I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 420

< The Communist Civil War (3) >

“It’s been a while, Your Majesty.”

“I am also glad to see you again like this.”

Staying in London wouldn’t allow me to properly execute operations targeting the American continent.

For that reason, I stayed in Canada for a while, using it as an excuse to parley with the North.

The meeting with Abraham Lincoln, who has now transitioned from a vampire hunter to a commie hunter, also proceeded smoothly as soon as I returned to America.

“First of all, I’m late in thanking you. If it weren’t for the information you gave me last time, I would have suffered quite a bit. Thanks to Your Majesty, I was able to get through it with minimal losses.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Aren’t we allies? Allies should help each other. And thanks to your hard work in cracking down on the commies, Canada was able to be incorporated into the United Kingdom much more stably. I should be the one thanking you.”

“I’m glad to hear that it was helpful to each other.”

To be honest, I did do some shady things to the United States, but I think I compensated Lincoln enough.

If it weren’t for me, Lincoln would have been assassinated as soon as he was re-elected. But thanks to me, he wasn’t assassinated and is doing a good job as president, being praised until the end of his term.

“How is the atmosphere in the North right now? Is communism spreading further or anything like that?”

“Yes. There are occasionally some subversive elements, but the FBI agents are doing their best to arrest them. How about Canada?”

“Canada is peaceful. Even if they’re working in the South, they prioritize the North, so they probably don’t think they need to mess with us. In that respect, I think your Excellency’s abilities are truly amazing. It wouldn’t have been easy to overcome all their schemes.”

“It’s all thanks to Your Majesty giving me information in advance.”

As we exchanged compliments and oiled the wheels, a smile slowly appeared on Lincoln’s face.

“Your Majesty, you’ve been through a lot as well. Didn’t some ridiculous rumors circulate recently? It almost caused a great uproar in the United States because of that.”

“Indeed. The Russians are hopeless.”

“I didn’t believe it. The British Empire was behind the last war? If you’re going to write a novel, at least make it believable…”

“I know, right? I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t even speak.”

I’m not the mastermind behind the war; I just added a little MSG [monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer] to a war that was going to happen anyway.

To be honest, even if I had been born an American, I wouldn’t have been able to stop the Civil War itself.

I would have just made the South more foolish and impulsive, making it easier to crush them.

“Then, what was the atmosphere like in Congress and among the citizens when the rumor first spread?”

“It was chaotic. Both the Republican and Democratic parties couldn’t figure out how to deal with it. There were voices saying that we should prepare for the possibility that it might be true, however unlikely, and there were also comments that such remarks were diplomatic discourtesy. It was just chaos itself.”

“Hahaha, I can imagine. Europe was similar.”

“But to be honest, no one cares about that anymore. Now, there’s fresh news flowing in from Europe. Isn’t that what you secretly came here to discuss, Your Majesty?”

The reason this meeting was arranged.

The fact that the president of a country hurriedly asked to schedule a visit as soon as he heard that I was coming to America was naturally because of this news related to Engels.

“It seems to be a hot issue in the United States as well.”

“There are already many people who are looking for any excuse to beat up communists. In this situation, a rumor is circulating that could undermine the authority of their leader, the General Secretary, to the point of burying him in the ground, so of course, they can’t help but be tempted.”

“Hmm…”

“I assume the British Empire is also investigating. Would you be willing to share information if you don’t mind?”

“I have no reason to refuse, but you’re asking quite boldly.”

Lincoln tapped the table with his finger and nodded.

“Because it’s beneficial for both of us to do so.”

“Are you saying that not only the United States but also the home country will benefit? Why?”

“You know everything, but you’re just testing me. Didn’t Canada benefit indirectly when we cracked down on the communists before? It’s the same this time. The more we attack the South and the more their authority falls, the more all the countries in Europe, including the British Empire, will indirectly share the benefits. When you think about it, aren’t we becoming the vanguard representing everyone?”

“That’s a valid point. There’s no country as sincere as the United States when it comes to attacking the Communist Party.”

No matter how much they dislike the Communist Party, the United States, which shares a border with Europe across the continent, is bound to feel a different level of crisis.

Moreover, from the North’s perspective, the South is not just a communist party but also traitors and rebels who have broken away from them.

How can they have a favorable attitude when these people are armed with a bizarre ideology called communism and are plotting to overthrow them?

When dealing with Spain, they briefly joined hands with the idea that the enemy of an enemy is a friend, but now that Spain no longer exists in America.

“The ultimate goal of the United States is, after all, the complete annexation of the South. A united America is the wish of all United States citizens.”

“I see. I understand. After all, you and I are on good terms. However, before I give you information, I have a few questions I would like to ask you.”

