1885, I came to save Greece

The morning after the agreement was signed, the sky in Athens was just beginning to lighten.

Constantine showed no sign of slackening in celebration of the victory; he had slept for less than four hours. In his study in the palace, he had already summoned his most trusted squire, Alexandros.

The aroma of coffee filled the air, but the atmosphere in the room was as serious as a pre-battle meeting.

"Your Highness, all the newspapers in Athens are going crazy for you!" Alexandros' face was still flushed with excitement as he placed a stack of newspapers on the table. Without exception, the front page headlines featured huge photos of Constantine holding up the agreement.

Constantine didn't look at the newspapers; his gaze was sharp, going straight to the point.

"Alexandros, the time for celebration is over. Now, we need to prepare for war."

"War?" Alexandros was taken aback.

"Yes." Constantine tapped his finger heavily on the paper on the table that read "Office of the Royal Economic Advisor."

"The British have given me a sword, a sword powerful enough to cut through all the ills of this country. But I need someone to wield it."

"I need the sharpest sword, the one that can cut through all the financial cancers plaguing Greece!"

Alexandros immediately understood the Crown Prince's meaning. After a moment's thought, he began recommending candidates.

"Your Highness, Mr. Nicolas Stratos, the Vice President of the National Bank, studied finance in Paris, is open-minded, and has a very good reputation in Athens."

Constantine shook his head and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"It's too clean."

Alexandros was somewhat puzzled.

Constantine explained, "His reputation is so good that it means he knows how to compromise and navigate the existing rules with ease. Such a person is more than capable of being a minister who maintains the status quo, but he lacks the sharpness to be a swordsman who can forge ahead and overcome obstacles."

Alexandros added, "And... what about the former Finance Minister, Mr. Sotirios? He was forced to resign because he opposed excessive issuance of national debt and was very dissatisfied with the existing fiscal system."

Constantine shook his head again.

"He's too old. His thinking is stuck in the last era, and his network of connections with those oligarchs is so intricate and complicated that it's impossible to untangle it."

His fingers stopped tapping, and he looked at his trusted aide, saying each word clearly:

"Alexandros, you must understand. What I need is not a dignified ornament, nor a rule-abiding bureaucrat."

"I need someone 'unclean.' Someone who is despised and rejected by our circle, by the entire Greek high society!"

"A person filled with a deep-seated hatred for this corrupt financial system! Only such a person would wield the sword without any scruples! Without any pity!"

A cold sweat broke out on Alexandros's back; he finally understood the Crown Prince's terrifying standards for selecting people.

What the Crown Prince needs is not a builder, but a complete destroyer!

But where can you find someone like that?

Constantine closed his eyes.

He leaned back in his chair, trying to search for useful fragments in his vast and chaotic memories as a transmigrator.

Those specific historical papers and those numerous scholar names have long since become blurred and indistinct under the erosion of time.

But he remembered one impression.

A very deep impression.

In real history, Greece at the end of the 19th century did indeed produce a brilliant economist with extremely advanced ideas.

He seems to have published a groundbreaking paper that directly challenged the monopoly of several major banks on the state's minting and credit rights, advocating for the establishment of a powerful, fully state-owned central banking system.

This article was denounced at the time as "the madman's fantasy" and "poison that would destroy the Greek economy."

Then, this scholar completely disappeared from academia, as if he had vanished into thin air. Some say he was forced to leave his hometown, while others say he died in poverty in some unknown corner of Athens.

Constantine couldn't recall his name, but that vague outline perfectly matched the "Swordholder" he needed at that moment!

A genius stifled by the entire old system!

A talented but unappreciated avenger filled with resentment towards the old order!

Constantine suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils gleaming with the light of someone who had found their prey.

He immediately gave Alexandros a few key words.

"Go to the archives at the University of Athens!"

"Find an economics professor or associate professor. They should be between forty and fifty years old."

"The most crucial point: He must have published an article in the past few years about the 'monopoly of national banks' or the 'nationalization of central banks'!"

"This article must have caused a huge uproar at the time, and it made him offend everyone! He has likely been suspended, or even fired!"

After hearing these conditions, Alexandros looked troubled.

"Your Highness... this... this scope is too broad. There are many professors who fit the age and profession, and the archives of the University of Athens... you know, it's more chaotic than the sewers of Athens."

He hesitated for a moment, but still brought up the biggest problem.

"More importantly, someone who has offended all the oligarchs... his information has likely been deliberately erased or destroyed by certain individuals using certain methods. Finding it will probably be very difficult..."

Constantine didn't let him finish speaking.

He took a heavy, velvet-wrapped money bag from his desk drawer and threw it on the table in front of Alexandros.

The money pouch landed on the mahogany table with a dull yet alluring metallic clang.

Constantine's eyes sharpened like an eagle's.

"Then let's use money to smash open that rotten door to the archives!"

"Bribe those greedy old archivists, bribe everyone who might know a clue! I don't care what methods you use, whether it's coercion or bribery!"

He stood up, walked over to Alexandros, placed his hands on his shoulders, and looked directly into his eyes.

"Three days! Alexandros, I'm only giving you three days!"

"Within three days, I must see all of this person's information on my desk! His address, his family, all his papers, the reasons for his expulsion! Everything!"

Constantine's voice was low, yet it carried an unyielding will.

"Remember, he is the first cornerstone of our entire plan! Without him, the 'Royal Economic Advisor's Office' will forever remain just an empty shell!"

Looking at the burning flame in the Crown Prince's eyes and feeling the immense strength on his shoulders, Alexandros straightened his spine and responded loudly.

"Yes, Your Highness! I guarantee the mission will be accomplished!"

He picked up the heavy money bag, turned around and walked away quickly, his back view carrying a resolute air of utter defiance.