Chapter 5

City of London

"Your Highness."

Prince William put down his teacup in front of Arthur Wellesley, the hero of the Napoleonic Wars and the current Prime Minister.

"What do you intend to do about this?"

"What do you want from me?"

"Don't you think we need to take action?"

"His Majesty, the King, is so resolute... what do you want me to do?"

"Your Highness is the first in line to the throne."

"That's true."

Prince William sipped his tea.

"According to the royal physician, my brother's health is not good. In fact, it wouldn't be strange if we received news of his passing tomorrow."

"Whether in the House of Commons or the House of Lords, under normal circumstances, this bill would never pass."

Except in the case of royal intervention.

The power of the British monarch is immense.

The mere fact that the King wants this bill to pass could sway public opinion in Parliament.

Wellesley was only concerned about this.

"Delay the passage of the bill as much as possible, or even paralyze Parliament for a few months. My brother's condition is not good."

Due to the worsening cataracts, he has almost lost his vision, had surgery a few days ago, and suffers from severe gout in his right arm, making it impossible to sign documents, and arteriosclerosis due to morbid obesity weighing 130 kg.

"A few days ago, he complained of breathing difficulties. Sir Haldor instructed an increase in opium usage."

However, despite all this, his brother, the King, still acts as if he is in the prime of his life. Seeing him eat pigeon pie, beef steak, champagne, brandy, and several glasses of wine for breakfast, one might wonder if he truly believes he could die at any moment.

"Sir Haldor is a man who knows nothing but to crave power and prescribe painkillers."

Wellington spoke with a tone of contempt, but it was true that this made things easier.

Since the King is addicted to opium to reduce the pain of his cystitis, he won't last much longer.

It's a common sentiment across time and place that no one wants to make things worse.

When George IV collapses and Prince William ascends the throne, this controversy will be nothing more than a storm in a teacup.

"Delay Parliament, at most until next year."

"Or we could bring another issue to the surface. I need to talk to some members of Parliament."

"If I ascend the throne, I will do whatever it takes to resolve this, so for now, focus on buying time."

"Yes, Your Highness."

***

Riot in the City... 2 Injured, 10 Arrested

Heed Mikaya's Warning! The Third Knight, the Black Knight, is Coming!

"Are they all crazy..."

I sighed and chewed on a biscuit.

I meant to bury it, but instead, two of them burned together.

"Master?"

Without turning my head, I replied to Laila's voice.

"The editor has come to see you."

"What?"

What's he doing here without even contacting me?

***

"I apologize for coming without notice. I am sorry."

"No, but what brings you to my home?"

"...There was an attempted arson at our publishing house."

"..."

"Fortunately, the police apprehended the culprits in time, but it seems the situation has escalated beyond our expectations. Even Parliament is involved..."

"Do I need to attend Parliament and give a speech?"

"That won't be necessary. There's no reason for it, and you have already clearly stated your position, haven't you? The problem is always the journalists who will write anything for money. They report what you say and what you don't say."

"...A boring newspaper is a sin."

I think that was Hearst. But when was Hearst born? Is it Hearst? Has he even been born yet?

Anyway, that's not the important part.

"However, you need to show some action."

"Is a statement through the press not enough?"

"We need a new work from you."

A writer speaks through their writing.

Therefore, the conclusion is a new work.

"It will take time."

"I don't want to rush you, but I would appreciate it if you understood the urgency of the situation."

"I have a question."

"Please, go ahead."

"Then, if, just if..."

I asked in a low voice.

"What if this doesn't work?"

"By 'doesn't work,' you mean..."

"If the situation is worse than expected and a new work can't reverse the public opinion that has already spread..."

Humans consume only the most sensational parts.

Is there a reason for out-of-context quotes?

Isn't it true that people who make things up, whether in the 19th or 21st century, are plentiful?

"That's something for politicians to think about. At least we have done our part."

We have done everything we can at the civilian level.

And, although I never wanted this situation, from the perspective of having ignited the debate and fanned the flames of the Malthusian Trap controversy, I can say I have fulfilled my moral duty.

