I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 86

The Aftermath of the Storm (2)

The Joseon court was once again thrown into turmoil by information Britain had subtly leaked through Holland.

The Border Defense Council and the Six Ministries alike could scarcely believe the absurd news, but so far, every piece of information received through Holland had proven accurate.

“Are those wretches out of their minds? They still can’t seem to grasp where they should and shouldn’t interfere, sticking their noses into everything.”

“It’s obvious. They’re trying to elevate the prestige of the shogunate with a pathetic scheme to claim Killian Gore, who defeated Qing China, the center of the Celestial Order [traditional East Asian hierarchical system], as their own.”

“Killian Gore is Joseonese, Joseonese! He himself admitted he was born in Joseon.”

Even though Joseon itself denied him, what could they do?

No matter how influential he had become among the Western barbarians, Killian Gore’s power was not something to be ignored.

More than anything, they couldn’t bear the thought of him siding with those wretches when he could simply live as a Westerner with no connection to them.

That was the prevailing sentiment among the ministers.

“But no matter how much those wretches insist, isn’t it just nonsense not worth listening to?”

“Apparently, they’re preparing meticulously. They’re subtly planting the idea that we persecuted Killian Gore as a given and claiming they are different. I don’t know the details, but they seem to be claiming that Tokugawa’s blood was mixed in during the Japanese invasion [Imjin War, 1592-1598], and Killian Gore is a descendant. There’s no way to disprove it.”

“What nonsense is that? Tokugawa’s blood mixed with Joseon people during the Japanese invasion? I thought Tokugawa didn’t even participate in the Japanese invasion in the first place.”

“It’s obviously nonsense, but if they’re determined to fabricate a family tree, we need evidence to refute it. But right now, we haven’t even confirmed where and how Killian Gore was born when he was in Joseon. We need to confirm that first.”

Then, the identity of the person who slandered him and said he wasn’t Joseonese would naturally be revealed.

Tracing the family tree from there would naturally refute Japan’s nonsense.

Kim Jwa-geun felt the situation becoming increasingly complicated and sighed heavily as he walked home.

He had been promoted to Vice Minister of Personnel for his successful mission to Qing, but frankly, he wasn’t happy at all.

That damned Grand Scholar and other vice-ministers had dumped all the work related to Britain on him.

-Kim Jwa-geun is the only person in all of Joseon who has met Killian Gore in person and talked to him. There is no one more suitable for this task than him.

Frankly speaking, it wasn’t wrong, so Kim Jwa-geun couldn’t argue and was stuck playing the role of an investigator against his will.

‘They didn’t even pretend to listen no matter how much I talked, but their attitude changes as soon as those wretches get involved.’

Even though he was siding with the Western barbarians, they must have thought he was too valuable to give to the wretches.

Of course, Killian Gore, as he knew him, would just laugh it off even if the wretches did something like that.

Rather, he would pretend to get along with them and try to squeeze something more out of them.

As he was pondering how to investigate this, he returned home to find an unexpected guest.

“Lord Heungseon, what brings you to this humble place?”

“Humble place? Who in Joseon would dare call the residence of the Vice Minister of Personnel that?”

Lee Ha-eung, who was formerly Heungseon Dojeong [a minor royal title] and rose to the position of Heungseon-gun [Prince of Heungseon] of the 2nd rank, was ultimately just a member of the royal family with no real power.

Kim Jwa-geun was the Vice Minister of Personnel of the 3rd rank, one rank lower in title, but his actual power was so much greater than Lee Ha-eung’s that it was embarrassing to even compare them.

It wasn’t just that there was a 20-year age difference, but their positions were completely different, so Kim Jwa-geun wasn’t at all nervous in front of Lee Ha-eung.

Rather, Lee Ha-eung, as a member of the royal family, was much more cautious as he explained the reason for his visit.

“I heard that you are conducting a major investigation into a man named Killian Gore.”

“Yes, that’s right. Do you happen to have any information?”

