The wheels of history rolled ever onward, beyond the control of any individual's will.
As the birthplace of the economic crisis, Vienna was likewise among the first regions to shake it off.
Unlike ordinary industrial cities, Vienna—centered on politics, education, scientific research, and culture—possessed far greater resilience against risk.
Other than the miserable plight of stockholders, the crisis brought little change to Vienna. In its bustling streets, there was not the slightest hint of depression.
Especially recently, as National Day drew near and representatives from across the country gathered in the city, Vienna gained several more shades of prosperity.
To celebrate the third anniversary of the Holy Roman Empire's restoration, Franz decided to hold a grand military parade on National Day. It was purely for celebration, with absolutely no intention of flaunting military might.
Unlike previous parades, this one was nationwide. Whether they were colonies and landed nobles far overseas or the various states across the European Continent, all were required to send representatives.
Most importantly, the units for this parade were not elite troops specially selected from the entire military. Instead, Franz randomly drew units and summoned them to Vienna for inspection.
There was no helping it. The Holy Roman Empire had a mountain of subordinate states beneath it, while the landed nobles numbered in the tens of thousands. Even if they tried to select the best, they would never be able to choose.
When military honor was involved, no one could be expected to yield to anyone else. If they truly held a selection process, they could argue until the seas ran dry and the stones crumbled.
Before the opening of the colonies, they could still have held an all-army competition or organized live-force confrontation exercises.
But now, one only needed to look at the Holy Roman Empire's