The Genius Grand Duke of the Gunpowder Empire — Part 6
(The Imperial Family Does Not Endure)
America at the close of the nineteenth century, fast approaching the twentieth, was experiencing tremendous economic growth, and in proportion, tycoons sitting on colossal fortunes had firmly established themselves.
Oil king Rockefeller, steel king Carnegie, the late railroad king Vanderbilt, finance king J.P. Morgan, and others were wielding enormous influence over the American economy.
And it wasn't just them—in the land of opportunity, America, countless people were desperate to make money.
Wasn't money the most important thing in the world?
Thomas Edison was no different. Money, more money, was what would make him shine.
But one cannot succeed forever.
"Damn it, Morgan!"
Edison had held a tight grip on America's electrical distribution, but as the nineties began, his glory started to crumble.
Edison, who had pushed direct current, and Westinghouse, who had pushed alternating current. The War of the Currents ended in the nineties with Thomas Edison's one-sided defeat.
Naturally, J.P. Morgan, his investor, was erasing Edison's influence from the company over his stubborn attachment to direct current.
Edison would soon lose Edison General Electric, a company he had built by calling in every electrical firm with his very soul.
But he did not collapse. Had he not climbed this far after countless failures?
Thomas Edison was the symbol of the self-made man who had risen from the bottom to become an American tycoon.
Anyone who laughed at this failure would be a loser who feared challenge.
Thomas Edison sought an item to rise again.
And what caught his eye was film.
His company had invented the projector and even registered the patent, yet he had not paid film much attention.
What could you possibly do with a movie less than a minute long?
Of course, many were amazed even by crude one-minute films, but to Edison's eyes, they were utterly worthless.
But a few years later, films that had crossed the ocean completely overturned his thinking.
"This is it!"
A Railway Trip to the Moon, The Story of the Postman—the films that arrived from across the sea were a revolution.
Films that had lacked any color, that had been meaningless, now shone brilliantly and embroidered his mind.
The American economy was continuing to grow. And when people had money, they wanted to spend it on themselves.
But what could people do?
It was an era of guzzling booze, vomiting, and throwing punches.
Yet one couldn't very well drink every single day, and people demanded something they could enjoy while sober.
But American culture alone could not satisfy what people demanded.
Satisfying the countless peoples within America, and those of different cultures, was an extremely difficult task.
But if there was no culture, couldn't they simply bring it in?
Then where would they bring things worth consuming? Africa and Asia? Regardless of quality, no one would want them.
It was an era when it wouldn't be strange for a passing Black or Asian person to be beaten.
In a time when contempt for people of color was blatant, the culture of colored races? No one would nod their heads.
At any rate, there was obviously only one place from which to bring culture that would satisfy people.
Europe.
The center of present humanity was Europe, and the culture Americans wanted would come from there.
And Thomas Edison resolved to make money with the films that had crossed over.
Of course, the original owners' permission was unnecessary.
Why would that be needed? They had come into his hands.
Still, one should test the stepping stones before crossing.
"Where are these works from?"
"The company name is... Karl & Otto Pictures, they say."
"German, then?"
"As for that..."
It was an era where the history of film was too short; knowing more would have been stranger.
At any rate, Edison saw the future in film.
"The film industry is small and worthless now, but it will grow explosively."
Edison dreamed. An insufficient market? You simply grew it.
And if he devoured the massive market called America, money would come pouring in.
He even thought of controlling everything about film, rising far above, and kicking away the ladders of those climbing up after him.
"Hahaha!"
Edison saw money.
And truly, he raked in money with film.
The exquisitely crafted works that had even changed Edison's thinking—A Railway Trip to the Moon, The Story of the Postman, and so on—satisfied everyone in America.
To extract so much money with such little effort, time, and capital.
Wasn't film one of the industries Edison needed to grip tightly?
And before long.
"Boss..."
A secretary approached with a strange expression.
"Yes? What is it?"
"We've received word from the Austrian consulate."
***
Damn that Bokdori bastard.
Throughout this long, long journey, I repeatedly chewed one person out and tore him apart, over and over.
That's right. In the end, because of that Bokdori bastard, I had ended up stepping onto American soil.
Obstacles from the very start. First, I had to persuade my father and mother.
Who would easily send off a son who suddenly declared he was going to America while he was busy chewing up newbies at the Theresianum?
Still, Father was easy. When I said I was going to grab that Yankee bastard who stole my stuff by the hair, he laughed heartily and gave permission.
Mother was not easy, but she eventually gave her permission with a few conditions.
A fine son doesn't lose easily to his mother. When I pushed a bit hard, she didn't know what to do.
I'll have to be more filial when I get back.
Mother, I'll make sure the Empire survives, and you'll live a long, prosperous life.
"Your Highness, we will arrive shortly."
The one who had set out for America with me was Tresler. Along with a few soldiers who had followed under the pretext of being an escort.
These people were the conditions Mother had set. Tresler was a business partner, so it was natural for him to come, and as for bodyguards, the more the merrier.
Because my body is precious.
We immediately made our way to the consulate.
"G-Grand Duke, Your Highness...?"
The minister to America who saw me couldn't hide his bewilderment. He had an expression as if he'd seen a ghost.
I'd probably react the same way. If I suddenly met a member of the imperial family on distant American soil, I'd be surprised too.
Was I not a member of the imperial family with fairly high succession rights despite my youth?
