I am busy with work and many affairs, so I will release a section of the character biography first, this time I will release the Emperor Gustav Hugh Corman, and I will talk about it when I have recovered from overtime......

Prelude to the Storm – Prelude to Storm

The summer solstice has passed, but there is still not a hint of coolness in Stillburg.

Towering walls, mossy arrow holes, glittering cannons, languishing soldiers, everything is exposed to the direct summer sun, and even the strongest magician can't diminish it.

Gustav Hugh Kerman hid in the shade of a tree in the courtyard, hiding from the blazing summer sun and looking for the cicadas that broke through the ground. Not far away, gardeners are busy in the scorching sun, mercilessly cutting off the young new shoots in order to make the branches grow more luxuriant trunks. Only these workers can make Prince Gustav recall the royal palace in the far north, and the beautiful flower beds in the palace.

He hated summer, and this heavily guarded fortress. Since the outbreak of this war, he has only returned to the capital of Teland with his father for two or three months of the year.

"Prince, Prince, it's time to practice swords!"

The slightly aged voice of his sword teacher, Sir Span von Allen, resounded in the distance in the sword arena.

Gustav looked around, only to find that he had dodged each of the hideouts at least four times. This is not the royal palace of Teresa, and there are only a handful of places where a ten-year-old prince can be hidden. After comparing several houses and courtyards, the future emperor made a decisive and great decision: to hide in the map cabinet in the deduction room.

The Tactics Room had been empty for the last few weeks, and the knights and noble generals who had gathered here had driven farther south. The largest map hung on the wall, painted with red and blue arrows that he couldn't read, and charcoal scribbled descriptions of "legions," "points of attack," "lines of battle," and so on. The prince opened the cabinet door, used his dagger to break through the cobwebs in the corner of the cabinet, and hid behind the map scrolls.

"Prince!

Sir Aaron's shouts drew nearer. Gustav held his breath and curled into a ball. As long as you dodge for ten minutes, you can continue to catch cicadas......

"Sir von Ellen , is Gustav gone again?"

"Your Excellency, I'm sorry, I'm incompetent!"

The prince's heart tightened, and he knew that he could not escape today. That slow, unusually resolute voice was his uncle, Prince Diristan, the formidable foe he had ever faced in his nearly eight years of hide-and-seek. Sure enough, it didn't take long for his fateful opponent to open the door of the map cabinet and effortlessly pull him out of the cabinet by the collar.

"Gustav, next time remember to check if the cobwebs have fallen on the outside of the cabinet. ”

"Hello uncle. Gustav hurriedly replied to the prince with a half-retreat salute in accordance with the "etiquette of the nobility".

Seeing the not-so-standard half-retreat salute, the prince furrowed his eyebrows and chiseled the prince's forehead fiercely: "Gustav, how many days have you not been to class? Etiquette, swordsmanship, magic, theology, literature, every teacher is complaining to me. Do you look like someone who wants to be the next emperor? Today, let me personally check the results of your studies. ”

The prince immediately put on a bitter face: "Uncle......"

"It's useless to beg for mercy. Diristan snatched the wooden sword from Sir Span's hand and carried Gustav to the swordplay arena. The prince timidly took the wooden sword from his uncle's hand and made a trembling gesture.

The two swords staggered in the air, and with a soft sound, the prince's wooden sword fell to the ground with a red mark on his right wrist. He wanted to exhale in pain, but when he saw his uncle's face full of helplessness, he stuck the cry in his throat.

Diristan slowly spoke with a calm face, and his tone was as calm as ever: "Gustav, you are the first in line to the throne, and the empire will fall on your shoulders at some point." You may feel like you have trouble breathing before it falls, but when it does, you feel like you're really suffocating. If you want to survive and not be swallowed up by the throne, you must always work hard. I've been the first heir for a lot longer than you......"

"Swallowing things?" the prince, who had escaped a few literary lessons, blinked innocently, apparently not understanding at all.

Seeing Prince Gustav like this, the prince, who wanted to continue, shook his head and turned to the sir on the side: "Lock him up for the afternoon, don't give him lunch." ”

Before Spann could plead with the Prince, Diristan strode out of the sword arena. The swordsmanship instructor and temporary manager had no choice but to smile bitterly at the prince and spread his hands.

"Your Royal Highness, I'm sorry. This is the order of the Prince. ”

As usual, the prince, who hates practice, has to be in a daze and nap in front of the magic book in the confinement chamber.

-- It's been a normal day in Fort Stille so far. Everyone is helpless about the prince's mischievous and stubbornness.

It wasn't until just half an hour later that Spann von Allen hastily released him from his confinement – or rather, invited him out.

"Your Majesty, please go to the main hall of the main castle, the prince is looking for you. ”

When Gustav heard that, he had a vague sense that something was wrong.

