Chapter 167: The Midas Touch (1) "…If the plan fails, won't the losses be enormous, Your Excellency?"
"That may be true, but since we already accepted the advance payment, we cannot simply refuse to do the job."
"Hmm."
"Why? Are you worried?"
Mr. Bömer silently nodded.
The sunlight pouring through the carriage window cast shadows across his face, making his expression appear even more anxious.
"Don't worry. Everything will work according to plan. Ah, how are the 'gifts' we packed?"
"I inspected them all before we departed. There are no problems. The recipients will be very pleased."
Mr. Bömer spoke calmly, as if he were completely certain.
"Your Excellency, we will arrive at the Admiralty shortly."
"Understood, coachman."
I lowered the carriage window slightly and gazed at the four-story yellow building slowly approaching in the distance.
That place was the gambling table I had come to today.
"Does the meal suit your taste, Your Excellency? The cooks of the Admiralty put their hearts into preparing it for you."
"Ah, it is excellent. From the aperitif to the main course, I am thoroughly satisfied."
When I said that while wiping my mouth with a napkin, the face of Admiral John Jervis, seated beside me, brightened immediately.
"I am very pleased to hear you say that, even if it is merely politeness."
"Politeness? I mean every word."
I looked at him with mild surprise before adding another remark.
"In fact, this meal is far better than the banquet I attended at the Treasury a few days ago."
"Ha ha ha! Is that so! In that case, it would have been a disaster if we had failed to invite you today!"
"Indeed. Thanks to you, Admiral Jervis, I am enjoying a true luxury today."
Not a bad reaction. In fact, it was better than I expected.
When I first arrived at the Admiralty gates and saw the fully armed sailors lined up in formation, I felt a little intimidated. But after such a generous reception, my courage returned.
The navy of this era lived on ship's biscuits so hard they had to be smashed with a hammer, and salted meat so heavy that one bite made you suspect an immediate stroke or hypertension. They were the most macho of macho men.
For nearly two months I had ignored every message the Admiralty sent me with iron determination. Naturally, I had come prepared to be nervous. If you weren't nervous in that situation, you weren't human.
So why ignore them in the first place?
Simple.
It looked much better if the Admiralty had to grind their teeth to invite me, rather than me simply accepting an invitation.
It created the impression: Ah, that man has no particular interest in the navy.And it reduced suspicion at the same time.
But let's think about it. Those hard-headed naval officers would not summon me in fury simply because I ignored them a few times.
If you want to provoke men whose brains are made of muscle, you must scratch their most primitive instincts. I chose a rather extreme method and began plucking the navy's nose hairs.
For several months after receiving Prime Minister Pitt's "quest," I attended social gatherings enthusiastically—especially every single one hosted by the British Treasury.
The navy's mortal enemy, the Treasury, invited me—and I attended every time without hesitation. Naturally, the navy, completely ignored by me, must have been boiling with anger.
It was like being the only employee in a company who didn't receive a holiday gift.
Eventually, Admiral Jervis—commander of the Mediterranean Fleet and a leading candidate for First Lord of the Admiralty—was forced to write a personal invitation on behalf of the navy.
That meant my initial objective—to make the Admiralty grit its teeth and invite me—had been achieved.
Now that I had stepped into the tiger's jaws, it was time to sharpen my focus and begin working over this man whose head was filled with nothing but the navy.
After taking a bite of dessert, I began working my tongue.
"The review ceremony earlier was truly impressive. Few places in Great Britain can welcome distinguished guests so magnificently."
"Ha ha ha! You flatter us! But it is true—our sailors do perform a fine drill!"
"As expected of the Royal Navy, which commands the seas of the world."
I praised the effort they had clearly invested in welcoming me.
"The ship I rode last time… was it called Victory? That enormous and majestic ship of the line."
"Indeed! Our pride, HMS Victory! You truly have a discerning eye, Your Excellency!"
I also gave the navy's pride a small boost.
"Admiral Jervis, how did you come to join the navy?"
"Well, if one wishes to defend the homeland and His Majesty the King, the navy seemed the perfect place. Ha ha. Now that I think about it, Your Excellency was a soldier as well, were you not?"
