I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 44

Reverse Recruitment

Autonomy and independence.

These two paths, which seem similar but are fundamentally incompatible, can never truly align.

“If that’s what you truly desire, then so be it. Facing challenges, experiencing failures, and learning from them is a privilege reserved for the young. I’ve enjoyed our conversation today.”

Daniel O’Connell, realizing that he couldn’t sway my decision, began to rise from his seat.

However, I wasn’t about to let him leave so easily.

Based on our discussion, Daniel O’Connell’s dedication to Ireland was undeniably genuine.

Furthermore, his persistent attempts to persuade and recruit me made his purpose quite clear.

I couldn’t let such a valuable asset slip through my fingers.

“Mr. O’Connell, if you don’t mind, could you answer one more question before you depart?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“This is an extension of our earlier discussion. If a massive disaster were to befall Ireland, causing widespread devastation and igniting a fervent desire for independence, would you stand idly by?”

“Nonsense! I have no need for public sentiment fueled by the sacrifice of countless compatriots!”

“I suspected as much. I feel the same way. Ah, that was just a hypothetical question. What I truly wanted to ask was whether your reason for trying to persuade me was to recruit me into the independence movement?”

This time, his response wasn’t as immediate.

O’Connell studied me for a moment before clicking his tongue softly and stroking his sideburns.

“Was it that obvious?”

“You kept urging me to reconsider my position.”

“Well, there’s no point in hiding it. I’ll be frank. Prime Minister Grey informed me that your rise, backed by the Tory party [Conservative Party], would pose a significant threat to me. He was attempting to create a sense of urgency, hoping to draw us towards the Whig party [Liberal Party].”

As expected, his political acumen allowed him to see through such maneuvers.

“The Prime Minister likely assumed that even if you were aware of this, you would eventually side with the Whigs.”

“Perhaps. He seemed to believe I wouldn’t be able to persuade you, and ultimately, he was correct. But it’s still regrettable. The age difference between us means we can’t truly be rivals. By the time you seriously enter politics, I’ll either be in my coffin or retired.”

“A coffin? You should be around to witness Ireland’s improvement.”

“Haha, I wish I could, but that’s not the core issue. I’m growing older every day, and my biggest concern is the lack of a successor. That’s why I secretly hoped that if you changed your mind, you could take my place and become a reliable leader for Ireland.”

Before I could respond, O’Connell waved his hand and continued.

“Betraying the Tory party might be a concern, but aligning with the Whig party would offset that, so there’s no need to worry. If you, who will inherit a family with considerable influence in Northern Ireland, were to become my successor, you can easily imagine the extent of that influence, correct? But since you won’t relinquish your autonomy stance… it’s all merely wishful thinking.”

If I could absorb Daniel O’Connell’s influence, I could transform Ireland into my personal power base much more easily.

Of course, I had no intention of being subservient to O’Connell, so the succession issue was irrelevant.

“But Mr. O’Connell, cooperation doesn’t necessarily require me to change my stance and become your successor, does it?”

“…What? What are you suggesting? I have no intention of abandoning the pursuit of independence, and you believe it’s impossible, so cooperation is naturally out of the question.”

“Not necessarily. As you mentioned, I’m still young. By the time I become actively involved, you’ll be nearing retirement, so there’s no reason for conflict now. Instead, I believe we should cooperate to amplify Ireland’s influence.”

O’Connell, who had been about to leave, awkwardly settled back into his chair.

“Go on.”

“The Prime Minister will likely warn you that the Tory party will exert a strong influence on Ireland in the future, urging you to join forces with the Whig party to prevent this. But let’s consider this objectively. If you cooperate with the Whig party, will you truly be able to wield significant influence within their ranks?”

“…”

“The Whig party already commands a clear majority in Parliament. Joining them would merely make you a rubber stamp, significant only when opinions within the party are divided, as is the case now.”

Currently, the Whig party holds 441 out of 658 seats in the House of Commons.

Even if O’Connell’s Repeal Association, with its 42 seats, were to join them, they would only play a subordinate role.

O’Connell likely didn’t accept Grey’s offer immediately because he understood this better than anyone.

“That’s a valid point, but we can’t align with the Tory party, can we? The Tory party consistently opposes Ireland’s reforms. Even if they were to change their stance, merging our party with the Tory party wouldn’t be enough to secure a majority, so it would still be meaningless.”

“That may be true now. But will it remain the same in the next election? You may already suspect this, but this Irish Reform Bill will never pass.”