*** ***

There was a muffled thunderous sound from the outer city, the sound of mortar shells smashing against the makeshift defensive magical barrier. There were two or three explosions mixed between the muffled thunder, which meant that the defenses had been broken through somewhere. These sounds have been heard every day since the rebel vanguard arrived under Fort Stillburg two weeks ago;

Gustav walked down the gravel path that led to the main hall. Every knight and nobleman had a gloomy face on his face, and when they saw him passing, they all stepped aside in a panic and bowed. He noticed familiar faces he hadn't seen in months, often with blood on their armor. The prince's heart sank more and more - all this said only one thing.

He could guess it, but he couldn't ask.

Prince Diristan was already waiting at the door of the main hall, his pupils were red, as if there were tear stains.

"Uncle...... I don't want to go. Gustav felt the heavy atmosphere and tried to ask.

"You have to go. You can't hide in someone else's shadow forever. ”

Without saying a word, Diristan pulled him into the hall, exposing him to the crowd of people in the hall, to all the vassals, auxiliaries, generals, and knights of the Empire. Almost everyone stood up and saluted him.

But at that moment, Gustav did not see anyone and did not hear anything. There was only one thing in his eyes, in his ears, and in his heart, that heavy, inescapable thing.

It was a corpse in the center of the hall.

The thirty-second emperor of the Second Dynasty of the Holy Koman Empire, the corpse of his father, Eustan Hugh Kirman.

An iron-gray cross banner draped over the Corpse, forever sealing the energetic, unsmiling Emperor who was devoted to his great conquest. Beneath the flag, the wooden planks of the rudimentary coffin were faintly exposed, covered with a thick layer of dust. The rhetoric of two years ago still seems to be in the ears, but the emperor never wakes up, neither a priest nor a doctor can bring the shattered body back to life.

"May the gods receive his soul, and may his body rest in eternal peace. ”

Listening to the archbishop's prayer for the dead, the prince fell to his knees and fell silently in front of the coffin. In a trance, Gustav vaguely heard his uncle speaking to all the nobles and generals.

"We all know that the rebels have stormed the outside of the fortress, and now is not the time to worry about red tape. It is here, I propose, that we swear allegiance to His Majesty Gustavus Hugh Coman, the thirty-third Emperor of the Holy Empire. Start with me. ”

Prince Diristan, who had just been teaching the prince a lesson on the fencing ring, took a step back with his right foot, pressed his hand to his chest, and knelt on one leg.

"I, Prince Diristan Hugh Kerman, swear allegiance to His Majesty Gustav. I will do my best to assist Your Majesty and the Holy Empire until the end of my life. ”

In an instant, every nook and cranny of the entire hall was filled with the cacophony of metal clashing, and almost everyone knelt on one knee with their hands on their chests to salute and swear allegiance to their future emperor. The eleven-year-old emperor was frightened by this scene, and for a moment he was stunned and did not know what to do, but he quickly calmed down, remembered the aristocratic education he had received in the past, and began his first speech as emperor in a childish childish voice.

"I, Gustavus Hugh Koman, as Emperor of the Holy Koman Empire, accept your allegiance to me. ”

"Long live Emperor Gustav!"

There was a jumble of responses, but loud enough to pierce the roof and resound throughout the castle.

When the cheers had subsided, Prince Diristan stood up: "Then, in my capacity as the third heir to the royal family, in accordance with the Magna Carta, I shall assume the position of regent in this urgent situation and the fact that the emperor is underage, and deal with the present affairs of the war. ”

Everyone nodded. In the case of a minor emperor, the most appropriate member of the royal family to be the regent is indeed a provision of the Magna Carta, and no one has any objections. However, the regent's next speech surprised everyone.

"In the current situation, I think we must make peace with the rebels besieging the city outside, at all costs. ”

Hearing this, at least two or three people stood up abruptly, their armor decorated with striking family crests and shrouded in various magical halos.

"Digristan, are you going to give up avenging the Emperor? I will never make peace with the rebels!"

The first to object was the slightly sleek Duke Knorr, whose armor was adorned with the coat of arms of the forest. The Duchy of Knorr is the closest to the Elven Forest on the rich coast of the northwest of the Empire.

Diristan shook his head: "Your Excellency, I can understand your desire to avenge your two sons. Unfortunately, half of your vassals are buried outside Rama, and a third are buried in Gistov. I don't know which family's troops you are going to use to fill the guns of the rebels?"

"Your Royal Highness the Regent, I will use my men to silence their guns forever! The Cannae will not tolerate the shame of defeat, we still have the strength to fight!"

"Do your men have experience, Duke? aren't all your elite soldiers on the Eastern Front? The Regent retorted with a merciless sneer, "May I ask how your men have fought against the enemy's forward troops in the past two weeks?"