“Not exactly information… Actually, I met a mixed-race slave about 10 years ago. I don’t remember exactly when. He was quite well-known in the area at the time, but suddenly the stories about him stopped.”

“Ah… a slave?”

Of course, there was no way it would be this easy to find him.

Seeing the disappointment on his face, which had been full of anticipation, Lee Ha-eung cleared his throat.

“Of course, I know there’s almost no chance. I heard that Killian Gore is fluent not only in Joseon language but also in Qing and Japanese. But I remember that the mixed-race slave I met back then was surprisingly bright. If he was a rare genius, wouldn’t he have been able to learn languages by recalling his memories from here even after going to Britain?”

“A slave, but a genius that even Lord Heungseon was surprised by?”

It wasn’t that there weren’t people who looked down on Lord Heungseon, but Kim Jwa-geun had sometimes felt that this young man had dozens of snakes inside him [meaning he was cunning and perceptive].

If such a person was saying that much, then he certainly wasn’t just a slave to be ignored.

Besides, if Killian Gore was really a slave, then it wouldn’t be strange at all to hear that he wasn’t Joseonese.

Who in Joseon would treat a Western mixed-race slave as a normal Joseonese person?

“Do you remember the slave’s name or face?”

“No. I only met him once, so I only have a vague memory of such a person. Ah, but his age was definitely similar to mine. I remember that clearly.”

“So, you mean the slave was about the same age as Lord Heungseon?”

“Yes. The same age or one year apart? I don’t think it was more than two years.”

Considering that Lord Heungseon is currently about nineteen years old, the age range is a perfect match.

If the conditions match this much, he couldn’t just dismiss it as a slave.

Kim Jwa-geun’s words became faster and faster as he wanted to find out right away.

“Even if your memory isn’t detailed, you must remember where you met him when you were young, right? I’ll investigate around that area. Ten years is a long time, but if he was such a noticeable mixed-race slave, there must be people who remember him.”

“I think so too.”

“Thank you so much for the valuable information. If things go well, I will never forget your grace.”

Kim Jwa-geun bowed his head in gratitude and immediately got up from his seat.

If the characteristics were this clear, it would be strange if he couldn’t find him.

The possibility that the slave was the same person as Killian Gore didn’t seem very high, but he left the house with a desperate feeling.

‘If he really was a slave, his feelings towards Joseon might be even worse than I expected…’

More than anything, if he was from a slave background, there would be no family tree, so it would be difficult to respond effectively to the wretches’ fabrication of his origins.

It wouldn’t be a problem if they fabricated a family tree together, but would the court officials agree to that?

‘I’m going crazy, really.’

Strangely, the more information he obtained, the more his headache worsened, rather than improving the situation.

* * *

Kim Hak-seo, the Vice Minister of Personnel, known as Elder Kim, was in a state of mental disarray due to the series of incidents that had recently occurred.

Not only was Qing China being defeated in war by the Western barbarians, but the leader of those barbarians was said to be from Joseon.

Moreover, the court was very concerned that the Joseon-born barbarian had expressed resentment for being mistreated when he stayed in Joseon.

Amidst rumors that he might lead an army to take revenge, the wretches even got involved in this commotion, so he didn’t even know what was going on anymore.

But Kim Hak-seo’s stomach wasn’t churning because of this complicated situation.

‘This… no matter how I look at it, it seems like the slave from our house in the past?’

An age that wouldn’t have reached twenty yet.

A nobleman from a country called Britain.

And the fact that he was born in Joseon.

No matter how he looked at it, wasn’t it Yoo Seok, the slave who used to be in his house?

Whether it was Britain or not, he couldn’t remember clearly, but Yoo Seok was definitely a nobleman from some Western country.

He had hoped that it might not be him because he was fluent in three languages, but Elder Kim knew very well how bright Yoo Seok was.

He had kept his distance because he was too bright and intelligent, which gave him the creeps, so he couldn’t help but remember it vividly.

However, he could never utter this fact out loud.

Taking a servant on the Qing diplomatic mission was something he could be held responsible for, but even that was a minor problem now.

