I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 442

< A Liar and a Con Man (4) >

The order given to Henry Morton Stanley, acting as Leopold II’s representative, was simple.

“Everyone understand? We just need to get all the tribes in the Congo to sign here, as His Majesty directs.”

While Leopold II was appealing to the European powers, feigning sincerity, Stanley had been traveling around the Congo, investigating the actual conditions of the tribes living there.

His mission was to record each tribe’s location and size and to build relationships with them.

Frankly, it wasn’t a very difficult mission.

The tribes of Africa were not fools and knew how strong the Western countries were, so they were not hostile to Stanley.

To them, whether it was the British Empire, the United States, or Belgium, they were all equally frightening white people.

Stanley gave them liquor and cloth as gifts to reassure them and win their favor.

“Now, now, don’t worry. The days when white people captured black people and sold them as slaves are over. Have white slave traders recently captured your families or friends?”

As he continued to explain with the help of an interpreter, the tribes of the Congo listened to Stanley, half in doubt.

Of course, that didn’t mean that all the tribes were naive enough to believe Stanley right away.

As he said, white people hadn’t taken slaves recently, but rumors that white people with guns and swords were exploiting various parts of Africa had already spread to the Congo.

“Ah, you see, we are different from those people. The white people you are thinking of are those from England and France. They are very ferocious and cruel. But we follow the orders of Leopold II of benevolent Belgium. His Majesty is trying to protect this land and protect you.”

“We never asked to be protected.”

“Don’t be naive, everyone, and try to look at reality. Don’t you know what countries like Prussia, France, and the British Empire are doing in the north? I know there are people who have fled from the north; haven’t they said anything?”

“…That’s…”

“His Majesty Leopold II is appealing every day to keep at least this area out of the reach of the great powers. And fortunately, it is expected to be successful.”

“So, we can continue to live as we are now?”

The chief of the EunGombe tribe, which was quite large in the Congo Basin, looked noticeably relieved.

Seeing this, Stanley was convinced that a tribe of this size had at least heard some gossip about the situation in Africa.

Africa is vast, but the great powers have been stirring up the entire continent for more than a decade, so how could they not have heard the news?

“You don’t have to worry about anything. Other countries trust our Leopold II completely.”

He deliberately didn’t tell them that Leopold II would become the King of the Congo.

From the chiefs’ point of view, they wouldn’t welcome the fact that a white man from a faraway European country they had never heard of would suddenly become their king.

As Leopold II ordered, he acted as if they were just good neighbors who wanted to be friendly with the natives of the Congo.

“This is wine produced in France, Europe. It’s quite a luxury, so please try it.”

“Wow, it smells so sweet that it makes me feel drunk just by smelling it.”

“This is the cloth you said you needed. Oh, and these are nets and trap tools that will help with hunting…”

As he continued to give gifts, focusing on the large tribes, the natives gradually opened their hearts to Stanley and the explorers of the Congo Association.

“Mr. Stanley, the tools you gave us last time were very effective. Thank you.”

“Thank you so much. It’s much easier to live, thanks to you.”

“This is all the heart of His Majesty Leopold II for you.”

“To think there is such a good person in the world… To be honest, I thought all white people were scary.”

“We are the same people as you. Hahaha!”

Stanley shook hands with the people of the tribe one by one and delivered medicine to the sick.

Then, he very naturally showed them the treaty he had received from Leopold II.

“Speaking of which, wouldn’t you like to take a look at this?”

“Yes? What is this?”

“His Majesty Leopold II has strongly appealed that no other country in Europe should enter the Congo this time. And I believe that you living in the Congo would want that too.”

“Of course, that’s what we want!”

“So, if you also express your strong support for His Majesty Leopold II’s wishes, things will be much easier. Right now, countries like France and Prussia are arguing that the natives of the Congo may want to be ruled by them, so what right does His Majesty Leopold II have to stop them?”

The chief’s eyes flashed with subtle anger as he listened to the translation.

How could he not be angry when he heard that there were rumors that they might want to live a life like slaves?

Stanley smiled gently and handed him the treaty.

“If you sign here, you will be making a vow that you are with us. That way, no European country will be able to touch you.”

“…I understand. You mean we have to show our will clearly.”

The chief took the pen from Stanley and awkwardly put his hand on the paper.

“But how do I do this?”

“Please write your tribe’s name and the chief’s name in the signature section here. And I’ll take a picture of you signing so that other countries can’t find fault with it.”

Flash! Click!

The contents of the treaty are written in French, which is the international standard, and English, which has recently become more important, so there is no problem with its credibility.

The chief doesn’t know French or English, but that’s their fault for being ignorant, not ours, right?

I’ve recorded all the scenes of them signing with a bright smile, so even if this is revealed in the future, there’s no need to worry about being held accountable.

Stanley smiled and gave the chief, who had finished signing, plenty of French wine, which they liked.

“I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“That’s what we should be saying. Thank you so much! You’ve worked so hard for us and even given us gifts.”

Stanley shook hands with the chief once again, put on a wreath made by the women and children of the village, and returned to the association.

And when he returned to a place where only they were, he irritably shook off the hand he had shaken with the chief and spat.

“Tsk, it’s annoying how they keep touching my hand. Dirty bastards.”

