Tyranny of Steel

While Berengar was on his way back home after putting an end to the war he was fighting against the catholic world. Hans was taking the Ming Prince Zhu Zhi, and the Anangpur Emperor Dharya Tomara on a tour of the city. The first noticeable difference from this tour, and the last one that Dharya had taken part of, were the streetlights which were on every corner. Though they were inactive due to it being day time.

The next surprising change was the streetlights which hung in the air and provided traffic signals to those who drove vehicles. Dharya gazed with shock upon these devices, and Zhu Zhi was even more astonished, quickly asking what the source of the streetlight's "flame" was.

"Tell me something. How do you provide fire to these lights that are strung in the air? Are they replaced daily? I'm curious how they function."

Hans took a sip from his milk before responding to the man's question with an innocent expression on his face.

"I don't believe they use fire, but some new technology that my father invented. I could not tell you exactly how they function, but they are powered all day and night. We use these lights to direct traffic, and avoid vehicular accidents. Anyway, we should be arriving at the trade district soon. Once we get to our destination, we will continue on foot."

Zhu Zhi and Dharya continued to gaze in disbelief at the streetlights which operated nonstop until they arrived in the trade district. Immediately after stepping out of the Vehicle, Zhu Zhi noticed that the men who walked the streets parted ways for the young Prince of Germany and his guests, giving the boy a crisp nod as they walked on. The women, on the other hand, would give a slight bow to Hans before quickly scurrying out of his way.

The level of respect the German people gave their Prince differed from what was expected in the Ming Dynasty. In the East, the people practically worshipped the royal family, and would stand on ceremony to kiss their asses.

However, the Germans were a far more utilitarian people. If they had to clear the entire street simply to allow the prince and his party to walk by, nothing would ever get done. Thus, they made room for him, and showed their respect in a far more subtle approach.

Hans could tell the Ming Prince was flabbergasted and quickly inquired what was wrong, seeking to remedy the situation.

"Is there something wrong, Prince Zhi?"

Zhu Zhi naturally expressed his confusion as he watched the people of Kufstein walk by without incident.

"I'm just a little surprised that the commoners are not clearing the way for our group. Should they not make the streets open for us to walk upon?"

Hans looked at Zhu Zhi as if he were an idiot once more before expressing the differences in German and Ming culture.

"We have no such rules. From our perspective, if we were to clear the streets every time a member of the royal family walked by, it would cause inefficiency. We don't even legally require the people to show respect to our house. They do it of their own accord. Naturally, we have bodyguards to prevent any harm from befalling us, however such a thing is very unlikely within the borders of the Reich, and especially within the capital.

Ten years ago, this city was a small agricultural town owned by my father's family. In the last decade, my father has built everything you see before you. Most of these people are immigrants from other cities in Austria.

The quality of their lives is thanks solely to my father and his efforts. They know this is the truth, and willingly show their respect from the bottom of their hearts, and not out of some legal mandate. Now let's go and have a treat. There's a desert parlor around here that has the best cookies and ice cream that money can buy."

After saying this, Hans took his guests to a local dessert shop, where there were goods laid out in glass containers. Zhu Zhi gazed in shock at how many confections were for sale. Baked goods, especially sweets, were reserved for the most wealthy people in the Ming Dynasty, and yet there were commoners sitting among the tables dining on these delectable treats with wide smiles on their faces.

Hans quickly sent one of his bodyguards to stand in line and ordered a plethora of treats. He handed the man a silver thaler to pay for the goods and then found a table to sit down at. Hans and his party stood out from the rest, he himself was dressed in imperial attire patterned after the dress uniform of the German Cadet Corps.

While his compatriots were a teenage Indian boy, and a full grown Chinese man, both dressed in their native attire. Naturally, people in the desert parlor knew who Hans was and maintained a respectable distance. Despite this, Hans did not abuse his position as Prince to cut to the front of the line, and instead sent his bodyguard to secure their order.

Eventually, the man returned with a variety of treats and some fresh milk for the trio to enjoy. Hans gladly took out the hazelnut, walnut, and chocolate strudel from the cardboard box and split it into thirds, handing off a section to his two guests before commenting on the dessert.

"This is my favorite desert. You guys will enjoy it, trust me!"

After saying this, he did not hesitate to bite into the pastry, where a natural smile formed on his lips as he washed down the treat with some milk. Zhu Zhi was skeptical at first, as he had no idea what chocolate was, but the moment he tasted the pastry, he fell in love with it.

He truly believed the finest chef had to have made such a thing, and that it should cost a fortune, but he could not understand how commoners could afford it, thus he was quick to inquire about this point.

"This is truly divine, but how can your commoners afford such a luxury?"

Hans looked over at the man with an innocent look on his face before answering the man's question in earnest.

"We have a dozen bakeries like this spread throughout the city. There is an ample supply of the raw materials needed to create these dishes, and plenty of talented bakers whose sole occupation is to make them. It really isn't that expensive. You can buy a whole box of these pastries for less than a single thaler."

The Ming Prince looked at his German counterpart with shock. He did not know how much a Thaler was worth, but from the sound of it, it was not that expensive, thus he quickly inquired about the German currency system.

"Explain to me your currency, so that I might have a better understanding..."

Hans thought about it for a second before explaining in greater detail just how inexpensive it was to buy these treats.

"So we have three coins in our currency system. A small copper coin called a Pfennig. This is the most common coin used to purchase goods. Then there is a medium-sized pure silver coin called the Thaler. This is used in larger transactions, but nothing significant.

Finally, there is the Gulden, which is a large solid gold coin, and it is rarely used in transactions, unless it is for something significant. One Gulden is worth a hundred Thalers, and one Thaler is worth a hundred Pfennigs. So for about fifteen to twenty pfennigs, you can get a box of these pastries.

To put this in perspective, the average person in the Reich is paid roughly two Thalers a day for their labor. So most people can afford to eat such deserts regularly if they so desire. That's why you see so many common people enjoying the treats here in this establishment."

When Zhu Zhi and Dharya realized just how inexpensive the treats they ate were, they stared at their desserts in awe. It was truly unbelievable that a luxury such as sweets were readily available to the average German citizen year round. The Ming Prince was actually having a hard time believing it.

In all honesty, Hans had chosen this spot because he had a hankering for some strudel. It wasn't even the main point on his tour that would truly show off the overwhelming wealth of the German Empire. However, even with something as simple as this, he had completely stunned the Ming Prince and the Anangpur Emperor.

All this time, Dharya had thought that the treats he ate in the Palace every day with coffee were a supreme luxury afforded only to the nobility of the Reich. In reality, it was a common treat eaten by most households.

Berengar had made sure early on to set the example of paying his employees well, and with the wealth that was in his hands, all the other corporations that had risen over the years followed his example. Because of this, there was significant wealth in the hands of the average German citizen. Far more than most first world countries from Berengar's past life.

With Polygamy becoming a more common practice in Germany, there was an increase in the workforce as only one or two women were needed to stay home and look after the kids. The other wives would go out and work just like the man of the house, providing a significantly higher quality of life for families.

With the strict divorce laws in place that only permitted the dissolution of a marriage through means of fault, such as cheating or abuse, this wealth was rarely split apart, creating stable households for the German youth. Though Hans had done a good job describing the wealth of the fatherland, he still did not quite do it justice when these factors were taken into account. However, as this tour of the city continued, Zhu Zhi and Dharya would get a much better idea of just how wealthy and prosperous the Reich truly was.