Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1089 - 103, Spies in the Storm

Chapter 1089: Chapter 103, Spies in the Storm

“Any secret that’s out in the open isn’t a secret at all. Stockpiling ordinary strategic materials and slapping a ‘Support for Russia’ label on them might pass, but something as large as a battleship can never be kept under wraps.

Finding some secluded port for secret production is a joke. Times have changed. Modern battleships tip the scales at tens of thousands of tons and require a massive amount of manpower and resources to construct.

Unless Shinra decides to isolate itself from the world, once the normal flow of goods reaches a certain scale, secrecy is impossible.

To think you can hide such things is child’s play. In reality, it simply can’t be done.

The age of free trade has accelerated the circulation of goods and capital, while also creating opportunities for spies to infiltrate.

Ever since the Russian-Austrian naval agreement was signed, Shinra’s major shipyards have become a focal point of interest for espionage.

...

Obviously, direct access to inspect the facilities is impossible. Any spy that blatant would have been weeded out last century.

Nowadays, everyone has learned to attack from the sidelines, such as by analyzing the number of workers and vehicles entering and exiting the shipyards each day, the fluctuations in raw material market prices, and drawing conclusions.

Needless to say, the accuracy of such methods leaves much to be desired, barely better than guessing riddles. Raw materials are shipped in, but what exactly they’re used for is beyond outside knowledge.

Shipyards don’t just build battleships; they also construct merchant ships. Even if military vessels are being produced, it’s still impossible to determine the exact specifications.

Due to intelligence errors, making the wrong calls is something Britannia has experienced not once or twice. And while occasionally these are genuine mistakes, more often than not, these blunders are orchestrated by the Royal Navy.

Looking back at the various naval arms races of the past, the Vienna Government always harbored ambitious shipbuilding plans. Although never left unfinished, the time taken to build the ships always seemed to stretch just a ‘little bit’ longer.

Finishing the same shipbuilding plan in two to three years versus ten to fifteen years is an entirely different concept.

Technology is constantly advancing, and the longer the delay in building a battleship, the better its performance will be.

Mass-producing naval vessels at the same time might seem impressive, but it actually forfeits the chance to optimize their capabilities.

Experience is the best teacher.

After being duped time and again, the British Government learned its lesson. No matter how serious the Royal Navy claimed the situation to be, the London Government would now always conduct a thorough investigation before deciding whether to follow suit.

This time was no exception. Upon receiving news of the naval treaty signed by Russia and Austria, the British Government immediately ordered an investigation.

…

Hamburg, ever since the unification of the Holy Roman Empire, this ancient port city has leapt to become one of Shinra’s shipbuilding hubs.

Especially after Shinra established the North Sea Fleet, Hamburg’s significance increased further, becoming a production and maintenance site for the fleet’s vessels.

As its strategic importance grew, so did the attention it garnered. As a member of the Navy Intelligence Agency, Kaba was stationed in the Free City of Hamburg to collect information on Shinra Navy’s shipbuilding activities.

Without a doubt, compared to most of his peers, Kaba’s assignment to collect shipbuilding intelligence was absolutely a cushy job.

Unlike the average person, Kaba didn’t keep his eyes glued to the shipyard; he opted to open a café in the steel wholesale market instead.

In the beginning, Kaba took his responsibilities seriously, diligently recording data and thoroughly analyzing it. After several misjudgments led to the submission of false intelligence, he was roundly criticized by his superiors.

After several failures, the disheartened Kaba began to slack off. Recognizing the high risk of preemptive conclusions, he simply decided to wait until the vessels were launched before reporting.

His messages were indeed a little delayed, but their accuracy reached a hundred percent. And even if he was slower, he was still faster than the news in London’s newspapers, wasn’t he?

Though Kaba never received praise for his work, he also avoided criticism. Realizing that a lack of mistakes equated to merit in the eyes of his superiors, his fighting spirit was entirely extinguished.

