East Africa quietly made preparations to deal with the economic crisis that might arrive. Of course, only the Emperor and the Crown Prince knew of all this.
But under East Africa's special political circumstances, Ernst and Friedrich's power was boundless. At least until Ernst departed this world, the royal family remained the undisputed true controller of East African politics.
Rhine City.
At No. 203 Constantin Avenue stood a bookstore called "Hölderlin," named after a German poet.
The owner of this bookstore probably liked Hölderlin's poetry, which was why the shop had been named after him.
As a fairly sizable bookstore in Rhine City, Hölderlin Bookstore was exquisitely and luxuriously furnished, giving people a sense of the sanctity of a temple of knowledge.
Of course, reality might differ from imagination. Knowledge depended on what kind of knowledge it was. While Hölderlin did indeed carry many books full of solid substance, cultural "fast food" was equally popular.
There were still many customers in the bookstore today, though most were middle school students. East African middle schoolers had always been a rather energetic group. In East Africa's relatively relaxed educational environment, as long as they completed the curriculum laid down by the state, they could basically coast their way to graduation.
Of course, those born into families that valued education, or students driven to improve themselves, might study more. Their goal was not merely to graduate from middle school, but to enter university.
As East Africa's capital, Rhine City did not lack an academic atmosphere. After all, many of those who could settle down there possessed considerable financial means.
At the same time, Rhine City's educational resources were more concentrated. From compulsory education to higher education, both their quantity and quality ranked among the Empire's best.
In a corner of the bookstore.