I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 399

“Huh? Eeh?”

Could those words really have come from his own mouth?

He wouldn’t have been able to argue if someone called him a brainless idiot, but Bakunin wasn’t even aware of that.

“The war between the North and South… you mean that civil war?”

“That’s right. It’s the work of the British Imperial Family. To be precise, you should see them as puppets controlled by His Majesty Killian.”

“No way… that can’t be, there’s no way…”

“Which country benefited the most from the North-South war? Who reaped the greatest rewards?”

“Isn’t that too much of a results-oriented perspective?”

“Ah, right. Of course, I’m not saying this is proof. I’m just saying that I focused on these points during the investigation and came to the current conclusion.”

From the current South’s perspective, the Civil War was a war that was truly difficult to evaluate.

In fact, the current South exists entirely because the North and South were divided.

However, the South’s justification for independence from the North—defending slavery—was an ideology that could never be supported in a communist country.

Because the country established after denying everything about the old South was the American Union of Socialist Republics.

However, denying the South’s independence itself was problematic because the North and South were originally one country.

Therefore, the South maintained a position of criticizing everything, saying that the South’s justification for independence was worthless nonsense, but the North’s method of exploiting workers was also an unacceptable atrocity.

“If that civil war was Killian’s scheme… no, wait. Then what? Didn’t you say that Killian was also the mastermind behind Engels moving to overthrow the Southern regime and establish this country? So, he caused the North and South to split through the Civil War and then turned the South into a communist country?”

What the heck? Just listening to the story, it sounds like he’s the true beacon of communism.

“That’s how it looks in the end, but wouldn’t he have been aiming for something? Don’t forget that Canada achieved tremendous growth by sacrificing the American continent. And who is the King of Canada?”

“Hoo… wait. But if that’s really the case, then according to you, this entire situation was created by the British Imperial Family’s plan… is that even humanly possible?”

What should you call someone who manipulates everything on the American continent and guides it to their own advantage?

That’s not a human, that’s a monster, isn’t it?

“He’s quite a person. That’s why we’re trying to bring him down like this.”

“…So, you have evidence, right?”

“Of course.”

If everything James is saying is true, it’s impossible to imagine how much of an impact it would have when it’s revealed.

The British Imperial Family’s prestige, which seems to be soaring into the sky right now, would literally be shattered, and the relationships with the allied nations that they have painstakingly built would all be ruined.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they would be branded as enemies of the world.

“So… I understand. It’s bigger than I thought, but if you’re so confident, I’ll listen for now. What’s the evidence?”

“Ah, no way. Asking for all the evidence here is like trying to get everything for free. I’m not a philanthropist.”

“Huh? This is different, isn’t it?”

“Different how? I gave you the information because you asked for it. But the evidence to verify that is a completely separate matter and should be calculated separately.”

It might seem forced at first glance, but looking back, he definitely didn’t ask for the evidence all at once.

But shouldn’t the evidence that it’s true come with the information in the first place?

“As I said, bringing the Chairman on board as our ally is not a decision I can make alone.”

“That’s why I released this important information first. This is the ultimate trump card among the cards I have. But asking for all of this for free doesn’t make sense. What kind of businessman does business like that?”

It’s definitely true, but what are we supposed to do in this situation?

And James, reading Bakunin’s annoyed mind, immediately offered a compromise.

“So, let’s do this. I need to know how trustworthy you or those who share your views are, right? Let me say again, I’m not saying I’m going to become your subordinate, but I’m just trying to find comrades who can work together. If you have less power than I expect, I don’t need to associate with you any further.”

“Are you asking me to tell you here? I would have said it’s impossible. If I reveal their names without their consent, this alliance will be broken. To be precise, I don’t have the authority to do that.”

“Then why don’t you ask them for permission? Tell them that the situation is like this and ask if they can accept one more trustworthy comrade. Then I will reveal the evidence I have in front of them. This way, no one will be backstabbed, so wouldn’t it be good for everyone? Information sharing should always be done simultaneously.”

“…So, you want to evaluate whether we are the kind of people who can bring down the British Imperial Family, and at the same time, we want to evaluate the evidence you presented.”

“Exactly. You have a good understanding. To be honest, even if I have this information, I can’t use it alone. Who would believe me even if I revealed it? Rather, I should see that moment as my death.”

As he said, this was truly shocking truth, but it was so shocking that no one seemed to believe it.

Rather, if he revealed it carelessly, he would be framed as a fabrication and silenced.

If he was going to attack poorly, it would be better to pretend not to know and keep this truth buried in the dark until the end.

If he says this much, there’s no choice.

It’s not a big deal to ask, so I have no choice but to explain the situation to them and ask for their opinion.

“I understand. But if they refuse, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Then there’s nothing I can do. I’ll cheer you on to fight hard among yourselves, and I’ll have to step back. But don’t worry, I won’t report it to the Imperial Family. I’m not trying to threaten you at all.”

“I understand. But it may take some time because I have to go through several processes even if I send a telegram. Please understand that. But I’ll give you an answer before I leave Richmond.”

“I understand. I’ll wait patiently, so don’t feel too pressured and share your opinions well.”

James opened a bottle of wine as leisurely as if Richmond was his own living room, poured it into a glass, and began to smell the aroma.

Bakunin stared at him with a dumbfounded look for a moment, then shook his head and left.

As soon as his footsteps completely disappeared, James emptied his wine glass and closed his eyes with pleasure.

Just looking at that reaction, the list of suspects is narrowing down.

From what I hear, the collaborators in Europe don’t seem to be in a position or status below Bakunin, so how many people could there be?

Those who can be said to be above the second-in-command of the Southern Supreme Council.

