-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Time to Hunt
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A cautious hunter never approaches their prey carelessly.
Entering the hunting ground is something to be done only after thoroughly understanding the prey's characteristics.
The work begins after success has already been determined, never the other way around.
And the task I was currently undertaking was no different, in that I was "hunting" trash.
In fact, the preparatory phase required even more attention to detail.
I had to quietly gather information without acting rashly and investigate the means I could use beforehand, which was proving to be more of a headache than I'd expected.
The entire system of society was so haphazard that approaching it with my usual methods seemed likely to get me burned.
Furthermore, it bothered me that I still didn't have a firm grasp on how finance or securities worked in this era.
I'd been looking into it whenever I had a spare moment, but I was too accustomed to the modern way of thinking.
The banking network was a perfect example.
Banks in this era only shared information across a few branches within a specific region, making it impossible to freely withdraw money from an account.
No, if a bank was connected to even a few branches, it was considered quite remarkable.
On top of that, a client's identity was often verified with nothing more than a signature or a letter of introduction, so I heard accidents happened from time to time.
"No way. A bank can't possibly manage a customer's personal information that carelessly."
"Would customers trust a bank with their money if it was managed so poorly?"
At first, I couldn't believe it, but surprisingly, it was true.
No, that's not right.
I found it absurd because I took modern technology for granted. The people of this era might not have found it careless at all.
If they had, most banks would have gone belly-up long ago, their halls empty and collecting dust.
That's why it hit me that, if used correctly, this could become a valuable tool in the future.
It wasn't just the banks; the stock market was also worlds apart from the modern one, requiring a fundamental shift in my thinking.
Fortunately, I had studied this area before entering Eton, so I was somewhat familiar with it.
Unlike today, the British stock market of the 1830s was dominated by shares of large companies like banks, railways, and insurance firms. Most importantly, corporate bonds were not common.
Moreover, it wasn't very accessible to the general public, so the proportion of retail investors was much smaller than in modern times.
Transactions, of course, weren't electronic; they were all face-to-face, primarily taking place at venues like the London Stock Exchange or coffee houses.
Strictly speaking, these were all secondary factors. The most crucial point was the lack of effective regulation.
Some laws existed, but they were too easy to circumvent, and there were virtually no means to detect insider trading or market manipulation.
Disclosure requirements for listed companies were also limited, leaving far too much room for exploitation if one was so inclined.
The British financial market of the 1830s… was this for real?
Laying it all out like this, I was struck by how steeply humanity's financial systems had evolved.
If I were to put my mind to it, couldn't I shake the British economy to its very core?
That wasn't an exaggeration.
Thinking about it calmly, my confidence grew from a mere "couldn't I?" to a firm "I can."
If I deliberately manipulated dozens of companies and triggered a chain of bankruptcies, the British stock market, with no proper safety nets, would literally collapse.
Of course, I had no reason to do such a thing, and even less desire, so it remained nothing more than a thought experiment.
"Anyway, it's only been a week, but you've gathered a wealth of information."
"It's thanks to you clearly delegating the roles, Young Master. And the investigators aren't new to this kind of work. Once they had a target, things proceeded swiftly."
While I had been delving deep into Britain's securities and financial systems, James had completed the task I'd given him in just one week.
I didn't show it, but honestly, I was relieved.
Not only because the new organization's capabilities had been proven, but more so because my school lessons were mind-numbingly boring.
Could it be that Eton students threw themselves into social gatherings and club activities precisely because the classes were so dull?
It must be. That's why those boys go crazy for cricket, using sports as an outlet for their stress.
Had I finally uncovered the secret behind cricket's fervent popularity among the British upper class?
My body trembled with emotion… yeah, right. How long did I have to indulge in such pathetic delusions?
"I was getting antsy anyway, so this is perfect. I'll review all of this today and whip up a scenario for you, so come back tomorrow to pick it up."
"Will one day be enough, sir?"
"The groundwork will take some time, so we need to start as soon as possible. As long as the information is solid, I can draw up the plan itself in a day."
Of course, making the necessary preparations for that plan was another matter, but considering James's resourcefulness, a week should be sufficient for that too.
"Alright, then. Let's hear about the trash we need to clean up."
"Yes. It's obviously not his real name, but the man is currently using the name Mark Turner and recently established a new company called Turner Building Materials. I'm told he set up the company in the southeast, the complete opposite of his previous area of operation in northwest London. It seems he's deceiving people under the guise of a company that supplies materials for railway construction."
"A materials company. What's his specific scam?"
"He coaxes people by claiming that if they invest in him, he can supply more materials, which will naturally lead to greater profits, offering them an easy way to make money. It seems the documents are quite elaborately forged; I was told many people would be fooled by the paperwork alone."
Talk was already spreading that the bill for the railway line would pass next year, so everyone's attention was focused on that.
In other words, it was the swindlers' last chance to make a big score before disappearing, so they would be working hard to hook as many suckers as possible.
Times like these made counter-operations even easier.
Once construction began in earnest, it would be difficult to pull off a similar scheme until a new railway line was proposed.
"If he's pretending to supply construction materials, I have a rough idea of how to approach this. James, how much money do we have on hand right now?"
"You instructed us to hold on to all profits from investments and the casino, so we've paused new investments and are holding everything in cash. It's quite a lot. Around 150,000 pounds."
"We've made an absolute killing."
To think the seed money I squeezed out of Jack two years ago had grown this much.
Maybe I should send the guy some fine food in prison one of these days.
"Then, go to the bank and open an account exactly as I tell you. Also, set up a plausible-looking company as described here, and let's forge a set of account books to show them."