"Pleased to meet you."
"I-It is an honor to meet Your Highness. But, uhm, how did you— no, more importantly, there was no contact..."
Ladislaus Hengelmüller von Hengervár, who had served admirably as a diplomat and even received a noble title.
The elite minister had been rendered a fine fool by the appearance of an imperial.
"I did not make contact. I came in secret."
"I-Is that so? Hoo..."
Do you think it is easy for an imperial to travel? Shout it throughout the neighborhood and the entourage grows for no reason.
You must move at a small scale to move secretly and finish matters quickly.
"There is something I need the minister to do."
"Me?"
"Edison. I want to invite Thomas Edison to the consulate."
"Thomas Edison, the founder of Edison General Electric, correct?"
I nodded at the minister's question.
I wanted to go find him right that moment and grab him by the hair, but matters had an order.
Even though Edison was making money in America with illegal copies of my films, there was nothing I could rightfully do.
What did that mean? There was literally nothing I could do.
At this time, patents existed, and the concept of copyright existed as well, but they could not protect film.
In short, it meant there was no legal problem whatsoever with stealing and using it.
The twenty-first century was a mess too—how much worse must this era be?
I had crossed over to America because I was pressed; if it were a problem solvable by law, I'd have sent a proxy to resolve it.
But even at the end of the nineteenth century, it wasn't as if there were no methods. Present-day America was not some pathetic nation—even the Supreme Court existed.
Of course, if you cried injustice as an ordinary person, you would lose unconditionally.
What could you do when the law didn't exist?
And would Thomas Edison sit still in his own front yard?
Even judges in the twenty-first century wagged their tails before money and influence; naturally, they would side with Edison, America's wealthy magnate.
Edison might not possess the enormous power and influence of a Rockefeller, Morgan, or Carnegie, but he was still someone who couldn't be ignored—which was why I had come personally.
***
Inviting Thomas Edison was not a difficult matter.
If the consulate extended an invitation, even big shots like Morgan or Carnegie would nod in satisfaction unless it was truly urgent.
All great matters began from such small things.
You had to make money, didn't you? If you just sat heavily on your behind, money wouldn't approach.
Though we might not be a nation on the level of Germany or Britain, we were a great empire seated in the heart of Europe.
It didn't matter that America was a democratic nation and we were a monarchy with an emperor. These were people who would go to the ends of hell if there was money to be made.
Of course, I didn't mention that I had come. Not informing another guest of attendance was a breach of etiquette in itself, but I didn't want to pay that much attention to a thief.
"We are expecting an honored guest who will grace the occasion. Would that be alright?"
"Haha, if the minister vouches for him, he must surely be a fine person."
In the room with Minister von Hengervár and Edison.
Edison laughed boldly.
At Minister von Hengervár's signal, I revealed myself at the dining table.
"Wh-Who is this?"
Edison asked Minister von Hengervár, perhaps not expecting a child to appear.
I did not introduce myself with my own mouth. The lips of an enraged imperial are heavy.
When I didn't speak, Minister von Hengervár stood beside me and said,
"This is His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Karl, the lineal grandson of His Majesty Kaiser Franz Joseph I of the great empire."
Edison's eyes went round upon hearing my identity, and he immediately rose from his seat.
"It is an honor to meet a descendant of such great blood. I am the inventor Thomas Edison."
"Pleased to meet you. I am Karl von Habsburg. I am very glad to meet the famous inventor Edison in America."
Thomas Edison laughed along when I offered a handshake with a smile.
Don't smile, you bastard. I'm not smiling because I want to.
The dinner atmosphere was amicable. I managed my expression, and despite my youth, Edison was delighted by the meeting with a member of the imperial family.
Minister von Hengervár naturally wore a smile, as he had no idea why I had come here.
"Does Your Highness watch films?"
Edison brought up film as a topic. Wasn't film what interested Edison most these days? It was only natural.
"Film... It is an industry of great interest to me."
"Oh, this is truly a joyous occasion. Have you by chance seen A Railway Trip to the Moon and The Story of the Postman?"
"Of course. Austria is a nation that takes very great interest in culture."
When I said that of course I had seen them, Edison's eyes sparkled and he spoke at great length.
How great film was, how bright the future of this industry would be, and that he too was producing films.
Though he was a man who had stolen my films, he certainly had an eye for seeing the future.
He was already filled with thoughts of dominating the American film world.
Filmmakers unable to overcome his momentum would take refuge, and in the West, that famous Hollywood would be born.
He was certainly an incredible person.
"You produce films as well?"
"Indeed. My heart pounds at this late age."
"Then how do you protect films? If you work hard making them and someone takes them arbitrarily, it seems it would be quite futile."
"Oh, to think you've considered that far—you are truly wise."
His eyes went round, perhaps not expecting a child to speak of such matters.
"Ignorant people cannot protect their rights and property. And a man like me does his utmost to protect them."
Edison said that since he had jumped into film, laws to protect film would be created soon.
And he intended to apply for various patents to kick away the ladder and crush competitors legally.
As expected of Edison. He was a thief, but truly a genius. This was something I absolutely had to learn.
But this imperial could endure no longer.
"Then what of now, while there is no law?"
"In a wild age without laws, protecting one's possessions depends solely on one's own strength."
"Then must I do my utmost to protect my films that you stole?"
"Pardon?"
"..."
Food sprayed from Minister von Hengervár's mouth.