Hearing this question, Duke Figota's face instantly turned pale. Another duke, Duke Soma, who owns the rich land in the southwest, took the opportunity to stand up: "I agree with His Royal Highness the Regent. We have already paid too much for this war, and we cannot afford to risk any more. ”

"Your Excellency Duke Soma, when did you become a coward? You were obviously in charge of the rearguard and the war on the Western Front, and now that you are defeated, do you want to surrender?" Duke Knoll retorted.

"It's not that I want to surrender, it's that the way our fortresses are built is outdated! high walls, thick bricks, and arrow holes are completely useless in front of the opponent's new artillery. We're just barely holding on to time with our magical defenses, and we have no chance of winning the artillery battle!" "Duke Soma, who had been in charge of defending Fort Still, turned blue.

The entire funeral hall fell silent for a while, except for the three dukes and one prince facing each other. Gustav came back from his grief and looked to the left and then to the right, somewhat overwhelmed. At that moment, a young voice interjected, breaking the silence. It sounded calm and credible, but it was inflammatory.

"According to the Magna Carta, we should now seek the opinion of the emperor. Whether or not to avenge His Majesty Orestan is naturally His Majesty Gustav who has the most right to speak. ”

Diristan's brow furrowed, but he did not speak, accustomed to steady consideration, but allowed the young man to continue.

The young man waved his hand violently, "Every knight here who has just sworn allegiance to His Majesty will swear to the death to follow His Majesty's decision! Whether it is to become a prisoner of the enemy army or to fight to the death for honor, we will swear to follow your banner to the death!"

Hearing these words, the regent's brows furrowed more and more tightly. He leaned over, as if trying to say something to the young emperor, but Gustav couldn't hear it.

The young emperor only heard - the tidal cheers.

The young emperor saw only the fiery gaze in the eyes of the vassals seeking war.

"Long live Your Majesty! Long live! ! Long live !!

The blood rushed to the prince's mind, and he walked quickly to the coffin and picked up the scepter pressed on it. On the golden scepter, it is carved with intricate patterns and three ancient letters of H.K.E. The symbol of the Holy Koman Empire's imperial power, the golden scepter called "Great Power". The tip of the scepter slashed a circle in the air, and the golden light shone across the field.

"In the name of Gustavus Hugh Kerman I, I choose...... Revenge!"

In an instant, the Regent's body trembled and he closed his eyes helplessly, but he quickly regained his senses.

"So, are you going to break through and escape, or are you going to fight to the death with the enemy in the south?"

"Fight to the death, of course!" someone immediately replied aloud. All the young knights, especially those who had remained in Fort Steel, chimed in: "Fight to the death!"

"Then there is only one path to victory in front of us. We must storm the opposing artillery array, but ......" Diristan pondered for a moment, looking around the field with embarrassed eyes.

The young nobleman approached him demonstratively, pressing his right hand to his chest: "Your Royal Highness Regent, our Figota Army is willing to take on this task!

"Then I'll leave it to you. The Regent nodded, noticing the coat of arms on his armor. "You're the heir to Duke Figota, aren't you?"

The young nobleman nodded: "I am Lord Loren von Figota. ”

"Your motivation is really good. Maybe you should go south, it's better for you than here. Diristan lowered his voice, his tone tinged with disgust, "You should be aware of the choices you've made. ”

"Perhaps, but I just want to do what I think is right. Let me surrender, I can't do it!" replied the future Duke of Figota confidently.

"Well, I hope you can remember what you said. The Lord Regent sighed softly and turned away, leaving the young lord in a slightly stunned state.

*** ***

The pre-war preparations took a total of two days. The reconnaissance and intelligence units of both sides were nervously busy, preparing for the inevitable big battle. Countless teams of flying beasts, reconnaissance magic, and scouts flew around the fortress, causing hundreds of casualties and prisoners over the course of two days. What had been a limited supply of bread became an unlimited supply, the wine cellar was divided up, and all the gold coins were distributed to the soldiers.

Finally, the black challenge flag was raised again to the top of the high wall of the first fortress of the Empire, and it was like a demonstration to look down on the enemy forces below the city. Outside the city, the vanguard of the Free Army did not hesitate to fire an accurate shot there, blasting the outer wall to the ground along with the banner on it.

The ten-year-old new emperor stepped on his beloved horse "Phantom Wind", a two-year-old gray horse that was his birthday present when he was seven years old. Its front hooves are black and its hind hooves are red, and it apparently has some kind of magical beast blood, hence the resounding name: the Phantom Wind is the greatest natural calamity known to man, a hurricane with magical powers.

One day, he will ride the grown up "phantom wind" and gallop across the land of the empire and become a generation of famous kings - at least, that's what everyone told him. The Emperor is the final arbiter of the human world, the defender of all justice and equality, the defender of the rights of his subjects, a handsome, tall, valiant and wise man. However, when Gustav I was truly in the procession, he felt very small. Everyone around him had such tall mounts and shining armor, and he, the "ruler of the human world", was so inconspicuous in the middle.

