attacking without declaring war.

You could curse them for being dirty, petty, uncivilized barbarians, but in the European perception, that’s the default for Asia, right?

Bismarck and Ali Pasha were openly laughing and saying, “You should have considered such risks when fighting Asia.”

Even Austria, which was subtly at odds with Prussia, was teasing Russia in the same way this time.

“Japan is still mild. I recently heard that Qing China [the last imperial dynasty of China] even exchanged agreements to form an alliance before attacking? Asia is not Europe, so Russia was wrong to expect such a civilized approach.”

“Hahaha! That’s right. But things will change since Your Highness will definitely warn them in the future.”

“Your Highness, how about asking Japan to apologize to Russia, if possible? Hahaha!”

If Joseon or Japan saw this scene, they wouldn’t know whether to be happy or not, but if there’s a way to avoid responsibility, it’s a convenient choice.

Perception changes automatically when national power becomes strong, so no matter how much they bark now, European countries won’t care.

“As per your opinions, I will try to get a letter of apology from Japan. By the way, now that we’re on the subject, haven’t there been too many incidents during this war? The performance of cameras is getting better day by day, so negative perceptions of war will probably increase day by day. So, I think it would be good to create an international treaty that must be observed in war, and I would like to hear your opinions on this. Including the mandatory declaration of war that the Russian side passionately advocated for earlier.”

“International treaty…”

“Indeed. If there are already customary practices, it would be more effective to create a treaty to ensure them.”

“Prussia is in favor.”

From Russia’s perspective, it was like fixing the barn after losing the cow, but if they were going to raise more cows in the future, they would have to fix the barn.

As war technology became more advanced and weapons progressed, the number of deaths would inevitably increase in the future.

So, everyone agreed that it was necessary to put in place safeguards to prevent it from exceeding a certain line.

In the end, the representative meeting, which lasted for several hours, completed the basic framework of the Paris Treaty and ended with preparations for a new international treaty to be concluded later.

Russia would be quiet for a while, and the Great British Empire would get everything it wanted and ascend to the top.

And a breathtaking battle of nerves would begin anew beneath the surface for the vacant position of Europe’s second-in-command.

“Then, based on this agreement, I will delegate the authority to the working-level officials to create detailed clauses.”

I felt complicated thinking that the war would be completely over with the simple task of signing this piece of paper.

How many people had to die and be injured just to scribble down these few simple lines?

The drop of black ink on the nib looked like tears condensed from the despair of countless people.

The ink, made from the lives of hundreds of thousands, transformed into the names of representatives from each country on the agreement.

Finally, the spark of war that had spread with the momentum to burn the whole world was completely extinguished.

It’s time to go back now. Home.

* * *

1851. Before the world’s first international exposition, which was confirmed to be held in the Great British Empire, the long and arduous Crimean War was completely over.

With the conclusion of the Paris Treaty, the Great British Empire emerged as the perfect victor, seizing all sorts of concessions from Russia and standing tall as the world’s strongest power in name and reality.

Moreover, it wasn’t just pride or a sense of superiority that they gained.

Russia not only had to pay a huge amount of compensation to England but also lost all the influence it had barely established in Asia.

And due to the events that took place at the Paris Treaty, most Western European countries recognized Northeast Asia as the territory of the Great British Empire.

Although the public wouldn’t notice these subtle trends, the achievements made this time were already being reported continuously as soon as I arrived.

-The dream canal has come into the hands of the royal family. From ancient Egypt to modern Napoleon. Numerous people have pondered and pondered, but ultimately failed to connect the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

No longer is it necessary to go around Africa to get to Asia. This transportation revolution will blossom in the hands of the Great British Empire’s royal family.

While the Paris Treaty was in full swing, His Highness Killian immediately recognized that France had suffered significant losses due to the war and purchased the ownership of the canal they were planning to build. As a result, the Great British Empire has solidified its position to have a significant impact on the shipping industry of all European countries in the future.

