I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 525

Became a Hidden Tycoon of the British Empire – Episode 525

< The World After >

The passing of Killian, the Secretary of State of the British Empire.

The breaking news that the most influential star in the world had fallen spread across the globe with terrifying speed.

There wasn’t a single media outlet in the world, be it newspapers or radio, that didn’t cover Killian’s death.

The citizens of the British Empire, who loved the Secretary of State more than any king before, wept and wailed at this tragic news.

“How can His Majesty be gone? This is absurd!”

“Your Majesty! You can’t leave us like this! You were supposed to lead us into the 21st century, how could you leave so soon!”

“I clearly heard that he had recovered his health recently, so why did this happen so suddenly?”

“What were the doctors doing! They should have been by His Majesty’s side 24 hours a day, taking care of his health! You useless parasites!”

The atmosphere of the British Empire, which had been excited about the new century, plummeted.

However, the British Isles were still better off.

Canada, upon hearing the news of Killian’s passing, sank into a gloom that made the entire country resemble a funeral home.

“Killian, the father of Canada, the light and salt of Ireland, the great leader of blacks and Asians, passed away on March 13th.”

“Lies! It’s a lie!”

“There’s no way he could be gone!”

“The body? They didn’t do anything to the body, did they! He might come back to life!”

The citizens of Canada seemed unable to accept that their king, Killian, had left their side forever.

Some even made the absurd claim that Jesus had resurrected after three days, so Killian’s body should not be buried for at least three days.

Others argued that since he was a great figure who had brought about the greatest golden age of the British Empire, his funeral should be on a different level than before.

Since he was not just a politician of the British Empire but also a hero who saved humanity from the Malthusian trap [the theory that population growth will outpace resource availability, leading to widespread famine and societal collapse], the funeral should be held on a global scale.

The citizens of the British Empire took these words for granted, and as a result, Killian’s funeral proceeded somewhat differently from those of other royals.

Numerous figures from America, Asia, and Europe flocked to London like clouds to see him off on his final journey.

Not only were there royals from various countries, but also high-ranking government officials and heads of the business world.

Since the alumni of the Killian Scholarship Foundation were already leaders in various fields of society, Killian’s funeral resembled a gathering of stars.

“I never thought he would leave like this…”

“Indeed. I was in the middle of creating inventions that he would have loved…”

“Oh? Then pass it on to me. I’ll buy it at a high price.”

“Edison, you money-grubbing fiend. Do you want to talk about money even at his funeral?”

“Haha, Tesla. You still don’t know him well. He would want me to help your inventions receive fair recognition.”

The sight of the presidents of James Group’s affiliates, who dominated the economy of the New World, all gathered together was a spectacle in itself.

“But did you see this too? Were the people of the British Empire always this crazy?”

“The claim that his body should be preserved forever? Surely they wouldn’t go that far?”

The British Empire’s museums and galleries contained treasures collected from all over the country, including Egyptian mummies.

Surely they wouldn’t leave Killian’s body like a mummy, would they?

Of course, I didn’t think so, but surprisingly, there seemed to be people who really believed that should be done.

Fortunately, their insane rampage was calmed down by a single roar from an enraged Victoria.

“Who is going to embalm my husband’s body? If I hear any more of that crazy talk, I will hang you from a ship!”

“…But Your Majesty, the world wants to remember Killian forever.”

“In that case, I have a promise with him, so I’ll handle it in that direction.”

Prince Edward, hearing this, scratched his head in embarrassment.

“Mother, are you really going to do that?”

“Of course. People want to remember him like that, so why shouldn’t I? Leaving a statue is much better than leaving a corpse.”

“Ahem… I think Father would hate both.”

Whether Killian liked it or not, Victoria steadily carried out her plan.

With the clear justification that a statue was better than preserving the body, statues of Killian made of gold were erected in major strongholds of the British Empire.

The poses of the statues were all different, and these were poses that Victoria had decided on after consulting with the staff one by one.

Edward sighed deeply, saying that this would only tarnish his father’s reputation, but lo and behold.

Long after the funeral, the Killian Memorial Park, with the Killian statue in the center, became a tourist attraction, drawing people from all over the country.

