After the war ended, all the delayed aftermath came crashing down at once, leaving no time to rest.
Still, the Panama Canal had been largely settled, and Spain, which had spectacularly collapsed on its own, was behaving exactly as expected, so there was no longer any need to worry about that front.
Spain might think it had suffered an unfortunate accident, but from the moment it was blinded by greed after the war began, this outcome had been inevitable.
That was simply how the world worked.
Those who, after gaining profit, keep pushing for more and more often end up losing even their original capital.
Spain should have limited its ambitions to its own level. Instead, it tried to play alongside France and Prussia, and tore itself apart in the process.
A fitting end for a nation long known for self-destruction.
Still, I felt no resentment toward them.
They had been steadily handing over everything they built to us. Why would I complain?
All I had to do was accept what fell into my hands.
"Your Highness, does Spain even have anything left worth taking?"
"Of course it does."
"They are already in ruins. Aside from places like the Philippines or Cuba, there is little of value. And they would never hand those over."
"I never considered those in the first place. What I want from Spain is not something tangible."
Hearing that, Charles Wellesley smiled faintly.
"It seems you have another interesting plan."
"It has to be interesting. I am giving up an enormous amount of interest."
After reviewing all possibilities, there were few assets Spain possessed that would benefit Britain directly. Anything obviously valuable would never be handed over, so what remained was to find hidden value.
Mining rights in Mexico might be useful in the distant future, but that was too far ahead to be practical.
And in any case, why pay for land or rights in the Americas?
If a place has an owner, you must buy it. But if it has none, you simply occupy it first.
The future would not be much different.
"What do you think about the future of the Americas?"
"That is an unexpected question."
"You need to share my vision to respond flexibly."
Wellesley studied the map, then asked cautiously.
"Are you planning to drive all of Europe out of the Americas?"
I smiled and nodded.
He burst into laughter.
"So that is it. You never intended to share anything with Spain. Or France and Prussia."
"They were useful pieces to weaken the United States. Their role is finished. It is time for them to leave."
"Yet you gave them Panama."
"We took the most important part. And by dividing the rest, they will not interfere later."
If Panama remained divided, it would be difficult for it to form a unified national identity even in the future.
France and Prussia might lose control eventually, but Britain's portion would be different.
"The canal region will be prosperous. There will be no exploitation or discrimination. Assimilation will be easy."
"So, like Gibraltar."
"Exactly."
With wealth and stability, no one would willingly leave.
"Then how do you deal with Spain's ambitions in South America?"
"There is a country that hates Spain. We will use them."
"The North?"
"They are weakened now, but they will recover. All we need is an opportunity."
If conditions were created, the North would move against Spain without hesitation.
Wellesley nodded.
"I understand. I will gladly assist in this… rather ruthless plan."
"Ruthless? I prefer patriotic."
Then I added another matter.
"This is unrelated, but would you consider making a decision for the entire world?"
"The entire world?"
"Standardizing measurement systems. The imperial system must go."
Anyone who had suffered through yards and pounds would understand.
"Are you serious? It is the most complete system we have."
"Complete? One foot is twelve inches, one yard is three feet, one chain is twenty-two yards. Where is the consistency?"
Wellesley hesitated.
"And even the same units differ between Britain and the United States. There is no universal standard."
Without fixed definitions, measurement itself becomes unstable.
"And within the same system, there is no uniform base. Some use twelve, others sixteen, others twenty-two. It is chaos."
"Why are you so focused on this?"
"Because I realized it while calculating the canal in miles."
I continued.
"In the future, most countries will adopt the metric system. Precision will demand it. If we cling to this, we will fall behind."
"…I do not fully understand."
"I guarantee this. If you change the system, a hundred years from now you will be remembered as one of Britain's greatest minds."
"Or I will be struck by stones for abandoning tradition."
"Then imprison those who throw them."
Wellesley hesitated.
"…Perhaps you should ask William Gladstone or Benjamin Disraeli to introduce such a bill."
I smiled.
"Prime Minister, you remember how much effort I put into securing Panama."
"…Yes?"
"And Parliament took it from me. I accepted that for the sake of unity."
Wellesley fell silent.
"If I had opposed them, you would have had to stand with me. That would have put you in a difficult position."
"…That is true."
"You owe me."
He sighed deeply.
"…Very well. I will take the lead. But if criticism comes, you must support me."
"Of course."
He muttered as if making a great sacrifice.
I watched him and thought to myself.
This would be worth recording in my memoirs.
Exactly as it happened.
