Imperial Elite

Chapter 34 A Small Matter

It's not uncommon in Bonitania for wives to abscond with their husbands' money after their deaths, leaving behind a destitute child.

To address this social problem and, incidentally, to fill the huge labor shortage caused by the Black Death, Bonitania even established orphanages specifically to house women and children.

Of course, as an institution with distinctive Buntanian characteristics, the Buntanian orphanage also understood the truth that labor makes people free early on, and was committed to enabling everyone in the orphanage, from toddlers to ninety-nine-year-olds, to achieve their own freedom.

Of course, they had already experienced spiritual freedom through labor, so the orphanage would naturally accept the surplus value and other benefits that labor brought about.

After all, the orphanage had given them jobs, so how could they possibly ask the orphanage for wages?
We can't let them get all the good things, can we?

Of course, the phenomenon of abandoning children and running away after a husband's death is not unique to the lower classes.

This is not uncommon in middle-class and even aristocratic families. In some aristocratic families, it is not uncommon for a wife to remarry a young man at lightning speed after her husband's death, while pursuing love and leaving her original child in a boarding school, never to see him again.

For the wealthy and powerful Bonitania Empire, there is nothing new under the sun. If this kind of news had happened before the war, it probably wouldn't have caused any ripples. At most, it would have been something that bored noblewomen would lament over afternoon tea about the decline of morality and the loss of traditional values.

However, the timing of this news release makes things a little different, as the parliament has only recently passed the mandatory conscription bill.

Although the Somme front was touted in the newspapers as a glorious and great victory, the Teutons were routed under the Empire's offensive.

However, the reality was that despite losing a large number of troops and deploying various new equipment, no significant results were achieved on the front lines.

It was even less impressive than the Battle of Verdun launched by the Teutons at the beginning of the year. At least the Teutons captured the fortress of Doumont, which was considered an "unbreakable fortress," at a very low cost, and at one point even pushed the front line to the vicinity of Paris.

In order to break the stalemate of the war and end it before Christmas 1917, both the wartime cabinet and His Majesty George understood that they had to launch an offensive larger than the Battle of the Somme, deploying more soldiers and more new technological weapons, including tanks.

Organizing such a large army and maintaining its operation, ensuring that every gun has bullets, every vehicle has fuel, and every person has at least one dry biscuit, is no easy task.

This requires almost inexhaustible energy and the ability to communicate with everyone and get them to do what you say.

To accomplish this horrific task, the wartime cabinet even recalled Winston, who had nearly exiled himself to the Somme front after causing immense losses to the Empire with those two foolish actions, to serve as Minister of Munitions to meet the troops' seemingly insatiable needs.

Meanwhile, the domestic propaganda department was also operating at full capacity, proclaiming that the collapse of the Teutons was imminent, thanks to the Empire's repeated great victories.

We only need to exert a little more effort to win this war that will end everything! For victory, Bonitania expects everyone to fulfill their duties!

Even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is considered to be composed of good-for-nothing playboys, is now doing its utmost to persuade the United States across the ocean to join the war, hoping that those bumpkins from the New World will be the final bell that breaks the camel's back.

But at this very moment, a London newspaper broke the news that a husband died for his country, his wife ran away with his money, and his child was left homeless. What would the soldiers on the front lines think if they saw this news?
Even if the soldiers on the front lines don't see this news, what will the newly recruited soldiers think?
Are they worried that if they die in battle, their children will also end up on the streets?

If everyone thought that way, how could the war possibly continue?!
After reading the first half of the "missing person notice," both His Majesty George and the Prime Minister wanted to label the person who published it a Teutonic spy and have him executed.

Then they began to deny the rumors, saying it was all a shameless smear by Teutonic spies. They claimed that there could not possibly be such a despicable woman and such a cold-blooded landlord in the world, and that the Empire would never allow soldiers on the front lines to bleed and weep.

But after seeing that the name of the person who published the missing person notice was Joe Harrison, His Majesty George and the Prime Minister felt even more determined to have him dragged out and executed.

However, what they want to execute now is not Joe, but that damned landlord and that slut who abandoned the child and ran away.

Damn it! Why did you two bastards mess with him?!

Leaving aside Joe, who had by this time become a war hero in propaganda and was almost a symbol of the soldiers who fought bloody battles on the front lines in this war.

