I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 38

## The Summons of Buckingham

William IV, an aging king who would turn 70 in just two years, harbored one fervent prayer:

“God, please don’t take me until my niece comes of age.”

Some around him still clung to the hope of a direct heir, but William IV had long since relinquished such expectations.

The person destined to succeed him as the Queen of England was already decided: Victoria.

However, he found the Duchess of Kent and Sir John Conroy, who sought to manipulate his niece for their own gain, incredibly irritating.

William IV wished he could regularly summon Victoria to court and ensure she received a proper education befitting his successor.

The problem was that the Duchess was intentionally trying to isolate the King from her daughter, interfering in every way imaginable.

Every tutor recommended by the King was rejected, and she would often claim Victoria was too ill to attend social gatherings.

His wife, Queen Adelaide, also cherished Victoria as her own daughter and deeply resented the Duchess’s manipulative behavior.

William IV could easily surmise the Duchess’s motivations.

She must be calculating that the elderly King wouldn’t live much longer, and her regency would soon begin.

Therefore, William IV saw only one way to thwart the Duchess’s ambitions:

To survive long enough for his niece to reach her majority and preclude the need for a regency.

For that reason, William IV was taking extra care of his health these days, avoiding anything that might unduly strain his body.

To minimize stress, he even scheduled specific times for meetings and discussions with his attendant, the Earl of Talbot.

“Your Majesty! I have urgent news to report.”

Therefore, such an unscheduled visit signaled that a significant problem had undoubtedly arisen.

“What is it? You’re uncharacteristically agitated.”

“Recently, a report came in that the Duchess has been regularly inviting a student from Eton College to Kensington Palace to converse with the Princess. Consequently, I’ve compiled some information on my own…”

After listening to the Earl of Talbot’s explanation, William IV lightly clicked his tongue and rubbed his tired eyes.

“Your Majesty, if you think I’m overreacting…”

“No. What you say makes perfect sense. In fact, I can’t conceive of any other plausible scenario.”

“If that’s the case, who do you believe initiated the contact?”

“The Tory party, most likely. They must be desperate after their recent defeat in the election and are trying to regain influence. Doesn’t that seem plausible?”

Victoria was just a young girl of fourteen this year.

It was only natural to assume that if they established a favorable relationship with her beforehand, they could easily exert influence in the future.

After all, wasn’t that precisely why the Duchess was maintaining such a tight rein on her young niece?

“So, this student, Killian Gore, is acting as a proxy for the Tory party?”

“He might simply be trying to befriend the Princess for now. Either way, if her only friend of the same age ends up holding a prominent position in the Tory party, she’ll naturally be more inclined towards their political views.”

“Even if politics is a ruthless game, it seems unconscionable to exploit even children in this manner.”

William IV openly expressed his displeasure but then composed himself and carefully assessed the situation.

After all, at this stage, everything was merely speculation, and nothing was certain.

It wouldn’t be too late to verify the facts first.

“I’d like to review more concrete information. Is that possible?”

“Killian Gore is said to be a boy who arrived in London from the East at the age of ten. He’s only been here for three years, so gathering detailed information might prove difficult.”

“Then we have no choice but to meet him directly.”

“Should we send a carriage discreetly?”

Hearing a suggestion that seemed so out of place within the palace walls, William IV chuckled softly.

“Bring a student from Eton here without anyone noticing? Do you honestly believe that’s possible?”

“Of course… it’s impossible.”

“If he’s an Eton student, he’ll be residing in the dormitory, so regardless of the method we employ, word is bound to reach someone’s ears. If this Killian boy has no connection to the Tory party, we might inadvertently make them suspicious for no reason.”

“I understand.”

If the Tory party learned that William IV had summoned Killian, the experienced politicians would surely discern the King’s intentions.

Especially if it occurred immediately after hearing that Killian had become acquainted with Victoria.

If the Tory party hadn’t harbored such intentions, it would be akin to creating unnecessary trouble.

“So, is there a way to contact this Killian student without arousing suspicion from the Tory party, the Whig party, or even the Duchess?”

