Tyranny of Steel

On the island once known as Cuba in Berengar's life, the colony of Lindstadt was booming with business. A large stone fort was erected on the coast, which housed the Mercenaries of the Gunther Merchant company. These men acted as the primary security force in the region.

Outside of this star fortress was a fully developed town which consisted of roughly 3,000 German residents. This town was the Colony of Lindstadt, which had formed in the months since the Gunther Merchant Company first arrived in this part of the world. Coincidentally, this town was built in the same location that Havana was built in the Kaiser's past life.

Beyond the borders of the township were vast plantations which utilized the native population of the island as its laborers. These plantations were the Gunther Merchant Companys' newest enterprise, and would soon produce vast yields of Coffee Beans, Sugar Cane, and Cotton.

Currently, the German Empire relied on imports from foreign nations in order to meet the demands of these three industries. However, Gunther's plan was to grow them in the colonies and create a local and trusted brand of these products. After all, the Gunther Brand was well renowned across the Reich as being a high-quality product for a decent price.

Henrick had been tasked by his father, Gunther, to lead this expedition, and had worked long and hard over the past few months to establish a stable colony. Interestingly enough, this colony had become the gateway between Lindeheim and Adelheim, connecting the southern colonies with New Vienna via an extensive shipping network.

This shipping network made Lindstadt a central hub for explorers and privateers charted by the Crown to rest their weary heads after a long voyage at sea. Though the number of German immigrants to the colonies was less than fifty thousand in total, they had created their own local, unique cultural aspects depending on the environment they found themselves in.

Lindstadt had developed its own unique culture that was different from anything across the Reich. It had become a den of vice, and hedonism where fortunes could be won or lost in a day. Why was this? It was because during the initial stages of establishing the colony, Henrick had lost a considerable sum to his mercenaries in a card game. After realizing how many visitors were partaking in the small gambling dens, he built the first ever Casino/Resort in the middle of the colony.

It was by no means a skyscraper, like those one would find in Berengar's past life, but it was noticeable enough that one could see the mighty building from the sea. This Casino was called "the Gilded Princess" inspired by the beauty of the German Princess Henrietta. Who was an object of Henrick's desire.

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Currently, Henrick was overseeing operations of the Casino on the main floor, watching as men primarily from the Baltic, and Balkan portions of the Reich gambled away their hard earned coin in the Casino he had established.

He had personally abstained from playing cards. After all, he usually lost more than he won. However, that did not mean he could not enjoy the environment. Of course, if he knew about the grandeur of casinos in the Kaiser's past life, he would be depressed with how poor his personal casino was in comparison. The man noticed that business was booming, and because of that, he had a wide smile on his face. However, in the next moment, his mood soured as one of his subordinates quickly approached him.

"Henrick, sir! Your father is here!"

This news shocked Henrick. He had received no word that his father would be visiting the colony, so why was he suddenly in Lindstadt? He immediately followed the subordinate up the stairs and into the suite, where Gunther was sitting on a leather-bound sofa. The man had a sneer on his face as he gazed out the window and into the developing colony. Henrick immediately kicked the servant out and shut the door behind him as he greeted his father.

"Father, I was not expecting your visit! Why did you not send word in advance?"

Gunther scoffed as he heard this before voicing his displeasure with his son.

"What is this? When I sent you here to the New World, it was to establish an agricultural colony, and yet all I see is a den of vice, and hedonism! Prostitution, Gambling, Narcotics, and enough booze to drown the sea. The amount of rum you are producing in your distilleries is shocking. Who the hell is working the fields, if all the citizens are busying throwing away their money in your gambling dens?"

His father's criticism shocked Henrick. He did not expect the man to care so much about such frivolous details. He quickly defended his actions with a stern expression on his face.

"You sent me here to make a profit, and the businesses I have established here in Lindstadt would be producing an astronomical sum if the entire Reich knew of the New World's existence! As for the fields, they are being worked by the natives. It is a non-issue!"

Gunther was displeased with what he had witnessed for multiple reasons. Chief among them was the colony was named after the Second Empress, but it was a den of sin. How would that reflect a woman that Gunther deeply admired? He quickly pulled out a bottle of locally produced rum that was on the counter and poured himself a drink before scolding his son.

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"Either you cease your decadent enterprises, or you change the name of your colony. I will not have you tarnishing Linde's name, or her reputation with your little den of vice here in the New World. As far as profits are concerned, there are more important things. For example, you are aware that prostitution is outlawed in the Reich?"

Henrick wore a smug smile on his face as he countered his father's point while conceding to his request.

"Fine, I will rename the colony, but I will be keeping the name for the Island. I don't want to confuse the sailors who come here. As far as the laws of Prostitution go, that is only in concern to German citizens engaging in the trade. As you may have witnessed, all of my girls are natives or, in rare cases, immigrants. Therefore, I am not breaking any laws."

Gunther merely scoffed as he heard this, before placing his glass down on the table. He stood up from his seat and walked towards the door. When he was in the middle of the doorway, Gunther stopped in his tracks. In that moment, he decided to leave behind some choice words for his son.

"Your mother would be disappointed in you if she knew what you had done here. If this is how you run the first colony that his majesty has chartered us to produce, don't expect to inherit my position. You can stay here in exile as governor over whatever the hell this town is. However, you will not be returning to the fatherland. I can't have your avarice staining my family's reputation.

I will keep my mouth shut on the matter, so long as the agricultural yields continue to meet the standards I have set for you. Everything else is your own enterprise and cannot use my name as its brand."

Henrick was shocked when he heard his father say this. He did not understand why the man was so hostile to the atmosphere he had created in Lindstadt. Or whatever it's new name would be. However, there was one point he was uncertain of and quickly asked for clarification.

"Are you disowning me, father?"

Gunther scoffed once more when he heard this, before gesturing towards the luxurious trappings around him.

"You will be fine on your own. I am disappointed in you son, you had such an excellent head for business, and this is what you did with it. I hope what you have created here brings you some happiness, because you won't get any support from the family from now on. The charter for the colony is still in my corporation's name. You best remember that before you try to do anything stupid."

Henrick was astounded that his father was throwing him away for something so simple. Truthfully, Gunther was a pious man, who does not care for vice. He also looked up to Berengar, believing he was a man of virtue. If the man knew that this colony, which would later be renamed to Neuhafen, would become Berengar's favorite vacation spot, he would probably die of a heart attack.

As for Henrick, he would go on to form a prosperous corporation of his own called Bäcker Entertainment, using his surname as a means to spite his father for abandoning him in the new world. This company would become the world's largest gambling Corporation later operating casinos across every land the Germans settled. However, Neuhafen would remain the premier destination for the world's wealthy elite.

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