I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 387

Became a Hidden Power in the British Empire – 387

< American Express >

Not long after Edward left for Asia, I also crossed the Atlantic to Canada to address some pressing matters.

My son is diligently working in Asia, so I can’t simply relax in London, can I?

Given the significant progress of the project I’m currently overseeing, a firsthand inspection was essential.

“Long live His Majesty King Killian of the Kingdom of Canada!”

“Long live! Long live!”

“For this kingdom to achieve even greater prosperity, let us remember that unity and collaboration are paramount. I, too, pledge to dedicate myself to making Canada as strong and prosperous as any European nation.”

“Long live His Majesty the King! Long live Canada!”

Upon arriving in Canada, my first act was to attend Parliament, both to encourage the members and to receive updates on minor incidents that had occurred during my absence.

The incidents were minor because I had already been informed of the important matters in real-time from London and had addressed issues requiring my immediate attention.

However, remote management in this era has its limitations. Upon reviewing the documents, I was met with an overwhelming pile.

“I handled the truly trivial matters to spare Your Majesty the burden. However, matters concerning the royal family require explicit permission from Your Majesty…”

“Well done, Robert. Thanks to you, I won’t have to work through the night. If I focus until dinner, I should be able to get through it.”

“Please, let me know if you require any assistance.”

Robert’s eyes, upon seeing me after a long absence, sparkled with an enthusiasm that made me slightly uncomfortable.

Rumor has it that Robert is a founding member of the Killian Fan Club, a notion I’d rather not confirm.

Not because I find the rumor ridiculous, but because I suspect it might be true.

“Are there any matters I should be aware of beyond what’s documented here? Any issues too sensitive to put in writing?”

“Not at the moment. The Canadian Parliament is surprisingly stable, unlike the one back home. Despite their differing party affiliations, they largely align with Your Majesty’s vision. Isn’t that why Your Majesty has been able to remain in London with peace of mind?”

“Indeed. You understand the situation well.”

So what if he’s a founding member of the Killian Fan Club? Loyalty and competence are what truly matter.

“What’s the situation in the North and South?”

“They remain quiet. The North is currently focused on operations in Cuba, while the South has always been somewhat chaotic. Plus, with their acquisition of Puerto Rico, they’re preoccupied with exploiting the island’s resources and people [injecting red water is a metaphor for exploitation]. They have little time to focus elsewhere.”

“Good. The timing should work out well. Let’s check on their progress, shall we?”

“Yes, I’ll bring them in immediately.”

Receiving reports via telegram or written correspondence would make my involvement too obvious. Therefore, I haven’t been able to monitor their progress closely. However, the results should be forthcoming.

I visited a large-scale medical research facility in Toronto, briefly reviewing the overall progress.

“…So, while definitive scientific proof remains elusive, the statistical evidence is undeniable.”

“Yes, Your Majesty’s hypothesis has once again proven correct. You are truly remarkable! Your skills extend beyond politics and economics to medicine! Ah, and let’s not forget how quickly Your Majesty recognized the importance of hygiene during the Russian war.”

“Would you say I’m skilled? I merely suggest possibilities. The researchers are the ones who dedicate themselves to collecting data, conducting research, and writing papers.”

“But without Your Majesty’s extraordinary insight, this research wouldn’t have been possible in the first place.”

As Robert’s eyes began to gleam with excessive admiration, I feigned a yawn and subtly closed my eyes, sensing an impending deluge of praise.

Fortunately, Robert immediately fell silent, allowing me a moment of respite.

Of course, this was only a temporary reprieve. Fortunately, the lab held a decisive weapon capable of silencing Robert.

“Your Majesty! We are honored by your visit.”

“Thanks to Your Majesty, we are closer to saving countless lives from malaria.”

“I’m pleased to hear of the progress. It’s all thanks to your hard work. What could I have done? It must have been challenging to relocate from London to Canada for this research.”

“Not at all. Our hospital functions smoothly even in our absence. This feels like a new and invigorating challenge.”

“Yes. It’s all thanks to Your Majesty’s consideration.”

John Snow and Nightingale, brought from London to pinpoint the cause of malaria, have been validating my theory that mosquitoes transmit the disease.

This contradicted the prevailing belief that malaria was transmitted by ants, but they accepted my proposal without hesitation.

Both John Snow and Nightingale were individuals who readily challenged established beliefs.

Just as they overturned the conventional wisdom that cholera was airborne, saving countless lives.

How many lives could be saved by disproving the theory that malaria is transmitted by ants?

Malaria has been the most devastating infectious disease in history.

While smallpox has caused the most deaths from a single disease, a perfect countermeasure has already been developed.

Therefore, definitively identifying malaria’s transmission vector would diminish the power of many infectious diseases that have plagued humanity.

John Snow used a table to briefly explain their findings.

“The theory that ants transmit malaria is a relatively recent notion. Initially, the prevailing belief was that malaria spread through ‘miasmas’ [bad air]. However, the miasma theory came under intense scrutiny during our efforts to prove that cholera is waterborne.”

