Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 030
Chapter Title: Imperial Parliament (3)
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"...How did it go?"
The banquet hall had fallen into a hush after the conversation took an unexpected turn.
Elector Albrecht of Bavaria gazed at the empty seat where Franz had been moments before and asked the question.
"Just as I described him, right?"
"Indeed... I can see now why Your Highness told us not to push him too hard."
"Exactly. Franz Stefan has staked everything on making Archduchess Maria Theresa the heir to the Habsburgs. Can't you see his noble intent to win our votes by leveraging his abilities to the fullest?"
"Quick on the uptake, skilled at making money, yet instead of political maneuvering, he comes straight at us head-on."
Elector Karl III Philipp of the Palatinate muttered to himself, furrowing his brow slightly.
"Isn't he almost exactly the kind of man we're looking for?"
"...Are you suspicious of Franz, Your Highness?"
"Not suspicious, no. I didn't detect anything off in his words or actions. But the situation has turned out far too favorably for us to just take it at face value."
"In politics, the side holding the power naturally shapes events to their liking. The Emperor needs our consent, so it's only natural for the Archduchess's fiancé to strive to please us, isn't it?"
Albrecht's words sounded plausible, but Philipp couldn't shake off a lingering unease.
He turned to Elector August II of Saxony, who had been silent until now.
"What do you think, Your Highness August?"
"...It seems fine to me. It was a proposal with no downsides for us anyway."
"Well... that's true."
Whether Franz had some hidden agenda or not, his offer promised enormous benefits to the electors gathered here, judging by the current situation.
"Above all, he brought such a massive business proposal and didn't even haggle over tolls or porcelain—he just agreed to whatever we wanted. That impressed me."
"If it were me, I'd have insisted on keeping the tolls as they are, since mirror glass could generate massive extra revenue. But he just went along with what we said..."
"I've known Franz Stefan longer than you two. Let me tell you, he's far superior to us in business acumen. 'A Jew's head and a noble's heart'—that's the right way to put it. He sees far ahead."
To summarize briefly, Franz's large-scale mirror glass venture proposal was as follows:
- Bohemian glass artisans and Saxon porcelain craftsmen would collaborate to establish a massive mirror glass factory.
- They would exchange necessary technologies and equipment for production, with Franz's researchers providing the core techniques.
- Bavaria would handle Danube River logistics, the Palatinate the Rhine River logistics, and they would share the resulting profits.
An ideal cooperative structure benefiting Saxony, Bavaria, the Palatinate, and Bohemia alike.
And it would properly screw over those French frogs to boot—one stone, two birds.
"Then I take it you both agree."
"No objections."
"Let's do it."
"In that case, we should add a few more urgent items to the agenda. We won't have the three of us together like this again, so best to settle everything now."
With that, the three men quietly rose from their seats.
- Franz Stefan makes money.
It was an implicit agreement signaling their assent to Albrecht's opinion.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The gains from the banquet exceeded even my expectations.
I'd considered it a success if I could pull in even two of Bavaria, the Palatinate, or Saxony, but having all three in one place was the ultimate stroke of luck for me.
It wasn't just about starting the large mirror glass industry.
In truth, the specific business didn't matter much one way or the other.
What was crucial was binding Saxony, the Palatinate, and Bavaria together for a massive venture.
This would link the Danube and Rhine Rivers under unified toll management, and make it far easier to establish systems for treating and protecting artisans.
Plus, sharing common interests with the other electors would foster a psychological sense of unity.
Brimming with satisfaction, I rose early the next day and toured the city with Maria Theresa.
"Wow~ This is so fascinating. The streets are so quaint and full of life."
"Vienna embraced Baroque and Rococo styles competitively, but Regensburg's buildings are mostly old Gothic. The visual difference is inevitable."
Though smaller in scale, Regensburg was a microcosm of the Empire's political landscape.
Princely estates dotted the town where envoys resided, and small diplomatic gatherings or local events between delegations never ceased.
A city overlaid with colors utterly different from Vienna's splendor.
Maria Theresa seemed utterly charmed by these modest scenes, her eyes darting restlessly everywhere.
With all sorts of artisans in Regensburg, I thought it might be nice to buy her a souvenir.
