In Austria, a group of merchants crowded around a long wooden table in a warm, bustling tavern, voices raised in excitement as they relived every throw and takedown from the Olympic wrestling and mixed martial arts finals. Tankards clinked, and the room buzzed with animated debates over who should've won by points and who had shown true warrior spirit.
In Prussia, the streets of Berlin had turned into a festival of their own. People danced to lively music, mugs of beer sloshing as they cheered for their hometown hero, Karl Fischer, who had brought home a silver medal. Bonfires crackled, and the entire capital felt like it was beating to one proud, jubilant rhythm.
In the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, a circle of sharply dressed bankers erupted in laughter and applause inside a private club. They had placed a hefty wager on several events, and every result had swung their way.
