The sudden sound of gunfire frightened everyone!

Although muskets were not new in Europe at this time, they were still very rare.

Now that such a dense burst of gunfire was heard, both the nobles in the monastery and the Zagrebs outside thought of "this is an army".

In fact, their guesses were correct, and the Zagreb army, which had just been sent to inspect the castle of Alijoe, had indeed been attacked by an "army" on the way.

From the streets, around the corners, some soldiers who were suddenly hit by bullets from behind the carriages that had been temporarily pushed into the middle of the road screamed and fell down the road, and many more fled in panic because of the sneak attack.

It was only when they finally took refuge far away, hiding behind some houses and carefully peeking out, that they realized that they didn't know when the road to the castle of Arrijoe had been blocked.

"Anyone else?" Listening to the gunshot, the Zagreb nobleman who was standing with Alexander asked in surprise.

"It's a fortified place, but I'm not stupid enough to let myself be trapped in this monastery," Alexander said, patting the thick brick walls, "so do you think I'll be the only ones, or just the ones led by Viscount Helva, believe me we're much stronger than you think." ”

"What do you want?"

"Of course, I hope for your cooperation, the viscount is about to inherit the title of Duke of Zagreb, and you are the hero who helped him accomplish this feat, is this arrangement satisfactory to everyone?"

Seeing the hesitant look on the other party's face, Alexander did not urge, but turned back to look at the monastery: "Those people are dead, believe me you are now the most influential people in Zagreb, of course, if you don't agree, it doesn't matter, I can use you as a hostage to force the two castles to surrender." ”

"You're not going to do that!"

"I'm going to do it, I'm already doing it, and now all you have to do is make a choice before the army below decides to surrender or neutralize." Seeing the other party's surprised expression, Alexander smiled, "Why do you think I want to release the abbot, or what do you think will happen to those troops after seeing the viscount himself?" ”

"There's no way they're going to surrender to Helva!"

"But they won't be stupid enough to be his enemy, so their choice is to remain neutral, and the viscount is leading my army, and they only follow my orders."

The look on the nobleman's face changed instantly, and he was uneasy.

As Alexander said, the army facing Viscount Herva ultimately chose "neutrality".

"I am the son of Duke Signaci and the rightful heir of the Duke!" Helva shouted to the Zagreb soldiers, who were hesitant at first, "If any of you think I am not worthy of that noble crown, stand up and challenge me now, if not I ask you to stand by my side!" ”

The soldiers pushed and shoved against each other, and although they were separated by a street, they could feel the commotion among them, some whispering, others arguing in whispers, and the officers looking at each other in front of the abbot.

"It's time to make a decision, the throne of the Duke of Zagreb needs to have someone sit on it," the dean looked at the officers with a hint of excitement in his eyes, the promise Alexander had given him before made him decide to take this risk, in fact, even if Helva failed, there was nothing to lose to the dean, and afterwards he could have deduced that he had to cooperate with those people in order to ensure the safety of the abducted nobles, and now seeing the appearance of both officers and soldiers, the dean felt that his adventure could be rewarded more perhapsHe decided to push harder, "And that's not something you can decide, is it?" ”

With a "snap", one of the officers stuck his sword on a porch on the side of the road, and then took a step back.

"It's a matter for the nobles who will inherit Zagreb, and now all the nobles are trapped in the monastery, so it's really not for us to decide."

"That's right, we don't have the right to go to war against a nobleman without an order, but I won't support an exile," the other officer also poked his sword on the porch, "I choose not to help anyone." ”

One or two people made a decision, and more followed, and the soldiers began to move out of the way on both sides of the road, all the while they watched the mountain people on the opposite side vigilantly, on the alert that they would suddenly launch a sneak attack.

Helva looked at the other side with emotion, he didn't expect things to be so simple, or that the Duke's throne, which he had thought might break out in a war to regain from the beginning, was suddenly realized in such a way, which made him feel a little unbelievable.

"We choose neutrality, but you have to make sure not to hurt the nobles of the monastery," an officer said to Helva, who was gradually walking in, "We obey the orders of the council of nobles who made the final decision. ”

"I can guarantee the safety of most people," Helva tried to look as calm as he could, but only he knew how hard his heart was beating at this time, "but I must avenge my father, I will punish those who participated in my father's murder, and they must pay for their actions." ”

"If so, Viscount, your purpose has been achieved," the abbot said after a little silence as he looked at Helva's face, "those have been punished, and they have atoned for their sins with their lives. ”

The abbot's words caused a commotion, and the officers looked at each other in astonishment, as if for a moment they did not know what to do with the situation, and Helva had uttered a cry of "God", and he knelt down before the abbot, and held the horn of his robe and kissed it, while at the same time he kept calling out the name of the brother Saint Cyril.

