Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 630 - 203: The Arms Dealer Who Doesn’t Stick to His Business

Kenya is located in the tropical monsoon zone, with plains along the coast that receive ample rainfall, highlands in the middle, and desert in the north.

Due to its rich mineral resources, it was incorporated into the domain of the Austrian Colonial Government years ago, but the real development has only been along the coastal plains, with other areas being under nominal rule only.

Kenya is bordered by Somalia to the east, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and touches Ethiopia and South Sudan to the north, with the southeastern shore lying along the Indian Ocean.

Because of its unique geographic location, local commercial trade in Kenya prospered suddenly after the outbreak of the Second Ethiopian War.

Every day, a huge amount of goods flowed into the Ethiopian region. The Ethiopian Army had been able to hold out until now, greatly due to this trade route.

New Sarthu, originally just a colonial stronghold on the Kenya-Ethiopia border, had begun to take on the appearance of a small town, thanks to the commercial boom brought about by the war.

In an ordinary manor to the east of the city lay the base of Sandels, a major Austrian arms dealer.

At this moment, a young man burst in panting, "Mr. Sandels, disaster has struck! News just came from home that the British are trying to cut off our trade with Ethiopia using diplomatic means."

The middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes grew somber, then quickly recovered, "Moss, slow down, the sky isn’t falling."

After calming himself, Moss said, "It’s said that because the front line is stalled, the British Army has been unable to make a breakthrough, and there’s too much pressure from public opinion at home.

A week ago, those despicable British issued a diplomatic note to the Vienna Government, demanding that we cooperate and sever the trade routes with Ethiopia.

They call themselves custodians of free trade, but when they encounter a little trouble, they want to break the principle of trade freedom, it’s simply..."

Sandels interrupted, "All right, I’ve got the picture. Sit down and have a cup of coffee, it’s not as serious as you think."

Moss, bewildered, asked, "Why do you...? Mr. Sandels, if the Vienna Government agrees to the British request, we won’t be able to carry on with our trade!"

Cutting off someone’s livelihood is like killing their parents. If the British cut the trade line, they would be cutting off their source of wealth.

The world has been almost entirely divided up by colonial empires, and it’s tough for arms dealers to get by. They’ve finally encountered a great war, and if they’re not allowed to profit from it, Moss has every reason to be angry.

Sandels patted Moss on the shoulder, "Keep your cool, Moss. Remember, as a qualified arms dealer, you must stay calm at all times.

The situation isn’t as bad as you imagine. Even if the Vienna Government agrees to sever trade with Ethiopia, does it really mean our trade routes are cut off?"

Moss asked uncertainly, "You mean to suggest—smuggling?"

Compared to regular trade, smuggling unquestionably increases the risk substantially, with the usual punishment being a fine that could bankrupt anyone if caught.

Sandels said coldly, "As long as you know, why say it out loud? From Kenya to Somalia, our border with Ethiopia is so long, how could they possibly enforce a blockade?

Even if the government could do it, why would they want to help the British?

I bet the Vienna Government wishes the Ethiopian war would last ten or eight years. As long as the Colonial Government is willing to turn a blind eye, can the British really come onto our turf to crack down on smuggling?

What concerns me more is that the Ethiopian government is running out of money. They’ve already offered a large amount of goods as collateral in the past two trades, which says a lot."

Smuggling is just basic operations for arms dealers; in fact, legal arms dealers are a rare breed, usually with government backing.

If ordinary arms dealers don’t know how to smuggle, they cannot survive in the cutthroat international competition.

As a top figure among arms dealers, Sandels naturally knows when to engage in legal trade and when to resort to smuggling.

Moss asked uncertainly, "Mr. Sandels, does this mean our trade with the Ethiopians is about to end?"

As a partner, Moss was well aware of how difficult it was to find a client with strong purchasing power.

If the Ethiopians run out of money, the deal would naturally come to an end. Arms dealers don’t engage in charity; everything revolves around profit.

