Although it was unfortunate that part of my plan had gone wrong, I had expected something like this might happen.
After all, life rarely unfolds exactly the way you want.
‘In any case, I wasn’t planning to personally return to California, and I’ve already brought back people I trust…’
I decided to review the entire plan.
Then I quickly completed everything that needed to be done before entering the military academy.
First, I sent the two young men whose fathers had asked me to educate them to university.
I enrolled Diego Luis at Mexico’s most prestigious university, the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico.
When I looked over the curriculum while paying his tuition, I was dumbfounded.
‘There’s no business administration department.
‘They only have theology, law, medicine, and arts.
‘And the arts faculty isn’t what I expected at all.
They’re teaching the three medieval liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric, and logic.’
Of those choices, the arts faculty seemed the most useful, so I sent Diego Luis there.
‘But even there, a third of the curriculum is related to religion.
What a waste of tuition!
That should be taught in theology, not everywhere else.’
At this time, most educational institutions in Mexico were operated by priests of the Roman Catholic Church, so naturally everything carried a strong religious influence.
Sergio Ortega, who was interested in technology, could not be sent to the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico.
After investigating, I discovered that the Royal Seminary of Mining—an institution that had taught engineering and science during the colonial era—had closed during the War of Independence.
I proposed to Father that we reopen the institution.
Mining was one of Mexico’s most important industries, and our financial situation had improved enough to support it.
That was how Sergio Ortega came to enroll in the newly reopened College of Mining.
‘We urgently need to secularize education.
‘If we don’t, science and education in this country have no future.’
For now, I had no choice but to tolerate it, but seeing more than thirty percent of the curriculum in non-theological faculties devoted to religion infuriated me—especially when I was the one paying the tuition.
For the sake of scientific and technological development, this had to change.
I added “secularization of education” to my list of long-term objectives.
***
Next came the five carpenters I had brought back to Mexico City.
“I explained our future businesses in detail during the journey back to Mexico City, but once I enter the military academy, I won’t be able to supervise you directly.
“So I’ll go over everything one more time.”
I had spent the entire five-month journey explaining what businesses we would establish and what strategies they should follow.
Even so, because I wouldn’t be able to oversee them personally, I decided to remind them of every important detail.
“Emilio, buy land around Las Truchas in the state of Michoacán.”
“Las Truchas, Michoacán.
I remember.”
“Good.
Buy the land, confirm whether there’s an iron deposit, and if you find it, begin mining.
“Then use the iron to manufacture and sell agricultural and mining tools.”
“Yes, sir.”
The first business was intended to lay the groundwork for a future railway network.
The world’s first railway would open next year, in 1825, in England.
Within roughly two to five years after that, railways would appear in the United States, France, Germany, and Russia at almost the same time.
The reason was simple.
The principles of the steam engine were already widely known.
Once people understood the concept of a railway, constructing the earliest primitive trains was relatively straightforward.
Railways were one of the major subjects covered in civil engineering, so I already understood railway systems.
But developing one required enormous capital and substantial iron and steel production capacity.
To prepare for that future, I planned to steadily acquire and develop iron mines while manufacturing agricultural and mining tools—products whose demand would explode during the coming Gold Rush and pioneer era.
The profits would become the capital for future industrial development.
Las Truchas was one of the largest iron deposits in Mexico in the history I knew, and one of the largest in the world.
The land wasn’t completely unoccupied in this era, but the iron ore had not yet been discovered.
That meant we could purchase it cheaply.
“Ramón, make sure you establish a stable supply network for cotton.
“Once the supply is secured, manufacture durable work clothes and tents using those metal fasteners I told you about—the rivets.”
“Yes, sir.”
The second business followed the model Levi Strauss would use in the original history.
Tents were essential during both the pioneer era and the Gold Rush.
Durable, practical work clothes would also sell anywhere, regardless of whether the Gold Rush continued.
“Alfonso, establish relay stations at strategic points between Mexico City and the port of Veracruz and begin operating a stagecoach transportation service.
“Start with the cities that have the largest volume of goods, then gradually expand the network all the way to California.”
“Yes, sir.”
The third business was based on what Wells Fargo would eventually do.
Long-distance travel in this era always carried the danger of bandit attacks, making freight transport a high-risk, high-profit business.
Wells Fargo began by offering courier services for mail, gold, food, and other goods, as well as passenger transportation during the Gold Rush.
Later, it expanded into financial services and grew into one of the major retail banks in the western United States, eventually becoming one of America’s four largest banks.
