As soon as I entered the barracks, my father looked at me and spoke in a slightly proud voice.
“How is it, Santana? What do you think of our Bohemia’s army? Isn’t it impressive?”
“Yes, Father. It certainly is. It’s my first time seeing such a massive army up close.”
Since this wasn’t an outright lie, I expressed my admiration without holding back. Seeing my reaction, my father, Count Turun, seemed to be quite pleased and spoke with a hint of excitement.
“That’s right, there are probably not many in the continent who can boast of an army this size. Plus, soon the Palatinate prince will be bringing another 7,000 soldiers. With such strength, even if the opponent is the Emperor, they won’t be able to win easily!”
With a confident voice, Father, Count Turun, was clearly justified in his confidence—having an army of 20,000 is indeed a rarity on the continent.
However… considering the situation that would unfold if I didn’t intervene afterward, my father’s bragging felt quite hollow to me.
‘Well… my father doesn’t understand how formidable the Emperor’s forces are right now, so I guess that’s understandable. Unlike me, who knows every detail about the enemy’s troop composition, strategies, and the flow of war…’
A battle between 20,000 and 25,000 does seem somewhat comparable in scale.
But the problem wasn’t just the difference in numbers; it was the quality of the troops and, crucially, the tactical flaws that would arise.
‘Had my father’s operations gone as planned, we wouldn’t have suffered such a defeat… the issue is going to be with those guys who will arrive soon…’
Strictly speaking, they would be worse than General Tilly, who is bringing his army here.
Well, Tilly is an enemy but a capable general, so I could at least view him with some respect. But those others? They lack even that nuance, making them all the more dreadful.
‘In that sense, they could essentially be seen as the biggest obstacle in this war…’
Just as I began to frown at that thought, I heard a shout from outside the barracks.
“Count! They’ve arrived!”
“Oooh. Finally!”
In the next moment, a voice filled with joy echoed outside the barracks. Count Turun smiled and rushed out, while I followed him, feeling quite reluctant.
*
Flowing on the Rhine River, which marks the western regions of the Sacred Empire, lay the principality of Palatinate, known for its historical strength.
Its prince, who was wed to a princess from the sea-continent Britten Kingdom and had just arrived near Bohemia Castle with an army of 7,000.
This young lord, named Friedrich, was strikingly handsome with blonde hair and blue eyes, and his attire matched well with his appearance; yet he bore a slightly tense expression that seemed out of place.
Watching this young lord, a middle-aged man riding alongside him wore a relaxed smile and said, “There’s no need to be so anxious, Your Highness. Stay calm. Isn’t your loyal subject by your side?”
Speaking in a tone that resembled a father addressing a son, the Prime Minister of Palatinate, Anhalt Christian, reassured young Lord Friedrich, who replied in a rather timid voice.
“..Umm.. Ah.. I understand, Anhalt. Well, with you here, what do I have to worry about?”
“Exactly, Your Highness. Trust me and stand firm. As I’ve said countless times, every plan is perfect. Soon, not only will we take over Bohemia, but the entire Sacred Empire will kneel before you.”
Anhalt’s extremely confident yet dangerous statements made Friedrich merely nod while cautiously guiding his horse forward, followed closely by Anhalt and the soldiers.
The mages were nearly absent; the majority of the troops were ordinary humans.
However, even so, 7,000 was by no means a small number, and the presence of such a military was impossible to dismiss.
Holding onto his pride, Friedrich began drawing closer to the Bohemian army’s formation, slowly entering view.
Right after, he spotted a group of people.
With a middle-aged man and a young man around his age leading them, Friedrich turned his attention back to Anhalt beside him.
“That’s the lord of Bohemia, Count Turun. But I’m not sure who the person next to him is.”
“Isn’t that his son? They look quite alike…”
Friedrich spoke with somewhat uncertain voice.
In response, Anhalt made a slightly uncomfortable expression and replied cautiously.
“Well… I’ve heard that Count Turun doesn’t have any sons. If I remember correctly, he only has a daughter…”
“Well, we’ll find out for sure when we get there.”
Finishing that statement, Friedrich dismounted his horse cautiously, followed by Anhalt, who also dismounted to follow his lord.
*
Before my eyes stood a nobleman who was undeniably handsome with blonde hair and blue eyes, but whose inner timidity didn’t escape notice.
And trailing behind him was a middle-aged man with messy red hair, exuding a somewhat sinister aura.
As I regarded them, I immediately recognized who these individuals were.
‘Are these guys from Palatinate? How is it that they never fail to meet expectations…’
As that thought crossed my mind, I slowly bowed my head following my father, who was greeting them politely in front of me.
Regardless of how I felt about it, I had to show respect to this man in front of me.
Friedrich held a rank above my father, being a prince.
In other words, he was of royal blood, with a claim to the throne under certain conditions, so I had no choice but to show proper respect.
“Welcome, Your Highness Friedrich the Lord. You’ve truly put in a great effort to come all this way.”
“No, no. Effort? I simply did what I must for the sake of justice and freedom against heretics. I’m the one grateful for such a warm welcome.”
Receiving my father’s greeting, Friedrich spoke as if reading from a script, though awkwardly.
Watching this, my father maintained his smile and turned to me.
“Son, this is His Highness Friedrich. He has come to help us from far-off Palatinate, so make sure to show your respect.”
“Yes, Father.”
In response to my father’s words, I stepped forward to formally greet.
In an instant, my gaze shifted from Friedrich to Anhalt, the Chancellor standing beside him.
Upon being introduced as Count Turun’s son, I could see that slight discomfort across his face.
Knowing the meaning behind that expression, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of satisfaction as I respectfully greeted Friedrich before me.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Santana Andreas, the rightful heir of Count Turun and the legitimate successor of Bohemia.”
“Indeed, it’s my pleasure to meet you, Santana Andreas. You seem to be around the same age as me, let’s get along well in the future.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I shall certainly do so.”
Friedrich spoke in a much more natural tone than before, but Anhalt, standing in the back, looked as if he’d bitten into something sour upon hearing my emphasis on “rightful successor.”
And seeing his expression, a light smile began to form on my lips.
‘Well then… shall we start changing history for real?’
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