Chasing Time

“Next, we have the most noble recipient of the Order of the Garter, the Grand Cross of Saint Michael and Saint George, the Grand Cross of the Bath, the Victoria Cross and the lower grades of Knighthood, the leader of the anti-colonial movement, the bell-ringer of the East India Company, the hero of the Crimean War, a Fellow of the Royal Society, a lifelong dear friend of literary giants such as Dickens and Great Dumas, a steadfast supporter of scientific luminaries like Faraday and Darwin, having served as assistant under-secretary, deputy under-secretary, and permanent under-secretary in departments of the Home Office and the Navy Department of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the inaugural Cabinet Secretary and head of the civil service, the first graduate and most distinguished alumnus of our school. Please welcome Sir Arthur Hastings to deliver a speech on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the University of London.”
Arthur's gaze swept across the crowd before him, looking at the young faces and murmured, “Agares, what do you think I should say?”
The Red Devil's wraith hovered behind him, saliva almost dribbling from the corner of his mouth, “Look at these ignorant souls; they still worship you as a hero. Why not say something they'd like to hear?”
Arthur took a deep breath and let out a deafening roar, “Oxford is a bunch of whores' bastards!”
“Oh!!!!”
The audience erupted into thunderous applause.
“Cambridge is the same!” he added immediately.
The applause grew even more fervent...
(The protagonist, possessed by a devil, travels through 19th-century Britain in a world without magic)

The Shadow of Great Britain

"A hundred thousand pounds can hire more than just a few thousand French soldiers; it's more than enough to hire a thousand Elds. This time Eld went to sea, even with the special global navigation subsidy, he only got 85 pounds a year."


Arthur laughed and replied, "So, you see how much of a great value your 1,500 pounds was now, Benjamin?"


Great Dumas shook his head, "Enough already, I feel like Benjamin won't last long in this position. You don't know what nonsense he was spouting in his election victory speech. Didn't Charles go over there to help with his campaign? In a letter he sent me, he said that Benjamin, as soon as he went on stage, looked like he had just drunk two kegs of whiskey, his face was red from head to toe, and his whole body was shaking with excitement."


Arthur nodded slightly, "It's his first time as a representative, so excitement is natural, there's nothing wrong with that."


Chapter 285: The Insightful Hastings_3