Sandels nodded, "Judging by the current situation, we should still be able to go on for a few more months. In theory, we could still accept land as collateral from the Ethiopians, though the risk is somewhat high."

Exchanging territory for debt repayment was a common method used by European colonizers in the early stages of colonization, especially when their own strength was insufficient.

Moss realized instantaneously. Having been sent by his family to engage in the arms trade, he was naturally no fool; otherwise, he would not have qualified to become a partner with the cunning and shrewd Sandels.

After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Mr. Sandels, are you planning to transition into becoming a colonial merchant?"

At that time, the arms trade was not as wildly profitable as in later years, and arms dealers were not so dedicated. They would simply engage in whatever business was profitable.

Besides arms trading, Sandels also dealt in overseas trade, for instance: bringing specialty products from the African Continent back home for sale, or importing industrial and commercial products from home to sell overseas.

These businesses had many competitors, and the profits were far less lucrative than arms trading; they could only be considered side jobs.

Sandels replied with a smile, "Can I not?"

"Of course not; it’s just somewhat sudden. Colonial merchants are not having an easy time nowadays, especially those in inland colonies. Many are operating at a loss," Moss explained.

Sandels shook his head, "It is precisely because they are operating at a loss that there are opportunities. If the profits were rich, they would have been seized by the big shots long ago, and we wouldn’t even get a sip of the broth.

I had planned to buy a piece of colonial land with cash, but those Colonial Companies are too cunning. They’re asking for a fortune for a worthless piece of land.

I can only take the risk of targeting the Ethiopian region. My appetite isn’t big, just a few thousand square kilometers of land would satisfy me.

Such a small amount of land would hardly be worth the British’s concern. The local natives are not an issue. The biggest trouble is turning a profit.

But that’s only temporary. Land resources are non-renewable, while the population is constantly growing. Sooner or later, its value will become apparent.

Ten years ago, Kenya was still a Savage Land; now it boasts 800,000 immigrants, and this number continues to grow at a rate of 13% per year.

Of course, this is caused by a large-scale immigration policy, and this growth rate can only be maintained for four to five years before it starts to decline.

But that’s enough. It’s very possible that the population in the Kenya region will surpass two million in ten years.

By then, regions bordering Kenya will also benefit. As a junction between the Anglo-Austrian colonies, smuggling just a bit of goods towards the British colonial areas would be enough to recover the operational cost of the colony.

What do you think, Moss? Are you interested in getting involved? If a conflict between the United Kingdom and Austria breaks out in the future, we might even become nobility."

Moss furrowed his brow, internally complaining countless times. Situated at the junction of two colonial powers, the area would immediately become a battlefield if conflict erupted between the two countries.

Want to make money? First, you have to survive! Most such adventurers end up losing everything.

During the height of the Anglo-Austrian conflicts, thousands of people from both sides died in the clashes every year, ending only when the British ran low on manpower.

Even now, the borders between the two countries’ colonies remain one of the most dangerous areas. Many cases of murder for loot occur, with perpetrators simply fleeing across the border to safety—it’s rife with cross-border crimes.

Moss declined, "I’m sorry, Mr. Sandels, the resources required for this venture are too great for me to decide on my own."

Sandels was not disappointed. What he sought was cooperation with Moss’s family, not just this young man.

It didn’t matter if the partnership failed. There were too many ambitious second-generation youths in Austria, and Sandels was confident in his rhetoric; swaying a few collaborators was not an issue.

This was the plight of an upstart; Sandels had struggled for over twenty years to gain the capital to join the colonial wave, sadly missing the best opportunities.

Even now, he needed to find collaborators. On his own, he might just manage to run a well-established colony, but in these border areas, sufficient military force was essential.

Including the arms trade, his choice to partner with Moss was to take advantage of the connections and networks behind him.

Sandels generously stated, "No worries, there’s no rush. To acquire colonial land from the Ethiopians, we must wait until they are at their wits’ end. It’s still too early for that!"

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