Amschel pressed down the hand his younger brother had reached toward the teapot and stared at him. "If Britain's war effort goes poorly—like it did a few years ago—the paper money the British pay us will be as worthless as fallen leaves carpeting the ground, and the family will go bankrupt because of it!"
Salomon picked up the teapot with his other hand, filled the cup, and handed the brewed tea to his elder brother. "My dear brother, you must have faith in the British.
"They have vast colonies in India and North America and control most maritime trade. So even if they suffer one or two defeats, they can swiftly regain their strength.
"Believe me, the British will certainly win this war.
"Even if their army cannot defeat the French, they can wear their opponent to death through a war of attrition."
Amschel accepted the teacup but still shook his head. "I'm afraid you're being overly optimistic. The British are in a very passive position now..."
Salomon poured himself a cup of tea as well and smiled. "Passive? No. According to the information I've received, they are already preparing to strike back." "Oh? Is that so?"
Salomon leaned forward and lowered his voice. "You may not have realized it, but the entire European Continent harbors resentment toward France.
"In the last war, Prussia lost control of Cologne and Nassau, while Austria lost all of Italy and South Germany. As their economies worsen, anti-French sentiment within their countries has been steadily rising."
"That's true," Amschel said with a nod. "And there are the Netherlands. They lost a third of their territory."
Salomon took a sip of tea and continued, "Even in the Italian Region, which appears to have joined France's Common Market, the Italians do not actually like the French.