Even in the eyes of His Majesty George and the Prime Minister, George was a simple and fanatical patriot, the kind of battle maniac who could spit steam from his nostrils at the sight of a Teuton.

What malice could a man like Joe possibly have? Loyal Joe simply wanted to get rid of the Teutons.

Since joining the engineering corps, Joe has continuously submitted inventions that are beneficial to the war effort, and after arriving at the front lines, he fought bravely and made numerous new contributions.

If all the officers and soldiers in the army were as loyal and brave as Joe, we would have been in Germania by 1914!
Even if Joe made a mistake, it would be understandable. Besides, Joe certainly didn't do it intentionally, and just thinking about it makes you realize how restrained he was when faced with this kind of situation.

How could someone who could single-handedly seize trenches from the Teutons, command dozens of men to hold out and annihilate two attacking Teutonic infantry companies, not be able to open the door of an apartment building in East London?!
I can't even imagine how angry and aggrieved Joe must have been when he couldn't get through to that store.

Moreover, as soon as he returned to the country, he went to visit the widows and orphans of his fallen comrades. What a good person Joe is!

Even in the newspapers, Joe only hoped that this bastard woman would write a letter to his lawyer after seeing the report, indicating that she was willing to transfer custody of the children to Joe.

Even that damned landlord, Joe only wanted him to see the missing person notice so he could go to the police station to get an abandonment certificate for the poor child, so that Joe could adopt him.

Joe just meant well but messed things up; his superior should talk to him...

Well, talking to him isn't enough; we need to give him a stern reprimand in private.

Of course, we must not discourage the warriors; the medals that should be awarded must still be awarded.

Later that evening, when the reorganization of the heavy machine gun regiment into the Royal Armoured Regiment was announced, a medal-awarding ceremony was held, and the reporters were allowed in to take a few photos.

We mustn't let down the sincere hearts of people like Qiao.

Thinking of this, His Majesty George and the Prime Minister simultaneously put down their newspapers and picked up the phone beside them. "Hello, connect me to the Ministry of the Interior/Metropolitan Police Department."

Meanwhile, the landlord, after reading the missing person notice in the newspaper, was also in a panic. After tremblingly picking up the newspaper and reading it again, the landlord, still somewhat unwilling to give up, went to the chest of drawers next to his dining table, opened the chest, and took out several old newspapers that he had prepared to keep for starting a fire or for pasting the walls.

After rummaging through the pile of old newspapers, the landlord seemed to suddenly collapse onto the floor as if all his strength had left him.

"I was saying that guy from yesterday looked so familiar... Oh, he's Joe... Oh no... This is really it..."

Looking at the newspaper in his hand, the landlord slapped himself hard. Why had he closed the door yesterday?
No, if I had known earlier that someone would come looking for that unfortunate kid, I would have kicked him out without calling the orphanage just to save trouble. I would have definitely treated him to good food and drink.

Damn it, that woman is an idiot too. She didn't even realize her husband knew such important people, and then she ran off with the money! It's all that stupid woman's fault!

Overwhelmed with frustration, the landlord sat on the ground for a while, then sprang up as if he had been bitten on the butt by a rat.

No, now everyone in London knows what I did.

I definitely can't stay in London now, I have to leave.

Thinking of this, the landlord pulled out his suitcase, which he hadn't used in a long time, from under the bed, and then haphazardly stuffed the clothes from the closet into the suitcase.

He then pulled out his saved rent money from a hidden compartment in the closet and stuffed it into his pocket. While packing these things, the landlord had already planned that since her sister lived in Plymouth, he could stay on her sofa for a while and return after things calmed down.

As soon as the landlord, carrying a suitcase, put on a trench coat and hat, opened the door of the apartment building, he saw several policemen standing at his door. One of the policemen raised his hand to knock on the door, and now it was pointing directly at the landlord's forehead.

The landlord recognized the policeman who was about to knock on the door; he was the chief of the nearby police station, and the landlord had even given him a gift before.

For a moment, the group of people looked at each other in bewilderment, and an eerie silence fell over the air.

Then the director lowered his raised hand and placed it on the landlord's shoulder, a half-smile on his face.

"Oh, you're leaving? Perfect, come with us to the police station."