“With such constraints… it would be impossible to single out one student and bring him to the palace undetected. Rumors are bound to spread, no matter what.”

“That’s right. But we can’t summon all the Eton students either.”

At William IV’s murmur, the Earl of Talbot suddenly raised his head, a spark of inspiration in his eyes.

“Your Majesty! There is a way. A rather ingenious one, in fact.”

“Really?”

“Weren’t you planning to host an official event led by the royal family anyway? We can invite the Eton students there. To avoid making it too obvious, we can also invite students from Harrow [another prestigious British boarding school] and other top educational institutions in the British Empire who have achieved outstanding accomplishments.”

“Not a bad idea. The royal family has a precedent of inviting and honoring outstanding students.”

With the remarkable advancements in science and technology, society was undergoing rapid transformation.

Not only the British Empire but also various European countries were striving to cultivate exceptional talents, so it wouldn’t be unusual for the King to encourage such endeavors.

Rather, wouldn’t it be perceived as hosting an appropriate event that aligns with current trends?

“The event will be tentatively named ‘Royal Academic Excellence Celebration,’ or simply the Celebration for short. Listening to the presentations and speeches of outstanding students from Eton and Harrow and having them engage in a debate will create a lively atmosphere. The rivalry between those schools is famous enough that everyone is familiar with it.”

“The nobles who graduated from those schools will also be quite invested in watching the event, making it a great opportunity to gauge their sentiments. Since there are pressing issues like the Factory Act [legislation aimed at improving working conditions in factories] and the abolition of slavery this year, it will be easy to choose relevant debate topics, and we might even glean some genuinely helpful insights.”

The more he considered it, the more he realized it was too brilliant of an idea to be used merely as a smokescreen.

“Your Majesty, shall we proceed with this plan?”

“Please do so. And, of course, as you know…”

“I will ensure that Killian Gore is able to attend the Celebration.”

William IV closed his eyes with a faint smile at the reply of his trustworthy attendant, who understood him perfectly.

They say one knows their own body best.

William IV had been feeling lately that the lifespan God had granted him wasn’t that long.

He couldn’t be certain whether it would last until his beloved niece came of age, but he had to make sure to prepare the path properly so that she could reign successfully.

That was the best arrangement William IV could make for his successor.

* * *

As the meetings with Victoria stretched past a month and approached two, I became quite comfortable in her presence.

Although we weren’t quite friends yet, I thought we might be able to bridge the remaining distance soon.

Then, Eton was thrown into a frenzy by a proclamation from Buckingham Palace.

[Royal Academic Excellence Celebration]

Eton students had been invited to events before, but this was not just another routine occasion.

The King himself, not just some ordinary royal, was holding a celebration to recognize the outstanding students of the British Empire.

The whole school was more excited than when Victoria had visited before, and I could feel the palpable buzz in the air.

“Hey, Killian! You heard about this too, right?”

“Of course. They say His Majesty will meet us in person?”

“That’s right! That’s amazing, but that’s not all.”

“What else is there?”

I saw a lot of announcements posted, but there were so many people crowding around that it was impossible for a freshman like me to push through and read everything.

And since Robert, who was already bursting with excitement, would come running to brief me anyway, there was no reason to expend my energy.

“At this event, academic clubs will have the opportunity to present their research findings. And high achievers like you will probably be able to present in front of His Majesty and receive words of encouragement. But the real highlight is the debate!”

“Debate?”

“Yes. A debate between Eton and Harrow. And it’s a debate held in front of politicians and nobles who graduated from both schools, so can you imagine the atmosphere?”

“…If you lose there, can you still have a normal school life?”

The rivalry between Eton and Harrow is as famous as the rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge.

Of course, Oxford and Cambridge are a bit more cutthroat, which is probably why the royal family doesn’t have those two schools clash in public debates.

The students at Eton and Harrow are a bit younger than university students, so even if they lose, the impact will be less severe.

But even so, a public debate in front of the illustrious alumni who dominate British politics… Isn’t this more like an execution than a debate?

Of course, if you utterly crush your opponent, you’ll make a favorable impression, so some people are burning with motivation.

