I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 414

Though he felt like he was losing his mind, the problems Alexander II faced weren’t just external.

Because the information was coming in so fast, only the Emperor knew about it for now, but even a day later, the truth would be out.

Information control?

You could manage it for a few days or weeks, but blocking it forever was impossible because rumors were spreading worldwide.

Especially since the Imperial Family seemed to think things were going well and subtly encouraged the news to spread, people couldn’t help but wonder what was happening.

If they suddenly blocked all news, some would inevitably find it strange.

And more than anything, the whole world felt deceived by both Great Britain and Russia and was in an uproar, so they had to make an official statement somehow.

But how could they keep all this under wraps?

“Your Majesty! What on earth is going on!”

“Great Britain said they’d send an official letter of protest soon, but we haven’t heard anything!”

“The nobles are also bewildered by this absurd slander! Your Majesty! Please explain!”

As expected, after a few days, members of the State Council and committees began protesting vehemently.

Even the cabinet ministers asked the Emperor for a clear explanation, and Alexander II was caught in a dilemma.

“Your Majesty!”

“So… this is…”

He had to make excuses, but Alexander II himself didn’t know exactly what was happening, which drove him crazy.

Now that things had reached this point, completely avoiding responsibility was impossible.

He knew that much.

However, shouldn’t he try to make excuses where he could, escape where he could, and minimize the damage?

To do that, he needed to know exactly where and how things went wrong, but no matter how much he investigated, he was clueless.

“Foreign Minister! Haven’t you figured it out yet!”

“That is… I can’t be certain, but I’ve narrowed it down to a few possibilities.”

“Really? Tell me quickly.”

“First, as I said before, there’s little chance Crown Prince Friedrich betrayed us first. The most likely scenario is the British Imperial Family caught Crown Prince Friedrich first and lured him to London.”

“So, the marriage talks were just a smokescreen, and the real purpose was to set a trap for me?”

It was absurd, but a reasonable inference.

In fact, if that weren’t the case, Friedrich’s sudden crazy behavior, claiming he was a spy from the start, wouldn’t make sense.

“The problem is, I don’t know how they caught Friedrich over there.”

“One possibility is James’ betrayal.”

“Didn’t Bakunin say the detective agency he entrusted the investigation to was James’ company? Are you saying we walked into the tiger’s mouth ourselves?”

“If James is on the Imperial Family’s side, he could have found Bakunin and learned about Crown Prince Friedrich’s involvement. Then, he used the marriage talks as bait to lure him to London and persuade him? From Great Britain’s perspective, keeping Prussia on their side would have been more beneficial.”

Looking at it that way, the circumstances fit.

But if that’s the truth, why is he being so vague, calling it just a possibility?

“It seems to me that’s the most reasonable inference. Is there any reason to consider other possibilities?”

“That’s… according to rumors, the Imperial Family, enraged by this incident, is going to pass an antitrust law. If that happens, many of James Group’s companies will have to be broken up, but if James is really a minion of the Imperial Family, it doesn’t make sense, does it?”

“Is it possible he was thrown away after being used?”

“He wouldn’t have taken on such a task without at least that much security.”

Indeed, it seems unlikely the world’s top tycoon, who has invested capital in many countries, would be foolish enough to be thrown away after being used.

The Emperor understood why Gorchakov was only considering this as one possibility.

Frankly, looking at the Imperial Family’s reaction now, it seems like a delusion not even worth considering.

Then what on earth is this situation?

“Is there really no possibility without any contradictions?”

“…There is one. If James wasn’t just a minion of the Imperial Family, but everything he had belonged to the Imperial Family. If it didn’t matter to James himself whether they passed an antitrust law or not. Then all of this can be explained.”

“…So, you’re saying the James Group, which has wealth surpassing the royal family of a nation, is actually owned by the British Imperial Family?”

If James isn’t really the chairman but just an employee of Killian, it would make sense.

Whether they break up the company with antitrust laws or not, if it’s a British Imperial Family company, it won’t matter to James.

But that was like accepting an even more absurd delusion as reality to resolve the contradiction.

“I’ll ask just in case… are you seriously going to argue that assumption?”

“…No. If I were, I would have pushed this inference from the beginning. This is just a possibility we can imagine.”

“This isn’t a situation for such delusions.”

He was about to lose everything he had built, yet he was cluttering his mind with such nonsense.

“Do you know when the James Group was founded?”

