Chapter 998: Mercenaries
Spain's defeat was not the main issue. The crucial thing was that the Philippine Islands, this strategic stronghold, could not fall into the hands of the ambitious Japanese. Otherwise, the South Seas would never know peace again.
Japan Government might look exceptionally well-behaved now. Even with Vienna Government openly backing Spain, they still kept their heads down and acted meekly, as though they had no temper at all.
But that was only because they feared the strong. The Holy Roman Empire was powerful now; its military forces in the South Seas alone were enough to leave them unable to swallow what they had bitten off. Even if they wanted to stir up trouble, they could not.
Yet times were changing. The Philippine Islands in Spanish hands and the Philippine Islands in Japanese hands were two utterly different concepts.
The former had already declined. No matter how fertile the Philippines were, they could only bring Spain a bit of income, offering little help to its national strength.
If they fell into Japanese hands, it would be entirely different. With the Philippines' resources and the Japanese people's diligence and endurance, creating a mid-tier great power would be a sure thing—and one especially strong in combat at that.
If that were all, it would not be enough to make Franz wary. After all, the Holy Roman Empire was simply monstrous now. Even he himself had never imagined that one day he would forge such a vast empire.
The problem was that Japan was not a normal country. With the elders keeping them in check, they had not gone too mad for the time being. The future, however, was another matter. One only had to look at what they did in his original timeline to know—they were practically a whole film