Chapter 38
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: A Call from Buckingham
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King William IV, an old man who would turn seventy in two years, had one fervent prayer.
-God, I pray. Please do not take me until the day my niece comes of age.
While some around him still held a sliver of hope for an heir, William IV had long since abandoned such expectations in his heart.
It was already decided that Victoria would be the one to succeed him as the queen of this nation.
However, the Duchess of Kent and John Conroy, who sought to manipulate his niece to their own ends, were an infuriating nuisance.
William IV wanted to summon Victoria regularly, even now, to give her the proper education of a successor.
The problem was that the Duchess interfered in every way possible, intentionally keeping the King and her daughter apart.
Every tutor the King recommended was rejected, and invitations to parties were consistently met with the excuse that she was too ill to attend.
His wife, Queen Adelaide, also cherished Victoria like her own daughter and looked upon the Duchess's behavior with extreme displeasure.
William IV could easily guess why she was being so blatant.
She must have calculated that the elderly king would not live long, and her time would soon come.
Therefore, there was only one way for William IV to thwart the Duchess.
To survive long, long enough for his niece to come of age, rendering a regency unnecessary.
For that reason, William IV had been taking extra care of his health lately, avoiding anything that might strain his body.
To minimize stress, he even scheduled specific times to meet and discuss matters with his aide, Earl Talbot.
“Your Majesty! I have something to report urgently.”
For him to approach like this meant that a problem had undoubtedly arisen.
“What is it? It is unlike you to be so agitated.”
“A report has come in that the Duchess has been regularly inviting a student from Eton to Kensington Palace to converse with the Princess. I have taken the liberty of looking into it...”
After hearing Earl Talbot’s full explanation, William IV lightly clicked his tongue and rubbed the corners of his eyes.
“Your Majesty, if you believe my concerns to be excessive...”
“No. Your point is entirely valid. In fact, I can think of no other scenario that fits.”
“If that is the case, who do you believe made the first move?”
“The Tories, I imagine. They suffered a crushing defeat in the recent election and must be anxious. If this is part of an effort to turn the tide, it is quite understandable, is it not?”
Victoria was a young girl, only fourteen this year.
It was a natural line of thinking to assume that by forming a relationship with her early on, they could easily exert influence later.
Wasn't that the very reason the Duchess was so controlling of her young niece?
“Then is this student, Killian Gore, acting as a frontman for the Tories?”
“For now, he might just be befriending the Princess. After all, if her only friend of the same age later secures a position in the Tory Party, her heart will naturally lean in that direction.”
“No matter how ruthless politics may be, using children is not a good look.”
Though William IV openly displayed his displeasure, he calmed his emotions for a moment to assess the situation.
In any case, at this stage, it was all mere speculation. Nothing had been confirmed.
It wouldn't be too late to ascertain the facts first.
“I would like to review more concrete information. Is that possible?”
“Killian Gore is a boy who came to London from the Orient at the age of ten. He has been here for only three years, so gathering detailed information will likely be difficult.”
“Then it seems I have no choice but to meet him myself.”
“Shall I send a carriage for him discreetly?”
Hearing a word so ill-suited to the palace, William IV chuckled.
“Bring a student from Eton all the way here without anyone finding out? Is that even possible?”
“Of course... it is impossible.”
“An Eton student would be living in a dormitory, so no matter what method we use, someone is bound to hear of it. If this Killian boy has no connection to the Tories, we would only be needlessly putting them on their guard.”
“I understand.”
If the seasoned politicians of the Tory Party were to hear that William IV had summoned Killian, they would surely grasp the King's intentions.
Especially if the summons came right after news broke that Killian had made Victoria's acquaintance.
If the Tories harbored no such intentions, it would be stirring up trouble for no reason.
“So, is there a way to contact this Killian student without the Tories, the Whigs, or even the Duchess suspecting anything?”
“A method like that... It would be impossible if we single out just one student and bring him to the palace. Rumors are bound to spread, no matter what we do.”
“Indeed. And we can't very well summon all the students of Eton.”
At William IV’s mutter, Earl Talbot’s head shot up.
“Your Majesty! I have it. There is a good way.”
“Truly?”
“Were we not already planning to host an official royal event? We can invite the Eton students to that. Inviting only Eton might seem a bit obvious, so we shall invite students who have achieved outstanding merit from the finest educational institutions in the British Empire, including those from Harrow.”
“Not a bad idea. There is precedent for the royal family inviting and commending outstanding students.”
With the dazzling advancement of science and technology, society was changing by the day.
Not just the British Empire, but nations across Europe were striving to cultivate talented individuals. It was not at all strange for the King to encourage this.
If anything, he might even be praised for hosting an appropriate event in line with the current of the times.
“We'll tentatively call the event the 'Royal Commemoration of Academic Excellence,' or just 'the Commemoration' for short. Having the top students from Eton and Harrow present their work, give speeches, and engage in debate will surely liven the atmosphere. The rivalry between those two schools is famous, after all.”
“The nobles who graduated from those schools will also watch the event with great interest, which will provide an excellent opportunity to find an opening. With topics like the Factory Act and the abolition of slavery this year, choosing a debate subject will be easy. We might even hear some genuinely helpful opinions.”
The more he considered it, the more brilliant the idea seemed—too good to be used merely as a smokescreen.
“Your Majesty, shall we proceed with this plan?”
“I'll leave it in your capable hands. And, of course, you understand...”
“I will ensure that Killian Gore is certain to attend the Commemoration.”
At the perceptive reply from his trustworthy aide, William IV closed his eyes with a faint smile.
They say one knows their own body best.
Lately, William IV had often felt that the life God had granted him was not long for this world.
He couldn't be sure if it would last until his beloved niece came of age, but he had to at least clean up the stage so she could live her own life.
