Chapter 116: Marching to Innsbruck

After a successful siege of Schwaz and its stable occupation, Berengar waited a few days for rest and resupply. Now that he had effectively eliminated the enemy forces between Kufstein and Innsbruck, he could establish a stable logistical network to supply his war efforts which would go a long way towards establishing dominance in Tyrol. No matter how powerful his army was, if they were cut off from supplies, it would only mean their demise; as such, Berengar and his army waited in Schwarz for a few days to fully resupply their forces and the garrison before moving out.

During this time, Berengar properly oversaw his forces and ensured they conducted themselves in a civilized manner. Prisoners of war were afforded proper treatment, and the civilians were left to go about their daily lives without harassment. So long as there was no armed resistance, Berengar would tolerate their protests. The moment the citizens took up arms to attack his Garrison, they would be authorized to use lethal force. This point was effectively communicated to the native population, and though there was some civil unrest, it was primarily peaceful.

Despite Berengar's reputation for advocating for the wellbeing of the common folk, he was still considered a foreign invader in the Viscounty of Schwaz. As such, there was naturally a degree of resistance to his occupation. Nevertheless, it never got out of hand. Therefore Berengar never cracked down upon it during his degree. Sometimes the people needed to vent their frustrations civilly, and Berengar knew this all too well. His orders for the garrison were to build friendly ties with the locals and only use violence to maintain authority as a last resort. It was a completely different occupation than normal in this world, and the initial resistance had already begun to die down by the time Berengar left.

To properly defend the region, Berengar left a small unit of artillery behind, a total of three field guns and the necessary artillerymen needed to operate them. Word surely would have spread by now of his siege of Schwaz, and that would most likely entice his enemies to march upon the City in an attempt to break his siege, unfortunately for his enemies, if they decided to march upon Schwaz, they would be met with a fully captured city with three field guns mounted upon it, and 800 men with muskets defending upon the ramparts.

Eventually, his forces were fully resupplied, and his army was prepared to march upon Innsbruck; as such, Berengar once more mounted his mighty steed Erwin before standing at the head of the army; he looked upon his army with a smile upon his visage before declaring the order they had all been waiting for.

"Forward March!"

Thus an army of over 4000 men departed from the city of Schwaz as they set forth for their destination, which was the heart of Tyrol, where they would engage in another fierce battle for dominance of the region. As the army marched, the band's sounds echoed in the cold winter air, and the men began to sing the lyrics to another marching song. The sight of thousands of soldiers departing through the city gates into the frost-covered Alps as they sang marching songs could be observed by the people of Schwaz as they gazed upon the departing army with complicated expressions.

In the dead of winter Berengar's soldiers marched with eager expressions on their faces; the cruelty of war did not dispirit them, rather their overwhelming victories and the might of the weapons and tactics they possessed managed to lift their spirits, knowing that they were able to lay siege to a city effectively, and its castle with minimal losses.

Berengar sang along to the tune that was playing, which was none other than the infamous Erika in which the Wehrmacht had been famous for singing in his previous life. Seeing the pleasant smile on the young Viscount's face, Eckhard sighed heavily; every time he fought alongside Berengar, the mad man was filled with excitement and eagerness to wage war. He had never witnessed a Lord so eager to fight alongside his troops at the frontlines or the complete and total disregard for the consequences such actions might have. As such, he could not help but ask Berengar what possessed him to behave in such a manner.

"My Lord, if I may ask, why are you always the first into the fray?"

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Berengar's pleasant smile switched to a smug one upon hearing those words before speaking his mind.

"A commander should always lead by example!"

It was a noble response that made Eckhard look more fondly upon his Lord and Commander. Of course, that was only part of the reason Berengar jumped into the fray at the first opportunity he got. Much like Alexander from the ancient era, Berengar was not only good at warfare but thoroughly enjoyed it. The adrenaline he felt as the arrows and bolts were let loose upon him, the sweet fragrance of gunpowder filling the air as his soldiers fired upon the enemy, and the exhilaration he felt as he fought for his life against a skilled opponent. These were things that could not be replicated elsewhere in life.

Truthfully Berengar did not know when he began to take pleasure in combat; it was not something he enjoyed in his past life during his tenure in the US Army. Yet he did not feel guilty for it; after all, Berengar never once proclaimed himself to be a pious man. In fact, if heaven truly existed then, he knew he would not see its pearly gates. Yet he was not concerned with the afterlife; after all, he had already died once, and all that presented to him was an opportunity to achieve great things in this second life. Thus Berengar did not concern himself with such subjective things as morality, he had a war to win, and if he was going to be waging war, he might as well enjoy himself.

History would not write about this hidden side of Berengar's personality, for he and his offspring would ultimately write the history books. Berengar knew that future generations did not look kindly upon warlords, and conquerors, especially those who enjoyed the bloody business of warfare. Instead, the history books would recognize him as a benevolent Monarch who rose to the occasion to unite the German-speaking regions in a time of great chaos and civil strife, a man who always looked out for the interests of his people, and most of all, led the German people into a new age of advancement and prosperity.