***
There are things in this world that come down to preference, and there are things where superiority is absolute.
Among them, the imperial system and the metric system clearly belong to the latter.
Still, if it were as simple as switching to the better system, Wellesley would not have reacted so strongly.
I understood that as well.
If he had simply said it was realistically difficult, I would have accepted it. It was his comment about not understanding the "beauty" of yards and pounds that irritated me.
To be fair, the only time the imperial system sounds impressive is when describing a hundred-mile fastball.
But baseball is not popular in Britain, so even that example does not apply.
Which leaves no redeeming qualities.
Still, declaring it dead outright would be unrealistic. There were too many obstacles.
Changing all existing standards and systems was not the real issue. That could be done over time. People would adapt quickly once the transition began.
The real problem was Britain's peculiar attachment to tradition.
Even in the original timeline, Britain showed this same tendency. It eventually adopted the metric system, but only in a mixed form, and many still clung to imperial units out of habit.
More importantly, Britain only adopted metric standards because it was no longer dominant. If it had retained imperial strength, it would likely have insisted others follow its system instead.
In this era, that meant Britain would almost certainly cling to imperial units.
If anything, it might be the United States that would eventually adopt metric standards.
No matter how powerful a country is, if its system is flawed, it will not be widely adopted.
If things continued this way, Britain alone would be left using the imperial system in the distant future.
That alone was enough to make my head ache.
Still, after applying pressure using Edward and Adelaide's names, Wellesley finally began testing the possibility of introducing metric standards.
Being called a traitor by children he had raised like his own must have left an impression.
As expected, when he cautiously raised the idea, Parliament did not even treat it as a serious proposal.
"Surely you are not suggesting we adopt that crude French system?"
"Has the Prime Minister taken up comedy?"
"Metric units are for dictators like Napoleon, not for a great nation like Britain."
The opposition was not even intense, because no one considered it a real issue.
In the current situation, the argument was simple.
Why abandon the imperial system to adopt one used by France?
Against that logic, even I had little immediate rebuttal.
Technical arguments about decimal systems and standardization meant little when national sentiment was involved.
In the end, we confirmed one thing.
As long as France was associated with it, large-scale adoption of the metric system was nearly impossible.
"Your Highness, you saw it yourself. This cannot be done. If I push this seriously, I might lose my position, or worse."
"…That seems likely."
Trying to force the issue now would be too much.
A gradual approach was necessary.
"Then we limit it to scientific fields for now, using a mixed system. Later, we expand into industry."
"There will still be resistance."
"Scientists will prefer it. Industry will follow for trade reasons. It is not ideal, but it will work over time."
Wellesley sighed in relief.
"For a moment, I thought I would be labeled a supporter of Napoleon."
Even that absurd accusation reflected how sensitive the issue had become.
Still, this was not a complete failure.
It reaffirmed that reform required not only practicality but also consideration of public sentiment.
"If we proceed gradually, in fifty years it will become standard."
"…Understood."
In the end, the ambitious plan to replace the imperial system resulted in partial success, limited to essential fields.
Wellesley seemed dissatisfied, but it would be recognized as an important first step in time.
Of course, if my memoirs were ever published, opinions might change.
Not long after the controversy settled, news finally arrived from across the Mediterranean.
Wellesley, summoned once again, looked uneasy.
"Why do you look so cautious? I do not always trouble you."
"…I have reasons to be cautious."
"You should be pleased. I have given you opportunities before."
"Those opportunities tend to come with consequences."
"That is because you remember the difficult parts more clearly."
I smiled.
"This time, the opportunity is even greater. Egypt is on the verge of bankruptcy."
"…Egypt?"
Wellesley's expression sharpened instantly.
"I have not received such reports."
"I have arrangements in place. You would have heard soon enough."
"Spain cannot pay, and Egypt is collapsing. What exactly have you been doing?"
"That is a misunderstanding. I simply presented options. They made their own choices."
He looked at me carefully.
"Has anyone ever chosen differently?"
I paused.
"…I suppose not."
"Of course."
I laughed lightly.
"I must simply be fortunate."
"Very fortunate."
"I am only sharing that fortune with you."
He shook his head with a faint smile.
"What do you want from Egypt?"
"Anything you like, except one thing. I have already decided what I will take."
He nodded slowly.
"…I see."
His gaze moved toward the region between Egypt and the Red Sea.
"You plan to take it all."
"Of course."
From the very beginning, even before construction began, it had been mine.
Now it was time to reclaim it.
"I will have Egypt sell all its shares in the Suez Canal."