“Your contribution was significant.”

“Thank you. In the past, the medical community simply attributed infectious diseases with unknown causes to airborne transmission. Now that we know that’s not the case, various theories have emerged. The theory that ants carry malaria lacks any real basis. It’s simply that ants are abundant in areas where malaria is prevalent.”

“…Don’t ants live everywhere?”

“Exactly. If you attribute malaria to ants, you could argue that ants cause all diseases.”

It’s akin to investigating the commonalities among sick individuals and concluding that they all drank water.

While absurd, such speculations and rumors were rampant as the miasma theory lost credibility. It’s not surprising that the government believed it.

Wasn’t it inevitable that France inadvertently exacerbated malaria’s spread by attempting to eradicate ants in the original timeline?

The fact that they are repeating the same mistake now is not a coincidence, but an inevitability.

“How did you prove that mosquitoes transmit malaria?”

“We conducted a large-scale epidemiological survey. However… securing a sufficient sample proved challenging.”

Nightingale glanced at Robert and continued hesitantly.

“Councilor Robert suggested focusing our survey on workers involved in the Panama Canal construction.”

Robert cleared his throat and subtly avoided eye contact.

“Hmm? When you think about it, that’s not entirely wrong, is it?”

“You agree, Your Majesty? See, I didn’t say anything inappropriate.”

“That wasn’t my sole reason for suggesting it!”

“No, well, it was just a poor choice of words…”

As Nightingale frowned, Robert immediately fell silent.

Few individuals can make the speaker of the Canadian Parliament shrink like that.

Perhaps three people:

Me, Victoria, and Nightingale, who stands before me.

While they don’t appear to be dating, it’s evident that Robert still harbors feelings for her and can’t stand up to his first love, which is rather amusing.

Judging by the situation, he misspoke and received a scolding.

“What did you say to provoke such a reaction?”

“…I said it was fortunate that there were readily available samples…”

“You deserved the scolding. Be grateful there were no reporters present.”

“Of course, I didn’t intend to use people as experimental subjects. It was a slip of the tongue born out of frustration. Your Majesty entrusted me with this task, and I grew impatient because the investigation was progressing too slowly…”

“So, are you implying that I conducted the investigation inefficiently?”

“Ah, no. It’s not that, it’s just a little… no. It’s my fault. Didn’t I apologize last time? Please forgive me.”

Regardless, they have gathered sufficient evidence to support the theory that mosquitoes transmit malaria.

Moreover, with John Snow and Nightingale, the heroes who eradicated cholera, advocating for this theory, it will undoubtedly be more persuasive.

Now, the only remaining task is to determine how to eliminate the mosquitoes responsible…

“Robert, I’ve said this before, but you have a troubling tendency to disregard human lives in the name of efficiency.”

“You misunderstand. I was simply trying to complete the task efficiently. If that were truly the case, I wouldn’t have accepted and respected your claims, would I?”

“That’s true, but…”

“As a token of apology, I’ve brought some tea known to promote mental and physical well-being. Would you care to join me for a cup later? As a formal apology for that incident…”

I was taken aback and chuckled at their sudden shift in demeanor.

“You two, should John Snow and I excuse ourselves if we’re intruding?”

“Ah, no! I’m sorry, Your Majesty! It’s not like that…”

Suddenly, I felt a chill and missed Victoria. Could this be a coincidence?

“Goodness, how can someone who left his wife in London survive? Is there anyone here who hasn’t been in a relationship?”

I was about to make a joke, but I noticed John Snow beside me and stopped myself.

Ah, he has remained single his entire life, even past 50.

I apologize. I didn’t mean to be insensitive.

* * *

A large-scale construction project connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

A historic canal, an achievement comparable to the Suez Canal, destined to be remembered in human history.

The government, confident in its success, now faces a dire situation.

“Director! Another malaria case has been reported in Section 12.”

“Damn it! How many times has this happened?”

“More and more workers are unable to continue working. The death toll is rising, and with the injured, construction is becoming impossible.”

“No! We’ve eradicated the ants, preventing them from even approaching the site. Why is malaria still spreading! It’s supposed to be transmitted by ants!”

“W, well, we don’t know…”

A growing unease suggests that ants may not be the vector for malaria.

If that’s the case… can this construction project even be completed?

The British government is increasing pressure, citing the immense losses.

If we can’t improve the situation, we risk bankruptcy.

“D, Director!”

“What is it now?”

“The… the government has made a decision. The worker casualties are too high, and we can’t control malaria. Continuing the construction is no longer viable… An order has been issued to suspend the project!”

“What nonsense! What are we supposed to do! The government has already invested so much money. Are they simply abandoning it?”

Leseps turned and stared blankly at the nearly deserted construction site.

If we quit now, we must absorb all the losses. With an official decision made, there’s no turning back.

“W, what should we do? Is there any way to salvage this…?”

“There’s no way!”

British government.

Panama Canal construction suspended.