When this statue was first unveiled, citizens wept as they looked at the figure of their beloved leader.

“Your Majesty! How could you leave us so soon!”

“You can’t do this! Your Majesty!”

It wasn’t just London.

Montreal and Toronto even began to compete to host the Killian statue.

“The city that Killian loved was Toronto! Therefore, a statue of Killian must be erected in Toronto!”

“Don’t talk nonsense! Montreal is the city that has properly inherited Killian’s spirit, so a statue of Killian must be erected here!”

“…But if you think about it, isn’t our LA [Los Angeles], where many Asian immigrants live, the place where Killian’s statue should be erected?”

Since no one was willing to give in, the Canadian Parliament eventually told all three cities to build as they wished.

Edward watched this process and covered his head.

“What is it? Was I standing upside down, and is this normal?”

“Your Highness. There are also countless requests to build a statue of Killian in Hong Kong.”

“Yes, yes. Let them do as they wish.”

“Ah, and there’s also a message from Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom]. To commemorate Princess Alice’s visit to Joseon, how about building a statue of Killian there as well? How should I respond?”

“…Joseon? They’ve lost their minds too.”

“They say they will create a statue of Killian shaking hands with the Emperor of Joseon. It will be a monumental symbol of friendship between the two countries…”

Edward was too tired to say anything more, so he just nodded and closed his eyes.

‘Father. It seems this world loved you more than I expected.’

Knowing Killian’s tendencies well, he knew that his father would never have wanted this.

His father was the type of person who liked to hide in the back and subtly reveal himself.

To give an example with his sister’s luxury business, he was the type who enjoyed subtly showing off rather than flaunting the luxury logo.

If he saw his own statue built of such gaudy gold, he might grab the back of his neck and fall backward.

But what can he do?

If he was upset, he should have lived longer than his mother.

Someone once said that history is the record of the victors.

Having learned another truth like this, Edward resolved to live a long life and put more effort into his health care.

Time continued its relentless flow, and the era gradually transformed into the world Killian had foreseen.

Victoria dedicated all her remaining time to creating spaces that would memorialize Killian, and as soon as those projects were completed, she quietly passed away.

Edward, who became the next emperor, brilliantly continued his imperial duties, drawing upon the experience and wisdom he had accumulated since his youth.

It was around this time that the 20th century, which everyone had hoped would be peaceful, began to be as frantically turbulent as the 19th century.

A large-scale rebellion erupted in the Qing Dynasty [the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912], which had lasted for many years, and voices demanding the establishment of a democratic government began to emerge.

The rebel forces rapidly consolidated the southern regions and moved north, but unfortunately, they were defeated in a major battle just before reaching Beijing, and their momentum was broken.

However, the Qing Dynasty lacked the power to completely eliminate the rebel forces, so the vast Qing Empire was suddenly divided into two.

The Qing Empire in the north and the Republic of China in the south.

Just as the shock in Asia was about to subside, the conflicts that had been steadily accumulating in the Americas finally exploded.

Another civil war between the North and the South ensued.

The aftermath of this war, in which twice as many soldiers were deployed than in the previous Civil War, reached Europe.

This was because the desperate South proposed to give away all the oil fields where oil, a new energy source, was gushing out.

In the end, the world had no choice but to bitterly realize how powerful they had become on the vast American continent.

As accumulated technology began to be used for the purpose of killing people, unimaginable results unfolded.

In less than a year since the start of the war, more than 10 million casualties occurred, and humanity became fearful that everyone might perish if things continued this way.

The British Empire, which reigned as the victorious nation, announced that it would further strengthen the power of the UN [United Nations], and its allies responded positively.

Humanity was able to move safely into the future without facing a second world war.

The completely established new world continued its course through the 20th century and towards the 21st century.

* * *

Beeeeeep…

Beep beep beep!

A luxurious hospital room that seemed larger than an average apartment.

As the patient lying on the huge bed twitched his fingers, the on-duty doctor rushed in, alerted by a loud beep.

“What’s going on? Is something wrong?”

“The vital signs fluctuated wildly for a moment, but I don’t know why.”

“Damn it, why at a time like this! Should I contact the hospital director?”