Three hundred and forty knights of the Guards were divided into six companies, scattered to guard the young emperor in the middle. Further out, there were four hundred and fifty knights of the Liberation Knights, their ice and iron armor exuding a little chill in the scorching heat. Seven hundred Knights of Judgment and two hundred Knights of the Medic followed at the end of the line, guarding the flanks of the assault team. Nearly 40,000 infantry belonging to the various principalities have been assembled and ready to attack. Despite the deafening sound of cannons outside the city, the knights' mounts remained unmoved, as if they had been controlled by beast taming magic. Diristan himself wore a full body armor of black essence gold that shimmered pale cyan, and rode a pure-blooded war horse, standing at the forefront of the entire team. He delivered a mournful speech in a deep tone.

“...... If we fail, the Protestants and rebels of the South will enter our capital and hinterland, the small lords everywhere will be ready to move, and the Dark Ages will repeat themselves. What awaits us is a return to our homeland, or another era of great war and chaos, all depending on our war today. If the situation is unfavorable, I hope that you will be able to escort Your Majesty out of the siege, and if the situation unfortunately turns into the worst, I hope that you will maintain the last blood of the royal family with the same loyalty and zeal, Her Royal Highness Princess Olivia. As for myself, I will live and die with you!"

The grammar he used was so difficult that Gustav, who had never studied literature properly, was dizzy. Before the emperor could understand the meaning of these words, the battle had already begun. It's not a breakout, it's a big gamble. A big gamble with the entire empire at once.

The other side had apparently detected their movements with the help of low-altitude flying units and reconnaissance magic, and at least eight or more regiments were waiting in front of them, their four-color cross flags, which symbolized "freedom", fluttering over the formation. From a distance, these rebels were just peasants and townspeople in motley uniforms, their equipment looking ridiculous to the two principality armies that had been fighting for two years. The mortars of the siege no longer roared, because this weapon that was difficult to locate could not be used in battle formations. The outskirts of Steelburg were so peaceful for the first time in two weeks. The rebel artillerymen pushed a three- and six-pounder light gun into battle, waiting for the arrival of the enemy on the wilderness plains outside the south gate.

"The Noor's army attacked!

The dukes ordered that the two most elite teams of the fortress garrison, as the left and right flanks of the formation, poured out of the south gate of the fortress, rushed to the main force of the opposing side, and stopped beyond the extreme range of the artillery. The soldiers in the first few rows carried the hundred-year-old tower shields that had been turned out of the depths of the fortress to form a strong defensive frontage. Seeing the astonishing wall of towers and shields that shimmered with light red magic, none of the enemy opened fire.

"The Figota Army attacked! The Guards attacked!"

The regent and the Duke of Figota gave the order at the same time. The stalwart Figota Army formed an array of nearly 100 assault infantry ten columns wide and twenty rows deep and set off from the main gate of the fortress. The Guards Cavalry Corps, as the final cavalry force, followed them as a reserve for the entire array. Seeing such a formation, there was another commotion among the enemy troops. The first few rows of soldiers, nervously exchanging heads, took their spears from behind their backs and placed them at their feet, ready to replace their muskets at any moment. The eagles and falcons were the first to strike, and the fireworks were lit, and several fast horses rode back and forth between the rebel arrays, and some ran to the north, east, and west gates of the fortress. The two sides confronted each other on the plains south of the huge fortress, testing each other's patience. In the face of musket formations and mobile artillery, it takes great courage to charge. In the end, it was the Imperial Koman Army that delivered the first blow.

"Infantry on both flanks advances!"

More than 10,000 infantry formed a phalanx, using numbers, equipment, and confidence as weapons to face death, and bravely embarked on the journey. The nobles lined up at the rear, supervising the courage of these soldiers. Opposite them were the Free Army soldiers, who were also lined up in a wide frontal formation, and who were also shielded by numbers, equipment, and confidence. Soon, the soldiers, shouting slogans, went into the range of the artillery, into the arquebus......

The soldiers crossed the range line in a row, fired, reloaded, and fired again until they fell. When an entire company of soldiers was unable to hold the line, they grabbed spears, swords, and axes with the soldiers of several other companies, launched a white-knuckle charge, and then fell down as well - until the total number could no longer hold the line, or the array was broken through by the enemy.

The first to be broken through was the tower shield formation of the Soma Army on the left flank, and they were torn into three sections by the white-bladed charge of the two regiments opposite. The Soma army is not unwarlike, but their forces are no longer able to maintain order in the chaos. Seeing that the left flank was in disarray, and the peasants and townspeople in disorganized uniforms were deep into the position, the regent sent a herald to the Figota army with a sad face and ordered all the surviving artillery to open fire.

