Holy Roman Empire

To buy or not to buy?

This was not even a question.

From the perspective of the Vienna Government, the Moroccan Area was a must-have; it was merely a matter of sooner or later.

The Air Force's "Terminator Plan" was somewhat idealistic, yet it wasn't entirely without merit.

To launch a frontal assault on the stronghold of the Royal Navy was unrealistic, but it was feasible to treat Morocco like a gigantic aircraft carrier, deploying hundreds of bombers to lock down the western gate.

For the Holy Roman Empire, seizing Morocco's greatest value lay in gaining strategic initiative.

With control over both the eastern and western gates of the Mediterranean, the Shinra Navy could strike at will, no longer confined to its lair for protection.

In recent years, the Vienna Government had been notably docile, rarely meddling in regional conflicts. This wasn't because it had lost the ability to cause trouble, but rather due to insufficient mobility.

The majority of the Royal Navy's forces were stationed with the home fleet, solely to keep watch over the Shinra Navy. To ensure dominance over the Mediterranean, the Vienna Government too had to bunker down its main fleets in their base.

With the British Navy's overwhelming strength, Shinra had no choice but to coordinate its Navy and Air Force to gain the upper hand in the Mediterranean.

If the main force were to deploy, and the British launched a brutal surprise attack from behind, bombing the Suez Canal and trapping the Shinra Navy outside, it would be a complete disaster.

Power struggles were always ruthless by nature. No one could guarantee that Britannia wouldn't produce a hard-liner.

Capturing the Moroccan Area would change the situation; the western gate would be locked. No matter how volatile the world outside, Shinra could ensure its control over the Mediterranean.

Even in the event of war, the British could at most send a few submarines to stir trouble. As for surface warships, they would probably be incapacitated just by attempting to pass through the strait.

The claim that airplanes couldn't sink battleships was only true for short, swift attacks. Persistently bombing from behind would send even the most formidable vessels to the bottom of the sea.

As long as the Mediterranean remained in hand, the Vienna Government could marshal resources from Asia, Europe, and Africa in the shortest time via sea routes.

...

Another sunny and pleasant day, Franz, with nothing better to do, took his grandchildren to the artificial lake within the Vienna Palace.

For some reason, every wealthy Emperor seemed to enjoy building palaces, and Franz was no exception.

The massive artificial lake before him was one of Franz's masterpieces. After several expansions, the evening glow of the Belvedere Palace and the Hofburg Palace had merged into one, creating the Vienna Palace of today.

In terms of sheer area, the Vienna Palace was undoubtedly the largest in the world.

If Franz wished, he could very well race cars within his own residence. Had this been in the Eastern world, an Emperor who annexed land so freely for palace construction would certainly have been criticized ruthlessly by government officials.

But in the Holy Roman Empire, such matters were trivial. In an Empire that spanned nearly forty million square kilometers, anything might be lacking save for land.

Vienna was already an imperial domain, with most of the land privately held by the royal family. When the Emperor decided to erect a wall on his own land, nobody had the authority to intervene.

Indeed, "expansion" simply meant adding a wall. It only broadened the patrol area of the Royal Guard, with very few additional buildings.

The original farms and estates still existed; it was only the factories that had been moved.

The palace's fresh vegetables were supplied by these farms—all natural produce, free from any artificial fertilizers or pesticides.

Mainly for convenience, so there wasn't a need to trek between palaces constantly—not so much a waste of wealth, but truly burdensome for the people.

It couldn't be helped; Franz was cautious to the extreme.

Every time he traveled, his escorts would monitor the surroundings within a two-kilometer radius, leaving no chance for the enemy to capitalize on, and the spectacle was no smaller than that of a military campaign.

For the sake of everyone's convenience, the two sites were simply connected, sparing the need for back-and-forth travel and hassling nearby residents.
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Now that the Emperor had plenty of money, upkeeping a sizable Royal Guard was no issue; they could monitor the palace no matter its size.

With an abundant annual royal income at his disposal, Franz could afford to be extravagant.

At the time of establishing a constitutional state, knowing the Vienna Government was financially struggling, Franz nobly proposed to share hardships with his people, setting the royal annuity to 1.5% of the fiscal income.