"Let's go back to the monastery and let the nobles here decide the fate of Zagreb," the abbot said to the people, and seeing that everyone's eyes were focused on him, the abbot suddenly remembered Alexander's words from earlier, "Next you are the protagonist." ”

The abbot's heart was beating slightly, he knew that this was a truly golden opportunity for him, although the people of Zagreb were very religious, but because of the impression caused by sectarian conflicts, the influence of the church in Zagreb was not as good as in other places, and now looking at the people around him, the abbot's heart began to become hot.

The idea of seizing the opportunity to become the one who could decide the fate of the city was hard to get rid of once it appeared, and just as the Dean was pondering how to take advantage of the opportunity to continue playing, the sudden burst of gunfire rang out from the direction of the Castle of Arijoe.

The sudden change caused the two sides who were already wary of each other to be in chaos in an instant, and the soldiers on both sides who were already very close immediately became tense!

"What's going on?!" The abbot's face turned blue, and he felt that he might have been deceived by the Count of Montina.

"Don't worry, Lord Dean, this should be our people who are about to attack Alihoe Castle." Little Cacho looked in the direction of the castle, and then said to Helva, who also looked ugly, "Your Excellency, please do not forget the command of the Count. ”

Herva gasped in for a large breath, feeling that if he didn't, he might collapse to the ground from too much nervousness, and he knew that if he did, he might really be done.

"My army is about to attack the castle of Alijoe, but I am here, and I promise you that I will pardon the people of the castle if they surrender," Herva said as he told himself that he must calm down, while he recalled in his mind what Alexander had told him, "I will negotiate with the nobles of the monastery, and now all you have to do is wait for news, whether it is my men or the soldiers of Zagreb, I command you to swear to me to obey my orders before then." ”

Viscount Helva's words made it difficult for the people of Zagreb to make a decision for a while, which made their eyes turn to the abbot.

"Viscount, are you willing to swear in the name of God that you will keep the promise you made today?" The dean looked at Helva, in fact, the dean was also nervous at this time, looking at the soldiers who looked unkind and full of suspicion, the dean had already scolded Alexander in his heart, and the sudden gunfire like all the people really scared him, "Swear that what you said can withstand the test in front of you, swear Viscount!" ”

The last tone of the dean's voice was already a little gnashing of teeth, although he still tried to maintain a calm and calm appearance on the outside, but in fact, only he knew that his legs were trembling slightly at this time, if the viscount was a little hesitant, with his knowledge of these soldiers, maybe he might be the first to be the victim.

Fortunately, the viscount obviously knew what to do, or the Duke of Zagreb's bloodline finally played a role at this moment, and watching him swear in front of the cross, the atmosphere between the two sides who were already going to do it finally eased a little.

"Let Arrihoe and the Right Bank surrender." Helva took the opportunity to give orders to the officers, and he felt that this moment was probably the most energetic he had been in decades, and watching the officers listen carefully to his orders, the viscount couldn't help but think of what Alexander had said to him before about a lifetime of cowards and momentary warriors.

"Follow me to the monastery!" Standing in the middle of the road, the viscount shouted to the troops standing on both sides of the street, still facing each other, "Follow me to witness the holy moment when Zagreb is once again welcoming their duke!" ”

Alexander listened attentively to the commotion outside, and there was no one but more than twenty nobles standing opposite him, who had become almost the highest ranking people in Zagreb after the execution of the great nobles, and some of the little people in the two castles of Arijoe and the Right Bank, so to speak, now he was in control of the fate of the city.

What would have happened if all these people had suddenly died in the monastery today? Alexander couldn't help but think about it, and after a little speculation, based on what he knew a little about the genealogy of Bosnia, he was slightly surprised to find that the Rova, who was now quite famous in Northern Bosnia? The Marquis would obviously be the ultimate beneficiary.

This is because if such a terrible thing really happens, it is clear that Viscount Herva is bound to lose his status as the rightful heir of Zagreb, and it is impossible for anyone to tolerate a man who slaughtered all the nobility to become the ruler of the city, so Rova? Although the marquis is not related by blood, the biggest contender for the throne of the Bosnian king is likely to be elected by the Bosnian nobles as the future Duke of Zagreb.

This may sound like a bit of a contradiction, but one has to look at the kings who have been pushed out to the throne of Hungary to know that it is not impossible, and the death of Duke Signacci and Roy? Whether the Marquis is related or not is still a mystery.

The commotion outside was louder and closer, mixed with shouts and shouts from what seemed to be the troops surrounding the monastery and a vague response from someone in the distance, Alexander slowly got up from the bishop's chair and looked at the nobles standing opposite: "Okay guys, I think you already know what to do, right?" ”

"You, I mean the Count, can you guarantee that the army has decided to follow Viscount Helva's orders?" A nobleman looked at his companion and asked, and when he saw the encouraging glances from the others, this man couldn't help but muster up the courage to continue, "If we want to order Zagreb to surrender, we need the support of those outside, otherwise the soldiers in the castle may disobey." ”

Alexander shook his head slightly, which made the nobles' expressions change immediately.

Alexander had met with them separately before, and had promised them their safety and that the troops of Zagreb would not oppose their opinions, but now that he shook his head, many people could not help but look at him angrily.