“…Yes. I investigated and reported it when James joined us.”

“Right. He made a name for himself by opening a detective agency in Great Britain and acquiring locomotive companies in the United States. At that time, the British Imperial Family members were still young children. Victoria and Killian too. They were only in their early to mid-teens, but you’re saying those kids manipulated James to create the group?”

“I’m sorry. It was nonsense not worth considering.”

“Of course! Cut off any moron who submits such analysis! Know your limits when spouting nonsense in this situation.”

For the Imperial Family to recruit someone like James, it would have to be when Killian became the Prince Consort of Great Britain and began wielding power, but James was already one of the richest people in the world then.

What would such a rich man lack that he’d hand over his company to the Imperial Family and become their lackey?

You have to say something that makes sense.

“Your Majesty, then… how will you address the committee?”

“First, summon the British ambassador. I’ll have to ask if there’s any way to quietly bury this…”

He would give them everything they wanted, so please let them get away with it in a way that protects the Imperial Family’s dignity.

He was clearly about to lose control of the world’s direction.

Before he knew it, Alexander II could do almost nothing himself.

* * *

While Alexander II was tearing his hair out, following in his late father’s footsteps,

Both the House of Lords and the House of Commons of Great Britain were filled with the voices of angry lawmakers, echoing throughout the chambers.

Originally, the House of Lords and the House of Commons had different meeting dates, but today was an exception.

Both houses were opened on the same day at the same time to pass the opinion in the House of Commons and have it approved in the House of Lords.

“This madness must never be tolerated!”

“I doubted my eyes when I saw the press conference. Can this happen in this day and age?”

“This is an attack on our Great Britain. It’s like we’ve been attacked far more painfully than with guns and cannons! It’s a miracle His Majesty got through it well, but if we had made a mistake, we would have suffered irreparable damage.”

Liberal, Conservative.

Transcending positions and parties, all lawmakers expressed their boiling anger in one voice and spoke of punishment.

It was almost the first time since the Napoleonic Wars that such harsh words were exchanged without a fight.

“Prime Minister! Tell us the government’s plan! What is the government going to do!”

“The cabinet will listen to the Imperial Family’s opinion and is prepared to follow whatever direction Parliament takes.”

“Does ‘anything’ include war?”

Everyone’s attention focused on Russell’s sharp question.

“Mr. Russell, war…”

“We have to if necessary! If Russia keeps denying it or doesn’t show enough sincerity and tries to gloss over it, what’s wrong with going to war! Isn’t that right?”

Even though it had weakened, Russia was still Russia.

You can’t raise an army as if dealing with just another country in Asia or Africa.

However, no one in Parliament stopped Russell from expressing such an extreme opinion.

Instead, even Disraeli, who usually kept the Liberal Party in check, jumped up and supported him.

“We should, of course, if necessary! I want to ask those trying to rule out war: Do you seriously think this issue isn’t worth going to war over? If anyone thinks so, please tell me why. I think we should be mobilizing the military right now.”

Depending on the case, a direct attack on the Imperial Family of Great Britain is undoubtedly a declaration of war.

It can also be defined as an act of terrorism that fundamentally shakes not only the Imperial Family but also Great Britain’s diplomatic relations, so the justification is clear.

Even Gladstone, who usually advocated a moderate line, was nodding silently.

“How much damage do you think we’ll suffer if we go to war?”

“We don’t necessarily need to occupy the enemy’s key areas, do we? We can just mobilize the navy and wipe out their ports.”

“And this time, we can also mobilize Canada’s power. In Europe, the mainland navy will strike the Russian army, and in the Pacific, the Asian navy and the Canadian navy will join forces to devastate eastern Russia.”

Now that they were talking about war as a premise, everyone was pouring out ideas, and Parliament felt like a marketplace.

No country in the world would help Russia if they started a war over a woman.

“Honorable members, I agree to consider war as a last resort. However, it seems a little early to declare war right now, so shouldn’t we first urge the Russian Imperial Family to apologize and show sincerity from the bottom of their hearts?”

“The Prime Minister is right.”

“But we must make it clear we’ll never let this go easily!”

“I understand. Since everyone seems to agree, there’s no need to delay. Let’s vote.”

Kneel and bow your head, or it’s war.

The official position of Parliament, somewhat extreme but not considered extreme by anyone, was passed.

Alexander II’s hope to quietly get away with it unofficially, even if he had to give away what he could, was shattered.