I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 332

The light of the great, world’s strongest empire, the successor and eldest son of Killian, the peerless hero born of the British Empire.

When Crown Prince Edward arrived, the great powers, who had been fighting to the death for years, knelt and called for an end to the war.

Edward knew from before he set off that this was the picture his father had been aiming for.

But no matter how strong the British Empire was, the world’s leading powers would not kneel just because they were told to.

Most people in this world do not understand when you only talk to them.

What more can be said for the warring parties who are fighting to the death?

“The British Empire? Tell them to stop talking nonsense and go eat *yeot* [a Korean taffy-like candy]!”

“Who do those bastards think they are, telling us to end the war unilaterally?”

“They were the ones sucking honey from behind while we were shedding blood and fighting.”

“Those delusional patients always think the world trembles when they say a word.”

Most people knew that the British Empire’s participation would tip the balance of the war in an instant, but many tried to deny it.

It’s not that they don’t know the truth.

Who could accept being told to end the war now after fighting so hard and shedding so much blood for years?

The United States citizens had suffered hundreds of thousands of casualties in the years-long battle.

The more blood that flowed, the deeper the hatred grew.

It was only natural that some would be alarmed by the proposal to end the war in an incomplete state without completely destroying the other side.

However, no matter how much dissatisfaction there was, it was meaningless in the face of overwhelming power.

As if to prove it, the latest ironclad steam warships, HMS Warrior, began to line up in the southern sea, and the noisy opposition automatically became polite.

And that was no exception for the North, which was even more vehemently opposed to the end of the war than the South.

Originally, the majority of the North was of the opinion that they could fight a little more until Edward brought his fleet.

“Ending the war here means recognizing the South! That must never happen!”

“Fleet? We have many fleets too. We have produced and deployed a large number of USS Monitors this time.”

“That’s right. While the British Empire was doing nothing in Europe, we continued to strengthen our military power through fierce real battles.”

“Even if we end the war, we should show them how strong we are before we negotiate on more favorable terms.”

They know that they have no chance of winning if they turn the British Empire into an enemy.

Still, most of the generals agreed that they should at least show them that they would twitch if they stepped on them so that they would not be underestimated.

But….

“The British Empire has appointed Crown Prince Edward as the person in charge of this negotiation and dispatched a fleet.”

“The number of British warships arriving this time is almost the same as the number of our warships…”

“Did they include a large number of steamers with light armor?”

“No. They are all HMS Warriors, the new steamships that Britain introduced a few years ago.”

“No, what is this…”

You might think that it would be worth it if the number of ships operated is similar, but the steamships currently operated by the North are designed to be suitable for coastal or riverside battles.

On the other hand, the Warrior, which the British Empire brought this time, was no exaggeration to say that it was the largest, fastest, heavily armored, and heavily armed warship in the world.

Even compared to the La Gloire, which France mainly operates, it was superior in size, speed, and armor thickness.

It doesn’t have any revolutionary technology, but it’s an all-weather weapon that combines all the existing technologies in a delicious way.

But they brought not just one or two of those warships, but a whole bunch of them?

Lincoln, who had been silent until now, asked General Grant in a heavy tone.

“If we oppose the end of the war, the British Empire’s warships will be added to the Confederate army as they are… Can we hold out?”

“Your Excellency, the reality is that we are not able to take offensive action against the French Navy, let alone defend ourselves.”

Even the La Gloire, which France operates, is a ship made entirely for naval battles, so the North has avoided battles at sea altogether.

Still, the North’s warships had no problem fighting on the coast and riverside, so they were able to defend themselves somehow, but the story changes the moment the British Empire joins the war.

“But are the British warships that superior?”

“It is said to be a collection of the latest technologies created to openly snipe at the La Gloire that France is operating.”

“And how many of those warships have they brought now?”

They wouldn’t bring such huge warships close to the coast, but in the first place, even if they just devastated the cities in the sea and destroyed the ports, the damage to the North would be immeasurable.

Originally, you can’t know a battle until you try it, but this was so different just by looking at the specs that I could say for sure.

As Lincoln’s face darkened, General Grant’s weak voice continued.

“First of all… it could be fake information, so I will check it again.”

“I understand. Let’s check the truth of the information and discuss it again.”

I vaguely knew that the British Empire’s navy was the strongest in the world, but when I heard the reality so nakedly, my head was spinning.

I thought I had become stronger by repeating wars, but what arrogance was this?

Lincoln and the Northern leaders prayed in their hearts that the information they had just received was wrong.

That it was a mistake that only one or two Warriors and small steamships were attached to it.

If the report that just came up is really true, it’s the same as saying that we have to give up the sea altogether, but can we continue fighting in that state?

Too obvious. Still, no one came out until the end of the meeting who could say it was okay.

* * *

“You’re saying that the troops that came here aren’t all of them?”

“Yes. If the North continues to insist on fighting, a few more will cross the Atlantic.”

“···Huh huh huh.”

Excluding the South and the North, the British Empire, France, and Prussia had already roughly agreed on the process of reaching an end to the war.