"The whole army is in formation, and the formation rotates to the right into a horizontal formation, with a distance of ten meters between each company!"

The order spread through the formation, and the thickest center of the Imperial Army began to move. Elite troops, mainly Holy Knights and Magic Knights, were mobilized to form a Breakthrough Team, with the aim of using magic to break through obstacles and barricades set up by the opposing side. The large number of mercenaries of the Duchy of Figota served as the backbone, following the vanguard cavalry in a wave-like formation, lining the way for the final general assault formation.

The urgently formed flank front was strengthened to the point where it had been breached, to buy time for the assault of the Central Corps, and to create the illusion that the next operational objective was a gap in the left flank. Of course, the real combat objective of the Imperial Army was only one: the siege mortar positions that sat on the central hillock of the enemy array.

"Army Center, prepare to advance!"

Following the order of the Regent, the precious ranks of Holy Knights and Magic Knights struck. Each cleric or magician had at least ten guards to keep them safe, so the commando team numbered nearly a thousand in total. According to the plan, they first approached the left flank of the enemy army that was attacking the Soma army, and in only a quarter of an hour they crushed three companies of the opposing side, as if they were about to encircle the breakthrough force of the free army. Seeing their actions, the brilliant enemy generals immediately mobilized the reserves of the left flank to fill the breakthrough, and from the center moved light artillery and reserves to fill the gaps in the forces of the left flank.

"It's now!Fagota Army, all charge!" After the order to move had arrived, the young nobleman Lord Loren von Figota raised the banner of his family and launched a real offensive.

After that, the general charge began.

In the entire history of warfare in the Old World, this "Figota Charge" was the largest in terms of the number of charges in a single day on a single battlefield, and no charge could be compared. A total of 21,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry were to be thrown into the charge on this narrow battlefield of only five kilometers, leaving no reserves left behind—although the battle was only the seventh largest in the century.

It was the first time in his life that Gustav I actually smelled the flames of war, and it was a memory that he will never forget. This charge was unforgettable and unforgettable.

*** ***

"Dispel Magic!" The hindrance magic and temporary thorns set by the mages of the Free Army were stirred up by the Holy Knight's holy power.

"Flame Wave!" The purpose of fire magic is not to kill enemies, but to disrupt the array of enemy spearmen.

"Demonic Fear!" the demon's roar echoed in the ears of the Free Army soldiers, who had only heard the priest's sermon and fled in panic.

Under such a composite magical attack, the Free Army Interlet Division, who bore the brunt of the red uniform, was caught off guard and torn apart. They left a huge gap in the middle of the battlefield, exposing the mortar positions to the Imperial army. Duke Figota's troops took advantage of the opportunity to rush in, and after killing the spearmen, they wantonly slaughtered the musketeers who had only daggers and short swords to defend themselves. Soon, the soldiers from the islands of the far south broke down and fled in groups on both sides, and even the general of this division was killed by a magic knight in the chaos.

Gustav managed to control his horse and followed the cavalry troops that had widened the gap. As a ten-year-old boy, he had little combat ability, but with the golden scepter, which represented the supreme authority of the Holy Empire, he was not afraid that his life would be in danger. As the name suggests, this "power" is an artifact-level magic item that, when properly used, can create a powerful attack field, and even if it is not used, it can create a protective wall that is enough to block the flow of bullets from ordinary guns. The regent was right next to him, binocular, observing the battle. Since the battle began, the operations of each unit have been under the control of the commander of the unit, and there are no more heralds running around, and he seems much more leisurely.

"Uncle, how is the battle?"

"So far, so good. However, it looks like they've mobilized new troops to go on top, and they're moving really fast. I wonder if it's Conti Fox or Radetz Govar who is commanding the enemy forces?"

Rather than explaining to the young emperor, Diristan was talking to himself. The war lasted three years, and the regent knew several of the leaders of the enemy forces in the south. Artillery and sniper tactics were used to control the breakthrough of the troops, while new units that reorganized the defeated troops filled the gap in the battle line. They wore off-white and tan uniforms, which were typical of the Julok mountain armies, and were convenient for fighting in the snow and mountains. The name of this army is too familiar to the generals of the Imperial Army who have been trapped in Fort Stille for a long time.

"The 1st Division 'Fort Steele'! Break through them and let this defying nickname disappear from the enemy army forever!"

The old Duke of Figota raised his arms and shouted, venting his anger at the enemy's unit for more than two years. All divisions of the Free Army are the names of the Republic, but only the number of the First Division is the name of the Empire. His son immediately picked out more than a dozen companies from the troops, ordered them to continue to suppress the revolved redcoat division, and then rushed to the line of this new enemy army with all the remaining men. The Lord still had nearly thirteen thousand well-organized soldiers, as well as high morale that had just routed the Second Division of the Free Army. Each commander on both sides clenched their fists and shouted at their artillerymen and magicians to concentrate all their efforts on the line.