That was the best provision William IV could make for the successor who would follow him.
* * *
After more than a month, nearly two, of meeting with Victoria, things had become quite comfortable.
We still weren't at a point where we could act like friends, but just as I was thinking we might be able to close the distance a little more, Eton was thrown into an uproar by a single proclamation from Buckingham.
[Announcing the Royal Commemoration of Academic Excellence]
There had been events to which Eton students were invited before, but this was on a completely different level.
This was no mere royal function; the King himself was hosting a commemoration to observe the finest students of the British Empire.
The entire school was buzzing with an excitement I could feel in my skin, even more so than when Victoria had visited.
“Hey, hey! Killian, you heard the news, right?”
“Of course. His Majesty himself is going to meet us?”
“That's right! And that’s not all, it gets even better.”
“What else is there?”
I had seen a massive notice posted, but the crowd was so thick that it was impossible for a new student like me to push through and read the whole thing.
Besides, why waste the energy when an excited Robert would come running to give me a full briefing anyway?
“At this event, the academic clubs will have a chance to present their research findings. And high-achievers like you will probably get to present before His Majesty and receive words of encouragement. But the real highlight is the debate!”
“A debate?”
“Yes. The Eton and Harrow debate. And it’s being held in front of politicians and nobles who graduated from both schools, so you can imagine what the atmosphere will be like, right?”
“...If you lose there, will you be able to live a normal school life?”
The battle of pride between Eton and Harrow was as renowned as the rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge.
Of course, the Oxford-Cambridge rivalry was a bit more vicious, which was likely why the royal family hadn't pitted those two against each other in a public debate.
The students of Eton and Harrow were a little younger than university students, so a loss would be slightly less damaging.
Even so, a public debate in front of the grand figures who dominated British politics... this wasn't a debate, it was a public execution, wasn't it?
Of course, for those who could crush their opponents, it was a chance to make a real impression, so some would be burning with ambition.
Like Robert, right in front of me.
“Killian, does this mean you won't be applying?”
“I’ve been standing out too much lately, so I was planning to lay low for a bit.”
It was clear this was going to be a truly magnificent festival, and there was nothing to be gained for me by standing out there now.
Being a genius who consistently ranked first in school was fine.
The history of humankind proved that a person with only a sharp mind was destined to live as someone's right-hand man.
But coming under the direct spotlight of political figures was something that needed to happen a little later.
“What a shame. If you joined, I could have had the fun of putting our heads together to come up with arguments to crush those Harrow boys.”
“I have to give you a chance to shine sometimes. By the way, is your father coming?”
“Probably. Since both my brother and I are at Eton. Oh, and the Duke of Wellington will likely be there too. I heard most of the senior members from the Whig Party are attending as well.”
A veritable gathering of stars.
It was definitely better to avoid things like the debate, keep my head down, and ride out this event.
Just as I came to that conclusion.
“Student Killian Gore!”
“Yes, sir. I’m here.”
“The headmaster is asking for you. Go at once.”
A summons from the headmaster the moment an event that has all the students fired up is announced?
Something smells fishy.
* * *
“Headmaster, you were looking for me?”
“Ah, yes. Come in, come in.”
It was actually quite rare for the headmaster to summon a student so suddenly.
Sure enough, a closer look revealed that Headmaster Keate's complexion was subtly different from usual.
Others might not notice, but to my eyes, it was perfectly clear.
“How is school life treating you these days?”
“I am doing well, same as always.”
“Haha, yes. And your grades are first, as always. On that note, you've heard about the debate between Eton and Harrow that will be held in front of many distinguished guests, haven't you? To be fair, we've decided to distribute the participants evenly across the year levels... Do you have any interest in participating?”
Was he actually thinking of asking me to participate?
From the headmaster's perspective, it was only natural to want to send the student with the best reputation among the new boys.
Still, there were plenty of other students. Wasn't it a bit odd to call me in specifically to ask if I would participate?
Moreover, his questioning attitude seemed to betray an anxiety that I might say yes, which I found even more incomprehensible.
“What with my recent conversations with the Duchess, I feel I've been monopolizing special privileges, so I intend to yield this opportunity to my fellow students. It's not that I don't desire the attention, but I believe harmony and friendship are more important.”
“Oh! Is that so! You truly have a good head on your shoulders. Good, good. A very admirable thought. A genius of your caliber will have countless opportunities in the future. There's no need to obsess over such an event like a petty person. No, not at all.”
“...”
He must not have much experience acting. It's painfully obvious.
In the end, my suspicion was correct. The reason the headmaster had summoned me was to persuade me not to participate in the debate.
Logically, it should have been the opposite, so there had to be a reason for this.
Had some noble put in a request to have his son compete?
No. Given Headmaster Keate's character, he wouldn't grant such a blatant request unless it came with backing from the Prime Minister or the Duke of Wellington at the very least.
Especially in a debate where the school's pride was on the line. What if he sent a subpar team and they lost?
The parents who entrusted their children to Eton, believing it to be the best, would cause an uproar. As headmaster, he had to select only the brightest students.
“If there are too many students feeling pressured and we can't fill the spots, I suppose I could participate...”
“No, no! That won't be necessary. We already have a line of students begging to be sent. You just enjoy this event comfortably and continue to be a model student who thinks of his peers.”
“Yes, sir. In that case, I will do nothing at the Commemoration but simply enjoy myself.”
“Good. However, His Majesty will be personally encouraging the high-achieving students, so do not forget that you must attend the Commemoration.”
Leaving the visibly relieved Keate behind, I exited the room.
Look at this. Don't participate in the debate, but you *must* attend the event?
It felt like something more ominous was lurking beneath what seemed like a simple student showcase.
I'd better keep my wits about me and watch my back.