-If Killian Gore has ill feelings towards Joseon, it’s all the fault of those who persecuted him!

Whenever he saw these stories circulating openly in the court recently, his heart would sink.

‘They’re just spouting nonsense with their mouths open.’

If they had a mixed-race slave in their house, would they cherish him and treat him well?

He was sure that everyone, one hundred out of one hundred, would have acted the same way he did.

But even so, if this fact was revealed, they would all pretend to be the most virtuous men in the world and denounce him.

It was obvious. So, this matter must never leak out.

He had already been forced to retire from his position a few years ago for taking some kickbacks, and he had barely managed to return. He couldn’t let that happen again.

“Hey! I’m saying this again, but the child named Yoo Seok who was in our house ten years ago died of illness. If anyone asks, you have to say that you buried him in the backyard yourself.”

“Yes, Master!”

“We will do as you command!”

Yoo Seok was such a noticeable child at the time, so if someone deliberately investigated, his name would soon be mentioned.

But the only people who knew that Yoo Seok had left Joseon with a servant from the West were himself and his family members.

If he kept his mouth shut thoroughly, absolutely no one would know.

“Yoo Seok was a very bright and kind child, but he died of a strange disease at the time, so don’t ever get confused.”

“Yes!”

“We will keep that in mind!”

Good. If he did this much, even if Kim Jwa-geun or anyone else suspected him, they wouldn’t be able to find out the truth.

He had been dead for a long time, so what could they do?

Even if they asked him to bring the body, he could just say that it had already turned to dust.

Elder Kim, who was desperate to avoid the immediate danger, frantically searched for and erased any traces of Yoo Seok that might still remain.

Fortunately, Yoo Seok hadn’t mentioned him directly either, which meant that he didn’t want to reveal the past either, right?

So, whether it was the Andong Kim clan, the Border Defense Council, or the Joseon royal family.

No one must know this truth. Absolutely.

* * *

As expected, when they informed Joseon of Japan’s movements, an immediate reaction came out.

It was verbose, but to summarize, Japan’s claims were just baseless nonsense, and there was no Joseon person with Tokugawa blood.

However, judging from this content, it was clear that Joseon still hadn’t accurately figured out my origins.

I had given them enough hints, but seeing them still struggling, Kim Young-gam, who must know me, might be secretly sabotaging them.

In fact, I didn’t want Kim Young-gam to be kicked out on charges of persecuting me.

It wasn’t because I had any affection for him or gratitude for raising me… but because it would be a waste.

Even if it wasn’t now, I would have to go to Joseon at least once someday, and he had to be healthy and well so that I could greet him warmly.

Now that it had come to this, I hoped he would deny it to the end and rise to a high position.

“Tell them to send whatever they want to say to Shanghai or Tainan about how Joseon and Japan are fighting each other. Anyway, they’ve agreed to keep sending reports to London from there.”

“Understood. But, well… seeing the minister arguing over who has the right bloodline is both funny and absurd.”

“I’m sure it is. I feel the same way, so how funny would it be for others?”

As a member of the House of Lords of the British Empire and a minister in the cabinet.

For the citizens of Britain, it would be annoying for Joseon or Japan to claim someone in such a position as their own.

I also found it funny, but there was no reason to stop them from putting on a show.

And in fact, if things went well, this might offset my only flaw, which was my slave bloodline.

No matter what, I wouldn’t become Killian Tokugawa Gore, but when someone said, ‘He’s just got the blood of an Eastern slave,’ I could have a great way to refute it.

I thought so too, but it turns out I have the blood of an Eastern royal family? That would eliminate even the possibility of finding fault.

It would be a problem if I asked them to fabricate it, but since they were willing to do it, there was nothing more grateful than this.

If Joseon continued to fail to find out my origins, they might even create a fake family tree to counter Japan.

Either way, I would benefit if the two of them continued to put on a show, so I hoped they would do their best.

After finishing all the preparations and reading the reports, about three months later, the moment I had been waiting for finally arrived.

“Minister, we’ll be arriving soon.”