"Julok marksmen, officers who shoot them!" "All the Intres who are not wounded must be regrouped!"

Major General Radetz Govar, commander of the 1st Division and Stillburg Corps, rode his horse and swept swiftly through his array, regrouping the routs and inspiring the warriors. He was so close to the front line, and his voice was so loud that even Imperial soldiers could hear him. The morale of the entire Stillburg division was boosted, and the soldiers and accompanying mages huddled behind the only bunker, a stone wall at the foot of the mountain, waiting for the arrival of the enemy troops. However, these voices made the nobles of Figota feel a little embarrassed.

"Don't be afraid of the shouts of the heretics, the gods will protect us!" "Warriors loyal to the Emperor, follow me!"

Led by the lord, the nobles and knights rushed to the front of the array, also raising their morale. Finally, the well-dressed Imperial infantrymen, dressed in thick leather armor and chain mail, shouted the slogan "Long live the Emperor" and rushed to the stone wall where the Free Army was entrenched, the last line of defense in front of the artillery positions.

But this time, they didn't have a sufficient number of magic users to open their way. The assault team has been overwhelmed by the enemy forces, and although more than half of them still have survivors, it will take time to regroup them. This time, the magic advantage fell to the Free Army, which was scattered to support the mage. The Free Army's artillery opened fire with the positioning of the accompanying mages, and the shells landed in the middle of the charging Figota infantry. They soon proved that the educated burghers were better artillerymen than the pampered noble gunners - the artillery of the Imperial Army no longer sounded.

Lead rain falls, sweeping across the plains. The gunpowder wind blows on the face, choking people's hearts.

The Figota have the superiority in strength and courage - but now they have no muskets, no artillery, no magic. Only a few infantry rushed through the stone wall, but they were either immediately knocked down or captured. One nobleman after another rushed forward with their own private soldiers, but none of them could turn the tide. The old Duke of Figota was seriously wounded in the battle, and the lord had to reluctantly send messengers.

"Cavalry! We need cavalry! Give us cavalry!"

Hearing such a hoarse plea, the Lord Regent froze for a moment. He looked like he wanted to respond with something like "What did you do earlier?!" or "Your own people are always tougher than your enemies!", but in the end reason prevailed over anger. Diristan made the final bet.

"Advance the General Reserve, the Emperor and I are with you!"

The Empire's strongest and last cavalry team has finally been dispatched. They were mostly veterans who had retreated from the Southern Front, including a large number of magic users. They were well armed and accustomed to dealing with the spear-musket composite phalanx of the Free Army. Finally, three magicians who had mastered the magic of the earth and stone realm rushed to the front of the array, destroying the stone walls at the cost of their lives. The Knights of the Guard, the Knights of Liberation, the Knights of Judgment, and the Knights of the Medicaries followed them and rushed into the array of enemy troops.

"There are three rows of spearmen, and then there are only arquebusiers! Rush over and the enemy will be cut to pieces like a cake! We will win!"

The regent shouted loudly, snatched the "might" from the hands of his nephew on the side, and waved his way out. Gustav felt a pang of nausea and worry when he lost it, but fortunately a knight of the guard came up and added a protective spell to him, which eased his uneasiness. His knights, continuing to follow the bloody path opened by the "might", stepped on the enemy spearmen!

One row, two rows, three rows! The cake was finally cut. Right now......

"Get on bayonet!" the commander-in-chief of the Stillburg division, Radetz Govar, gave such an order. The musketeers drew their short knives and stuck them in their muzzles.

This small change slowly but inexorably changed the situation on the battlefield. The shining bayonets were pointed at the rushing knights, stabbing their mounts down, besieging and capturing the riders who had fallen from their horses. One of the knights, who rushed the farthest, was dismounted by three bayonets less than a hundred meters from the artillery position. The shotgunned guns roared again, and thousands of horses and many more men lay in pools of blood, most of whom soon died of lead poisoning and overbleeding, unable to wait for the priests' treatment.

The regent himself, with the power of "might", wiped out nearly a company, but eventually fell off his horse. The hillside a few hundred meters away looked so close, and the charge was so far.

Enemy soldiers armed with bayonets rushed forward and surrounded the regent. Wearily, Diristan threw his weapon back to the Emperor: "Don't hurt the Emperor. Let's surrender and let the war end. ”

A trivial technical improvement that determined the outcome of the "Figota Charge" and ended the entire war.

*** ***

The queue of captives was so long that there was no edge in sight. Gustav clutched his scepter tightly and followed next to Uncle Regent as he walked towards the headquarters of the "rebel army" - now the victorious Free Army. Along the way, the civilians from the south looked at him in amazement, pointing and talking about something.