"A second lieutenant in the army."
"Then we are fellow soldiers in a way! I knew you were different from those bookish bureaucrats!"
"It pleases me that such a distinguished admiral considers me a fellow soldier."
"Oh dear, you embarrass me!"
Flattery, appeals to shared military experience—every tactic had its place.
Once Admiral Jervis's tension and suspicion had relaxed, I suddenly stared at his face in silence, quite deliberately.
"…Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Ah, I was merely thinking about something. It is nothing important."
"Is that so—"
"Are you curious?"
"Not particularly—"
"No, I think you are curious, Admiral. I will tell you a little."
He looked at me with unmistakable curiosity.
I raised my hand to my mouth as if suppressing a cough and spoke quietly.
"Contrary to the rumors circulating outside, the navy appears to be a place where ordinary people live."
"…What do you mean by that?"
"Some acquaintances I met at the Treasury described it as barbaric."
The bright expression on Admiral Jervis's face slowly twisted with irritation.
"Surely Your Excellency does not believe the nonsense of such people."
"Of course not. That is precisely why I came here personally."
"Hmm."
"As a former soldier myself, I understand your situation. Securing funding must be difficult."
"…It is difficult indeed. The Treasury fellows think only about money and refuse to understand the loyalty we show to the nation."
"It is regrettable to watch from the outside."
I shook my head with a gloomy expression.
Men like this—simple, straightforward types—could rage one moment and calm down the next if you scratched the right spot.
And as expected, when I gently scratched his wounded pride, he looked delighted.
"To hear you say such things moves my heart, Your Excellency."
"I truly understand."
"…Do you really?"
"Of course, Admiral."
A complete lie.
A man who had worked in the Treasury did not offer sympathy to soldiers hungry for budget funds—only the cold stamp of denial.
"In truth, many officers feared that Your Excellency… perhaps… looked down upon the navy."
"Look down upon it? I was simply too busy. Ha ha."
"So there was a proper reason!"
Even the most hardened macho man cannot resist praise and recognition.
Seeing the corner of the navy lieutenant general's mouth twitch upward meant the plan was already a third of the way to success.
"Admiral, may I ask you a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Although I have visited the Admiralty rather late, after receiving such generous hospitality I cannot simply leave after meeting only you. Many officers prepared this reception. I would like to express my thanks to them personally."
"Of course! I will gladly arrange it! We shall soon host a social gathering in the Admiralty's name so you may meet them!"
"Thank you, Admiral!"
I extended my hand, and Admiral Jervis grasped it firmly in a handshake.
"Ah, one moment please."
After the handshake, I rang the small bell on the table.
"Yes, Your Excellency?"
"Could you bring the box from the rear seat of my carriage?"
"Of course."
Moments later, the attendant returned with the box.
"This is a gift for Admiral Jervis."
"…What is it?"
"A garment specially produced by the luxury atelier of Ears of the Nation."
"The same place that produced the jewelry worn by Princess Charlotte?"
I smiled brightly and nodded.
"If you give it to your wife as a gift, she will surely like it. Who knows—you may even see her wearing it at the next social gathering."
Several days after meeting Admiral Jervis.
The banquet hall I arrived at after receiving an invitation from the Admiralty was magnificent.
And to think all of this came from the budget.
No wonder the Treasury constantly scolds them. As a former Finance Minister, my hands were trembling.
"Your Excellency, you have arrived!"
"Ah, Admiral Jervis."
We shook hands warmly.
"My wife absolutely loved the gift you gave! She kept interrogating me about how I obtained something so rare!"
"I am glad she liked it."
"…But why are your hands trembling?"
"It is a little cold outside."
"…It is April."
"Cough, cough! Ah, how cold!"
"Ah, perhaps the English weather feels cold to someone from France. I will tell the attendants to add more firewood."
After bowing politely, Admiral Jervis walked away toward the attendants.
I watched him for a moment, then slowly turned my head and surveyed the many people gathered inside the banquet hall.
It was time to begin the final stage of the quest.
The boss battle.
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