In addition, this magazine has also obtained information that the Great British Empire will sign an agreement with Russia regarding grain imports.

How much has Russia diplomatically pressured the Great British Empire by using food as a weapon? But now that will never happen again.

Russia has agreed to compulsorily export a portion of the grain produced in the fertile black soil region to the Great British Empire at a fixed price and in a fixed quantity, and this treaty was also a remarkable achievement obtained by His Highness Killian persuading the Russian authorities.

The real hero who achieved all these feats and led the war to victory.

The army that arrived with that hero just yesterday. Marched through the streets of London.

Due to this war, Russia suffered 500,000 casualties, and France suffered slightly less than half of that. Not to mention the Ottoman Empire.

However, our Great British Empire’s excellent army suffered only 6,000 casualties, which would not have been possible without the dedication of His Highness Killian and the medical staff who had completely improved the military’s medical system.

Parents with children expressed their gratitude and relief to their hearts’ content, showering those who had enhanced the prestige of their home country with generous congratulatory flowers.

Grand music was played, and finally.

The time had come for the hero of the triumphal return, who was loved and respected by all citizens of the Great British Empire, to meet Her Majesty the Queen.

Her Majesty the Queen, who had been so strong, finally couldn’t hold back her tears and wept bitterly in her husband’s arms, and all the citizens who watched couldn’t hold back their tears.

“······.”

“How is it? Does it feel like you’ve finally returned? The citizens’ reaction is no joke right now.”

“No, it’s not that what you’re saying is wrong… How many of these embarrassing praise articles have been released? Even if you write them, you should write them more plainly…”

“Aren’t all the articles written with only the facts as they are? My wife cried after reading this article.”

Cried? After reading this article?

Isn’t your tear gland too weak?

“Anyway, thank you for your hard work, Prime Minister. From the triumphal parade to the measures regarding the returning soldiers. With this, you can take a break without any worries for the time being.”

“Your Highness did all the hard work. How is it after returning after a long time?”

“I saw my family, and I felt sorry for them for no reason.”

The twins, who were still speaking in lisping voices when I went to the battlefield, now greeted me with quite clear speech. The sight is still vivid in my memory.

And when Victoria couldn’t hold back her tears, I honestly felt a little choked up.

If even I cried there, I would have been criticized for crying as if I had done something great, so I desperately held back.

And what surprised me the most was…

“The third child, who was definitely in my wife’s belly, was clumsily saying words. Ah, I really felt like time had passed quickly.”

“That’s how it always is. When my father returned after the Battle of Waterloo [a famous battle in 1815], he looked at me and his eyes welled up with tears. It seems that parents can’t help but feel overwhelmed when they see their children who have grown so much while they were away on the battlefield.”

As he said, the sight of the third child, whom I didn’t even know, calling me Dad and taking clumsy steps evoked indescribable emotions.

From now on, never. I should just stay in the palace and spend time with Victoria and the children.

“Prime Minister, I will be staying comfortably in the palace for at least a year from now, so please take care of the miscellaneous tasks at the Prime Minister’s level. Got it?”

“······.”

What? This is when I should get an answer like trusting only him, but why is he making such a vague expression?

“Ah, if it’s because of that Expo, I can play the role of a figurehead, so you can entrust it to me without any burden.”

“Your Highness, it’s not that… I received a report from over there.”

When you say over there, you mean the Atlantic Ocean, and when you say the Atlantic Ocean, you mean Canada and the United States…

As I thought that far, an incident that had been pushed back into a corner of my memory by Russia surfaced in my mind.

Ah, damn it, that’s right. I had completely forgotten that those guys were there too.

The United States and Mexico, those guys were at war, so by now, the victory or defeat would have been clearly decided.

Please, let me rest, you guys.

My plan to enjoy a healing life with my family for at least the next few years was being wrecked before it even started.