That was when, strolling the streets with our entourage, a familiar voice called out from an old-fashioned artisan district.
"Oh! Your Highness Franz!"
"Your Highness Friedrich, isn't it? I heard you were coming, but to meet here like this..."
"Exactly! This is pure coincidence... no, fate!"
Fate, just from bumping into each other on the street?
As I stifled a chuckle at his uncharacteristically excited demeanor, Maria Theresa's eyes widened, pointing at his finger.
"Ah! That's the..."
"Is something wrong?"
"Hm? Why the sudden honorifics... Ah, people around. No, nothing. You said you gave His Highness Friedrich a platinum ring as a gift. He's wearing it on his right hand."
"Oh, right. Did the Elector of Brandenburg say anything when he saw it?"
Friedrich raised his hand to display the ring prominently and shook his head.
"Father thinks it's just a silver ring. He wasn't all that interested anyway. So I wear it outside the palace, but not inside."
"I see. Glad you like it."
"Of course I do. Oh, and my sister asked me to convey her deepest thanks to Your Highness. She even prepared a gift this time and told me to deliver it. I didn't expect to see you today, so I left it at my lodgings. I'll bring it on the day of the main session."
"I'll gratefully accept it then."
I'd planned to speak with Friedrich before the main council anyway, so the timing wasn't bad.
I naturally included him, making us a trio as we wandered the streets and chatted.
"By the way, do you have any particular goals for this council, Your Highness?"
"Not really. If I had to pick, it'd be gauging the true intentions of the Electors of the Palatinate and Saxony—what they're after."
"Then I'll fill you in on the details if you help me out a bit in return? Nothing major—the three electors will propose new agenda items during the session, and I'd like your support."
"I'd love to back you, but first I need to know what the items are..."
"Protections for artisans across the Empire, bans on poaching them, standardizing the patchwork tolls everywhere, and formalizing negotiations with free cities, guilds, and other stakeholders."
To make this Empire truly imperial, the first step was unifying regulations across the patchwork of territories, even if just a little.
Using joint ventures as an excuse to handle these piecemeal would make later unification efforts much smoother.
Once economies intertwined deeply, pulling in politics and administration wouldn't be a big issue.
"Hm... nothing worth opposing there. If the agenda really comes out like that, I'll lend my strength. Consider it repaying the debt I owe Your Highness."
"That puts my mind at ease."
Friedrich went on to say he'd been investing much more time lately in studying military strategy, tactics, and such than before.
His father was pleased, which was good, but I couldn't help wondering if our little potato might turn into an even bigger monster than in his past life.
For the future, it might be wise to arrange for him to get along well not just with me, but with Maria Theresa too.
Then, as Maria Theresa craned her neck here and there, she suddenly tapped my hand excitedly.
"Look, over there! Franz-nim! That super cute doll!"
"Oh, an eagle. Not realistic—made to look as adorable as possible. Nice craftsmanship."
"Can I get it? Would it be okay to buy?"
"Of course. I'll get it for you."
As I approached, the artisan selling handmade goods bowed deeply, honored.
I handed over ample payment on the spot, took the doll, and passed it to Maria Theresa.
"Here you go."
"Waaah~ Yes! The ring, necklace, and bracelet from Franz-nim are all wonderful, but I really love this too."
She hugged the eagle doll tightly as she spoke.
It seemed like she'd adjusted its position to better show off her platinum bracelet and necklace, but probably just my imagination.
What mattered more when she was this happy?
As I admired her smiling face,
"...I wonder if they sell warhorse fittings or sword decorations."
This time, Friedrich muttered while glancing at me.
"They probably do. Those are fairly common."
"Right?"
"......"
Friedrich let out a faint chuckle with a straight face but showed no sign of moving.
If he wants something, he can find and buy it himself. Why's he looking at me like that?
Is he expecting me to buy it for him?
Buy it with your own money, you brat. Plenty rich, so stop clinging.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After a delightful stroll with Maria Theresa and lunch together, it was time for the council session.
Thanks to the prior coordination among the electors as Albrecht had mentioned yesterday, the toll issue—that very reason I'd been summoned—proceeded smoothly.
"...Therefore, with logistics from Bohemia via the Rhine surging, we've agreed to adjust tolls accordingly. And with the porcelain and glass industries growing rapidly, to protect them in line with the times' changes, we propose a new agenda."