Thanks to Shinra’s rapid economic development, Kaba didn’t contribute much to intelligence gathering, but his café business flourished.

Had it not been for the stipend from the Navy Intelligence Agency and the occasional need to report back, he might have almost forgotten he was an intelligence officer.

Unfortunately, when Kaba didn’t feel like putting in the effort, that’s exactly when an order from his superiors arrived.

In theory, if the Russian-Austrian naval treaty was true, to facilitate delivery, most of the shipbuilding would likely take place up north.

As the intelligence officer stationed in Hamburg, Kaba was commanded to ascertain whether the local shipyards were engaged in constructing warships and, if so, the specifications of these vessels.”

Anyway, the more detailed the intelligence, the better. As for how to obtain the intelligence, that’s the job of the agents below; superiors do not concern themselves with that at all.

After closing the Bible and burning the translated note, Kaba was left with nothing but a bitter expression on his face.

Having been in Hamburg for so many years, he naturally hadn’t spent his time in vain. He did have a network of agents he had developed, but he had never activated them before.

To be exact, these agents didn’t even know when they had become British intelligence personnel. The connection with Kaba was merely that of ordinary friends.

The only difference was that these people were mostly shipyard workers, or individuals who, for various reasons, were able to enter and leave the shipyard.

Well, it was all to earn a bit of extra salary. Intelligence work usually involved single-threaded contacts; even London had no clear idea about the specific number of people below.

Verification was impossible because any investigation would lead to the exposure of undercover agents. Anyone with a slightly flexible mind would find ways to earn multiple salaries.

It’s fun to fabricate things together, but afterwards, it’s time for the crematorium.

Now, Kaba felt a bit like he was heading to the “crematorium,” perhaps because he had performed too well usually, leading his superiors to overestimate his abilities and issue this nearly impossible order.

Did Hamburg’s shipyard take on the task of building military ships?

Without having to think, Kaba could answer—yes. There were orders for military ships every year, the difference only being in the size of the orders.

Even detailing the number of military ships constructed wasn’t difficult; hints would always appear from the periphery.

The trouble lay in ascertaining the specifications of the ships—that was impossible. He reckoned that police would come knocking before he could even suss out the details.

Not even the shipyard workers knew the specific parameters of the ships. Before the ships were launched, those in the know could be counted on one hand, and bribing them was out of the question with no idea where to start.

No matter how great the difficulty, Kaba had to investigate; it was an order not to be ignored.

After receiving a salary from the Navy Military Intelligence Bureau for so many years, now was the time to risk his neck and shed blood for Britain; there was no way they would allow him to shrink back.

Looking at his sleeping wife and child, Kaba sighed helplessly. There was no escaping it; no organization would go easy on a traitor.

A sleepless night ensued.

The next day, Kaba mustered his energy and picked up his old profession, which he had neglected, paying attention to the traffic coming in and out.

Unfortunately, times had changed; with the booming maritime industry, the shipbuilding industry had also flourished.

Most prominent was the demand for steel; the Hamburg steel wholesale center saw thousands of tons of steel moving daily, with most of it flowing into the shipyards.

Nowadays, civilian merchant ships were also using steel in large quantities, so judging whether military ships were being built based merely on steel consumption had become outdated.

Intelligence work requires patience and calm, and as someone who had received professional training, Kaba maintained a fairly steady mindset.

…

Holding his young son and playing with him for a while, Kaba said with feigned indifference, “Darling, there’s a social event tonight. I need to make an appearance; don’t wait up for me.”

In the past, he would have taken his wife with him to such social gatherings. But now, having resumed his old occupation, Kaba did not want to involve his family.

Although somewhat puzzled, his wife, looking at her child, didn’t say much, only instructing, “Come back early and try not to drink too much.”

“I know,”

Kaba replied.

The affection between a middle-aged couple is often unpretentious and simple. A few brief exchanges can contain endless concern.