Just like Robert right in front of me.

“Killian, so you’re saying you won’t apply?”

“I’ve been standing out too much lately, so I’m trying to keep a low profile.”

It looks like it’s going to be a truly grand festival, but if I stand out in such a place right now, it won’t be beneficial.

It’s okay to be a genius who consistently gets first place in school.

After all, human history proves that talented people with only good brains can only live as someone’s right-hand man.

But attracting the attention of political figures should come later.

“That’s a shame. If you went, I could have had fun working with you to devise strategies to demolish those Harrow guys.”

“I have to give you a chance to shine sometimes, senior. By the way, is your father attending?”

“Probably? Both my brother and I are attending Eton. Oh, and His Excellency the Duke of Wellington will probably be there too. I heard that most of the leading figures from the Whig party are also participating?”

It’s truly a gathering of luminaries.

I should definitely remain inconspicuous and avoid this event rather than going out and stirring up trouble in a debate.

Just as I was about to reach that conclusion.

“Student Killian Gore!”

“Yes, teacher. I’m here.”

“The headmaster is calling for you. Go immediately.”

Calling me as soon as an event that all the students are eagerly anticipating is announced?

Something smells fishy.

* * *

“Headmaster, you were looking for me?”

“Oh, yes. Come in.”

It’s not very often that the headmaster suddenly summons a student like this.

As expected, upon closer observation, Headmaster Kitt’s complexion was subtly different from usual.

Anyone else might not notice, but it’s all clear to me.

“How’s school life these days?”

“It’s going well, just like always.”

“Haha, that’s right. Your grades are consistently at the top, as usual. So, as you may have heard, there will be a debate between our Eton and Harrow at an event where many high-ranking officials will be present. For the sake of fairness, we’ve decided to distribute the number of participants equally among the grades… Do you have any intention of participating?”

Is he seriously considering telling me to participate?

Well, from the headmaster’s perspective, it’s natural to want to have the most accomplished student among the freshmen participate.

Still, there are many other capable students, so isn’t it a bit awkward to bring me here and ask if I want to participate?

Besides, the way he’s phrasing the question seems like he’s anxious that I might say I’ll participate, which makes even less sense.

“I feel like I’m monopolizing too many privileges, what with the conversation with the Duchess and all, so I’m going to give other students a chance this time. It’s not that I don’t want to be noticed, but I think harmony and camaraderie are more important.”

“Oh! Is that so! You have a remarkably mature perspective. Good, good. That’s a very admirable sentiment. A prodigy like you will have numerous opportunities in the future, so there’s no need to be so fixated on this kind of event like a petty individual. Yes, that’s right.”

“…”

Have you not had much experience acting? It’s too transparent.

As I suspected, the reason the headmaster called me in right away was to dissuade me from participating in the debate.

Logically, it should be the opposite, but the fact that he’s doing this must indicate a specific reason.

Did some nobles who want to promote their sons put in a request?

No. Judging from Headmaster Kitt’s inclinations, he wouldn’t heed such blatant requests unless they had the backing of at least the Prime Minister or the Duke of Wellington.

Especially since it’s a debate that puts the school’s reputation on the line. What if they lose with a mediocre participant?

The parents who believe Eton is the best and entrust their children to it would undoubtedly protest, so the headmaster must select only the most intelligent students.

“If there aren’t enough students who feel up to the pressure and there are open spots, I might consider participating…”

“No, no! There’s no need for that. I hear that there are already lines of students clamoring to be selected. You just enjoy this event comfortably and remain a model student who cares about his fellow students, just like now.”

“Yes. Then I will simply enjoy this celebration without actively participating.”

“Yes. Still, the high achievers will be personally commended by His Majesty, so don’t forget that you must attend the celebration.”

Leaving Kitt, who was visibly relieved, I exited the room.

Look at this. Don’t participate in the debate, but be sure to attend this event?

Should I say that I sense something ominous lurking beneath the surface that can’t be dismissed as a simple student talent showcase?

I suppose I should remain vigilant and maintain a low profile.