Holy Roman Empire

Time flew by, and before long, it was 1885.

The previously shelved development projects in the Near East resumed, and the global economy emerged from the great depression, charging forward once again.

Everything was developing in a positive direction; adhering to the principle of "concerning oneself only with major affairs," Emperor Franz also found himself with more leisure time.

Perhaps due to age, Franz's hobbies also began to change. At some point, he developed a passion for calligraphy.

A quill was obviously not suitable for practicing calligraphy, and thus an incongruous scene unfolded: a Shinra Emperor, wielding a writing brush to practice calligraphy, was born.

Personal interests, after all, were merely that. The European nobility had plenty of eccentric hobbies; in the grand scheme, Franz's newfound pastime was nothing out of the ordinary.

No minister, with time to spare and nothing better to do, would be so foolish as to interfere with the Emperor's daily life—they weren't auditors of the great Ming dynasty.

Let alone changing writing instruments, even massive construction projects like renovating the Imperial Palace or even building a new one, nobody would question it.

The Emperor's personal finances and the state treasury were always separate; in a world where private property was sacred and inviolable, no outsider was entitled to criticize how he chose to spend his money.

Franz, unfettered, practiced his calligraphy without reservation, writing down whatever came to mind.

Any transmigrator alongside him would realize that many famous sayings and poems from the future had appeared quite abruptly on paper.

Fortunately, as time passed, Franz's memory had grown hazy, and what he wrote was often only a phrase or two; otherwise, the original authors would be thoroughly bewildered.

…

Colonial Minister Stephen: "Your Majesty, a rebellion has broken out in the French Sudan area, and the rebel army has taken the Wadi Halfa area and is advancing towards Egypt."

The outbreak of rebellion in French Sudan had been ongoing for some time. Such colonial rebellions, occurring frequently, didn't amount to news until they escalated significantly.

"Our people haven't been involved, have they?"

Franz asked with skepticism. In these times, it was all too common for the colonial empires to stab each other in the back, despite having treaties and promises to not cause trouble.

That was limited to the surface, though. What happened behind the scenes was anybody's guess; as long as one wasn't caught red-handed, it wasn't an issue.

After some thought, Colonial Minister Stephen replied, "The colonial government has not supported the rebel army. As for civilian involvement, it is currently impossible to confirm."

This was seen as an aftereffect of colonial expansion. The Austria Empire had thousands of colonial powers, both big and small, under its command, with dozens situated in the Sudan area of French Sudan.

The government's control over these groups was limited to cities and regions that had undergone local integration. Elsewhere, it was a free-for-all.

So long as national interests were not harmed, outward expansion was legal. The caveat was that the Colonial Teams must be able to secure and defend their territories on their own.

With the African Continent already carved up, those still looking to achieve further glory could only point their weapons at other colonial empires.

Many had been eager for years, but the Central Government wouldn't allow it. Without state backing, nobody was foolhardy enough to challenge a Colonial Empire.

Direct conflicts were out of the question, but stealth operations were a different story. Take the current situation, for example: if the French could not quell the rebellion, opportunities for others would arise.

After all, the African Continent was vast, and the combined area of French Egypt and Sudan alone amounted to over two million square kilometers. Carving out a small piece was enough to feed a Colonial Team.

Similar events were common worldwide. While the great colonial empires tried hard to exercise restraint, disputes over colonies still occurred frequently, mostly instigated by civilian Colonial Teams.

With an indifferent tone, Franz remarked, "Let it be, so long as the colonial government isn't involved. If civilian Colonial Teams want to go, let them. It's a good opportunity to test what the French are made of. The French government has been very busy lately; as long as we're not caught with evidence, it's all good."

This "busy" naturally referred to France's invasion of Annan and the first foreign war ignited by Napoleon IV since he came to the throne, where the French Army did not perform as expected.

Now with the Mahdi Rebel Army uprising as well, it was enough to keep the Paris Government occupied.

If the rebellion could not be held back from Egypt, the losses suffered by the French would be substantial.