“…Why? If the Whig party, which holds the majority, is determined to pass it, the Tory party will be powerless to stop it. Or do you believe the House of Lords or His Majesty will exercise their veto? They have the authority to do so, but vetoes shouldn’t be exercised lightly.”

Parliamentary democracy is increasingly becoming established in present-day Britain.

As O’Connell said, if the House of Lords or the King were to exercise an arbitrary veto, public outcry would erupt, but unfortunately, this situation is an exception.

“The Tory party simply needs to incite opposition by claiming this bill is giving handouts to Ireland at the expense of hardworking Anglicans [members of the Church of England]. Besides, I know His Majesty opposes this reform bill. It’s practically impossible for a bill opposed by the Church, the House of Lords, and His Majesty to pass.”

As far as I knew, issues related to the Church and tithes [mandatory payments to the Church] in Ireland had been gradually eased over a long period.

In other words, this reform bill, which reduces the number of bishops and comprehensively addresses tithes, would undoubtedly be rejected, even in the original timeline.

“If the ambitiously pushed reform bill is derailed, the Whig party’s approval rating will decline, and the situation will change in the next election? That’s overly optimistic. Of course, there will be some impact, but the current seat distribution between the Whig and Tory parties isn’t something that can be overturned so easily.”

“That might be the case if that were the only factor, but what if the conflict between the ruling party and His Majesty comes to the surface?”

“His Majesty and the Whig party clash?”

“Yes, I regularly correspond with His Majesty regarding the education of Princess Victoria. Although he hasn’t explicitly stated it, His Majesty feels burdened by the Whig party’s current reform efforts. His Majesty has generally maintained a good relationship with the Whig party, but his underlying inclinations are conservative.”

“So he’s attempting to curb the Whig party’s excessive growth and side with the Tory party?”

He spoke as if it were a logical deduction, but it was actually closer to a prediction based on historical events.

As I recall, William IV was the last monarch in British history to appoint a Prime Minister against the wishes of Parliament.

However, even after taking such drastic measures, the Conservative Party lost the election, and since then, no Prime Ministers have been appointed against the will of Parliament.

So, if we leverage that situation effectively, we might be able to create a different outcome from the original timeline.

“Unlike the Whig party, which can secure a majority on its own, the Tory party still lacks the power to do so. But what if all of Ireland turns its back on the Whig party? You could create a situation where neither the Tory nor the Whig party can form a majority, and Mr. O’Connell could play the role of kingmaker.”

“Wait. Let me gather my thoughts for a moment. It’s certainly not an impossible scenario, as you say…”

“I’ll give the Tory party a heads-up in advance. I’ll inform them that while we can’t pass the current reform bill as is, if they ease the tithes, which have the most sensitive impact on the daily lives of the Irish people, Mr. O’Connell is willing to side with the Tory party.”

“Do you really believe the Tory party’s rigid conservatives will listen to that?”

“As you know, the Tory party has recently seen young, reform-minded members actively involved. You must have heard of Charles Wellesley or Disraeli, right? I’m acquainted with them. Being conservative doesn’t necessarily mean being old-fashioned forever. There are many young talents who believe things can’t continue as they are.”

O’Connell, having heard an unexpected proposition, clenched his fist tightly, and my voice, continuing the conversation, gradually gained more conviction.

“You can pursue your independence movement as you see fit. You can side with either the Tory or Whig party on ordinary matters. All I ask is that you support the bills that I and my colleagues genuinely want to pass.”

“So, I get to demonstrate my influence at crucial moments, and you and your colleagues can expand your influence within the Tory party, which will become the de facto majority, making it a win-win situation?”

“Precisely.”

“And if I don’t achieve the results I want by the time you make your mark in politics, I should simply retire gracefully without prolonging things, since I’ll have to retire eventually anyway?”

I didn’t intend to phrase it that way, but it wasn’t entirely inaccurate.

When that time arrives, the influence that Daniel O’Connell has cultivated in Ireland will be transferred to me in an instant.

“If your approach doesn’t succeed, wouldn’t it be fair to give me a chance?”

“Hahaha… You seem very confident in your ability to climb to the highest echelons of this country. Yes, I was mistaken. You’re not the kind of person who could be my successor. The position of Daniel O’Connell’s successor would mean nothing to someone aiming for the top of this country, whether it’s the Prime Minister or the Speaker of the House of Lords. But what were you planning to do if I rejected your offer and revealed everything that transpired today?”