"We have captured 610 nobles from Emperor Gustav and Regent Diristan down, and killed 172 nobles from Duke Figota down. Combined with the losses of Orestan in the past, it is conservatively estimated that the Imperial Army will not be able to recover to its current size within ten years......"

The headquarters was set up in a farmer's mansion, less than two kilometers from Fort Steel. A staff officer was reporting to the Supreme Commander on the situation of their victory, and the corners of the Regent's mouth twitched at the contents of the report, but he did not say anything. A guard opened the door to the headquarters for the two, and the report inside was terminated.

"Alright, Colonel López, I'll talk about it later. "The Supreme Commander of the Free Army is a middle-aged man with a lot of gray hair, and he has five big stars on his shoulders. He told the colonel to leave with his report and turned to the two.

"Your Majesty Gustav and His Royal Highness the Regent, it is a pity that we are meeting in such circumstances. Fortunately, the two noblest nobles were not killed by our savage laborers, filthy burghers, and miserly peasants. Let me introduce myself, I am Marshal Conti Fox, Chairman of the Free Army Staff. The marshal, who was outwardly older than his real age, sarcastically said that "savage hard labor, filthy burghers, and miserly peasants" were the most common words used by the Imperial side to describe the Free Army of the South.

The regent replied bitterly, "Since we have lost, you will have to mention the conditions." However, the strength of the empire is not entirely here, and the blood of the royal family is not just in the two of us. ”

"Rest assured, we will not ask the Empire to abandon the system, or ask Deran to be the capital of the Republic. After all, we are only being invaded by you. The marshal laughed, walked over to the table, and picked up a document, "Our council has already prepared a draft, just waiting for your approval." ”

The regent took the document and gasped: "Stillburg, the plain of the middle reaches of the Os, and the whole Haute-Champagne region? ”

Conti Fox smiled slyly: "To tell you the truth, there are many radical parliamentarians in Lenny now, demanding severe punishment for war criminals. His Majesty Orestan has died outside of Kengrad, but I don't think they would mind negotiating peace with Her Majesty Queen Olivia. ”

The regent clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and stared at the famous general with the nickname "Kengler Fox" on the opposite side. If his eyes were magic weapons like the Eye of Medusa or the Eye of Death, I'm afraid Marshal Fawkes would have died ten thousand times. But now, Diristan no longer has any bargaining chips in hand, so he can only reluctantly press the seal on the document with "might".

"I can call the shots in Stillburg and the lower plains of the Oss River, but I can't call the shots in Haute-Champagne. It is the territory of the Duchy of Figota, and it needs the consent of the Duke of Figota......"

Another voice came from outside the room, "Oh, so here is the one who needs the approval." Go in, boy. ”

General Radetz Govar escorted Lord Figota, who was covered in blood, into the house. The winner is in high spirits, and the loser is depressed. The young nobleman, who had been chanting slogans in Fort Stille a few days ago, now fell to the ground like a puddle of unconscious mud, and the surrounding Free Army generals sneered disdainfully.

"His Royal Highness the Regent...... Sorry, it was me who was wrong. Loren von Figota took a step back with a guilty face when he saw Diristan, but was stopped by Govar.

"Your Royal Highness, do you have any objections to the ownership of the Haute-Champagne region?" asked the commander of the Stillburg Division.

“...... No. Loren replied by squeezing the two words out of his teeth hatefully. Soon, the guards brought the seal ring that had been taken from his father's corpse and pressed it on the surrender document. The young duke took the seal ring from the enemy general with a complicated expression, turned his head and left, his figure was very lonely.

Conti Fox put away the paperwork with satisfaction, and added, "One more thing." In order to prevent your country from betraying the alliance, we hope that this 'might' can be taken as collateral. Once we have accepted the Stillburg and Haute-Champagne regions, we will return them. ”

Hearing this request, Diristan's aristocratic demeanor collapsed in that instant. He grabbed the "might" violently, raised it high above his head, and slashed straight down! With this split, a huge high-speed force field was about to emit from the tip of the scepter!

But the "Kengal Fox" was faster than him. At the same time as a buckshot tore through his left ear, at least six spears were pressed to his and Gustav's side.

"Dieristan Hugh Kirman! admit defeat, you're no longer in a position to bargain!"

The Regent's knees went limp, and the force field slammed into the air, blowing the roof away. The scepter in his hand fell feebly to the ground.

Looking at the regent who had to hand over the scepter, the future Gustav the Great understood for the first time that courage, self-confidence and stubbornness were so weak in the face of the changes of the times and great power. Rhetoric alone will not lead to victory.