It was a true "sacrifice;" the government of Vienna was indeed impoverished back then. The royal annuity they had set aside couldn't even maintain the Palace Guard.

In the initial years, Franz had often made up the shortfall himself. Media coverage at the time had indeed moved many.

However, no one expected that the country would develop so swiftly. In just over forty years, it had bloomed from the modest land of Austria, less than 700,000 square kilometers, into the sprawling Holy Roman Empire of today.

As the country grew and the economy flourished, the financial revenues of the Vienna Government surged, inflating many times over.

Undoubtedly, even listed companies talk of stock incentives. As a hero leading national development, the Emperor naturally reaped benefits too.

To date, that once-political showmanship has turned into a fondly-remembered story spread worldwide.

As far as Franz was aware, many an aspiring monarch had taken to emulating him. In the end, these followers invariably developed a habit of thriftiness.

There was no choice; in these times, the challenges a country faced when trying to develop were innumerable.

Though once in decline, Austria had maintained its status as the world's fourth great power, possessing the might to hold its own.

It had the luxury of pushing social reforms and playing the game of colonial expansion, not having to worry about foreign threats.

Without such a foundation, attempting to emulate others was futile—what else but hardship could come of it?

Industrialization was a costly venture. Without the profits from external colonization and plunder, relying solely on agriculture alone would make for an exasperating development pace.

Franz, hailed as a model monarch, could only silently offer his moral support to his unwittingly conned contemporaries.

Put simply, he frequently instructed his adjutants to write letters of encouragement to these juniors, endlessly infusing them with motivational pep talks.

In essence, the journey might be tortuous, but the future was bright. Persist, and success would one day be achieved.

Holding to the principle of cheating them all, Franz's reputation within the circle of monarchs soared; he gathered a large following of believers.

As for how things ended, that was beyond Franz's control.

As a competent spiritual guide, Franz was acutely aware that "the more you do, the more mistakes you make; do nothing, and you make no mistakes."

Thus, he always offered only moral support, never any concrete suggestions, under the guise of non-interference in the domestic affairs of other nations.

It was all about having time on his hands. Back in the day when Franz was establishing his empire, he could only wish that rulers of other countries were lost in debauched dreams, let alone encouraging them to strive.

Now it was different. The Holy Roman Empire's dominant position had been established. No matter how hard the latecomers struggled, they could not change the overall situation.

Might as well be the good guy then, and inspire the younger generation to study hard, complete industrialization promptly, and advance human civilization.

Perhaps it was because "the fish were the worse for eating ill-fated bait," Franz always went fishing with enthusiasm but returned dispirited.

This time was no exception. Seeing a group of lively grandchildren, Franz knew it was going to be difficult to accomplish anything today.

But these were minor issues. Fishing was, after all, just a way to pass the time; whether there was a catch was actually not important.

"Father, the British are causing trouble again!"

Upon hearing the familiar voice behind him, Franz knew that troublesome matters had arisen again. In recent years, the shadow war between Shinra and Britain had become increasingly intense.

Today you sabotage me, tomorrow I will repay the favor. Over time, the grievances between the two countries have become too complex to untangle.

Especially during the time when Frederick was in charge, the Vienna Government had suffered more than its fair share of setbacks. Acting on the principle of paying tuition fees, Franz couldn't be bothered to intervene, provided the core interests were not involved.

"The Moroccan issue?"

When news spread that the Spanish Government intended to sell the Moroccan Area, Franz knew the British would stir up trouble.

The essence of international politics is: oppose what your enemy supports, and support what your enemy opposes; prevent your enemy from accomplishing what they wish to do.

Frederick said, "Correct. The British are spreading rumors everywhere, claiming we coerced the Spanish Government to snatch the Moroccan Area.

Just this morning, the British Foreign Minister publicly declared support for the Spanish Government to maintain its sovereignty and suggested that the Spanish Government take complete control over the Moroccan Area."

Franz commented with interest, "It seems that the current British Government has made rapid progress, and its political maneuvers have matured.

However, such petty tricks can only disgust people. Unless the British are willing to spend money, their support for Spanish control over the Moroccan Area is nothing but a joke.

As long as the financial problems of the Spanish Government remain unsolved, their determination to sell the Moroccan Area will not easily waver. This commotion is merely to help the Spaniards drive up the price.

