I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 308

The Dawn of a New Era (2)

July 4, 1860.

Toronto, Canada.

Edward, the Prince of Wales of the British Empire, stepped onto Canadian soil, the land of his birth, for the first time in a long while.

“Long live His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the noble heir of Canada!”

“Your Royal Highness Edward! Welcome home!”

“We welcome the return of Your Royal Highness Edward!”

From the Governor-General and members of parliament to the city’s influential figures, factory owners, and workers, a massive crowd had gathered.

When Edward first saw the welcoming crowd gathered at the harbor, so dense there was barely any room to set foot, he nearly felt overwhelmed. Even in London, he had never received such a passionate welcome. Canada always greeted him like this.

Edward knew very well the reason for this fervent reception.

He was the eldest son and heir apparent to his father, the Duke of Canada and Ambassador Plenipotentiary [an ambassador with full power to represent their government], and his mother, the Queen of the British Empire.

His other siblings also received enthusiastic welcomes in Canada, but the affection of the Canadian people for Edward and his sister Adelaide was particularly strong.

While the other princes and princesses were born in London, the twin siblings were born in Canada and spent their childhood here; this naturally fostered a deeper connection.

In fact, he had faint, cherished memories of toddling around here as a child.

“Your Highness! How was your journey?”

“Very pleasant.”

“I heard the waves were a bit rough due to the rain. Did you not suffer from seasickness?”

“With all of you welcoming me so warmly, what is a little seasickness?”

“Hahaha! We are all humbled by your words, Your Highness. Is the Princess not joining you this time?”

“Due to scheduling, I am here alone this time. I will come with my sister next time, and we plan to stay longer then.”

Edward and Adelaide visited periodically as part of the ongoing Canadian integration efforts.

Ideally, their father would be present, but someone as occupied as him couldn’t always be here.

Moreover, Edward was seen as a symbol of unity and the future of Canada.

So, simply by visiting from time to time, engaging with influential figures, and listening to the stories of the citizens, he could achieve significant positive outcomes.

Since it was the land where he was born and spent his childhood, he felt a genuine affection for it, and he had no complaints.

Rather, he could periodically assert his presence with just this much effort, so wasn’t it a considerable benefit?

However, it was important to remember that this visit had another purpose besides simply appeasing the Canadian people’s sentiments.

“Your Highness, it’s a pleasure to see you! You’ve grown so much since I last saw you.”

“Yes, it’s been a while. I’m glad to see that Chairman James also looks healthy.”

The greatest tycoon of the British Empire.

A giant in the economic world who had achieved immense success in various fields, from trains and steel to coal, detective work, real estate, and finance.

Seeing this famous person, known to everyone in the British Empire, smiling like a friendly uncle was always a disorienting experience.

“I just returned to Canada from Egypt. I was worried that our schedules wouldn’t align, but fortunately, it worked out.”

“Did you have a good talk with my father?”

“Unfortunately, yes. It seems I will have to work hard again as His Grace wishes, so this old body can only shed tears. I sincerely hope that Your Highness will not resemble His Grace in that aspect, even if you resemble him in other ways.”

“It would be a relief if I could resemble him in anything else.”

As a naturally gloomy sentiment escaped him without conscious effort, the playful smile disappeared from James’ face.

“Is there something troubling you?”

“My entire life is just a series of agonies, so there isn’t a specific worry. Mr. James, you’re one of the few people who has known my father since he was young, right?”

“I was the one who brought His Grace from Joseon [historical Korean kingdom]. Hahaha, thinking about it, it’s a very distant memory.”

“I’ve heard so much about what my father did since he was young from the Prime Minister and my mother that my ears are sore. When I was young, I didn’t think much of it, but around the age of ten, I was simply happy that such a great person was my father.”

“That’s why you asked me about His Grace’s childhood four years ago, didn’t you?”

“I did. But when did it start… I started to think more and more. My other siblings can just enjoy the halo of a great father, but I can’t.”

-As His Grace’s eldest son, Your Highness certainly has outstanding qualities.

-His Grace’s childhood? It was unparalleled, needless to say.

I would have been more comfortable if I hadn’t heard anything.

When he was young and naive, he thought he could emulate his father’s achievements.

Why wouldn’t he think that he could do it if he tried, since his father did it?

So, he had been actively seeking out people who knew his father’s childhood and asking them about it.

From his mother, the Queen, to Prime Minister Wellesley, Minister Disraeli, and James.

But what he discovered was that everyone who told the story had different perspectives and no overlapping experiences.

He was building a political foundation with Prime Minister Wellesley and directing election strategies from his early teens, and Disraeli, who had consistently lost elections, was elected thanks to his father, who was only in his early teens.

At the same time, he was a study partner for his still young mother, and his mother said that she had learned almost all of her economic and political knowledge from his father.

“Lord James, about what you said last time… Is it true that my father established the foundation for all these businesses?”

“Yes. The foundation of my company all came from His Grace’s hands.”

When he first heard that all the wealth of the James Group was virtually owned by the royal family, he thought his father was teasing him.

Because it was the James Group.

The largest tycoon in the British Empire, known to have more wealth than the Rothschild or Baring families, was the James Group.

But all that wealth was virtually owned by the royal family?

This fact was not known to anyone in the royal family except his father and mother.

Edward was told this secret because he was the heir who would inherit everything from the two, but he couldn’t understand it at first.

No, unless James was completely irrational, why would he give all his assets to the royal family?

At first, he thought that his father or mother might have used the power of the royal family to coerce him.

It was so absurd, but the reason was surprisingly simple when he found out.