Seeing the bureau chief's ambiguous smile, the landlord felt a chill run down his spine, but he also felt that there was still a chance to save him.

"Chief, I have money. I'll give you money. Can you just pretend you didn't see me?"

As he spoke, the landlord reached into his pocket.

Before the landlord could even put his hand in his pocket, the surrounding police officers swarmed forward, pinned him down, and handcuffed him with a "click!" At the same time, the chief waved to the police officers, signaling them to take the landlord away.

"Don't bother, your case has connections to the highest levels..."

Just as the chief signaled the police to take the man away, the Scotland Yard police went berserk.

Although they are London police officers, they have seen all sorts of important figures and are seasoned veterans.

However, this was the first time they had encountered a situation where His Majesty and the Prime Minister spoke together.

It would be fine if His Majesty and the Prime Minister spoke together, but this is a time-limited task.

The time-limited mission is understandable, but the higher-ups have stated that in order to complete the mission as quickly as possible, agents from the Local Intelligence Investigation Bureau will also cooperate with you.

The Scotland Yard police were very curious about what the man and woman they were chasing had done to anger their superiors so much. Were they colluding with the Teutons or leading the Sultanate to such an extent that they had to make such a big fuss?

Although Scotland Yard police have privately offered odds, speculating that they are Teutonic spies, some even believe they simply cuckolded His Majesty.

However, as the top police force in the UK, Scotland Yard did not hesitate to send its best detectives to apprehend the man and woman as quickly as possible.

While detectives at Scotland Yard were mobilized, citizens who were accustomed to reading newspapers lamented the decline of morality and social order.

And during breaks, they share their experiences with colleagues and friends. "This army is no place to go," one colleague says. "Look at this guy, he sacrificed his life for his country, and now his child is homeless. Sigh... I wonder when this war will ever end..."

Because this news story contained elements of war, ethics, and voyeurism, it quickly went viral in London.

Only then did Joe, far away in York, get out of bed and yawn.

Being able to sleep in a bed with a roof and a proper mattress allowed Joe to completely relax, and he slept until almost noon before waking up.

After waking up, Joe glanced at the alarm clock on her bedside table, and then immediately jumped out of bed.

Although it only takes five to six hours to travel from York to London, most of the trains have been requisitioned as military trains, so Joe has limited trains available. If he doesn't buy a ticket back to London soon, he'll be late.

Although from the moment he joined the army, Joe had been thinking about running away, and even hoped that the news he had created this time would lead the Army to strip him of his military status.

However, being stripped of military status for this matter is a separate issue from failing to return home after being on leave.

The former takes into account public opinion, so even a military court has to soften its stance after raising its hand high. But if we add the latter factor on top of that, it's a different story.

Joe felt that the military court, now with a pretext, would definitely give him a huge double penalty.

Of course, even though he was about to return to the army to report for duty, Joe still took some time to take Dorn to the school where his younger siblings were attending, in order to arrange for Dorn to transfer to a different class.

Then Joe realized that something was wrong.

Last time she came, she successfully got her younger siblings into the school, but the teachers and principal gave Joe the feeling that, "Times have really changed. Even someone with money can study here now."

But this time it was different.

Joe knocked on the door, and the security guard ran away as soon as he saw him.

This made Joe a little confused, wondering if there was something wrong with him today.

Then, just as Joe was asking Dorn if something was wrong with him.

As the school gates opened, the principal led a group of teachers out of the school to greet Qiao.

Unlike last time when Joe used his financial power to give the principal an irresistible reason, this time before Joe could even speak, the principal said, "We know everything. This is young Dorn, right? We can definitely provide him with a position. You can rest assured about our services."

Then, if Joe hadn't said he was about to return to his military camp in London to report for duty, the principal seemed to be planning to invite Joe to dinner or something.

After leaving the school, Joe looked at his reflection in the glass on the street.

Looking at his reflection in the glass, Qiao thought to himself that he seemed to have... gained a little influence.

Then Joe quickly hailed a taxi and rushed to the train station.

There's no way around it; if we don't catch the train soon, Joe will definitely be late for work today.

Just as Joe was rushing to catch his train, Winston, who had returned from the front lines, finally settled back into his comfortable office.

After glancing at the mountain of documents piled on his desk, Winston picked up the phone.

"Hey, connect me to the Land Battleship Committee."

(End of this chapter)