As he drove his beloved car out slowly, Kaba’s heart was disturbed. Hamburg might be a Free City, but this didn’t mean Shinra’s counterintelligence capacity was weak.

Everyone knew that this was a critical moment in the struggle between Shinra and Britain. If they won, everyone would enjoy the benefits together, but if they lost, they would all suffer together.

In a way, this was also the most united period for the Holy Roman Empire; people from all social strata were awaiting the inheritance from Britain.

The Free City was no exception; many who had missed out on the great development of Shinra were rubbing their hands together, ready to make a significant impact in this final wave.

Under such a broad backdrop, the life of a spy was naturally difficult. The moment any trace of suspicion arose, it was possible to be taken and used as leverage for someone else’s credit.

In the Holy Roman Empire, merits were something that could accumulate, and absolutely no one would consider them in abundance.

Even the best of friends couldn’t withstand the lure of benefits, especially when it involved national and ethnic interests, there was even less need to say.

As night fell, the social gathering began. Kaba, distracted, stood motionless with a wine glass in hand as if caught in a trance.

“Bang.”

The sound of clinking wine glasses pulled Kaba back to reality. Familiar voices now filled his ears.

“What’s the matter, my friend? You seem very out of sorts today, have you encountered some trouble?”

After a quick look at the newcomer, Kaba calmly replied, “Nothing’s wrong, I just didn’t sleep well last night and am not feeling well today.

I’m not as young as I used to be, and everything tires me out much more easily.

Back in the day, I could go without sleep for three days and nights and still keep my spirits up, now I can’t even handle one night.

By the way, Whight, what have you been up to recently? It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen you.”

Caught off guard by the question, Whight couldn’t very well pry too deeply, “You must take care of yourself, we can’t afford to burn out in middle age.

Look at me, no matter how busy I am, I never forget to take a vacation. Recently, the tasks at the shipyard are one urgent matter after another, yet here I am taking the time to unwind.”

The speaker might have been casual, but the listener was keen.

Whight’s mention of “urgent shipyard tasks” led Kaba to think of many things. However, he was well aware that his seemingly carefree friend became tight-lipped when it came to matters of secrecy.

Keen not to arouse suspicion, Kaba feigned ignorance and probed, “Rest assured, I know how to look after my health. If it weren’t for the kids making a fuss at midnight, I wouldn’t be suffering from insomnia.

But as for you, if your workload is so heavy, then delegate more to your apprentices.

Young people need opportunities to grow, give them more chances and it will lighten your load.

Don’t be so uptight that you can’t even participate in everyday activities.”

Whight did want to delegate his work to his apprentices. Everyone wants to be a hands-off manager, but reality can be harsh.

Students fresh out of school with no work experience can’t be trusted with important tasks, and Whight was not willing to leave major jobs to these greenhorns.

Rolling his eyes, Whight made a helpless gesture, “You think this job is as easy as making coffee, something anyone can do.

My job is shipbuilding, creating the world’s most advanced ships. Every technology employed, every plan used, has undergone numerous verifications and iterations before it’s finalized.

It’s not just those kids— even an old engineer like me often has to tag along, dealing with some simple processes.

…

Before Whight could finish, Kaba interrupted, “Stop there, it’s meaningless to talk about such technical things with me.

We’d be better off discussing something else…”

He cut the conversation short. Whatever gossip there was to be gleaned, he already knew, and Whight would never disclose anything more in-depth.

Rather than risk exposure by delving deeper, it was better to call it quits and continue playing the part of the café owner.

Regarding the mission, a deeper reading of the conversation just had was enough to write a report.

Having known Whight for so many years, Kaba understood his position at the shipyard fairly well.

Though not one of the most influential figures, he was an absolute core engineer. Most of the ships were independently constructed under Whight’s supervision.

For this core engineer to be assisting others, there was only one scenario—building a military ship, and not just any military ship.

After confirming the location for the construction of a Super Battleship, this piece of intelligence would suffice for a while. As for the specifics, it could simply be explained away as “not yet determined.”