As Elector Albrecht of Bavaria began speaking from his seat, some delegates blinked in confusion.
What are they up to now? But he pressed on without hesitation.
"As Elector of Bavaria, I address the president."
Albrecht's declaration quickly quelled the murmurs in the hall.
"First, we request imperial privilege for exclusive rights to large plate glass and mirror production centered on Bohemia and Saxony. This is essential to overcome our artisans' current technical dependence on France and Venice and foster the Empire's self-sustaining craftsmanship."
No sooner had he finished than Elector Karl III Philipp of the Palatinate rose and added his piece.
"Mirror glass is no mere luxury. We cannot stand by as royal and noble demand drains our national wealth to France and Venice. The Empire must become the producer and reap those vast profits ourselves."
Elector August II of Saxony lent his support in a dry tone.
"With Meissen porcelain from Saxony and Bohemian glass artisans collaborating, this venture will succeed. I formally request the patent in the Empire's name."
As the three electors spoke in sequence, the nobles and delegates initially seemed flustered but soon erupted in applause.
So that's why the electors came in person—admiring murmurs even rose.
As if waiting for that moment, Albrecht immediately tabled the second item.
"Second, we seek to standardize the haphazard tolls on the Rhine, Danube, and parts of the Elbe basins. This is vital to prevent friction and chaos as intra-Empire logistics boom."
This too received strong backing from Elector Philipp of the Palatinate.
"For imperial shipping to function properly, toll and customs standardization is essential. Divergent territorial taxes will make Empire-wide prosperity impossible."
The hall buzzed again. Electors pushing policy so aggressively in person was rare.
Of course, it was limited to specific zones, framed as benefiting all, so no real opposition emerged.
Whether they'd suddenly grown so concerned for the Empire's prosperity was questionable, but who were we to argue?
The third item fell to the Elector of Saxony.
"Third, I request enactment of strong industrial protection laws to prevent artisan and technician exodus. Henceforth, we block France, Venice, England, and others from poaching our Empire's talents."
Here, princes with bitter experience of artisan losses voiced strong support. Economic key region delegates exchanged nods of approval.
After a brief silence, Albrecht moved to the fourth item.
Still more? Murmurs rippled, but the electors seemed deaf to them.
"Fourth, we request priority purchasing rights and hazardous material handling privileges for essential minerals and chemicals in large glass production and similar vital industries. To accelerate development."
Resource priority—key for impending industrialization—gained easy approval. Most princes anticipated huge gains.
Albrecht paused, then elaborated on the fifth as an extension.
"Fifth, we request expanded forest and water rights around new factories. Essential for maximizing industrial efficiency."
This faced no real pushback from princes already securing joint benefits.
Finally, Albrecht smiled faintly and presented the last item.
"To ensure smooth execution of all these, we request imperial authority to mediate and coordinate with guilds, free cities, and stakeholders.
Of course, mediation committees will be appointed via rigorous conferences and recommendations from the imperial court, electors, and princes—structured to prevent monopoly."
This sparked far greater reaction than expected. Free cities and guilds had long hindered Empire-wide unity with their regional privileges.
"...Sounds good, but that last one..."
"If our voices are included, risk of abuse is minimal, right?"
"And openly opposing something backed by the court and three electors..."
"But still..."
As opinions clashed, Crown Prince Friedrich, representing Brandenburg, stood and added briefly.
"Brandenburg fully supports this agenda as well. Provided the mineral priority includes the Electorate of Brandenburg and other principalities."
Brandenburg's unexpected conditional public endorsement.
Securing mineral access first would make arming or supplying Prussia far easier anyway.
I'd tipped him off to back me while grabbing their own gains, so no thrashing from Wilhelm later.
The mood had shifted oddly, but with it set, the Imperial Diet's conclusion was inevitable.
- The six additional agenda items pass provisionally; further deliberation if controversy arises.
I watched the entire process quietly, then applauded enthusiastically.
As expected of our electors—I believed in you.
When it comes to fattening their own purses, they move like this.
This single council showed the road to a true Empire remained distant, but we'd taken a meaningful first step.
Just the beginning, yet a step of no small significance.