The Shadow of Great Britain

Moreover, due to Prussia's long-term rule, the guys from Northern Germany generally tend to be traditional monarchists like Bismarck.

As for Southern Germany, while the Southerners retain many Catholic traditions, the Napoleonic Wars impacted them significantly, and the Southern German states were widely affected by the Great Revolution in France. These Southerners living in cities commonly carry a bourgeois form of liberalism. In this respect, a certain German poet rumored to live in the dirty alleys of Paris, gnawing on black bread, is a typical representative.

Although Heinrich Heine was a Prussian, because his hometown Dusseldorf is located in the Rhenish region, and as it was part of the former Rhein Confederation, Dusseldorf was not incorporated into Prussian territory until after the Napoleonic Wars. Therefore, Heine is quite different from Bismarck; he is an atypical Prussian and a quintessential Rhinelander.

If one were to ask about the characteristics of Rhinelanders, ask that fellow Bismarck, and you'll know.

Bismarck's original words were: "Rhinelanders are born plebeians; how the English view the Americans is exactly how I view the Rhinelanders; that place is the wild West of Prussia. In the Prussian legal system, if you choose to work at home after passing the judicial exam, your apprenticeship period will be three years, but if you are willing to go to the Rheinland, this period will be reduced to two years. Now, do you understand what I mean, Professor?"

Fortunately, Arthur did not invite Bismarck to tonight's drinking party.

Because most of the people attending today are Germans like Heine from the Rhineland.

Mendelssohn was born in the Frankfurt Free City. Although Frankfurt can be considered part of Northern Germany, as a commercial and financial center that commands attention across all of Germany, most Frankfurters inherently question the bureaucratic nature of Prussia.

Moreover, they truly have the ground to question their violence-worshipping neighbor. The liberalism advocated by the people of Frankfurt has produced many illustrious financial families that are renowned across Europe, such as the Bethmann family, the Stein family, and Arthur's old friends, the Rothschild family.

As luck would have it, the Mendelssohn family is also a notable family in Frankfurt. Although their family banking business was not as successful as Rothschild, it still holds some fame within the Germanic region.

And his brother-in-law, Mr. Dirichlet, hails from the small town of Dillun in the large Southern German state of the Kingdom of Bavaria. As a mathematician who initially studied under Gauss in Gottingen and then under Fourier and Laplace at the Paris Institute of Technology, Mr. Dirichlet's political views need no further explanation.

After all, if you trace back seriously, Dirichlet should even call Napoleon a fellow student, as they both once attended Laplace's lectures.

As for the political prisoner Mr. List, who could even be expelled in the Wurttemberg Duchy of Southern Germany for having too liberal ideas, one can only imagine how he is viewed by the Prussian government.

However, among the four Germans, Krupp might find himself getting along with Bismarck.

But this may not be because Krupp's thoughts are so similar to Bismarck's; it is merely because this fellow is an expert at saying whatever is suitable to whomever is listening.

To secure orders from Arthur and save the family-owned steelworks, Krupp is practically putting his life on the line today.

This 22-year-old lad, coming and going with high spirits, has completely transformed himself into an oversized Fudel wine cask in the winery, making Arthur, the 'Royal Great Britain wine cask' appointed by the Liverpool clergy, feel quite inferior.

And merely drinking is not all there is to it; Krupp has kept his wits sharp through the influence of alcohol, actively enlivening the atmosphere at the table. Such a performance would make anyone who still has a shred of conscience believe that this lad is bound to achieve great things in the future.

Perhaps because Germans tend to be serious and rigid, thus when these guys get drunk, they turn even more boisterous than the French.

Even the religious issues, which they dare not satirize openly in their usual lives, can be boldly discussed under the influence of alcohol.

Arthur boldly raised the topic.

"Priest? I heard someone mention the priest. Oh, priests are the most hypocritical. However, occasionally, you can find a few genuine ones. Wasn't there a Pauline Order tavern seen on the way here? Actually, I've encountered some members of the Pauline Order before, who claim to be Ascetics and have no material pursuits. But I clearly saw a Pauline Order Priest walking across the square arm in arm with a girl."

That priest was vigorous and stout, well-built, with bright eyes, a serene demeanor, and rosy complexion, nothing like someone who practiced asceticism. He had a charming girl at his arm, singing and gazing affectionately at the priest, occasionally pinching his cheek as a gesture of intimacy."

When I saw this, I approached the chubby priest jokingly and said, 'Father, as God's Angel Envoy, your fate isn't bad at all, even enviable. Your rosy complexion shows your health and joy. Plus, with a lovely girl accompanying you for a walk, it seems you're quite satisfied with the profession of a Pauline Order Priest.'