Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology - Chapter 1168

Capítulo 1168: WW1: Creation of the European Union (1)

The news of the Bharatiya Empire launching attacks across every European colony in Africa struck like a magnitude-nine earthquake, its shockwaves rippling through the entire continent. To say the public’s reaction to the news was intense would be an understatement.

In an Italian restaurant.

“What! How can that be?” An older gentleman showed a look of astonishment and got up while spilling the wine on the table.

“What happened, old fool? Why are you making such a ruckus?” The proprietor asked.

“Take a look at this.” The old man quickly turned the paper over and showed it to the proprietor.

The proprietor was angry, but he still glanced at the newspaper, and the next moment his eyes widened in disbelief. “Holy Lord, oh god! Is this true?”

“How can this be?”

At a Prussian factory.

“Hey, have you guys heard the Bharatiya Empire has attacked all the European colonies in Africa and defeated the colonial armies all within a week?” A 16 or 17-year-old boy finished his work and excitedly asked as his shift ended when they were about to go home.

“Yeah, I heard it, my old man was talking about it, but if you ask me, these kingdoms deserve it, or else why would they betray their ally and backstab the Bharatiya Empire?”

“That’s true, thankfully His Highness was smart and did not fall for the allure of the coalition forces.”

In an English market.

“How can this be? How are the prices so high all of a sudden?” A merchant asked, his face not hiding the anger.

The wholesaler smiled wryly and took off his cap. “I am sorry, gentleman, but due to the empire losing contact with our colonies in Africa, the large grain procurers are unwilling to sell the grain they have hoarded.”

“You can wait for a while, maybe the people at the top will think of a solution, or you can buy it now at the current price. Who knows, the price might actually go up in the future.”

The merchant, thinking of various possibilities, finally gritted his teeth and ordered. “I will have four tonnes of wheat, two tonnes of maize, and four tonnes of potatoes.”

He was not oblivious to what was happening. He had read the newspapers as well, he was simply betting that the war would escalate, driving up the prices of goods and allowing him to profit as a middleman.

Amsterdam, Netherlands.

A middle-aged man got down from the carriage in a hurry, his expression tense. Ever since he had read today’s newspaper in the morning about the Bharatiya Empire’s attack on the African colonies, a bad feeling had settled in his gut. He had invested nearly half of his savings in the stock market, with most of it tied up in companies that produced industrial goods. Over the years, he had made a considerable profit, but the recent news of the Bharatiya Empire defeating the European colonies in Africa and taking them over had made him restless.

Unlike an ignorant investor, he was cautious. He understood the supply chains of the companies he invested in, and he knew that nearly ninety percent of them procured their raw materials from the colonies, mostly from Africa. When he had first invested, he had not considered this a serious problem; he had even seen it as an advantage, even over companies that sourced raw materials from America, which was much farther away, given how cheap those materials were. Now, that very advantage had turned into a disadvantage, and he feared that a sudden market crash could evaporate both his profits and his investment.

His heart was beating rapidly, but he still summoned the courage in his heart to look up. When he saw the list of numbers, all written in a dazzling red, as if those numbers were drenched in blood, he immediately collapsed to the ground.

“My savings!” He broke out into a pitiful cry that sounded extremely tragic, but unfortunately, there was no one to console and comfort him. After all, in the middle of the people who had lost everything and were actually trying to end their lives, his condition was not that bad.

Such was the situation throughout Europe; some people were in disbelief, some were surprised, some were gloating, while others were angry. Stock markets across Europe plunged, leading to a deadly dip in the markets that led to an equivalent of 200 to 300 million Varaha disappearing from the stock market, evaporating in thin air.

Prices of commodities imported from Africa shot through the roof, and the industries of the European conglomerates, once like racehorses galloping at full speed without reins, came to a sudden halt, as if those very horses had been violently tripped by a barbed-wire fence.

The news of the European defeat in Africa, which struck like a bolt from the blue and plunged the entirety of Europe into a quagmire, sounded like the purest music of heaven to the Bharatiya Empire’s allies, who were still struggling in Europe, namely the Israelites, the Egyptians, and the Greeks.