"It is hoped that we will be able to conclude a treaty of peace. ”

The Marshal of the Free Army, who said so, took over Fort Still. Of the 100,000 imperial troops before the war, only more than 20,000 remained. After handing over all their weapons and armor, they set out on their way home with coffins and the wounded.

Emperor Gustav Hugh Koman took one last look at Fort Still, and the trees in the courtyard. The gardener had already died in the previous siege, and a few young shoots had re-emerged and stretched vigorously. It was with regret that he embarked on the road back to the capital.

The summer of 1647 in the standard calendar has come to an end.

After that, the regent of Diristan was like a different person, and quickly stabilized the political situation with what can be called "brutal". At the request of the Government of the Republic of the South, hundreds of heads were hung on the top of the tallest magic tower, "to pay for war crimes" and to "take responsibility for the defeat of the South". None of the main war factions and the Regent's opposition escaped this purge.

This was followed by a lasting peace.

*** ***

17 years later, on a late summer night near autumn.

The year was called 1664 in the Standard Calendar, and the Book of Destiny was marked "Year of Chaotic Omen".

Emperor Gustav, who was already twenty-five years old, as usual, took care of government affairs in his study, listening to the reports of his subordinates. His Royal Highness the Regent had returned power to him five years earlier, and he himself had taken on the role of Prime Minister of the Empire, keeping the Empire in order.

However, any distribution of power will not last forever.

"Your Majesty, when Prime Minister Diristan and His Excellency our Minister of Security were holding a banquet at the Duke of Soma's villa outside Teresa, an accidental fire claimed the lives of dozens of people. It's a shame. ”

A man with a gloomy face and a grim gaze like a falcon reported to the Emperor. Although he used the word "regret", there was no regret in his tone.

"That's right. Gustav, who had become a young man, nodded, and there was no sadness on his face, "Then from today onwards, Sid Natherqing, you are my Minister of Security." You are the first Minister of Security in the history of the Empire who is not of noble origin, congratulations. ”

"This is all by the grace of Your Majesty. The man, Cid Nasec, replied, still without joy on his face, "Also, in today's accident, Duke Soma is dead, and he, his two sons, and one of his daughters died in the fire. How should this be handled?"

"That's right...... If you don't have an immediate family member, you go find a collateral relative. The farther away the better, and it's better to have nothing to do with any force. Be sure to find it, it doesn't matter if you spend a little more time, it's better to find a side one from a foreign country or a border area. "The easier it is for a young man to be a puppet, the better." ”

"Understood, I'll do it. Of course, I will never forge it in case the vassals of the Principality of Soma find out about the problem. ”

The Emperor nodded: "Then you can step aside." I'll arrange my uncle's funeral tomorrow. As for the post of military minister of Diristan, leave it to Duke Loren von Figota. ”

"Yes. ”

The figure of the new Minister of Security disappeared into the darkness, and Gustav refocused on the official business in front of him. Here, it is no longer the ten-year-old prince, but a twenty-six-year-old, strong-willed and brilliant emperor. What he inherited from his uncle was not only the rebuilt Imperial Army, but also his will and means.

"Goodbye, uncle. If I can't stop the times with manpower, I'll move forward with it. ”

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked thoughtfully at the trees in the dark night. It was a giant tree that had been trimmed to near perfection, without a single redundant branch.

Like the coming, his time.

*** ***

Gustav I the Great (1636-1672) was the last emperor of the absolute monarchy to be honored as "the Great", and the most radical emperor of the Second Curman Dynasty.

He inherited the reforms of the regent's uncle and established the first professional army in the modern sense, eliminating the outdated aristocratic army and mercenaries. He abandoned the old concept of hierarchy and boldly appointed lower-class nobles and commoners as officials and officers, sweeping away the tragic defeat of the emperors in the southern battlefield for a hundred years.

If he had been born in the era of swords and sorcery, the brave and the dragon, the prince and the princess, he would probably have become an immortal hero, and even if he had been born a hundred years earlier, he would have avoided the War of Freedom, and the South would not have seceded from the empire, causing the tragedy of the next hundred years. Unfortunately, he was born in the wrong era......

--From Ionette Hartmann, Modern History of Akrania, Volume IV, "Invaders and Revolutionaries (1660-1690)", Chapter 1, "The Death Knell in the Age of Absolute Monarchy"

As the United Provincial Republic and the Holy Koman Empire confronted each other on both sides of the Oss River, reason and technology had crept into the world of swords, magic, princesses, and dragons. The enlightenment of knowledge, the improvement of technology, and the progress of science have gradually changed the world bit by bit. At the end of the seventeenth century, with the spread of steam engines and magic circuit technology, and the influx of precious metals from the New World, the first global economic system was looming......

--From Ionette Hartmann, Modern History of Akrania, Vol. IV, "Invaders and Revolutionaries (1660-1690)", Chapter 3, "Economy and Society in the Age of Enlightenment"

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