Those who sincerely desire Killian’s downfall.

And the financial power to pour money into commissioning background checks, and the power that the British Imperial Family cannot easily silence.

If you consider the intersection of all these conditions, there are only about ten suspects.

“Russia… France, Prussia. Which of the three? Or all three?”

What kind of answer will they send?

Will they jump at this delicious bait with drool? Or will they still maintain their distance with suspicion?

Now that he’s found out this much, it doesn’t matter what choice they make, and he decided to wait leisurely for them to send their answer.

* * *

The Crimean War, which determined who the true ruler of Europe was.

Since its defeat in that great war, Russia had been crouching for as long as 10 years.

Strictly speaking, that dark age is not over yet.

The damage was too great, the lost territory was too much, and the diminished prestige could not be easily restored.

Still, Alexander II, who ascended the throne after Emperor Nicholas, was a capable emperor in his own right.

After experiencing a historic defeat due to his predecessor’s stubbornness, he had a firm goal and passion to somehow pull Russia, which was floundering at the bottom, back up.

To do that, it is necessary to abandon what should be abandoned and choose and concentrate on what should be taken.

Alexander II boldly abandoned or sold lands that were difficult to defend in the Pacific, Caucasus, and Central Asia, and used that money to boldly improve the system.

He escaped from the old-fashioned serf system, promoted industrialization like France and the British Empire, and boldly broke away from the disastrous diplomacy that his predecessor had been doing for external stability.

The target that the emperor tried to improve relations with was, above all, Prussia.

However, Prussia was already an ally of the British Empire, so there was no easy way to penetrate it.

Of course, that doesn’t mean there’s no gap at all.

Strictly speaking, the pro-British Empire faction in Prussia was Prime Minister Bismarck, and King Wilhelm was closer to a neutralist.

Wilhelm was close to the stance that Bismarck was in favor, so his will would be right, but he didn’t like the British Empire.

In particular, information was heard that Crown Prince Friedrich, who would succeed to the throne in the future, was openly dissatisfied with Bismarck.

The emperor took advantage of this to actively create an atmosphere of reconciliation with Prussia, and slowly turned the credit to the Crown Prince of Prussia.

As a result, although it was not as prestigious as it used to be when it competed with the British Empire, it seemed that it could recover to a level where it could once again become a competitor with France or Prussia.

While he was self-assessing that he was achieving satisfactory results, unexpected good news came to his ears.

“James Group?”

“Yes. The South said they would follow Your Majesty’s decision.”

Foreign Minister Gorchakov secretly organized an agenda that was treated as top secret even within the Imperial Family and placed it before the Emperor.

This was not an official task, so no official records were left, but the Emperor was putting more effort into this than anything else.

Who is the biggest obstacle to the Russian Empire?

What caused Russia to lose so badly in the last war?

After countless contemplations and worries, he came to the conclusion that all of this was a disaster caused by the fact that his diplomatic power was far inferior to that of the other side.

And at the center of the British Empire’s diplomacy, which is clearly several levels above this side, was their Imperial Family.

So, bringing down their Imperial Family is also revenge for the defeat in the last war.

Of course, not only these personal feelings, but also for the future, it is necessary to curb the momentum of the British Imperial Family at least once.

Otherwise, Russia would never be able to escape its isolated fate, surrounded by their alliances forever.

“But this content is a bit… the British Imperial Family is the hidden mastermind behind the American Civil War and the establishment of a communist state? Is this some kind of new joke?”

“No. The latter already has plausible evidence, and the former is said to have secured solid evidence.”

“Hmm, after looking at the organized content, I understand to some extent. So, James is demanding that we see all the evidence and release it only after we see that we are trustworthy?”

“Yes. In fact, since it’s such shocking information, it’s understandable that he’s paying so much attention.”

“Even if he’s the world’s greatest tycoon, turning the Imperial Family of the country he lives in into an enemy is not a wise thing to do.”

Alexander II had also met countless such people while accelerating industrialization and fostering capitalists recently.

Capitalists are usually a race whose greed increases in proportion to their wealth and capital.

Then, how much would the desire of the world’s greatest tycoon be?

Looking at the anti-monopoly law that Killian is trying to push forward, the reason why James is foaming at the mouth and running wild was easily predictable.

“What does the Foreign Minister think?”

“All the reasons are valid. But I’m still concerned that James is a citizen of the British Empire.”

“I think so too. It’s definitely an attractive bait, but if we’re not careful, we could be bringing a tiger into the house.”

Unlike his predecessor, Alexander II was gentle and soft, so he did not have the same determination as his father.

If it had been Emperor Nicholas, he would have taken James’s hand without hesitation, but Alexander II was too cautious to do so.

“…Your Majesty, then how about we do this?”

“Hmm? How?”

“If the Civil War was really a scheme of the British Imperial Family, then not only America but also France and Prussia were played by their Imperial Family. If this fact is revealed, Bismarck of Prussia will not be able to avoid expulsion. So, the Crown Prince, who is in conflict with the Iron-Blooded Chancellor [Otto von Bismarck], would not refuse such delicious information.”

“That’s right. Are you suggesting we put Crown Prince Friedrich forward? That’s definitely a clever plan. Let’s do that. There’s no reason to hesitate, so let’s proceed immediately.”

First, have the Crown Prince meet James, and then if he is convinced that he is truly trustworthy, then he can be trusted.

“I understand, Your Majesty!”

Finally, the actors hiding behind the shadows came to the forefront, and the curtain rose on a grand play set on the world stage.

But unlike when the secret alliance was first formed.

On this stage, they could no longer go down on their own will.

The autumn of 1868 was getting hotter and hotter even though it was not summer.