Keep a close eye on it. The British will definitely have other moves up their sleeve. Warn the Spanish Government to be vigilant against the outbreak of revolution within their country."

The fact that the British Government had not jumped in to compete for the Moroccan Area was somewhat surprising. However, considering the British had been burnt before by a similar situation, it is not strange that they are now learning from their lessons.

As for the pressure from public opinion, it all boils down to a question of price. If the money offered is insufficient, it's coercion; if the price is fair, then it's a commonplace colonial trade.

A simple calculation revealed that the Vienna Government would have to pay tens of millions of Divine Shields more, and there was no reason for the British not to get involved.

Frederick said with a dejected face, "You're right, but the British's scheme has caused our negotiations with the Spaniards to once again reach a deadlock.

Not only has it sparked international attention, but our own citizens are also very concerned about the issue. Various fundraising committees have even appeared among the public, hoping to pay the money on behalf of the government.

Ever since the news that the Spanish Government intended to sell the Moroccan Area spread, lobbyists have been arriving endlessly, and I am close to being annoyed to death."

Clearly, the sudden emergence of the "fundraising committee" that wanted to pay on behalf of the government was not because they were overly patriotic.

Ultimately, it was all about interests. The Holy Roman Empire always adhered to the principle of reciprocity; the amount of contribution to the Empire's cause dictated the size of the pie one received.

If the Vienna Government funded the acquisition of the Moroccan Area, it would become a territory directly under the Central Government, and the most others could hope for was to get a sip of the broth.

If civil groups funded the purchase of the Moroccan Area and completed its armed occupation, then it would be the rise of a new band of Fief Aristocrats.

The leading Government Official would, at most, take a few major cities and important ports, while the bulk of the interests would go to those who provided the funding and the effort.

When personal interests were involved, everyone's response naturally became faster. As for the matter of money, that was not a concern at all—there were plenty of capitalists wanting to sponsor in hopes of climbing the social ladder.

Wealth + military force = successful colonization.

As the world became increasingly divvied up, the opportunities to obtain fiefs were dwindling. With each chance that arose, a large number of people would fight and scramble for it.

Especially since the Moroccan Area was very close to Europe and had a very agreeable climate, its allure was even stronger.

Franz showed not the slightest sympathy for his son's frustration, instead taking a malicious pleasure in saying, "You'll get used to it.

These kinds of things, you will face many more in the future, and you must learn to adapt.

Once you've cultivated a strong inner spirit, you'll find that these trivialities are just a speck of dust in life, truly inconsequential."

Sometimes, injecting a dose of "chicken soup for the soul" can be very beneficial for one's well-being. It is the fantastical "chicken soup" that promises unattainable, escapist dreams that is poisonous.

Although there was a bit of cheating in Franz's words, if one truly possessed inner strength, they could indeed view these vexing matters as mere specks of dust.

After all, Frederick was the Crown Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. As long as he could stand firm on his principles, no amount of persuading would have any effect on him.

Faced with such a result, Frederick was extremely frustrated. Originally, he had come to seek his father's help and report to him.

Not only had he not found a solution, but he had also been served a bellyful of "chicken soup." Had he been younger, Frederick would certainly have been filled with passion and attacked the task with unparalleled vigor.

However, Frederick in his forties had clearly passed the age of fiery zeal. As for the encouragement contained within the "chicken soup," he had long been immune. Generally speaking, now it was he who dispensed "chicken soup" to others.

Since Franz hadn't provided an answer, it meant that the Crown Prince himself would have to decide on the profit distribution for the Moroccan Area.

Clearly, this was not an easy task. Profit distribution was always the most headache-inducing issue at any time.

There was only so much Moroccan Area to go around, and with so many eyes coveting it, it was obviously impossible to satisfy everyone's appetite, making the distribution a real test of character.

Soon, Frederick realized he was getting ahead of himself by considering the problem of profit distribution before they even secured the Moroccan Area; clearly, he was overthinking.

Gazing at a group of little tykes frolicking by the lake, Frederick's eyes revealed a look of envy.

Childhood was the most wonderful time—free from worries and full of playful fun. But alas, time relentlessly marches on, and one can never return to those bygone days.

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