The reason why the on-duty doctor, not even a nurse, was so anxious and personally checking the patient’s condition was understandable.

It was an undeniable fact that if this hospital, the best in the country, couldn’t save the patient, the same result would occur no matter where they went.

However, in this world, no matter how much you emphasize such rational factors, there are times when situations occur that defy logic.

The potential death of the patient in front of them was one such case.

“Haa… why did this person have such an absurd accident?”

“Professor, is that really the cause of the accident? I’ve never heard of a plane being struck by lightning twelve times in a row in my life…”

“Do you think I have? No, it was struck by lightning twelve times in a row when it was about to land? How can such a thing happen? It seems less likely than winning the lottery.”

Originally, airplanes are designed to withstand being struck by lightning several times without sustaining any damage.

However, the plane this patient was on was struck by lightning not just once or twice, but twelve or thirteen times in a row as it was trying to land.

Because of that, the electronic equipment went haywire for a moment, and the backup equipment that was supposed to work happened to be out of order that day.

In addition, for some unknown reason, the wheels of the plane did not deploy properly, so the plane crashed onto the runway, and the result is the scene in front of us.

Wouldn’t it be fair to say that this wasn’t just winning the lottery, but simply a destined death?

“But what if this person dies? There are rumors that we will be blamed.”

“I want to say ‘no way’… but I don’t know. Ugh, what sins did I commit in my past life?”

At the moment when they were lamenting their misfortune and wishing their shift would just end, the patient who was lying down slowly opened his eyes.

“…Ugh… Augh… My head is pounding…”

“…P, Patient? Are you okay? You’re awake? Wh, what… how… No. I’ll contact the on-duty… no, I’m on duty. I’ll go contact the hospital director, so watch the patient!”

“Y, yes!”

As the professor hurriedly ran out, a nurse who was left in the room hesitated as she tried to pour lukewarm water into a cup.

“Are you okay? You may not be able to drink water yet, so let’s get you checked out first when the professor comes back…”

“…Is this a hospital? No, I was in London, so why am I in a place like this…”

“Ah, yes, yes. Do you remember? You had an accident on your way back from London.”

“From London? I had an accident?”

The patient, who had a slightly exotic appearance, blinked with a blank expression.

“Are you saying I was in a plane accident?”

“Yes. Your memory may be confused due to the shock you suffered during the accident. Don’t worry. You’ll be back to normal soon.”

The nurse offered words of comfort, but he didn’t hear a word of it.

‘What is this? This is messed up. Don’t tell me I’ve been dreaming all this time? No, don’t be ridiculous. If you write a story where all the processes you’ve gone through so far were just the delusions of a patient who came back to life, you’ll be criticized for life, no matter how popular the drama is.’

The light shining from the ceiling, pouring into my eyes like a path of light, is very unsettling.

But there was something strange.

Clearly, the last place he remembered from his previous life was China.

There, he was injected with drugs and his memory was erased, and when he opened his eyes, he was born as a mixed-race slave in Joseon [Korean kingdom from 1392 to 1897].

Let’s assume that his life as Killian was all a product of my imagination.

Then, since he has returned to his original reality, shouldn’t he have been found in some remote mountain or by the sea?

But I don’t understand why I had a plane accident and was unconscious.

Still, seeing that I’m speaking Korean, it seems like this is South Korea, so shouldn’t I stay calm and figure out the situation?

He took a deep breath and calmed his frantically confused mind before asking.

“…So, this is South Korea, right? Which hospital is this?”

“Yes?”

Ugh, what’s with that expression this time?

Don’t tell me you’re about to say something terrible like this is North Korea?

The nurse, who was looking at him with eyes that seemed to question what he was talking about, continued with a worried voice.

“Where is South Korea? This is Hanseong Special City, Joseon Empire. This is the hospital of the AL Group where the patient… no, the vice chairman is… don’t you remember?”

“Joseon… Empire?”

Hanseong Special City and AL Group, what are those?

Is this a hidden camera prank?

Now I don’t know what’s what, so I looked at the huge mirror in the hospital room.

A young man who looked surprisingly like me in my previous life, Killian, was looking back at me, blinking his eyes with a foolish face.