I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 43

Became a Hidden Tycoon of the British Empire 43

The Shackles of Ireland

A public housing estate in London.

Charles Grey, the Prime Minister of the British Empire, sat at a table stained with coffee, a wry smile on his face.

“If you disliked the Houses of Parliament, we could have met at a gentlemen’s club, but isn’t this a bit… austere?”

“The moment I set foot in a slightly more luxurious place, articles attacking me will be plastered all over the front page. I’m not that foolish,” Daniel O’Connell retorted.

Grey, well aware of the relentless media scrutiny O’Connell faced, took a sip of the coffee without comment.

The quality of the beans was abysmal compared to what he was used to, but he refrained from mentioning it.

“Then, since we’re both busy men, let’s get straight to the point. You likely have some idea why I requested this meeting, correct?”

“I heard you’re planning to push through the Irish Church Reform Bill. You want my support, don’t you?”

“We cooperated on the last reform bill and the abolition of slavery, didn’t we? Let’s join forces again this time.”

“This reform is something most Irish people would welcome. But, conversely, the vested interests in this country will fight it tooth and nail. Frankly, do you even think it can pass?”

*He doesn’t want to be strung along if it’s just going to end in empty promises.*

Grey understood O’Connell’s cautious stance.

Even though he was the leading politician in Ireland, his party only secured around 40 seats in the last election.

That’s roughly 40% of the total of over 100 seats allocated to Ireland, which is impressive but not a landslide.

In other words, despite O’Connell’s formidable reputation, many Irish people remained hesitant in their support.

A misstep on a sensitive issue like the Irish Church Act could cause cracks in O’Connell’s seemingly unshakeable position.

“You needn’t worry. If you’re truly concerned, we’ll manage public opinion, so your party can simply add their votes.”

“…If it passes like that, the Whig Party will get all the credit for the reform.”

“Surely you don’t believe that’s how it will play out. If you’re worried about that, you should consider aligning your actions with us more closely.”

“Are you suggesting I join the Whig Party?”

It was a loaded question, but Grey nodded nonchalantly.

“That would be a beneficial option. To be blunt, you can’t fully represent all of Irish public opinion on your own right now. But if our parties merged, we’d secure more than half the Irish seats.”

“That’s just the result of this election. Do you think we’ll only get 40 seats in the next one, too?”

“It might increase slightly, but in the long run, it could decrease. The Tory Party is also investing heavily in Ireland these days.”

“The Tory Party?”

Grey was secretly pleased by the reaction, even though he was merely testing the waters.

Considering O’Connell’s packed schedule, it would have been surprising if he were fully informed.

“So you weren’t aware. Are you familiar with the Earl of Aaron’s family, who are close to the Tory Party? Killian Gore, the heir to that family, is being cultivated by senior members of the Tory Party.”

“Killian Gore…? Now that you mention it, I recall some commotion when the Earl of Aaron adopted an illegitimate child he brought from somewhere as his heir.”

“The Tory Party is strong in Northern Ireland, and the influence of pro-Tory Irish nobles like the Earl of Aaron is significant. The Tory Party plans to nurture young figures like Killian Gore and further expand its base in Ireland.”

O’Connell’s expression hardened as he listened.

Even now, Northern Ireland leaned towards the Tory Party, making it O’Connell’s biggest challenge.

What if the Tory Party’s influence didn’t wane but instead spread further?

If Daniel O’Connell’s base were to be undermined, Northern Ireland would be the starting point.

“The Earl of Aaron’s Killian Gore…”

“But if we join hands, there’s nothing to worry about. Currently, the political landscape of Ireland is structured with the Tory Party holding the North, the Whig Party holding the Central region, and you holding the South. If we join forces, can’t we isolate the Tory Party in the North?”

“…”

O’Connell would never align himself with the Tory Party.

The Whig Party was the only one currently advocating for reforms beneficial to Ireland.

If the Tory Party gained ground and a sense of crisis arose that his Irish base was threatened, O’Connell would eventually have no choice but to accept their offer.

Grey leisurely tilted his coffee cup and waited for O’Connell to speak.

And when about half of the flavorless coffee was gone, O’Connell finally spoke cautiously.

“First, I’ll meet this student in person and then give you an answer.”

* * *

What should I do if I know for sure what will happen in the distant future, but a terrible tragedy that I can’t bear to watch unfolds on the way there?