“There’s a grand triumphal parade prepared, and I’m getting nervous.”

“A triumphal parade personally presided over by Her Majesty the Queen… It’s going to be the greatest honor of my life.”

As they returned to Portsmouth, following the same route they had taken past the Cape of Good Hope in the Indian Ocean, the soldiers and even the officers became increasingly excited.

Strictly speaking, I wasn’t the commander of the triumphal parade, but the chief of foreign affairs, so I wasn’t sure if it was right to hold such a welcoming ceremony.

But Admiral George, who was in command, had reported that I was the commander-in-chief, so there wouldn’t be any problems.

“Alright, everyone, let’s not get too excited or nervous, or we’ll just embarrass ourselves. Let’s just enjoy it. We still have some time to get to London, so let’s think of today as practice and relax.”

Thump.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the ship docked at the port.

I walked out with a confident stride as soon as the door opened, at the very front of the group.

Oooooooo!

The cheers could be heard from afar.

The cheerful melody of the instruments, in time with the sound of military boots, rippled in the air, heightening the atmosphere of victory.

As soon as the officers and soldiers had finished disembarking, the crowds erupted in cheers, welcoming the return of the heroes.

“Woo-oh-oh-oh!”

“The lion of the British Empire who conquered Asia!”

“Make Admiral Killian Gore the First Sea Lord!”

No, I appreciate the praise, but I’m not an admiral, and I’m definitely not in the navy.

There were a few strange praises mixed in, but I waved my hat with a smile, and the officers responded with salutes to the cheering crowds.

“Wow!”

“Minister! I love you!”

“You’re handsome! Marry me!”

The real event was scheduled to be held in London, but there was no one who wouldn’t feel their heart race at the welcoming crowd they encountered for the first time in their homeland after a long time.

But where there is delicious meat, a pack of hyenas is bound to appear.

“Minister! I’m from the Times! You’ve successfully completed the Asian expedition, would you like to say a few words…?”

“I’m from the Morning Post! There are rumors that the Admiral is a royal from an Eastern dynasty, would you be willing to share your thoughts on this?”

“I’m from the Morning Chronicle! I heard that you were the chief of foreign affairs, but the minister played a big role in turning to war. Was this all expected from the beginning?”

“Some say that the damages suffered by opium merchants in this war have not been recovered at all. What is your position on the opium trade, Minister…?”

As always, there’s no wall that can stop reporters who are hungry for a scoop.

While the soldiers were indulging in the high of the triumphal parade, I appropriately organized the ranks and shook off the piranhas that were swarming in.

“Well, I’ll gather all the questions you have and answer them just before we enter London, before the official triumphal parade is held.”

“Then, could you please ask the other officers to say just one word…?”

“These soldiers have just returned home after a bloody battle for their country and a long voyage of over three months. So, I would appreciate it if you could allow them to rest comfortably today. Still, since you’ve come all the way here, I’ll answer just one question. Please discuss it carefully and ask me.”

When I politely asked, the piranhas, who had been pouring out questions like crazy, seemed a little embarrassed and slowed down their offensive.

Soon, the reporters, who had been whispering among themselves, shouted in unison.

“Then, Minister, we would be very grateful if you could answer just one question, not the soldiers, but just one question that all the citizens of London are curious about right now. There are widespread rumors that you will be getting married after the triumphal parade, is that true?”

“…Marriage?”

I wondered what kind of nonsense this was, and when I looked, the reporters were surprisingly staring at me with serious faces.

Wow, I had someone to marry that I didn’t even know about, that’s really amazing.

Just as I was about to dismiss it as nonsense not even worth answering, the face of the person who seemed like they would react the most violently to this rumor flashed through my mind.

Oh, come to think of it, I think the Queen said she would personally preside over this triumphal parade…

“…Everyone! That’s all a lie. And I have to go now because I have something urgent to do. Goodbye.”

Why did the triumphal parade, which had felt so glorious until just now, suddenly feel like a horror movie?

I didn’t know what was going on, but I had to send a letter first.

I’m innocent. This is really just a rumor, I swear?