“You’re suggesting an exchange of information. I’ll answer anything.”

“Yes. In fact, as you may have sensed, it’s quite a big opportunity. But one thing that worries me is that even if you and I make a promise, I don’t know if it will be kept by the next administration. Your term is coming to an end soon, isn’t it?”

Abraham Lincoln’s term as president ends next year.

Originally, each party’s candidate selection should have been completed by now, but thanks to the postponement of the election schedule due to the conclusion of the Civil War, the Republican and Democratic parties were just entering the candidate selection process.

“Are you perhaps worried that the government will be taken over by the opposition party?”

“No. It’s presumptuous of me to interfere with such matters. But whether the Republican Party reclaims power or the Democratic Party takes power, the fact remains that the president will change.”

“…That can’t be helped. He can’t run for a third term.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that the laws of the United States legally prohibit a president from serving more than two terms.”

“That’s not true. However, we can’t ignore custom.”

In the original history, a law prohibiting a president from serving more than two terms was created thanks to someone who later served four terms, but there was no such law in the United States at this time.

Challenging for a third or fourth term was entirely up to the individual.

However, as Lincoln said, there was an unspoken custom of not serving more than two terms because George Washington cleanly stepped down after only two terms.

If someone were to challenge for a third term, the saying ‘Washington only did it twice, who do you think you are to do it three times?’ would inevitably come out.

“So you’re saying that you’re going to abide by that custom and only serve two terms.”

“Yes. That’s what I’m thinking for now.”

“I’m a little uneasy. Even if I give you information here, your term might end before you can properly use it. And isn’t it difficult for a president whose term has already ended to push for something significant?”

“As I said, I think the ruling party will regain power. So the continuity of policy will definitely continue…”

“If this were a clean issue that could be made public without any problems, what you said would be true, but that’s not the case. I would prefer that only you know about this, but I’m a little reluctant to share it with the next presidential candidate.”

It’s common sense that the fewer people who know a secret, the easier it is to keep.

Of course, if the candidate trying to succeed Lincoln had a brain, he wouldn’t leak state secrets, but who can say anything if the person giving the information is uneasy?

“But Your Majesty, it’s a problem that has no answer anyway…”

“Didn’t you say that annexing the South is the wish of all United States citizens? Even if it doesn’t come to annexation, this might be the perfect opportunity to get rid of the General Secretary of the South, but can you trust a completely new person with that?”

“…Excuse me? So are you telling me to run for president again?”

Lincoln’s eyes trembled.

A third term beyond re-election.

I guarantee that there isn’t a single politician in the current United States who doesn’t know what this means.

Just challenging for a third term would inevitably draw criticism as a greedy ghost of power, and it’s unknown how it would be recorded in future history.

However, from my perspective, it’s best for Lincoln to do it one more time.

It’s not because I thought he could really destroy the South.

To be precise, it was the opposite.

If Lincoln doesn’t run, the next president will most likely be the current Vice President and FBI Director, Johnson.

Originally, he wasn’t that capable, but now this man is aiming for the next presidency with considerable support as a one-trick pony who beats up the Communist Party.

If this person really becomes the president of the North and I bring down Engels, the North, with its extremist president, might really swallow the South.

Conversely, Lincoln has many vested interests tied to me, and more than anything, Lincoln himself is not that radical.

Although integrating the South is the wish of the North, he wouldn’t use such extreme measures.

Above all, he has benefited so much from the information I’ve given him that it’s easy to subtly control his course of action.

The North may eventually devour the South, but that should be at least a decade away.

But I, having completely erased these inner thoughts, whispered to Lincoln in a tone urging a national salvation decision.

“It would be a loss for all capitalist countries if the president of the United States were to change in such a critical time as now. Shouldn’t you also consider it for the sake of all United States citizens? Of course, I will refrain from speaking further as this may be an overstepping of internal affairs.”

“…So, are you saying that you won’t share information if I don’t challenge for a third term?”

“Hmm… It’s hard to say that definitively, but I think I need to think about it a little more.”

As expected, the advantage of information is absolute in negotiations.

If Lincoln knew how much of the rumors about Engels were true and how much was false, he would never have listened to me.

But I was able to urge Lincoln’s decision by playing the sincere expression that I wanted the North to crush the South.

The first three-term president in the history of the United States.

Lincoln’s eyes were stained with anguish as he pondered whether to accept this poisoned chalice for the sake of the United States, not for the desire for power.

Seeing this, he might be recorded in the future as a true communist hater who challenged for a third term to end communism with his own hands.

The term ‘commie hunter’ might not end as just a joke.