The nobles were still wavering between glory and legacy, while the merchants were placing their bets one after another.
The recent unrest had made many people recognize a reality: the Habsburg dynasty remained powerful.
It was the rebellious Italians, Hungarians, and those self-important noble lords who were the real clowns.
"Go enlist! If you don't want to drift through life accomplishing nothing, then go make a future for yourselves on the battlefield. The Emperor has been constantly having soldiers transfer into civilian posts. Once the war is over, you can land some minor official position. When the time comes, if you want to take over the family business, it'll be a useful boost.
"And if you don't want to do business, you'll still have a stable place to go. At the very least, you won't have to live by other people's looks."
A wealthy merchant said this to his children. By tradition, the family business would go to the eldest son, while his other children would receive very limited inheritances.
Moreover, in the wealthy merchant's experience, if one lacked the ability to protect wealth, too much wealth would instead invite disaster.
But some people had different ideas.
"What you say makes a great deal of sense. But I'd like to borrow a sum of money from you. I think this isn't merely a good opportunity to enlist.
"Austria's victory is practically inevitable. Such powerful confidence will stimulate the market, and the state will certainly introduce relevant policies to open up a new landscape for industry and commerce.
"I want to give it a try too."
The young man's eagerness pleased the wealthy merchant greatly. At that moment, his youngest son spoke up as well.
"I'm not as capable as Second Brother. But I think that no matter how the war