I’ve practically reached a conclusion, but when considering the Irish issue, it felt like an unavoidable fate.

Neither the Whig Party, the Tory Party, nor even Daniel O’Connell know the full picture.

It’s not because their insights are lacking, but because I’m the only one who knows the future, so I’m the only one who can have these concerns.

Still, when I think about it, my mind has been made up for a long time.

Wasn’t it something I decided when I first met the Duke of Wellington?

To climb in this society, Ireland must become my political asset.

If Ireland leaves the hands of England, my value will be nothing more than that of a foreign aristocratic mixed-race bastard who can’t even get votes.

Even to avoid such a situation, preparations to expand influence in Ireland were already well underway.

Unlike in England, I can use the power of my family to my heart’s content in Ireland, so there were no particular obstacles.

Well, in the early stages of activity, extreme independence factions might label me a traitor or something, but such public opinion will subside within a few years, so I don’t have to worry about it.

“But the fact that this invitation came at this time is too convenient, which makes it even more unsettling, doesn’t it?”

The letter in my hand was delivered in the name of Charles Grey, the current Prime Minister of the British Empire.

Of course, the Prime Minister wasn’t directly requesting a meeting, but it was in the form of arranging a meeting with a third party, but that third party was by no means insignificant.

-Daniel O’Connell wishes to meet you, so how about this opportunity for the talents who will lead the present and future of Ireland to meet and converse?

In essence, that was the gist of it, but since the invitation came in the name of the Prime Minister, there was no option to refuse from the outset.

Besides, I thought he was someone I should meet at least once, so it wouldn’t be a bad thing to talk this time.

It’s a turbulent time, with the Irish Church reform and everything else, so there’s no need to worry about attracting unwanted attention.

In the end, I didn’t hesitate long and accepted Charles Grey’s invitation.

And I was able to meet the hero of the era, whose name every Irish person would have heard at least once.

“Nice to meet you, student Killian Gore. As I heard from the Prime Minister, my name is Daniel O’Connell, and I requested this meeting today.”

“It is an honor to meet the great political leader of Ireland.”

“I am also pleased to meet the heir to the Earl of Aaron’s family, who has long been established in Ireland. In fact, we should have had this kind of meeting a long time ago, but I must have been too preoccupied with other matters.”

“I apologize for not visiting you first when you came to London to pay your respects.”

As the giant, who is almost regarded as a beacon of hope in southern Ireland, stared at my face, I didn’t bother to look away.

His sharp blue eyes still held authority and charisma, but his thick eyebrows seemed slightly drooped.

To me, he looked like a figure weighed down by the dreams and hopes of his compatriots, which was a little sad.

“In fact, I didn’t know much about you. When the story about the Church Reform Act came out a while ago, I should say that I remembered it because the Prime Minister briefly mentioned your story.”

“Someone as busy as O’Connell wouldn’t have the time to remember the name of a student like me.”

“No. If it’s the heir to the Earl of Aaron’s family and a talent who will have a significant impact on Ireland in the future, I should have been paying attention a long time ago; I should see this as my fault. But it’s not too late, so I want to have a sincere conversation with you.”

There have been many people who have said that they want to have a sincere conversation so far, but most of them intended to gauge me for their own benefit.

But O’Connell was a slightly different type of person.

Of course, the attempt to assess me was the same as others.

If there was anything different, it would be that some kind of expectation was added.

“I doubt that a student like me can have any in-depth conversation with O’Connell, but I will try my best to meet your expectations.”

“There’s no need to be too humble. I’ve already heard that you’ve been a top student at Eton [a prestigious boarding school] since you were a freshman, even after the grading system changed. I was honestly surprised when I heard that you regularly visit Kensington Palace [a royal residence]. I didn’t think they would treat an Irish student like that.”

“Rather, it was probably because I was an Irish student that there was no pressure.”

“Ah, well, if you change your perspective, you can see it that way. But even so, it wouldn’t have been possible if you weren’t such an outstanding student. Isn’t the reason why the Duke of Wellington took care of you in the Tory Party with a letter of recommendation because he expects your potential?”

*Is he mocking the image of an aristocrat with Irish blood fawning over the Tory Party?*

As I listened to the story without any particular reaction, O’Connell asked quietly.