Some people in the South were initially dissatisfied, but after seeing the large and beautiful cannons of the British Empire’s warships and being told that independence would be guaranteed, they were cheering for Europe as if nothing had happened.

All that was left was the North, but listening to Crown Prince Edward’s words, it seemed that there was no problem even if the North continued to fight.

‘What? The North said that the damage would be great if they waged an all-out war, so it’s better to avoid fighting? You shameless bastards. You’re saying that after having such power?’

French Army General and Commander of this war, General Adolphe Niel, barely suppressed the rising curse.

“Ahem, now that His Highness the Crown Prince has personally led the fleet, the North will be terrified. They will probably surrender soon. Huh huh huh.”

“Isn’t that all thanks to your brave fighting? We are just helping to finish it.”

I’m glad you know.

General Niel didn’t say it directly, but he bit his lip with bitterness and glanced at the seat next to him, who was silent like a mute.

Helmuth von Moltke, Chief of Staff of the Prussian Army and in charge of finishing this war, was also glancing at the British Empire’s warships far away with a similar gaze.

“By the way… I knew that the British Empire’s naval power was strong, but I didn’t know it would grow so much beyond my imagination.”

“We had no choice but to produce a lot of ships because the area we had to control became wider. We have never actually engaged in naval battles, so we are deploying them on a large scale this time.”

“The South will just agree to any conditions if the three of us put pressure on them, so the important thing is the North… If the North refuses to come to the negotiating table, then?”

“Yes. We need to make them realize that the ship they have is just a piece of scrap metal that can’t function in the sea.”

He said it calmly, but this was not a childish remark from a young crown prince, but an objective fact.

If I roughly count the numbers, I think it would be almost the same fight even if France was out and the North and the British Empire were fighting a naval battle, so what would be the result?

Looking at the detailed specs of the warships operated by the British Empire, it was pointless to calculate because the North was so pathetic.

If the allied forces are this strong, it should be reassuring, but General Niel was just resentful.

In fact, it has been the public opinion that France is the second-largest naval power after the British Empire.

In fact, after building La Gloire, before the HMS Warrior appeared, I was proud that there was no enemy.

However, in just one year, they not only lost the title of the world’s strongest warship-owning country, but also confirmed that the number of warships they owned had widened to a miserable level.

If the calculation was correct, the number difference would not be this big.

At most, it would be 5 ships, or really no more than 10 ships, but now it seems that the calculation has an error of almost more than 2 times.

The reason was obvious.

‘They must have sucked up a lot of money. These guys.’

Building and maintaining warships costs money from start to finish.

So where did all that money come from?

Isn’t it the warships that are standing there majestically that were made with the money that France and Prussia sucked up while shedding blood in this war?

Looking at the power here alone, it is clear that even if France, Prussia, and the North are all united, they cannot do anything to the British Empire alone, limited to the navy.

Niel and Moltke had no choice but to be dumbfounded.

-I came to end this war

At first glance, it sounds like a childish remark from a young boy, but with such power behind him, I can’t help but feel a chill down my spine.

If the allied forces are like this, what about the North, who are actually being threatened?

If you keep holding on and say you don’t care, that’s not courage, it’s recklessness.

And as expected.

In less than a week, the North sent a reply saying that they were willing to agree to the end of the war and would listen to the conditions.

The time they had fought so fiercely for years had come to an end as if it were a lie.

I can’t stand it without smoking a cigarette.

General Niel, who had finished his short interview with the Crown Prince, let out a sigh from his stomach and lit a cigarette.

“Hoo…”

Is it because of the situation? The cigarette is so delicious. Annoyingly.

* * *

Confederate States of America, Virginia.

Richmond.

“···Welcome, General Grant.”

“···It’s been a while, General Lee.”

Ulysses Grant, the commander-in-chief of the North, and Robert Lee, the commander-in-chief of the South, exchanged the most awkward greetings in the world.

“I feel a little lighter now that I can see the end of the tunnel of war that seemed endless.”

“···Is that so? I am very worried that this proud land that our ancestors built will become a plaything of European powers again.”

“That will not happen.”

General Lee immediately retorted, but he didn’t seem so confident.

The South has received so much support from so many countries to survive this war.

Refusing to be interfered with after doing that is an act of conscience.

In the first place, Prussia and France would not let that happen.

Grant slowly moved his steps, unable to shake off his anxiety.

In fact, I knew that the war would resume the moment I didn’t sign here, even though I said I would listen to the terms of the negotiation.

And at that time, the British Empire will be added to the Confederate army.

Considering the power that the British Empire brought this time, the more the North endures in the war, the more damage it will suffer.

In the end, the North also gathered opinions to just end this miserable war at this point if the conditions were reasonable, and Grant came to sign the document as their representative.

But….

“What, what is this? Are you telling me to end the war in this state?”

I had already heard about the general conditions, but the moment I saw the map that was added at the end, something snapped in Grant’s head.

“These are the conditions that France and Prussia strongly insist on.”

“Beyond guaranteeing the territory of the South, demanding more land is the calculation of which robber!”

A crude and vicious map that blatantly felt the malice of trapping the North in the Atlantic Ocean no matter what.

General Grant’s hand holding the pen was trembling with anger.

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