Chapter 551: The North Bleeds!
Berengar sat in an armored train car designed for military purposes. While not armored to the same standards as those used during the world wars of his past life, this train car was at the very least made from steel and protected against primitive munitions.
The day had finally come for him to march to war against his enemies, three months prior he gave an ultimatum in public, declaring that Hartman von Luxembourg was a criminal and needed to be brought before the Crown of Austria to face his judgement for the sins he had committed.
Since then, he had been supplying rebels to fight against his Northern rival, and though these insurgents had made significant progress in inviting chaos to their realms, ultimately they had failed to achieve their aim.
Because of this, he was now sitting on a train heading towards the Bavarian border with thousands of men on board. The construction crews had completed the railway a week ago, and since then Berengar had ordered his troops to deploy via train cars nonstop. The king himself was on the last train to the border. Once he arrived, war would break out between the South German Confederation and the Northern Alliance.
Despite this reality, Berengar was relatively calm as he sipped on his chalice which contained a light beer. He did not want to be intoxicated for his arrival at the staging point, however, he also needed something to calm his nerves, thus this weak swill was the best suited drink to the task.
He had spent the morning saying his goodbyes to his family, and now it was only a matter of minutes before the train arrived at its destination, thus with a calm facade he read from the morning paper, the headline being a bold statement.
"The North Bleeds!"
The following information summarized the ongoing rebellion within the North German states, and the Northern Alliance's brutality as they attempted to quell it at all costs. It also had an editorial piece, calling the King of Austria's decision to intervene on behalf of the civilians a moral and righteous cause.
Naturally, Berengar had a tight leash over the press, and because of this, they had no choice but to support their King. Still, it brought a smirk on his face to see such a widely distributed paper fulfilling its duties as the Crown's propaganda machine.
As he took another sip from his beer, the train slowed itself down into a halt. Berengar looked up from his paper and gazed out the window to see the car pulling into the last railway station that his construction crews had built within Bavaria. With a grin on his face, he placed his chalice down and neatly folded his paper while waiting for the doors to open.
When the doors to the Train opened, Berengar stood up from his seat, and left his cabin, with the members of his royal guard in tow, they were about to enter the borderlands to an ongoing conflict, and thus protecting their King was paramount.
After exiting the train car, the Royal Guard gathered their equipment. The entire train's purpose was to house its members, as well as their mounts and weapons. Thus, Berengar waited patiently as one of his soldiers fetched his royal steed.
The King smiled when he gazed upon the blood red coat of the horse named Glory, before grabbing ahold of its rains, and placing his foot into its stirrup, lifting himself onto its back. He gazed upon the battalion of soldiers who stood behind him and issued their orders as they finished gathering their supplies.
"We march to the staging grounds. When we have rendezvoused with the rest of the army, we shall begin our invasion of the North. Remember that Today is an important day in the history of mankind, as we all march forth to unite the German-speaking regions into a single Empire beneath our banner! Hail victory!"
The army of Royal Guardsman screamed their battle cry in the air before following their orders and marching forth to the staging grounds where an army of over 100,000 men were gathered waiting for their King to arrive.
Eventually Berengar arrived where he approached the gathered Generals, who were planning their invasion. When they saw that the King of Austria had entered their war tent, they immediately stood at attention and saluted him.
"Your Majesty!'
Berengar merely nodded his head before giving his command.
"At ease. Tell me, what's the situation in the North?"
The various generals immediately did as they were instructed before informing their King what their scouts and intelligence units had reported.
"It's a good thing we arrived when we did. The bastard of Luxembourg has been raiding villages left and right. Of course, this has only hardened the rebels' revolve as more and more people flock to their cause. We have split our army into five divisions. Each will operate independently as we march into the various states that form the Northern Alliance. As our King, it is your right to choose whichever theatre you wish.
We have informed our operatives embedded with the rebels of our impending invasion and have tasked them to begin the next phase of their operations. While we invade from the south, the rebels will rise within the cities and begin causing chaos. The result of this will be a combination of civil strife and foreign invasion at the same time.
As for the guerillas outside of the cities, their aim is to secure strategic locations, and ensure that the enemy does not engage in scorched earth tactics before our invasion. To put it simply, because of internal and external threats that the enemy will face, this will be a rather quick campaign. It will not take long for us to enter the capitals of each State and force them into submission."
Berengar nodded his head in agreement when he heard this analysis before pointing towards the Capital of Luxembourg. With a sadistic grin on his face, he called out his target.
"Very well, I will lead my Royal Guard and the First Division into the Bastard of Luxembourg's heartland. I will have the fiend who dared to harm my beloved sister grovelling before me before the week is over!"
Upon witnessing their King's malevolent expression, a sense of dread filled the air. The Generals silently pitied the fool who had the nerve to harm Berengar's sister. They each knew of the cruelty that their liege would engage in after he had captured Hartman, and did not envy the man. As a response, the gathered generals nodded their heads in agreement.
"As you command, your majesty!"
Berengar smiled before giving the command that would change the fate of Germany forever.
"Very well. Muster the men and begin the invasion. I will not rest until I have brought the perpetrators of my sister's assault to justice. For King and Fatherland!"
The Generals quickly saluted their King and reported the phrase he had said before departing from the tent and issuing the orders they had received to their respective divisions. As for the King of Austria, he rallied with this Royal Guard, and the First division, where they packed up their belongings and gathered their weapons before marching into the borders of the Duchy of Luxembourg.
The war had just begun, and Berengar fully intended to be as ruthless to the enemy as possible. Any man who stood on the side of Hartman was an enemy guilty of the highest of sins, and he would afford them no mercy. As for the people of Germany, Berengar intended to treat them with generosity seldom seen by a conquering warlord.
After all, Berengar's goals in this conflict were not to increase the hatred towards him and his dynasty, but to come as the savior to the German people against their vicious masters, and liberate them from the shackles of feudalism.
As such, the King of Austria rode atop his steed as the horseman of war incarnate. With a graceful smile, and an army of 30,000 men at his back, the man was a symbol of earthly authority. The bastard of Luxembourg and his soldiers were about to be given a rude awakening as they faced off against a semi-modern army.
By Berengar's side rode the Generals in charge of his Royal Guard, and the First Division, these men had equally confident expressions as they gazed upon their King's immaculate image. They had long since served in the Austrian Army and had witnessed its many victories. To them, there was no chance of defeat in this war.
Every soldier in the Army shared this sentiment as they marched forward, with victory in mind, and a vision of forming a new empire to rival the might have ancient Rome. The drums of war resounded in the air as the Austrian soldiers marched to their beats. The enemies of Austria would soon face the fury of King enraged by an unprovoked attack on his family. Blood would be shed, and heroes would emerge as the age of knights and chivalry finally came to an end.