“You’re welcome to do so. Of course, it’s more likely that the Whig party will perceive you as attempting to discredit a young student who is much younger and not even a rival, rather than believing your claims.”

“I suppose so. No one would believe that a young student who has only been at Eton [prestigious British boarding school] for about two years has such schemes. Initially, I thought you were merely clinging to the Tory party for protection… but it turns out you were planning to devour the Tory party from within.”

O’Connell, who had been regarding me with a mixture of emotions, burst into hearty laughter and extended his hand.

“With this level of preparation and audacity, I have no choice but to acknowledge you. Although we don’t share the same goals, Ireland will be better off than it is now, regardless of who ultimately succeeds. I’m saddened that you can’t share my dreams, but simply knowing that a student like you is in Ireland makes my burden feel lighter.”

“Then can I assume that you’re accepting my offer?”

“Yes. On the condition that things unfold as you predict, with His Majesty clashing with the Whig party and this reform bill being rejected. If both of those events occur, I’ll comply with your requests without complaint. How does that sound?”

“I have no objections. In fact, that’s only natural. I look forward to working with you.”

He was accepting my offer on the premise that what was going to happen would happen anyway, so wasn’t this practically unconditional acceptance?

I shook O’Connell’s hand and smiled.

It was an unexpected meeting, but I succeeded in achieving a result that was more valuable than anything else.

I should thank the Whig party for sending Daniel O’Connell my way as a test.

Of course, I have to make them believe that the test was successful for now.

* * *

About an hour after speaking with Killian Gore.

Daniel O’Connell headed to the parliament to meet Charles Grey as requested.

“Oh, you’re later than I expected. I thought you might have forgotten.”

“How could I? The conversation simply took longer than anticipated.”

Charles Grey, who had arranged the conversation, had asked O’Connell to tell him what they had discussed beforehand, and O’Connell had not refused.

However, just as one’s feelings change when entering and leaving the restroom, O’Connell’s state was quite different from before he met Killian.

The reason he was here now was not to keep his prior promise, but because of Killian’s request.

“I wonder what you talked about for so long.”

“I simply asked him a lot of questions. I needed to know more about him in order to understand how the Tory party was trying to use him.”

“That makes sense. So, what was your impression of him? I met him once before, and he seemed like a very bright student.”

“Bright, you say…”

That wasn’t an inaccurate description.

But was that adjective sufficient?

O’Connell was certain that Grey hadn’t grasped even 1% of Killian’s true nature with just those words.

“You mentioned meeting that student at Buckingham Palace before. What was your impression? I’d like to compare it with my own.”

“Well… He seemed very intelligent, surprisingly resolute, and possessed an excellent ability to assess situations. However, because of that, he seemed to know his place better than anyone else. He was well aware of the limitations of his background and didn’t attempt to overstep certain boundaries, which made him seem both pitiful and impressive. I felt that the Tory party had an eye for talent.”

Limitations of his background? Pitiful?

O’Connell chuckled at Grey’s assessment and nodded.

Although he had spoken differently in front of Killian, he was actually trying to gauge his position based on how well Charles Grey had understood Killian’s value.

Even if he was talented, if he couldn’t conceal it and his enemies knew everything, it would be difficult for him to collaborate with them.

However, after witnessing the Prime Minister’s assessment, which was far removed from what he had seen, heard, and felt, he made up his mind.

“I had a similar impression. He has ability, but he recognizes his limitations and doesn’t try to cross the line. That’s probably why the Duke of Wellington [prominent Tory figure] likes him too. It’ll be easy to groom him as a loyal follower who is content with being a powerful figure in Ireland and doesn’t aspire to central politics.”

“In that case… how would you like to proceed with the offer I made earlier?”

“I’ll consider it favorably. I strongly feel the need to join forces with someone.”

O’Connell bowed to the Prime Minister, who was smiling brightly, and left the parliament.

He hadn’t lied.

He would consider it favorably, but he hadn’t stated that he would accept.

His statement that he felt the need to join forces with someone was also undoubtedly sincere.

However, the target was not the hand that the Prime Minister had extended.

Of course, he hadn’t lied, but… what was this strange feeling of an Irish rogue and a mischievous kid plotting behind the scenes?

But O’Connell dismissed that thought in an instant.

Wasn’t this kind of negotiation the tradition of the British Empire?

Ireland should learn from this good thing too.