A wide open space.
There were numerous soldiers wielding weapons, including spears and firearms.
These soldiers standing here had undergone months of rigorous training.
Looking at them, the person in charge of their training and the commander leading the army, Mansfeld, shouted at the soldiers in his characteristic strong and dignified voice.
“Army, focus! On one, get into position; on two, aim your spears forward; and on three, release! Do you all understand!”
“Yes! Understood!”
With a strict voice, Mansfeld continued the training, moving among the soldiers, all of whom were disciplined under him.
Seeing their condition, Mansfeld couldn’t help but sigh quietly to himself as he smiled at the progress he had made with them over the past few months.
‘Indeed, at this level, they seem quite usable. Compared to when I first met them, they have matured enough to hold their own.’
In the past, Mansfeld lost more than half of his mercenary group due to the collaborative assault from the Emperor’s Army led by Tilly and General Spinola.
Fortunately, the core forces, including the mages, suffered minimal damage, but most of the infantry sustained almost catastrophic losses.
Considering that warfare is based on the organic operation of each unit, this was essentially a total annihilation.
But fortunately, years later, Mansfeld had mostly recovered from the devastating losses he had suffered at that time.
‘I’m really glad I came to the Mark Region. They say a person must meet a good woman; if it weren’t for Christian’s advice, I would never have thought of coming to this far northern land.’
With those thoughts, Mansfeld began to recall the decisive moment that became the turning point for him.
*
After losing the battle against the Emperor’s Army, Mansfeld and Christian became wanderers.
They lost Hilberstadt, which could be considered Christian’s base, due to the aftermath of a previous war, leaving them truly with nowhere to go.
In this situation, as the leader of the mercenaries, Mansfeld needed to choose his path.
One option was to go to the Franz Kingdom, a long-standing rival of the Sacred Empire, and apply for employment there.
Given the ongoing events within the Sacred Empire, the Franz Kingdom was undoubtedly feeling considerable unease as well.
Mansfeld judged that if he used these feelings well, there could be a fair chance for negotiation.
However, Christian firmly disagreed with this.
She said that the Franz Kingdom would never hire them.
“Why do you think that? I’ve heard that the Franz Kingdom doesn’t have many troops they can deploy compared to their current national strength.”
“Yes, that is indeed the case. However, regardless, they will never hire us. From their standpoint, there’s no reason to take such a gamble.”
“A gamble?”
Christian’s unexpected words caused Mansfeld to raise an eyebrow.
He questioned her about it, and she calmly responded.
“Yes, exactly. It may sound presumptuous, but considering the actions we have taken so far, hiring a mercenary group at this point could be nothing less than a gamble for them. Despite our charming appearances, we’ve done a fair amount of backstabbing.”
“Hmm…”
With an insight that would make the title “crazy woman” seem justifiable, Mansfeld felt a start of surprise but could only nod.
“As the girl sees it, the person currently holding real power in the Franz Kingdom is Cardinal Richelieu Kazinar. He is not to be underestimated. Though the king isn’t particularly bright, Richelieu has managed to unite a kingdom that was quite confused due to political strife in no time.”
“Richelieu… I’ve certainly heard that name before, the news of a capable statesman appearing in Franz. Indeed, dealing with a smart person isn’t easy.”
“Yes, such a person wouldn’t have a reason to engage in a reckless deal with us. It feels a bit uncomfortable to say this, but our credibility isn’t high.”
“Hmm…”
Mansfeld could only nod in agreement to Christian’s words.
Looking back now, they had crossed quite a few lines with their actions.
Backstabbing employers, intimidating lords for funding, and outright burning their domains if they refused…
Had it not been for this chaotic era, they would have surely been marked as public enemies.
In this situation, it was hard to believe that the relatively easy-going Franz Kingdom would take the risk of hiring them.
Moreover, for now, the Franz Kingdom maintained a neutral stance, but with the Cardinal Richelieu in power, they were naturally inclined towards the church factions.
They would hardly welcome a group like them that sported the title of heretics.
Just as Mansfeld was ready to dismiss thoughts of the Franz direction, Christian spoke calmly to him.
“This is just a personal opinion, but in times like this, it seems advantageous for us to seek out someone ambitious enough to chase after something even if it means taking reckless gambles, like in the Mark region up north.”
“The Mark region? Why there?”
Mansfeld expressed doubt at the unexpected name of the location, and Christian began explaining the dynamics of the northern Kalmar United States that she knew.
The powerful King Gustav Adolf and the lord of the Mark, Chris IV, who was constantly looking for an opportunity to break free from his grasp.
In particular, Chris IV was a narrow-minded figure relative to his ambitions, and if they persuaded him well, Christian believed there was a significant chance of opening up employment opportunities.
“Let me reiterate, right now we are seen as a poisoned chalice from the lords’ perspective. They wouldn’t dare to take us in unless they absolutely needed to. In that respect, Chris IV, who dreams of independence from his king, would be quite likely to partner with us.”
“Hmm… I understand very well what you mean. Then let’s proceed with that direction.”
Thus, following Christian’s suggestion, Mansfeld’s group headed north.
And as Christian had anticipated… No, perhaps even better than expected, they achieved a successful outcome.
With support pouring in from Chris IV, who backed him without reservation, Mansfeld could now regroup his forces under the lord and prepare for a new leap.
And now…
Based on the newly reformed powerful army, Mansfeld was quietly watching for another chance for revenge with Chris IV as his backing.
‘I’ve heard the Sacred Empire is struggling with famine all over. Plus, that foolish Friedrich reached out to us, providing justification to act. Soon, the opportunity will come at last. The name of Mansfeld shall once again make the Sacred Empire tremble…’
He had not forgotten the vengeance he sought against Tilly and Spinola, who had once humiliated him.
Of course, the reason he decided to commit himself to this war wasn’t solely driven by revenge.
While preparing for this war, he made a promise with Chris IV.
If the invasion of the Sacred Empire successfully ended and he grew Mark’s territory enough to break free from the Kalmar United States, he would be granted the title of lord.
‘As much as I am, I can’t keep roaming the battlefield forever… It’s about time I prepare for the future. Especially with a good woman around, it may be nice to retire quietly after this war…’
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