I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 393

< Proxy War (2) >

After James left, I reviewed the materials he’d brought.

While the primary focus was supposed to be on mass-producing insecticides, that had almost faded from my memory.

It was clear now that the materials James brought were more about the request that followed the insecticide proposal.

He must have judged that this was far more important than a business that would thrive on its own.

There was the unexpected variable of DDT, but I wasn’t too concerned. We could use it for a while and stop if it caused environmental problems.

We only need it until the canal is completed, right?

The real problem is: who is this daring bastard digging into my past? Actually, I’m not even sure if I can call them a ‘bastard’.

It could be ‘bastards,’ and considering the amount of money they’ve spent, it’s likely more than one person, right?

“Let’s take a look.”

Judging by the thickness of these documents, they did a thorough preliminary investigation before coming here.

Then again, how long have James and I known each other?

Even if I don’t say anything, he’ll mobilize people to find the culprit and maybe even bury them, depending on the situation.

Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve already done that to a few people.

This case was significant enough that it reached my ears.

“…The rest is just uninformative filler. The special notes are a bit eye-catching.”

-An investigation is needed to determine if Killian has any connection to communists, and whether Killian is actually one of the causes of a communist state being established in the South.

-Circumstances have been detected suggesting the British Imperial Family is stirring up global chaos and profiting from behind the scenes, and they want this investigated.

That kind of statement caught my attention.

It wasn’t exactly phrased that way, but it was an analysis that inferred those purposes from the tone and the request. But isn’t that the same thing?

Actually, I’m curious about who’s behind this, but when I think about it, something else is more important.

Why is that?

Everything in the world is ultimately composed of cause and effect.

My theory is that all phenomena occur because there is a cause for them to happen.

In other words, if someone is digging into my past, it’s because they had a motive or reason to do so.

The main factor, as James said, is that I’ve shown too many instances of being too lucky.

This is undeniable, so there’s nothing to worry about in that regard.

However, there’s a vast difference between being suspicious and actually pouring a large sum of money into an investigation.

Even if they chose a company that frequently engages in illegal activities, information could still leak out and reach my ears.

They probably dug many escape routes, but if they were willing to take that risk to investigate me, they must be convinced that there was something substantial there.

Finding out what that ‘something’ is, is the most important thing.

I might have left some loopholes without knowing it, or there might have been a traitor.

If it’s the former, I can just fix it, but if it’s the latter, it becomes a headache.

In my past life, I was backstabbed in a way that felt like betrayal, and I died because of it, so I’ve always been careful.

Frankly, even if someone betrays me, there’s no risk of me being completely ruined.

To put it extremely, even if Wellesley or James were to plot against me, I would have a way to respond.

It’s just that I would feel uneasy.

But even if it’s not a traitor, the mastermind behind this kind of thing is often someone I know.

If it wasn’t someone I knew, they would have had little chance of contacting me directly, and naturally, they wouldn’t have been able to access the information to have these doubts.

I absorbed all the information from the materials James gave me and then set them on fire, burning all the links that could be used as evidence.

Looking at the paper turning to black ashes, my heart wasn’t exactly light.

No matter who the culprit is, the outcome is likely to be something I can’t be happy about.

* * *

The inhabitants of the American continent were exposed to many threats that were incomparable to Europe due to its vast territory.

Not only swarming bandits but also ferocious wild animals.

The people of the American continent had to have various means to protect themselves, and private armed groups were part of these means.

When there are many people wielding force like this, various problems naturally arise, and the public authorities alone cannot handle them all.

That’s why the detective agencies in the United States were detectives in name only, and there was no field they didn’t cover, from maintaining law and order to arresting criminals, hunting, and investigating. Some of them grew their power by doing illegal things outside the law.

The Pinkerton Detective Agency is called the best detective agency on the American continent, but this place has ties to the government, so it doesn’t openly do illegal things.

On the other hand, the story was different for the McParlan Detective Agency, which rapidly grew its power in the shadows.

They find anything for a price.

They didn’t do contract killings, but if it was digging into someone’s past, they were more reliable and faster than the Pinkerton Detective Agency.

They often broke the law without hesitation in the process of collecting information, and they were actually indicted by the state government several times.

However, each time they were released due to insufficient evidence, and for this reason, the footsteps of those who secretly sought the McParlan Detective Agency never stopped.

Of course, there was a truth that the people who frequented this place never dreamed of.

“So, is the permission definitely granted now?”

“Yes. The order has been given to find out the mastermind behind that bastard.”

“Is it the Chairman’s order? Or an order from someone higher up?”

“Higher up.”

The young detective McParlan, who was said to be in control of the dark side of the American continent, was respectfully putting his hands together in front of Allan Pinkerton and nodding fiercely.

This was because the McParlan Detective Agency was just a kind of subsidiary created by the Pinkerton Agency to efficiently handle dirty work.

Moreover, only a very few people knew that the Pinkerton Agency itself was just a service company of the James Group.