"Young Master, you can even prepare account books?"
"No, how would I know how to do that?"
"You've shown so many inhuman talents, I just thought you might be able to do that as well."
I could if I tried, but the accounting standards of this era were completely different from modern ones. My superficial knowledge would only raise strange suspicions.
Of course, just because I wasn't creating them myself didn't mean it couldn't be done. I just needed to give the experts of this era the right directions.
"I've given it some thought, and I think we can create the fake ledgers like this. Bribe a bank employee, slip them some money, and get a stack of blank promissory notes. We can then use those to secure double and triple collateral. This will let us inflate our assets several times over. As for revenue, we can just fabricate sales figures like this to make it look enormous, right?"
"My word, Young Master. How on earth do you come up with such ideas? How cunning… no, how quick-witted you are…"
It was too late to take it back after you'd already said it.
And honestly, I felt that last comment was a bit unfair.
Wasn't I trying to earn profits in a relatively tame manner precisely because I didn't use my brain for evil?
If you wanted to blame something, blame the shoddy systems of this era, which were full of loopholes that could be exploited by anyone with a little knowledge of modern accounting fraud.
"But remember, the key to this plan is your acting. Once we're ready next week, let's set aside a day to practice. If you show even the slightest hint of suspicion, all the money we've spent on this operation will go up in smoke, so you need to be sharp."
"Do not worry. I am practicing constantly."
Even if he was a little lacking, there was no way he'd be caught by the swindlers of this era as long as I was watching over him.
I had managed to successfully reform even Charles Wellesley, enabling him to perfectly deceive the eyes of a master cardsharp. James would be no problem at all.
Unless he was dumb enough to spit out what was spoon-fed to him, I could turn anyone into a first-rate operator of this era.
Savoring each piece of information James had brought, I began to find the perfect temperature to grill these swindlers.
* * *
Ten days later.
James, thoroughly prepared, let out a soft sigh and stepped out of the carriage.
This was his first time running an operation as Killian's proxy, and he honestly felt a little nervous.
But it was just a light tremor, a far cry from any fear of failure.
While preparing for this job, he had come to realize that Killian was a true prodigy who operated outside the conventional framework.
How should he put it?
It wasn't just that he was skilled or brilliant, but that his very way of thinking was different.
It was almost frightening to think that such bizarre tricks and traps had come from the mind of a boy who was only twelve years old.
But that must have been why people like himself and Charles Wellesley had decided to throw in their lot with a twelve-year-old boy.
And this operation would likely confirm it even further.
Whether Killian Gore truly possessed the outstanding skills Wellesley had described, or if he was just a fantasist full of theories.
"Is anyone here?"
Having composed himself, James called out in a haughty voice as he opened the door and entered.
"How may I help you?"
As he stepped into the office, a rather neatly dressed young man approached him.
Just as their investigation had revealed, the swindler named Mark Turner employed four people.
Although they pretended to be a larger company with dozens of employees on paper, only these four actually existed.
James, exuding an air of arrogance, casually took off his coat and hat, tossed them to the employee, and sat down uninvited.
"I was told this is one of the places supplying materials for the London-Birmingham railway construction. Is that correct? The office seems a bit shabby."
His coat, his hat, and even the monocle that had recently become fashionable among the upper class were all of the highest quality.
The swindlers, who couldn't possibly miss the scent of money, immediately broke into bright smiles and bowed their heads.
Soon, a middle-aged man who had been sitting in the innermost chair hurried forward and sat opposite James.
"You've come to the right place. I am Mark Turner, the president of this company, Turner Building Materials."
"Richard Twain," James said. "But looking at the size of your company… I'm starting to wonder if I've come to the right place."
"Ah, this is merely a temporary office. Our main headquarters is in Liverpool. This is just a place to recruit investors in London. But may I ask why you've sought us out? Is it for an investment?"
"I was a bit skeptical seeing the size of the office, but if your company is originally from Liverpool, that makes sense. I told you my name, but allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Richard Twain of the Twain Investment Firm. We are a private investment firm specializing in real estate and railways. Have you heard of us?"
Though not long-established, many such investment firms, formed by alliances of private investors and financiers, had been popping up in Britain recently due to the proliferation of capital-intensive projects.
The swindler wouldn't be ignorant of this fact; he would surely be thinking that a plump sucker had walked right into his lap.
"My knowledge is limited, so I haven't heard the name, but I am aware that many investment firms are active. Did you perhaps come here to invest with us?"
"No. We specialize in railways, so we don't just invest; we also partner with companies in the business to bid on construction projects directly. If you're involved in the London-Birmingham railway line, you must know about it, right? The supplementary plan to build a branch line from Birmingham to Liverpool."
"…Pardon?"
Just as the Young Master had predicted, Mark Turner's eyes widened as he stared blankly at James for a moment.
His bewilderment—*what the hell is this man talking about?*—was plain to see.
Following the Young Master's script, James feigned confusion in return.
"What's this? If you're a contractor for this railway project, there's no way you wouldn't know. Are you telling me you really don't?"
Normally, of course, he wouldn't know.
Because no such plan existed in the first place.
But these gluttons, whose greed had climbed past their throats and taken over their brains, were bound to fall for it.
They would never be able to overcome their rapacious instinct to never let go of a delicious piece of prey that had wandered into their grasp.
Killian had been certain of it.
And.
"Ah! The Liverpool branch line. Of course, of course. It was supposed to be rather confidential, so I was just a bit taken aback that you brought it up so suddenly."
His words had been astonishingly accurate.
James inwardly scoffed in disbelief.
My god, Young Master.
It's actually working.