The Greeks had suffered a lot since the loss of the Bharatiya Navy in the Mediterranean Sea. Although the Republic of Anatolia and Syria are relatively safe, where, apart from the coastal regions, the inland areas are still firmly controlled by the respective republican governments with the help of the reinforcements sent by the Bharatiya Empire through land, the Greek mainland is experiencing constant harassment from the enemy on all four sides. Currently, the entire coastline has been lost, and the living space is being compressed every passing moment.

For the Greeks on the Greek mainland who were living in such perilous situations, the news about the Bharatiya Empire’s victory was nothing short of an adrenaline injection, completely reversing their morale and giving them the courage to fight on and hold out until the Bharatiya Empire comes with reinforcements.

There was even a festive atmosphere in the major cities, with people laughing, singing, and dancing after so long.

Noticing the situation unfold out of expectation, the kings and rulers throughout Europe, in a rare unanimous decision, came to an understanding that the problem of the Bharatiya Empire had to be tackled together in a more united manner.

For that exact reason, a meeting was convened for everyone to discuss the next move.

The Hague, Netherlands.

The atmosphere in The Hague is extremely serious and sombre. The entire city is in a lockdown; it’s as if even a dog could not be seen outside. The only people that could be seen were the soldiers of various countries patrolling the streets throughout the day and throughout the week. Even horses could be heard galloping every few minutes, putting the citizens of The Hague on the edge of their seats, making them extremely restless and nervous.

In such an atmosphere, kings from various kingdoms entered the palace of Mauritshuis one by one with dark expressions on their faces. After all, not a single nation in the entirety of the European continent could say that it was not affected by the actions of the Bharatiya Empire.

“Thank you, respected noblemen and members of royalty, for attending this meeting on such short notice,” Charles II Stuart said, inclining his head politely. “I will be direct. Whether through direct attacks on our territories or through the severe damage inflicted upon our economies, the Bharatiya Empire has struck us all. This gathering exists for one reason: to decide how we will respond and what course of action we will take together. In my view, there is only one way to face the Bharatiya Empire, and that is through unity.”

There was absolute silence within the palace, all eyes focused on the King of England, but at this time, a young man stood up with a stern expression on his face and spoke passionately.

“I fully agree with the words of His Highness Charles, both in ideology and in spirit. The Bharatiya Empire, no matter how reluctant we may be to admit it, is a behemoth that cannot be confronted alone. However, if we stand united, then the situation becomes an entirely different matter.”

The speaker was none other than Juan Jose Domingo Joseph Fernando de Austria, the Crown Prince of Spain.

His words left everyone in thought, but Balthazar Charles, the Emperor of Spain, let out a deep and turbulent breath. He now understood that he seemed to have made a mistake siding with the coalition, but alas, it was already too late to regret, and his health is not what it used to be. So even though it was mostly due to his crown prince that he made the decision, he had no energy to scheme in the court, go against an entire faction, and change the prince.

“Aren’t we already united as a coalition? I wonder what more this meeting proposes?” Alfonso IV de Braganza enquired, his heart filled with regret. He initially thought that the Bharatiya Empire, even if it wanted to take revenge and counterattack, would keep the conflict isolated to the Mediterranean, but he did not expect that the Bharatiya Empire would not make any moves in Europe but start conquering its assets outside the playground.

As soon as Alfonso, the King of Portugal, asked such a question, the nations that once had a good relationship with the Bharatiya Empire, or even a trade relationship, like the Federation of Italy and Slavic Byzantium, looked at the three kings due to whom the meeting was held with an inquiring gaze.

The King of England, Charles, did not answer but simply looked at Louis XIV. The stadtholder of the Netherlands, William III of Orange, as well as his chosen successor, John William Friso van Nassau-Dietz, looked at the King of France.

Louis, knowing that the time to play his role had arrived, stood up unhurriedly and attracted all the attention in the room.

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