-The James Group was originally owned by His Grace from the moment it was created. I was just acting as an agent.

Surprisingly, this was the truth… But there was something he really couldn’t understand.

“I’ve read Lord James’ autobiography. The initial venture of the group was real estate investment and a detective agency in the United States, but judging from the year, my father was much younger than I am now at that time. He was only in his early teens…”

“That’s right. At that time, I thought, ‘What kind of kid is this?’ In fact, what really surprised me was the way he made that money grow… It’s better not to elaborate on that.”

“…I see. Anyway, it’s all true.”

In summary, his father was far more accomplished at a much younger age than he was.

So, while he was complaining that Latin was difficult, his father was discussing politics with Prime Minister Wellesley and Disraeli, educating his mother, and revitalizing James’ business.

What is this? Is this even possible? No, before that, is he even human?

He suddenly envied his siblings who were carefree and playful in the palace.

If he were in the same position, he could have simply enjoyed the fact that he had such a capable father.

“Your Highness. I can say this because I’ve been observing him for so long, but it’s best not to compare yourself to such a person. It will only diminish your self-esteem and erode your confidence. In reality, strictly speaking, Your Highness is inheriting Her Majesty’s throne. His Grace is not a king.”

“But I’m inheriting my father’s position in Canada.”

“Oh dear… I think I said something unnecessary. Still, let’s try to think positively. In fact, Her Majesty the Queen may live a very long life… Ah, I don’t think this will be comforting to Your Highness.”

“No, it’s better to confront the truth now if I’m going to suffer anyway. I’m determined to find my own path. In fact, my father knows I’m doing this. So, he’s giving me this opportunity to build up my own achievements.”

The real reason for crossing the Atlantic this time was twofold.

The first was to tour Canada’s industrial facilities, which would soon be operating at maximum capacity, and reassure them that a huge boom was on the horizon.

This was basically a simple task that anyone with a healthy body could do, so let’s set that aside. The truly important thing was the second.

“Lord James, have you investigated the person I asked you about?”

“Of course. Surprisingly, he actually exists. Antonio Meucci. He was an immigrant from Italy to the United States. He made several interesting inventions, but he didn’t have the funds to register the patents.”

“Good. I’ll meet him in person and negotiate. I’ll give him a substantial sum of money and register his invention as royal property.”

His father called it a telephone, and he said that if he could secure exclusive rights to this technology in the early stages, he could generate significant wealth.

Right now, everyone is looking at him fondly, calling him our prince and our crown prince, but what will it be like when he ascends to the throne of the British Empire in the distant future?

Will the citizens of the British Empire or Canada recognize such an ordinary person, who has no significant achievements since he was the crown prince, as the successor to Killian Gore Hanover?

Objectively speaking, it’s clear that even if he successfully establishes the telephone network, it won’t be enough to secure his legacy.

As James said, it might be more comfortable to live as the crown prince for the rest of his life because his mother lives a very long life.

But even if that’s the case, he’ll still be known as the inadequate son of a great father, wouldn’t that be even more miserable?

In order to inherit the influence and wealth that his father has accumulated so far, he must at least demonstrate a semblance of his father’s accomplishments.

Edward was becoming more and more convinced of this every time he became aware of the scrutinizing gazes of the people around him.

* * *

Lincoln was nominated as the Republican presidential candidate, but the British Empire’s parliament was surprisingly unconcerned.

As expected, 19th-century countries generally have a disastrously poor understanding of other countries’ cultures and systems.

Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that they simply don’t care.

Or maybe it’s just that the speed of information transmission is still slow, so the analysis is not yet complete.

Wellesley, who won another victory in the recent election and is now on track to become the longest-serving prime minister in the history of the British Empire, was also showing a somewhat bewildered reaction to my proposal.

“Significantly increase the import of cotton? Are you suggesting we stockpile it?”

“Yes. It would be wise to accumulate a large reserve, so why don’t we significantly increase the budget this time and collect it at the government level?”

“Is there any indication that cotton prices will rise significantly? If not, why bother?”

“Why don’t you consider other possibilities? The southern United States may refuse to sell to us. Therefore, we will be producing cotton in large quantities in Egypt from next year, so please consider importing cotton from Egypt instead of the United States for the time being. We also need to reduce our dependence on the North for food, but we are importing large quantities of wheat from the Black Earth Plains [a vast fertile plain in Eastern Europe], so it will be somewhat offset, but please prepare for any possible situation.”

Wellesley was looking at me with the eyes of ‘Why is this guy doing this again?’, but the possible situation that came out of my mouth always meant something that would happen with 100% probability.

Even if you roll a die and get a 6, you usually don’t expect to get a 6 again next time.

However, if you get a 6 about 10 times in a row, no one will attribute it to luck anymore.

You would suspect that they cheated or that they were psychics, or that the dice itself was rigged.

“Even if we do as Your Highness suggests, we will eventually have to persuade the parliament, but if I say that the South may suddenly turn around and not sell us cotton, I will be suspected of suffering from dementia that day. The reason why Your Highness thinks so…”

“There will be a war.”

A moment of silence enveloped the room.

Wellesley’s sigh flowed out half a beat late, carrying the heavy atmosphere of the Prime Minister’s office.

“Hoo… I thought it would be quiet for a few years. Is it starting again now?”

“So we have to be prepared.”

The breather called 6 years is over.

From now on, it’s time to return to the age of violence and barbarism.

Even though so many lives were lost in vain in the last war, people still didn’t seem to learn.

There was still too little blood flowing in this world to truly realize the misery of war.