It’s no joke—many warships at the outset of their construction have their parameters known only by the designers and the higher-ups in the navy. The engineers at the shipyard could at best make approximate guesses based on experience.

And experience, without question, is unreliable. Shipbuilding technology is advancing; the displacement of vessels of the same size can be vastly different.

When it comes to tonnage utilization, even just a few percentage points of improvement can lead to vastly different final parameters of the warship.

Kaba could responsibly say that having professionals analyze and judge would not be much more accurate than his rudimentary estimations.

Once back home, and after much scratching of his head in deep thought, Kaba wrote down on a piece of paper that the Clute Shipyard was suspected to have received an order for a Super Battleship, with a displacement of roughly “25,000 to 28,000 tons.”

After pausing for a moment, Kaba crossed out the displacement estimate, leaving only the note about a suspected Super Battleship.

Intelligence, of course, cannot be delivered all at once. Only by a steady stream of information can the higher-ups understand the struggles on the front line.

He didn’t seek much reward; Kaba only hoped to take on fewer missions to reduce his risk of exposure so that he could safely retire.

As for the “intelligence elites” often commended internally, they indeed seemed to have boundless glory and limitless futures. However, Kaba was aware that these stars of intelligence were replaced every so often.

Although no explanation was given by the higher-ups, Kaba knew what was going on—working too hard and exposing himself in the process of collecting intelligence.

As an organization that shunned the light, once an intelligence officer’s identity was exposed, it didn’t just mean the failure of a mission, it also spelled the end of life.

If it were a small or weak country, relying on Britannia’s reputation might result in being rescued.

But if captured by a major power, unless faced with a conscientious boss, the possibility of returning home during an intelligence officer exchange was slim, otherwise it was only a question of when they would enter the gates of hell.

During his many years in the intelligence field, Kaba had seen too much cruelty in the world and didn’t want to leave his fate in the hands of others.

…

There were lackadaisical intelligence personnel and also those who were striving fiercely. With a directive from the London Government, several of Britannia’s major intelligence organizations sprang into action.

This manifested in the Shinra police arresting a record number of spies in recent times.

Reality once again proved the truth of “the more you do, the more mistakes you make; do nothing, and you make no mistakes.”

Let alone in the early 20th century, even in the 21st century, it was relatively easy to infiltrate as a spy.

One could say that as long as you didn’t make a move, it was nearly impossible to identify who was a spy. Exposure was typically due to just one reason—they “acted.”

There must be some return for the effort: although many intelligence officers were exposed, the information sent back was worth it.

At Downing Street, inside the Prime Minister’s residence,

As Prime Minister Campbell looked over the intelligence that had been gathered from everywhere, his face became increasingly grim.

The worst scenario had indeed occurred—Shinra had truly begun constructing a wild frenzy of ships, but the number being built was not the publicly announced eight Super Battleships, but thirteen.

The truth of this number could not be confirmed at the moment, but whether eight or thirteen, the service of so many Super Battleships would break Britannia’s naval dominance.

Shinra and Britannia were different; as a land power, with just the slightest confidence, the Vienna Government dared to gamble at sea.

Winning the gamble meant global hegemony; losing merely meant retreating to the Mediterranean, working hard for five years, and then engaging in a second decisive battle.

This was something Britannia could never afford; losing the Royal Navy didn’t just mean a humbled fleet, but a fall from heaven to hell for Britannia.

After confirming that Shinra had started mass-producing warships, the only choice left for the British Government was to follow suit.

Not only to catch up but to build an even greater number of warships to ensure the Royal Navy’s superiority.

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As for the Russian-Austrian naval agreement, Campbell dismissed it outright. Even if the agreement was real and the Vienna Government fulfilled its obligations,

Once the war for hegemony broke out, the Shinra Navy could requisition the ships first, hand them over to the Russians after the conflict—could the Tsarist Government really say “no”?