Mexico currently had no company providing such services.
There was only a rudimentary postal network connecting some cities.
I intended to expand this business nationwide and eventually provide logistics and financial services throughout Mexico.
“Hernando, hire workers in Mexico City, build restaurants and lodging houses in Sacramento, and operate them.
“While you’re there, pay the workers at my nearby gold mine and continue developing the mine.”
“Yes, sir.”
The fourth business was straightforward: continue developing the Sacramento gold mines and dominate local commerce.
Unlike the first three, it wasn’t primarily preparation for the future.
It was a business designed to generate cash.
It would produce enormous profits during the Gold Rush, and even after the initial boom declined, the mines and related businesses should remain a steady source of income.
“Isidro, gather a small group of pioneers and colonize the new city I told you about—San Francisco.
“Build restaurants and lodging there for the people who will arrive during the Gold Rush, and make sure we secure control over the most profitable gold deposits.
“Since I already own the surrounding land, ignore any mines that aren’t worth developing.”
“Yes, sir.”
The fifth business was essentially a San Francisco version of the fourth.
I invested all the gold I had brought back from California into these five businesses.
“Emilio.
Ramón.
Alfonso.
Hernando. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Isidro.”
I called each man by name, looked directly into his eyes, and shook his hand.
“I give you my word of honor that I will keep every promise I made to you in California.
“These businesses are only the beginning of the development of our Mexican Empire.”
From their perspective, they had endured the exhausting journey to California, struggled to establish a settlement, and built homes there.
Their families were still in California.
Convincing them to temporarily leave their settlement and return to Mexico City with me had not been easy.
However, after working beside me and seeing what I was capable of, they accepted my promise of a brighter future and chose to follow me.
As a gesture toward the men who would temporarily be separated from their families, I entrusted their loved ones to the captain of the First Company and Master Carpenter Ortega, both of whom would remain in Sacramento.
‘Starting a business requires capital.’
I personally placed bags containing gold bars into their hands.
I didn’t give them all of the available money at once, but even the initial capital was a considerable fortune.
“Sir… I can’t believe you trust us this much.”
“We’ll do everything we can.”
“We’ll succeed.
No matter what!”
***
The school I would attend from now on was the Heroico Colegio Militar—the Heroic Military College.
From a modern perspective, the literal name might sound slightly childish, but it was in fact the military academy founded by Agustín I in 1822, the very year he ascended the throne.
Despite numerous upheavals throughout its history, the academy would survive into modern Mexico.
‘They’re using the old Inquisition tribunal as a school…’
The academy had established its first home in the imposing colonial building that had once housed Mexico’s tribunal of the Inquisition.
As I looked around the academy, I heard someone clear his throat beside me.
“Ahem… Your Highness, Crown Prince.
I am General García Conde, director of this academy.”
“Ah, General Conde.
It’s a pleasure to meet you.
“While I’m here, please treat me like any other student.
I insist.”
“Ahem.
Very well.”
He looked distinctly uncomfortable at the idea of teaching the Crown Prince as though he were an ordinary cadet.
“Then allow me to introduce your assigned instructor, Captain Barrios.”
He led me to Captain Barrios, one of the instructors responsible for the first-year cadets.
“Greetings, Your Highness.
I am Captain Barrios, your assigned instructor.
“As I understand it, you wish to be treated exactly like every other student.
Is that correct?”
He had a stern face, enormous muscles that looked almost out of place in an era before modern bodybuilding, and a blunt, forceful manner.
He was the very picture of an old-fashioned alpha male.
‘Ugh… This doesn’t look good.’
“Yes, that’s correct.”
He smiled.
Then he suddenly roared.
“THEN YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO CHANGE INTO THIS UNIFORM AND REPORT TO THE TRAINING FIELD!”
“…YES, SIR!”
‘I knew something was wrong.’
***
Training field.
“All right!
We’ll begin with a physical-endurance test!
“I’m sure none of you are going to lose to the transfer student who arrived three months late.
Right, Lorenzo?”
“WE WON’T LOSE!”
“ANYONE WHO LOSES WILL BE PUNISHED!
UNDERSTOOD?”
“YES, SIR!”
“MOVE!”
Huff!
Huff!
Jerónimo realized it wasn’t quite as terrible as he had expected.
After all, five months of brisk long-distance walking had kept him in excellent shape.
Huff!
Huff!
‘Are people actually getting exhausted before me?’
The endurance test consisted of a variety of exercises designed to push the cadets to their physical limits.
“IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT?!”
Huff!
Huff!
Captain Barrios was surprised.
Even cadets who had already trained for three months were beginning to collapse from exhaustion.
Yet, astonishingly, the Crown Prince was still holding on.
‘How does the Prince have this much stamina?
Did he receive some kind of special training?’
“…THAT’S ENOUGH!”
At this point, the situation was becoming ridiculous.
The Prince himself had asked to be treated like any other student, so the captain had planned to push him hard and train him properly.
Instead, it was the other cadets who were about to have their pride crushed.
“Those of you who gave up before the transfer student… you’d better prepare yourselves for what’s coming.”
The cadets went pale when they saw Captain Barrios’s furious expression.
***
The endurance test ended.
After showering, the exhausted cadets sprawled across their dormitory.
“You’ve got impressive stamina.
Looks like you trained quite a bit before coming here.” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
The speaker was the cadet the instructor had called Lorenzo before the test began.
“Something like that.”
“I’m Lorenzo Torres.
You?”
Lorenzo, who seemed naturally cheerful and outgoing, extended his hand first.
‘Did the instructor seriously not tell them who I am?
That’s a terrible joke.’
I shook his hand and gave my name.
“I’m Agustín Jerónimo Iturbide.”
“…What?”
The entire room went silent.
Every cadet in the dormitory stopped whatever he was doing and froze.
“…”
“Y-YOUR HIGHNESS, THE CROWN PRINCE!”
Lorenzo, still frozen with my hand in his, hurriedly bowed his head.
“No, there’s no need for that.
“While we’re at this academy, treat me like any other classmate.”
“…Seriously?”
“Yes.
Things will be different after graduation, but for now, we’re fellow cadets.”
“Wow… You’re completely different from what I imagined.”
“What did you imagine?
That I’d be some incredibly authoritarian prince?”
“No, not exactly… I just didn’t expect you to be this approachable.
“And I definitely didn’t expect you to have that much stamina.”
‘Somehow, I ended up exercising constantly.’
Horseback riding was so uncomfortable that during most of the journey I preferred walking.
And I walked quickly.
I had probably been doing moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for around five hours a day.
On top of that, I had performed physical labor almost every day in California.
My body had changed considerably over the past year and a half.
“You’ve got good stamina too.”
Many cadets were completely exhausted, yet Lorenzo still looked energetic.
It probably wasn’t a coincidence that the instructor had singled him out earlier.
This guy was likely the best athlete among the first-year cadets.
Once the others saw Lorenzo and me talking normally, they began approaching as well.
“Are you sure we can talk to you casually?
No formalities?”
“Yes.
Treat me the same as everyone else.”
“Well then, nice to meet you.
I’m Eduardo Vega.”
“He’s obsessed with guns.”
Lorenzo immediately cut into the conversation.
“Obsessed with guns?”
Eduardo looked perfectly normal to me.
“Yeah.
He spends all day taking rifles apart and putting them back together.
It’s ridiculous.
I keep wondering what he’ll do if he breaks one.”
“I only disassemble them because I’m trying to find ways to improve them.
I’m going to be an army officer, after all.”
“The problem is that you do it almost every day.”
‘Wow.
So he’s this era’s version of a gun enthusiast.’
Since we were at a military academy, spending time studying weapons wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Improving Mexico’s defensive capabilities would be essential.
‘Spain will attempt another invasion in 1829.
‘The Texas Revolution is supposed to happen in 1835.
‘France invades in 1838 during the Pastry War.
‘And then comes the Mexican-American War in 1846.
‘Mexico’s future is practically a parade of foreign invasions.’
Texas might not rebel if our changes to the settlement agreement worked.
The region was now supervised by a Mexican official, and Mexican settlers had been deliberately mixed with the American colonists.
The Pastry War might not occur either, since France had historically used the financial losses of French citizens as a pretext for intervention.
Unlike the original history, in which Agustín I was overthrown after only ten months and the country descended into civil conflict, in this world he was consolidating control of the government and strengthening oversight of the provinces.
‘But if the United States intervenes in Texas, everything could change.
‘And France could always invent another excuse to demand money.’
A pretext was only a pretext.
The real reason foreign powers invaded Mexico was that Mexico was weak.
Developing businesses and expanding the empire’s territory were important, but strengthening the Mexican military was equally essential.
“I’m interested in weapons too.
Have you found any way to improve muskets?”
“Hmm… I have a few ideas.”
Ideas?
Maybe coming to the military academy would turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
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