If they had only reached an agreement in private, they would not have detrimental to their reputation if they had not hesitated to deny the negotiations with Alexander, but now that all of them had gathered here, even denying it would be useless, and there was no guarantee that no one would tell the matter.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I think you have misunderstood, it is not that the army outside obeys the orders of the viscount, but that all of you have jointly made a decision to eradicate those criminals who once plotted to kill Duke Signacci, and at the same time support Viscount Helva's return to Zagreb to inherit his rightful position, so the army is following your orders in this matter."

The nobles looked at Alexander in amazement, they knew that their ears should be fine, but what they heard made them feel as if something was wrong.

Are these people themselves eradicating those big nobles?

Was it they who decided to support Helva and come back to inherit the throne of the Duke of Zagreb?

Or did they convince and even control the army so that it all went smoothly?

How did they not know that they were so amazing?

The nobles looked at each other, and gradually saw the same thoughts as themselves in the eyes of others.

"What will we get if we are willing to support Viscount Helva?"

Finally, someone asked the question that was in everyone's mind.

"Honor, status, and wealth," Alexander's gaze swept over the faces of those men, "do these things mean anything to you now?" ”

Alexander's rhetorical question made the nobles' faces gloomy.

The Ottomans were coming, and those things did not seem to make sense in the face of that great threat.

"Isn't it enough reason to support the Viscount, and then fight the Ottomans with him, or at least to make yourself look less weak in front of the Ottomans?"

The nobles, who had been whispering, suddenly fell silent, and all eyes were on Alexander, as if his last words had caused them to collectively lose their voices as if they were under a spell.

At this moment, everyone was pondering the true meaning of his words.

For a moment, there was an eerie silence in the room.

"You don't have much time, and you have to make a choice now whether you want to walk out of this monastery as a follower of the viscount or as a captive."

Alexander's urging caused a small commotion, but then silence followed.

People looked at each other, trying to guess from the look of their eyes, and some whispered that they were making a choice.

Alexander waited silently, he waited for a reply from the men, though he had a rough guess of how they would respond to him.

Outside the monastery there was a trumpet, which was the signal for the army to march in formation.

There was another slight commotion among the nobles, who knew that it was not an army from outside that was about to attack, but it was more frightening to them than hearing the signal of attack.

"The viscount seems to have arrived," Alexander stood up, "Tell me, my lords, now what your decision is?!" ”

The nobles looked at each other in disbelief, knowing what choice to make long before Alexander uttered the words that moved them all.

The arrival of the Ottoman army was a great crisis that Zagreb had never faced, and the Zagrebs had only two paths, either to resist or to submit.

But whatever the decision is made, Zagreb lacks a person who can unite everyone.

Resistance or submission, survival or destruction, Zagreb, where the ducal throne has been empty for too long and has never been able to make a final decision, needs someone to tell them what to do.

The noise outside was getting louder and closer, and it was already outside the door.

Then there was a knock on the door of the monastery.

Herva stared nervously at the closed convent door, his expression calm, but only he knew that his underwear, soaked from nervousness, was clinging to his body.

If the nobles of Zagreb refused to openly support him, Herva would face a dilemma of utter despair.

This was even more embarrassing and desperate than defeat on the battlefield, which could be made up for by the next victory, but if the Zagreb nobles refused to recognize him as the heir to the Duke of Zagreb, it would be a fundamental blow to him.

It didn't take long, but it was a long time for Helva.

A monotonous and dull "squeak" sounded, and the doors of the monastery slowly opened.

All eyes were on the gates of the monastery of Alijoe at this moment, and when they saw the nobles coming out of it, whether it was the army or the citizens who heard the news from afar, everyone looked at those people.

"In the name of Zagreb," a nobleman walked up to Helva, who paused and then knelt down on one knee, "Viscount, allow me to welcome you back on behalf of Zagreb, son of Duke Signaci and sole legal heir of Duke Zagreb." ”

Hearing this, Herva was slightly stunned, and then burst into tears.

On 28 February 1499, Viscount Helva, the only son of Duke Signacci, took over the castle of Alihoe in Zagreb.

Two days later, the gates of the city were opened on the right bank, which had insisted on refusing to surrender.

At the same time, an army of Montina and Balkan hill dwellers entered Zagreb.

When a peculiar equilateral triangular heraldic flag was raised along with the red diagonal cross flag of Zagreb, Viscount Helva, standing on the castle of Arijoe, embraced Alexander in front of many people.

"I will not forget the help you have given me," Helva whispered in Alexander's ear, "and I will grant you all your requests, as long as I can do it." ”

"Rest assured, my Highness, that my request will never be excessive, and you will certainly be able to do it." Alexander replied softly, too.

Hearing this, Herva couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief, and when Montina's army entered Zagreb, for a moment the viscount couldn't help but doubt whether his choice was right or wrong.

Now that he heard Alexander's promise, he finally relaxed a lot.

It's just that the viscount will soon know that he was wrong.

Alexander brought him not so much a crown of honour as a nightmare that he avoided.