But... I have to worry about something else.

'If this changes history significantly, what will happen?'

From the idea of a red flag being raised in Britain to all sorts of wild imaginings, they all start to torment me.

The situation has become a real headache.

I just wanted to enjoy some future knowledge, and I didn't want to be stripped of my wealth across Europe for a few years after publishing the last case in the original history, like Arthur Conan Doyle. I knew that Soylent Green would be controversial, so I decided to bury it.

And now I'm planning to write another novel to clean up the mess.

From what I know, after killing Holmes in the original history, Conan Doyle faced enormous backlash. Londoners wore black ribbons, openly blamed Conan Doyle, held a funeral for Holmes in front of his house, and his windows were shattered by stones. Threatening letters poured in, and it was nothing compared to the time a woman assaulted him with an umbrella on the street, prepared to sue him, and even the future King Edward VII pressured him not to kill Holmes. Conan Doyle even wrote to his mother, saying, "If I had killed a person, I wouldn't have been treated this way. I will die because of Holmes," to which his mother replied, "You've suffered a lot, my son, but why did you kill Holmes?" This led to seven years of worldwide ostracism, after which Conan Doyle wrote "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventure of the Empty House."

I don't want to face such ostracism. That's why I wrote Soylent Green. In simple terms, I wanted to bury it.

But I faced ostracism and controversy... Why?

***

"The readers are different."

Riley, who had bought a magnifying glass with the salary she had saved up—since her meals and accommodation were provided, she hardly spent any money, and her mother was quite generous—pursed her lips as if to say, "Don't you know this?"

"Soylent Green is a difficult novel, but Sherlock Holmes is very popular. Naturally, Soylent Green was read mostly by the bourgeoisie and nobility, while Sherlock Holmes was read by everyone from the nobility to the lower class. So, the only people who would be interested in Soylent Green are the upper class..."

"Yeah, I know it wasn't a fun novel to write."

"So, the other classes will demand that you write Holmes first."

"Thanks for the explanation. So, what should I do now?"

"...Write a new Holmes novel?"

"I can't do that for at least a year or two. I need to finish this first."

But can history really be changed by one of my novels? Can it?

"And, Lady has started to talk about finding a wife for you. She's even started to take action herself."

"What?"

"Lady is looking for a wife for you. The process might already be quite advanced."

"..."

At least she should have talked to me before doing this...

"Ha..."

I covered my forehead and asked subtly.

"So, what have you heard?"

"Lady says that marrying into a noble family would be ideal, but the Gentian family is a bit... of foreign origin."

"They haven't been on the list of British nobility for very long."

"So, they seem a bit hesitant."

"I understand that, but what about the bourgeoisie?"

"Yes, Lady is quite old, and when she passes away, you will have to enter the House of Lords, so she is looking for a family that can be helpful."

But how do you know this... I don't need to ask such a pointless question.

Riley, who had learned to write with my help, was doing all sorts of jobs, including accounting, and even worked as Lady's secretary. She must have written quite a few letters.

"Huh."

Another sigh.

"Laila."

"Yes?"

"Prepare the carriage."

"Where are you going?"

"City of London, for business."

Of course, I'm not directly in business.

Strictly speaking, it's an investment.

Of course, my mother—both my mother from my previous life and my current mother—always said:

Stocks are a sure path to ruin, so don't touch them lightly.

It's better to save diligently than to touch stocks and risk ruin. If you have a large sum of money, it's better to buy land.

But if the stocks I faced when I returned to the past were guaranteed by history to have insane returns, what about a stock that I saw would rise 14,400% in the future?

No, at least, the company of a famous person wouldn't go bankrupt.

Even if it changed a bit due to my influence, I don't think a company would fail just because it received more capital. I haven't completely ruled out the possibility that it could fail due to overambition, but...

While I was thinking, Laila informed me that the carriage was ready.

I called the coachman as I went downstairs.

"Yes, sir, where to?"

"City of London, to the Great Western Railway Company."

City of London. The financial center of the British Empire.

And a huge tax-free zone.

And the place where the company that would be my financial lifeline was located.