“Boss! Did you get the signatures? We’ve also got the signatures of all four tribes here.”

“Good job. I’ve got the signatures of seven tribes, so it’s safe to say that this area is all sorted out now. Was there anything that could be a problem?”

“No, there wasn’t. There were some guys in the middle who didn’t understand, but they were small tribes anyway, so when we threatened them a little, they immediately backed down. Just in case, we left guards around.”

He already knew that not all tribes would completely trust them, so it wouldn’t be a big problem to use a little rough tactics on one or two tribes.

What’s important is that the big tribes that can influence the surrounding area are all sorted out.

“That’s good. Then I’ll have to tell His Majesty this good news and get a good reward.”

“Can we get a good amount this time too? Hehehe, thanks to those stupid black bastards, we’re the only ones who get to live well.”

“I know, right? How can there be such ignorant morons in the world? To think they would sign a document with words they don’t even know. It’s so pathetic that I can’t even say anything.”

Watching them sign a document that permanently gives up all their rights and dignity with a bright smile was, frankly, not a pleasant feeling.

But if they’re such stupid and hopeless people, wouldn’t it be right for them to belong to us?

Isn’t that why Leopold II was trying to take complete control of the Congo?

Stanley, to be honest, didn’t know exactly what Leopold II was trying to do in the Congo.

And deep down, he felt that even concluding such a treaty was a bit too much.

Born in the British Empire, he grew up in New Orleans from the age of ten and was a deeply rooted racist.

Even he thought this could be controversial, so there’s no need to say how vicious this treaty is.

According to this agreement, Leopold II can just pick anyone from the village and make them work, and if he doesn’t like them, he can just cut off their heads.

If he wants a woman, he can just pick anyone and sleep with them, and if he wants to beat someone, he can just go in and punch them.

Even when slavery was legal, New Orleans wasn’t this bad, so I wonder if this isn’t worse than slavery.

However, Leopold II did not budge from his opinion that black people are too stupid and low-level, so he has to inject orders in a somewhat coercive way to be efficient.

Seeing them give up all their human rights so easily, maybe Leopold II was right.

Either way, it didn’t matter to him as he had already completed his mission.

“…Oh well, whatever. We just need to get our reward and that’s it. Let’s go back.”

As he lowered his head to review the data one last time, a wreath fell from above his head.

Oh, I’ve been wearing this all along. I forgot.

Momentarily, the sight of a young girl smiling brightly and placing a wreath on his head with her small hands flashed through Stanley’s mind.

“Huh? Boss, what’s that wreath? Did you get it as a gift?”

“Hehehe, that’s really funny. Boss, you have such bad taste. To think you’d wear something like that all the way here.”

“…I forgot. If I had known, would I have worn something like this all the way here?”

He felt a surge of inexplicable anger and stomped on the wreath that had fallen to the ground with his shoe, and gathered his materials.

Well, even if they treat them like slaves, it’s better than living as a colony of real guys like France.

They say that when you see how they squeeze their colonies, the South when it maintained slavery looks like an angel.

If Leopold II has any sense, he won’t cross that line.

Stanley put on his hat and tried to rationalize himself.

‘Damn it, who cares? I’m just doing what the king told me to do.’

He forced himself to shake off the inexplicable unease and moved his feet.

He didn’t look back at the wreath that had been trampled on until the moment he left the association building.

* * *

“…The above is the process and content of the Congo Association getting the natives to sign the treaty.”

“……”

Alan Pinkerton of the Pinkerton Detective Agency couldn’t say anything, his mouth wide open at the informant’s report.

Not only him, but even James, who was leisurely drinking coffee in the back, froze with the cup in his hand.

What is this? Are they really crazy?

James, who had already stepped down from almost all practical work and was in semi-retirement, had no intention of getting involved in this matter.

He just came to listen to the progress of this matter purely because he was really curious.

But he never imagined that he would hear such a thing.

“You… are you sure there are no lies in what you’re saying?”

“Of course. Thanks to working for the Congo Association since it was established, as the president ordered, I was able to participate in this matter. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known the whole story of this case. These guys are out of their minds.”

“This is… it’s not even slavery; it’s something less than slavery that they can treat those people as… But surely Leopold II won’t use all these rights. We also have the freedom of guns, but that doesn’t mean we shoot Indians as we please, does it?”

Pinkerton asked awkwardly, but James didn’t loosen his stiff expression.

He remembered what Killian had said in passing, even if the other two didn’t.

-Leopold II? That guy is just mentally ill. If you leave him alone, I feel like he might show you the end of how evil a human can be?

Looking back now, isn’t it too obvious why he said that?

The bicycles using rubber tires that were recently introduced are already causing a huge sensation in the market.

Considering that the demand for rubber is soaring due to the continuous development of the electrical industry, the Congo is…

“Pinkerton, from now on, record all the orders that Leopold II gives to the informants in the Congo Association and receive them in real time.”

“I understand.”

“And I’d like to see the data once before sending it to London.”

I hope it ends as a simple worry, but now that things have progressed to this point, something is bound to happen.

The world is wide, and there are many who transcend common sense.

As James was organizing the situation in the Congo to send to Killian, he once again realized the truth that the most cruel creature to humans is the same human.