“But… no, you probably know it too, so let me ask you directly. Are you going to continue to align yourself with the Tory Party in the future?”

*I knew he would try to probe me, but he’s asking me so openly?*

I wondered what his intentions were, but when I saw his serious eyes, I immediately understood.

O’Connell is worrying about my future, not just Ireland’s, as an elder in his homeland, not as a competitor.

That made me feel like having a proper conversation.

“I want to climb to the highest position in this country. I thought there was no better way to achieve that for myself and for Ireland.”

“I see. So you’re an autonomist?”

“I don’t intend to categorize it so rigidly. But if I had to choose one, I think I’d be closer to that side.”

“Yes… autonomy. The words are plausible, and it sounds more appealing than independence. But you must know that it’s just an illusion, just a sweet poison that will weaken our unity. What we must win is not a good-looking trap like autonomy, but independence. Only independence!”

He shouted passionately, clenching his fists.

The autonomy of Ireland.

The repeal of the Union Act [the act that formally joined Great Britain and Ireland].

What Daniel O’Connell advocates for has always been consistent, both in the past and now.

No wonder the name of the party he leads is Repeal, which can be translated as the Abolition Party.

“Killian, I know the logic of an excellent student like you. As an elite who is recognized in society, you will be successful and take a key position in this country, and then work for Ireland. It’s a truly noble and wonderful ideal. I admit it. But will the nobles and vested interests of this country give you a suitable position?”

“It won’t be easy.”

“I can say for sure because I’ve been watching how this country treats Irish people for more than 40 years. This country, and the leaders of the Tory Party, will never give you a position that suits your abilities. They’ll just give you a few appropriate titles that can be used to show off to the Irish people. How long will our Irish people have to live being exploited like this?”

“Of course, I understand O’Connell’s feelings. You’ve been fighting against an unjust society for much longer than I have, so you have every reason to feel disillusioned with this country. That’s why I want to dismantle that injustice with my own hands.”

“That’s ambitious. Well, you’re young, so of course you can have that kind of spirit in your heart. But the day will soon come when you’ll feel the wall of reality is too high and ruthless.”

O’Connell looked at me with a pitying gaze.

It’s probably because he’s sure that the future I’ll experience will be no different from his own life.

But I felt a little sorry for O’Connell instead.

What will have a decisive impact on Irish independence sentiment was a separate factor from his lifelong efforts.

“O’Connell, it’s not that I haven’t considered independence. But as a result of doing some research and listening to local public opinion, even Irish public opinion is not unified right now.”

“That’s… that’s true, but I believe that if we work harder, our Irish compatriots will also sympathize with the need for independence.”
The public opinion of Ireland in the late 19th century, when they hated England, and in the 20th century was quite different from the public opinion of Ireland now.

Although it’s unpleasant to be discriminated against by England, there were absolutely a significant number of people who thought that if they were guaranteed autonomy, they wouldn’t have to break away.

They want autonomy and want to enjoy the benefits of England, which is growing into the world’s strongest power.

The fact that there are many people who think like this in secret is immediately apparent just by looking at the voting results.

“In order to promote Irish independence, we need to stimulate nationalism even more, but there is a limit to the current method. We need a much stronger shock. For example, if an unprecedented disaster occurs on this Irish land and millions are affected, but the central government of the empire does not take any special measures, independence sentiment will increase.”

“That’s too extreme an example. And even if the government mistreats Ireland, if a disaster of that magnitude occurs in a region that has been incorporated into the mainland, not a colony, they will do something to deal with it. It’s an impossible assumption.”

If you think about it normally, you can’t imagine it.

Can there be a crazy government in the world that stands by while a million people are starving to death? It’s not unreasonable to assert that such a thing cannot happen.

But surprisingly, that’s really going to happen.

A tragedy of immense proportions created by a mixture of England’s discrimination and indifference towards Ireland, and the population theory and laissez-faire economics [economic policy of minimal government intervention] of Malthus, which are in vogue.

The Great Famine of Terror, which will reduce Ireland’s population of over 8 million to 4 million, was scheduled to cross the Atlantic and devastate this land in about 10 years.

If Ireland suffers devastating damage here as in the history I know, the independence sentiment that O’Connell so desired will spread throughout Ireland.

But the problem is.

I have no intention of standing by and watching it.