If, by any chance, the Rebel Army damaged the cotton plantations in the Egypt Area with reckless abandon, the French cotton textile industry would face another serious blow.

This year, the cotton textile industry is the most important industry in France, with one-fifth of domestic industrial workers depending on this industrial chain for their livelihood.

Should any issue arise, the entire French industrial system would be affected. Not just France, but in all industrialized nations, the textile industry occupies a significant proportion.

Beyond the cotton-producing regions, there is also the Suez Canal, which is vital to the lifeblood of France. Should the rebel army reach the canal and threaten to destroy it, the Paris Government would be in trouble.

Perhaps the international powers would intervene even before the rebel army could destroy the canal.

The British, having spent countless efforts to get a grip on the Suez Canal without success, would naturally not miss an opportunity presented to them on a silver platter.

Even the seemingly conciliatory Austrian Government would not hesitate to take control of the Suez Canal themselves.

In the original timeline, it was the British who worried over these issues, and to protect the cotton-producing regions and the Suez Canal, the British Government even compromised with the local powers in Egypt.

Without the support of the Egyptian people, the Mahdi Rebel Army persisted alone for seven years before being quelled by the British. Even the British Governor of Sudan was killed by the rebel army. Experience more content on empire

Such an incident is impossible on the French side.

The French government adopts a direct administrative approach to colonies. Local forces, led by the King of Egypt, have long been suppressed.

Even the Egyptian royal family was relocated to live in Paris and met their end during the recent Paris Revolution.

Without a doubt, the French must now personally take to the field to suppress the rebellion. They must also show the might of the French Army; another incident like the one on the Indochina Peninsula would destabilize the foundation of the French Empire.

The reputation of the French Army is built upon one victory after another. A single failure may be an accident, but consecutive failures would no longer be accidental.

Without the strength befitting the world's premier land force, how can France contend with Austria with its political diplomacy, industrial economy, and resource territory lagging behind?

Colonial Minister Stephen: "I'm afraid that won't be enough. Unless we or the British fully support the rebel army, then just relying on that rabble, they won't pose any significant threat."

Franz nodded. Although the French Army's training mode and mobilization mechanisms were outdated, they had to be acknowledged as one of the world's top land forces.

In the original timeline, the Mahdist uprising lasted as long as it did mainly because the British had a very weak hold on the area, and the British forces stationed in the Sudan area were less than a battalion.

It would be different with the French. Just from French Egypt alone, they would be able to muster an army of fifty to sixty thousand, including a main division of the French Army.

"There's no need. However much they are supported, they are still no match for the French. Now is not the time for a confrontation; perhaps we can let the British give it a try."

...

Paris, having received two pieces of bad news in succession, threw cold water on the ambitions of Napoleon IV.

Annan, thousands of miles away, could endure some losses, and it would only be a minor issue. However, Egypt is different; it is one of France's most crucial colonies.

"Has it been clarified who is orchestrating this from behind the scenes?"

The rebel army did not remain in the Sudan area to claim kingship but instead headed straight for Egypt. If there was no international power pulling the strings, Napoleon IV would not believe it even if he were to die.

Interior Minister Edison answered cautiously, "Based on the intelligence we've gathered, we can confirm that the weapons in the hands of the rebel army have all been imported from the inland regions, originating from the colonies of both England and Austria.

Whether it's a scheme planned by civil colonial teams or a conspiracy by the two governments, we don't have sufficient evidence and are still unable to determine."

This was not an answer, yet it was the standard response. With the capability to cause trouble in the Sudan area, apart from themselves, both England and Austria are suspects.

No evidence is needed to directly identify the target, without any worry of wrongfully accusing the innocent.

Having determined the target is of no use without sufficient evidence; England and Austria would definitely not admit any involvement. Apart from wasting time with diplomatic wrangling, it serves no purpose.

After suppressing the anger within, Napoleon IV sighed and said slowly, "Forget it. Let's note this account for now. We'll settle it with them later.

Order the Governor of Egypt to dispatch troops to suppress the rebellion immediately. We absolutely cannot allow the rebel army to enter the Egyptian heartland."

...