Chapter 90: War Written as ‘Reclamation’, Read as ‘Destruction’ 4

The Archbishop of Milan, Maxim Capeor…

Ruling over the considerably wealthy Milanese diocese within the Holy Empire, she found herself in a rather precarious position.

After her excessive greed led to the failed attempt to fleece the affluent Santana, Maxim spent her days as archbishop overseeing the diocese and knight order – utterly dissatisfied.

Without Santana’s financial support following his departure, the Milanese knight order faced severe fiscal woes.

To placate them, Archbishop Maxim should have allocated funds from the church’s coffers under her purview.

Yet unable to overcome her avarice, she continually deferred this disbursement.

Partly due to her reluctance to relinquish money she hadn’t needed to spend previously.

But more crucially, her failed attempt to pilfer Santana’s wealth had left her utterly embittered.

As the knights’ mounting discontent neared its limit due to Maxim’s greed, the Emperor’s sudden proclamation of holy war arrived like a drought-quenching rain – a timely blessing.

The sacred mandate, coupled with Imperial support, provided the perfect distraction to assuage her knights’ grievances.

Moreover, the sanctioned plundering of heretical territories promised immense spoils for their commanding officer.

For the archbishop, this opportunity resolved all her vexing problems while offering substantial gains – an offer she could not refuse.

Thus, without hesitation, Maxim led every deployable knight into the Emperor’s army.

Among her forces were Nuneh and Tineh – the two knights who had journeyed all the way to distant Bohemia to neutralize the excommunicated Santana before returning.

“Haaah… And here we are again.”

“Indeed… Once more embroiled in such a bothersome affair.”

With resigned sighs, knights Nuneh and Tineh voiced their disgruntlement.

Another day’s march would bring them to the chaotic situation unfolding in the Palatinate, leaving them utterly apprehensive.

Though among the order’s most skilled, they held no enthusiasm for their current circumstances.

Previously in Bohemia, they had been fortuitously captured by heretics while en route to visit relatives.

Ultimately using their knightly status to coerce Santana’s entourage into ransoming their release, they had managed to escape.

Having accomplished their objective by eliminating the excommunicated Santana and Cazeros, they had eagerly anticipated a warm reception upon returning to their Milanese headquarters.

Instead, they were greeted by an untimely conscription order related to the Bohemian and Palatinate uprisings against the Emperor himself.

Had Archbishop Maxim been the issuing authority, they could have at least voiced a protest.

But the decree had come directly from the Holy Emperor – leaving them no choice but to begrudgingly comply, dragging their feet all this way to the Palatinate.

“Haah… When will this wretched fate finally turn in our favor?”

“I hear the situation in the Palatinate is utterly dire… We’re not going to meet some grisly, ill-omened end there, are we?”

For all their skill, at their core they remained mere knights – far surpassing ordinary soldiers, capable of deflecting all but the strongest magic.

Yet against mundane firearm projectiles, they possessed no special defenses, leaving them just as vulnerable as any mortal.

Their odds of survival in battle exceeded common infantry, yet fell below those of mages capable of deflecting bullets with barriers.

Not terrible, but always facing the risk of an errant shot ending their lives at any moment.

Apprehensive about the coming conflict, lamenting their increasingly tangled plight since neutralizing Santana…

Nuneh and Tineh gazed numbly skyward at the blindingly azure heavens, utterly indifferent to their grim prospects.

“So Tilly’s forces have arrived nearby?”

“Yes, Lord Mansfelt. They’ve reached the hill to our south.”

Upon learning of General Tilly’s 15,000 troops advancing to join Spinola’s nearby army, Mansfelt fell into pensive silence, slowly nodding.

‘Tilly leads 15,000… Far inferior to our combined forces with Christiane.’

The issue lay in their evident intent to hasten their junction with Spinola’s army a day’s march eastward.

‘Undoubtedly, once their strengths unite, the situation will become increasingly complex… Thus far, our superior might has deterred them from reckless action. But should they gain the upper hand numerically, the tables will turn instantly.’

Until now, Spinola’s troops had stoically endured Mansfelt and Christiane’s pillaging across the Palatinate they had occupied.

However, if the balance of power shifted against them, the Imperial forces would surely no longer tolerate such brazen incursions into their territory.

Recognizing this likelihood, Mansfelt began contemplating a strategic withdrawal, a sentiment Christiane evidently shared.

“Hmm… With Tilly’s arrival, matters will undoubtedly become troublesome. It seems we have overstayed our welcome here.”

“I concur. Where would you propose we proceed next?”

Normally assertive in voicing his opinions even to employers, at this juncture Mansfelt acknowledged Christiane’s capabilities as both client and like-minded compatriot – readily deferring to her judgment.

In response to his query, Christiane offered her signature unsettling smile:

“Is it not obvious? Having thoroughly savored the Palatinate’s delights, we shall return northward to ‘judge’ those lords from whom we have yet to extract ‘donations’. With our combined might, none there can impede us now. Let us indulge in further plundering and arson to our heart’s content.”

“Huhu… A wise choice, indeed.”

Her words stirred an eager anticipation within Mansfelt, reawakening his peculiar attraction to this woman.

Christiane then continued, her proposal not yet complete:

“But first, we have a task to attend to. Even in our departure, we must leave our mark upon Tilly’s forces.”

Given their provocative conduct thus far, the enraged Spinola and Tilly would undoubtedly not let them simply withdraw from the Palatinate unscathed – retaliation was inevitable.

Accounting for this likelihood, Christiane proposed a stratagem to Mansfelt:

“If we leave them be, Spinola and the newly-reinforced Tilly may pursue us northward, disrupting our endeavors. We must coolly dissuade them from any such notion of giving chase.”

“A sound premise. Do you have a suitable method in mind?”

“Of course, Lord Mansfelt.”

With a sinister smile, Christiane outlined a plan both simple yet devastatingly effective.

As she elaborated, Mansfelt slowly nodded, persuaded by her ruthless pragmatism.