Empire's Tomb #4
Korea didn't just ship those fighters to Britain collect on delivery. We wired the money upfront too.
"Isn't this Spanish gold from back in the day?"
"We salvaged it while cruising around in our subs."
They were my allies, sure, but I had to wonder if this was really okay. Britain was awestruck by Korea's sheer audacity yet still accepted the hot goods. Eh, probably dredged up from some sunken wreck somewhere. The coins were nicely corroded by seawater. Whether Spain knew about it at this point wasn't Britain's problem. Hell, they probably sank the damn ship themselves and figured, 'Wasn't this ours originally anyway?'
I thought that crossed a line. Bluntly put, everyone breaks the world's rules to get by, but Korea and Britain were exactly the kind of partners who held each other to them. Fortunately—or unfortunately—Korea dumped a massive haul of that Spanish gold into Britain's coffers, salvaged from the sunken ship. They knew exactly where to deposit Spanish gold: the British Empire. Especially if it came from a treasure galleon.
The only thing Korea wouldn't spill, even on pain of death, was where they'd found the ship and how they'd raised it. Or why Spain hadn't noticed. Ask the Supreme Leader directly, and he'd just say he'd go look again. Instead, Korea used this contraband—no, this treasure—as a rebate. From Britain's view, it was basically a gift.
The quid pro quo? Let our ally—me—supply some goods to the British military. Britain wasn't thrilled buying from America anyway, so after some debate in political and business circles, it passed. Supply contracts? They'd pay in pounds anyway. Honestly, at this point, those Spanish gold and silver treasures Korea rebated were worth more than British pounds.
Soldiers putting up with shoddy communist crap was a bit tragic, but with Britain blockaded by subs at sea, they weren't in a position to be picky about quality. India was a mess too, and Britain was in no shape to push back against Korea. If anything, they coveted one of those massive submersible transports.
According to Korea, subs couldn't really detect or attack each other yet, so they were relatively safe for blockades—cheaper shipping rates. But the rates weren't the issue; it was that no British lives were lost. Take the Lusitania sunk off Ireland, or Germany's U-boats smashing every British ship in sight. You could requisition new hulls, but the cargo, passengers, and assay offices? Just glug glug glug.
Korea's submersible transports were valuable for that alone. So even when Korea offered blueprints dirt cheap, Britain asked for the actual ship instead. Blueprints? You couldn't trust them fully. Britain knew that from experience—who knew what they'd omit or add?
Korea refused. 'If they knew it could loop around the Arctic Ocean, they'd flip.' This sub transport could cross from Pacific to Atlantic. No way we'd hand it over lightly. What mischief would those bastards get up to? Especially if they could hunt and salvage treasure fleets.
Some Brits were already thinking that. Post-war, scour Spanish galleon wrecks with it? Britain knew those sites better than Spain. Quick math, and they'd break even fast. Consider how Korea's idle sub transports started finding galleons in the Caribbean the moment they tapped British intel assets. Pure British calculus—no Spaniards invited.
So whether Korea said yes or no, Britain was scheming to plunder Spanish imperial gold from empire graves via those steel tubes. As Korea kept refusing, Britain started promising big favors. Moneybags and politicians piled on for their reasons. The result? 'Korea snagged a hygiene inspection overseer post in the Indian Dominion this time—Britain'll back it.'
In plain terms: Britain would support Korea's rights as hygiene inspectors in India, where Sikhs had just carved out a big dominion with autonomy. Korea got that gig at Sikh insistence—what the hell?—but the world worked that way.
Britain's support was crucial. Sikhs were fighting the caste system, basically the whole subcontinent, so Korea had to handle Indian hygiene. And honestly, Korea alone couldn't manage it. Profitable, sure, but backbreaking. Bathhouses made money too, but the hassle was worse.
If Sikhs hadn't demanded a show of good faith, Korea wouldn't have touched it. But since we proposed it, the Korean Empire bore responsibility for improving hygiene across the subcontinent. The overseer role was new to India—lots of grief, but with massive authority, a real honey pot that even Britain wanted a taste of.
Korea couldn't exactly snap, 'You call this payment?'
'The problem is, the Brits will be out of India soon.' That was the real issue. Britain's promise meant squat to Korea. They figured a blank check to the Sikhs was enough, but it was just a stepping stone to keep India from shattering into dozens of pieces.
'Too many Indians for one India; the world can't handle even that.' Turn the Indian Empire into dominions, let Sikhs pitch pan-Indianism to unify them, and boom—independence. That was the grand bargain with the Sikhs and me.
Sikhs had to create pan-Indianism or become a minority in India. No splitting off Punjab or whatever—realists would reunite it under Indian revanchists. Sikhs didn't demand the impossible; they just wanted a solid foothold.
The Emperor couldn't grasp what he'd done wrong. 'Told Britain, who we can't beat at sea, to settle diplomatically? My fault.'
'Told Nicky in Russia to pull troops from the border? My fault.'
'Backed Austria after the Crown Prince's assassination? My fault.'
'Building ships for Germany's future world reach? My fault. Protecting Ottoman and Morocco sovereignty from colonization? My fault.'
The Emperor couldn't see his mistake. Or Germany's.
'Handled it all by common sense?' The French war? Just greenlit the existing plan when they wouldn't stop. If they couldn't halt it, win, damn it.
The Kaiser always heard "impossible," so he said do the possible. But this result? Eastern front in full retreat. Western front, promised in 6-48 weeks, still grinding. Enemy arsenals churning monstrous weapons; Germany couldn't even muster basic defenses.
At least Italy bickered with Austria but left Germany a compromise path—though who knew when. Italy's a sea-ringed peninsula, under as much British pressure as the Dutch. Something had to give. Like pulling in America or negotiating Britain out of war crimes like blockades.
Military said possible, but to the Kaiser, Germany was already on a knife's edge. So he groped for light in this hellish war.
'No reparations, no cessions.' That country rejecting all indemnities and territory grabs. The one that invaded neutrals to wreck oil fields, now offering to mediate Russia-Germany. A bit of dark humor.
Stabilize the east, secure wheat and oil, shield kids and future from Entente murder machines. Germany needed turnips or oil less than victory's will—but military and public called it impossible. The Kaiser had to make it real. Courage lasts a moment.
The Kaiser picked up the receiver to Tsar Nicky.
Under Korea's aggressive mediation—no cessions, no reparations between Germany and Russia. If no armistice, a truce. Both got a breather.
Britain and France frothed about betraying the alliance, but Nicky and Willy weren't eager fighters. Despite military howls, Korea's diplomacy—threaten tanks on capitals if leaders defied—secured the short truce. Thousands of tanks in high summer? No thanks.
Britain and France barked, but Korea had joined the anti-German war on Russia's side. Britain reconfirmed: in meat-grinder wars, Korea was beyond their reach.
France fumed hardest. Defensive alliance with Russia, joined anti-German war over Russia's Austria declaration and German entry—yet Russia bails right after securing Serbia? And those railroads Russia used? French-built!
Eat and run much? Funny part: prisoner exchange pretext. Not wrong—German POWs supposedly farming Central Asia. Truce to repatriate. Too gentlemanly; France could only rage.
Especially with German lines thickening. France realized: this war wasn't Germany's expansionism. French public willed it.