African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 204: Chapter 192: Welcoming

”Dear, what are you daydreaming about?” Queen Carlota woke up the contemplative Maximiliano I.

”Oh, it’s nothing, I was just thinking deeply about some issues just now,” Maximiliano I said, as if awakening from a dream.

Queen Carlota said with some concern, ”You aren’t still pining over Mexico, are you?” After all, Maximiliano I had just mentioned Mexico with a look of gritted teeth.

It was Queen Carlota who had initially urged Maximiliano I to go to Mexico, but the days in Mexico shattered her queenly dreams.

During those days, she would have nightmares every day, fearing that she and Maximiliano I would be tortured and executed by Mexican mobsters.

Maximiliano I took Queen Carlota’s hand, comforting her, ”Don’t worry, we will never go back to that place Mexico, I was actually just thinking about some matters regarding the East Africa colony, and was considering proposing some suggestions to Prince Constantine since our daughter will be the lady of East Africa in the future.”

...

In the beer hall.

”The person whom His Majesty Maximiliano I is personally receiving must be of some significance. Do you think it could be Prince Constantine or His Highness the Prince arriving in East Africa?” Miller asked Schultz.

”Ah! Who knows, the boss himself just said that the city announced a lockdown today because some big figure is docking in Dar es Salaam, but they didn’t specify who exactly.

However, the only people who could be personally received by His Majesty Maximiliano I would likely be royalty.” Schultz responded.

...

On the Peace.

”Sir, we can disembark now, the East Africa government is ready to receive us.” Kino reported to Prince Constantine in the study.

”Oh, got it!”

Prince Constantine put down his book, stretched lazily, and said, ”This past month at sea has been torture, finally, we can return to land.”

”Sir, that’s not what you and the young master said back then.” Kino teased.

”Haha, as people get older, they can’t help but feel defeated. I was just talking back then, my body certainly can’t compare to the young ones,” Prince Constantine said, ”Alright, have the people pack my things, let’s disembark.”

”Yes, sir.” Kino replied respectfully.

Prince Constantine walked out of the study, where the head guard Anderson was already waiting outside the door.

”Your Highness!” Anderson saluted.

Prince Constantine instructed, ”Let’s go!”

The crew on the ship waved greetings to the staff onshore.

”Orchestra ready!”

A German symphony with exotic attributes began to play, accompanied by the sound of Arabian traditional instruments and a blend with European instruments, which sounded quite strange.

The people and officials of East Africa found it somewhat enjoyable, but Prince Constantine, with his certain musical literacy, and the Maximiliano I couple who came to greet were struggling, thinking, what is this?

Maximiliano I turned to look at the officials of Dar es Salaam beside him, his eyes full of confusion.

Martin, the Mayor of Dar es Salaam, explained, ”Your Grand Duke, as you know, the East Africa colony is newly established with no investment in areas like music which is why we lack professional musicians and musical instruments, so we borrowed some personnel and instruments from the Sultanate of Zanzibar to arrange this welcome ceremony.”

Martin, being Austrian, habitually referred to Maximiliano I as Austria’s Grand Duke Ferdinand.

”But even so, couldn’t they even organize a band? I hear the performance of European instruments isn’t very professional!” Maximiliano I questioned.

”Your Grand Duke might not know, though East Africa has a large population, the area is vast, and we in Dar es Salaam are merely a temporary stop for immigrants, with the permanent population only in tens of thousands scale.

Moreover, the immigrants are uneducated and have not received musical education either, so claiming East Africa can’t organize a band isn’t accurate, there’s bound to be a few among so many people who have come into contact with instruments.

But it’s blatantly apparent that Dar es Salaam lacks this capability, we received the news only a few days ago that Prince Constantine was coming, searched all over Dar es Salaam, still couldn’t find a few music-knowing people.

Those performing with German instruments over there were even drawn from local officers and a few government officials.

Only a small number of Heixinggen Military Academy graduates, who once accessed instruments in Germany or some officials of fallen noble origin.

Heixinggen Military Academy doesn’t have music classes, but some culture teachers are renowned from various regions, knowing a bit of music. This led some Heixinggen students to access music, while a few more encountered it incidentally during corporate internships after graduation.

But such individuals are a rarity even in Heixinggen, increasingly rare when spread across East Africa.

The fallen aristocrats are management personnel employed by the Heixinggen Syndicate, with East Africa being such a vast area, it takes people with cultural literacy to govern, like handling documents and statistical data.

Though most of the German region has implemented compulsory education, a stint in the Prussian army might bring it back to naught, apart from particular units, mostly, it might just be a little bit of German needed for letter writing, with math barely used.

The noble channels for advancement in Prussia are relatively smooth, considering in recent years (since the 19th century), there have been two major military reforms in Prussia, those capable naturally enter the military, others might start industries based on family foundations.

And yet those who don’t strive or work hard, Ernst himself might not even esteem them, but the fallen aristocrats from neighboring Austria, having no place to serve the country, seem quite decent to Ernst. After all, Prussia has already screened once whereas Austria-Hungary remains as is, and Franz along with the Austrian government can only patch and mend the empire wherever possible, significant action would be obstructed by the conservative Hungarian government that values noble identity.

Management personnel within the Heixinggen Syndicate mostly aren’t average people either, to get into the Heixinggen Syndicate, at least a secondary school education is needed, in this age accessing secondary education basically means they aren’t common people.

This is also why numerous Austrian fallen nobility descents govern regions in East Africa, in essence, East Africa serves as a raw material source for the Heixinggen Syndicate, naturally requiring many personnel to manage it.

It’s not about mistrusting German mercenaries and Heixinggen Military Academy students but clearly, there aren’t enough talents. The mercenary force itself consisted of only over two thousand people; losses incurred during East African expansion were considerable, many were also interspersed in the army, and Heixinggen Military Academy students were not much better, accelerated training requires two to three months at least, and to counterbalance mercenaries’ influence within the military, they’ll also fill the ranks.

Considering all this, talents within East African colonies significantly occupy military roles, the remaining allocated among various administrative functions in East African cities feel like a drop in the ocean as East Africa expanded too fastly, just counting the number of cities has reached a dozen.

”The music at this welcome ceremony is atrociously unbearable, whether Prince Constantine is satisfied or not, I am very dissatisfied. I must surely speak to that boy Ernst, cultural education within East Africa cannot be ignored,” Maximiliano I stated.

Martin stood aside pretending not to hear, these matters weren’t for him to meddle in. With Maximiliano I’s high status, being the father-in-law to the big boss, he needed to stay careful.

At that moment Constantine really was bewildered, what is this performance? Although not a cultural person himself, his family background imparted him an elementary music appreciation ability, and this music was unbearably difficult to listen to! The rhythm was all wrong.

Fortunately, Maximiliano I came forward to relieve Prince Constantine’s awkwardness at this point, ”Your Highness, you’ve finally arrived in East Africa!”

”Are you Grand Duke Ferdinand?” Constantine asked uncertainly, having met Maximiliano I in person previously when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was still the Austrian Empire, and Maximiliano I was just a youngster.

Later, upon going to discuss marital matters with the Habsburg family, Maximiliano I happened to be in Mexico, and they didn’t meet.

This was now their second meeting, yet Maximiliano I had changed greatly, apart from the erosion of time, his appearance altered largely, temperament too had shifted, missing the earlier flamboyance and confidence, instead exuding a sense of maturity and steadiness.

Constantine didn’t address Maximiliano I by his emperor title but referred to him as Grand Duke Ferdinand, sparing him from reopening old wounds, for Mexico remains an eternal scar for Maximiliano.