War had erupted anew in South Africa, making the already tense international situation increasingly impossible to contain. The critical moment for choosing sides had arrived; no one could afford the slightest hesitation any longer.
The smell of gunpowder filled the entire world. Europe at this moment was like a powder keg with its fuse already lit, waiting for fate's final judgment.
Amsterdam. As international tensions mounted, this prosperous global metropolis remained bustling with traffic, yet the laughter and merriment of bygone days had vanished.
With the situation so tense, the capital market was the most sensitive of all. Before the Netherlands Government could make its final choice, the stock market had already crashed first.
Capitalists waved banknotes and bought, bought, bought. Quality no longer mattered—so long as it was an asset, someone would bid for it.
Daily necessities in particular were the most sought-after. Before ordinary people could even react, prices shot up, rising and rising and rising. Worst of all, goods were out of stock.
There was no helping it. Once the Holy Roman Empire and Britain, the two great hegemons, went to war, the North Sea would inevitably be blockaded, and long-distance maritime trade would certainly become impossible.
Domestically produced goods would be unable to leave the country, while overseas industrial raw materials would be unable to enter. The impact on the fragile Netherlands was simply too great.
Although there was still the European Continent, as a major maritime trading nation, more than half of the Netherlands' economy depended on long-distance sea trade.
Once the maritime trade routes were blockaded, ties between the homeland and its colonies would be severed. Without colonies to plunder, and forced to compete purely on manufacturing strength, the Netherlands had little competitiveness to speak of.
Having recognized the crisis, the capitalists were taking