It was an even bigger secret that there was someone whom James, the chairman of the James Group, served. Only three people in the Pinkerton Detective Agency knew that fact.

In fact, McParlan, who knew that fact, did not know exactly who that high-ranking person above James was.

He could only guess that he was at least a king of some country since he was someone James served.

“But why are you trying to dig into that guy’s past? Is it because even for us, touching the British Imperial Family is likely to end badly?”

“Well, that’s true.”

When considered rationally, even if the money is good, investigating the power of the British Imperial Family is too risky.

If you get caught, it’s not just a legal issue, but it could develop into a diplomatic issue between the North and the British Empire.

Then, no matter how cleverly they have escaped like loaches until now, they should not be able to escape unscathed.

Or they might send agents to cut off their heads without anyone knowing.

“But until now, we’ve said that we’ll dig into anyone’s past if we get paid. Isn’t this a dent in our reputation? Our company is advertising that we’ll even bring the British Empress’s underwear if we get a fair price.”

“I’m just asking out of curiosity, but has anyone actually asked for that?”

“…Surprisingly, there is. Of course, we didn’t accept the request because we asked for an absurd price.”

“There are really crazy people in the world. Anyway, the reason why the higher-ups decided that way is not just because they don’t want to be disliked by the Imperial Family. It’s because they calculated that selling this information to the Imperial Family would be much more profitable. Betray the client? That’s impossible, but what does it matter since no one will know when they’re wiped out?”

Certainly, as Pinkerton said, if you simply calculate the profit and loss, it would be much more profitable to dig up information about those who are investigating the Imperial Family and bring it back to them.

If you do well, you can get the protection of the British Imperial Family, and your business will be more prosperous than it is now.

“So, I just need to meet the client and find out the identity of the client and the mastermind behind him.”

“Yes. Permission has been granted to use all the manpower and funds here if necessary, so do your best. Frankly speaking, aren’t you happy that things have turned out this way?”

When Pinkerton asked as if he knew everything, McParlan nodded without denying it.

“Of course. I don’t know what kind of son of a bitch put in this request, but I will definitely catch the guy behind him and cut off his head…”

“Don’t kill him, and don’t forget that it’s just information gathering.”

McParlan took a light breath and nodded.

Even though he said this, he doubted whether he could perfectly hide his emotions if he met those who were really trying to harm the British Imperial Family.

It can’t be helped.

McParlan was an Irishman who came to the American continent five years ago.

‘You ignorant bastards dare to dig into His Majesty’s past?’

Until now, he had been suppressing his emotions because of the company’s policy, but now that things have turned out this way, there is no need to be lenient.

No matter who it is, I will definitely go to the end of hell to find out their identity.

For an Irishman, touching Killian is no different from touching his parents.

I will definitely make them pay the price.

McParlan quietly burned with hatred.

* * *

Hide anger and reveal kindness.

McParlan ushered the client in with a trustworthy attitude as usual.

“Welcome. I’m sorry for the delay in giving you an answer because there were many things to review.”

“No. I didn’t really expect you to accept. It seems I made the right choice in choosing this place.”

“Of course. I, McParlan, am a man who lives only for money. If you provide a fair price, I’ll do anything except contract killing.”

The man who came to ask to dig into Killian’s past was a person without any personality that I thought I had seen somewhere while passing by.

This human is just a proxy or contact.

It was so obvious that even if I caught him and tortured him, he wouldn’t know any useful information, so I didn’t even want to dig into it.

“Then, I’ll tell you the contract conditions first. 30 percent in advance. And if successful, the remaining 70 percent plus a 50 percent bonus.”

“…Then isn’t that more than 100 percent?”

“Consider who I’m investigating. You have to give me that much to make it worthwhile. In the first place, I have to use all 30 percent of the advance payment for investigation costs, so I have to do this to have something left over.”

“…That makes sense too. I understand. Let’s do that.”

McParlan’s eyes lit up as he looked at the client who readily agreed.

He called for 50 percent of the total cost, and he agreed on the spot?

This means that the person in front of him has the authority to decide on such a matter on the spot, or that they have said in advance that they don’t care how much more money it costs.

Logically, it can’t be the former, so the latter is probably correct.

Originally, the success bonus was by no means small, but if they said they didn’t care if they paid half more, then they can’t be ordinary people.

“Then, I also need to know a few things to make the investigation easier. First of all, this is the most important thing. Why do you think the King of Canada is a two-faced person who is different on the inside and outside?”

“Do I have to tell you that?”

“Of course. I need to know the reason so I can dig into it based on that. Evidence is originally where suspicion lies. This is the fastest way for the client to get results.”

“I guess so. Well, I’ll tell you since that’s okay. In fact, we have decisive evidence that the King of Canada is lying. That is…”

The client took a moment to catch his breath, then lowered his voice and whispered.

“He’s actually a communist.”

What the hell is this nonsense?

McParlan barely grabbed his forehead, trying to stop the swearing from coming out.