Alsace
A region in the heart of the Palatinate, known for its wealth of iron mines and fertile farmland based on rich soil.
This morning, the young girl Anna woke up early to help her parents once again.
Her home, which operated a vineyard, took pride in producing some of the best grapes in the Empire.
The luscious purple grapes were ripening, and with the harvest just around the corner, Anna knew she had a lot to do today.
Though she was only 7 years old, she had been learning about farming early on to assist her parents.
She thought about how she needed to be strong today for her soon-to-be-born younger sibling, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she got out of bed.
At the dawn of this early hour, when darkness began to fade away, the chilly yet fresh air should have gently teased Anna’s nose.
However…
At that moment, as she took a deep breath upon waking up like usual…
Anna’s face involuntarily scrunched up.
A foul scent invaded her nostrils.
It wasn’t the fresh air or the sweet aroma of grapes from the vineyard.
It was the stench of blood…
And… the burning smell of something.
Recognizing this, Anna felt an instinctive fear rise within her as she slowly got up from her spot.
What she saw next was a foreboding light sneaking in through the gap of the door.
It was not bright light heralding the morning.
It was an ominous orange and red glow.
Anna couldn’t clearly understand what that meant.
She could only feel an inexplicable sense of dread…
“…Mom?… Dad?”
With fear in her voice, Anna called for her parents.
Then, with trembling hands, she began to open the door.
Originally, she would have gone to her parents, who should have been preparing breakfast at this hour.
To be wrapped tightly in her mother’s embrace and soothe her fear.
And then right after…
“…U-Um… Mom?”
What lay before her stopped Anna’s thoughts completely.
The screams of people echoed from beyond the window, with terrible red light creeping out from the flames.
Broken utensils and scattered food littered the floor.
And…
Among all that, she saw…
Her dad, with half his head blown off, his brain exposed…
And her mom, lying dead with her belly torn open…
And… a small hand visible in between…
Anna couldn’t comprehend what that meant for a moment.
But before she could even think about it.
A figure holding a blood-soaked axe began to come into her view.
Clad in thick armor and covered in blood, with a chilling smile plastered on its face.
At that moment…
A single terrified word slipped out of Anna’s mouth.
“D-Demon…”
The name the pastors often spoke of…
A horrifying monster that crawled up from hell.
A wicked being that delighted in drinking human blood.
At that moment, seeing that being slowly approaching her, Anna could only think of that demon.
The hellish monster that had slain her family.
Realizing it would kill her too, Anna sank to the ground, engulfed in despair.
And…
Toward Anna who sat there, the demon began to raise its axe with a hideous grin.
“Die! You evil demon!”
The demon swung the axe down towards Anna.
Just before that horrific thing, which had killed her parents, fell upon her head.
A truly meaningless question began to surface in Anna’s mind.
“Why… does the demon call me a demon?”
A realization her young mind couldn’t understand.
Feeling puzzled about that, Anna’s dazed gaze remained fixed on the bloodied axe descending toward her.
And then…
*Thud!*
“Aha! I’m going to kill them all! The demons who have submitted to the wicked church! There’s no longer any value in living for such beings!”
Christian shouted with madness, expressing excitement as she faced the soldiers amidst the shrieks of people and the stench of blood.
Meanwhile, witnessing her, Mansfeld, who was also leading this “judgment of justice,” began to feel a strange thrill.
Christian radiated a wild, unrestrained savagery, without feeling the slightest hesitation.
From her demeanor, reminiscent of a wild horse, Mansfeld found a peculiar charm.
“I became a mercenary seeking a free life, but this woman seems to live even more freely than me.”
Mansfeld had long been desensitized to death as a mercenary and had already reached the point of enjoying it.
To him, the slaughter happening under his and Christian’s lead was just an exhilarating banquet.
In fact, in some respects, this moment, where he could fully unleash desires he had suppressed all along, was precisely the scene Mansfeld had always desired.
Just then, feeling an instinctive joy rising from his chest, Christian, who stood beside him, spoke in a voice filled with thirst.
“Aha! I’m getting too worked up! I must go enjoy myself a little!”
With that, Christian charged forward on her horse.
Then she began to wield the spear in her hand and cast magic.
A blood-red energy began to envelop her surroundings.
It soon spread like a swarm of living insects, wrapping around the fleeing villagers’ bodies before her.
“Gaaah!”
The horrific screams echoed as the villagers were devoured, their flesh stripping away as they perished.
However, her magic didn’t stop there; it started to engulf the bodies of other people nearby like spreading flames.
What began with one or two people swiftly claimed the lives of over 30, and at the center, Christian erupted with ecstatic laughter.
And… witnessing her like that,
Mansfeld also felt a thirst for blood and began to gallop ahead.
With his eyes glued to the wild frenzy emanating from Christian…
*
In a location about a day’s journey from the border of Palatinate, General Tilly had just arrived and was taking a moment to rest while receiving information about Palatinate alongside his 15,000 troops.
“Is it true that Mansfeld and that Christian are up to such things?”
“Yes, General. General Spinola is waiting for your arrival as soon as possible.”
“I understand. The messenger should return immediately to inform General Spinola of our location. We will join forces soon.”
After sending off the messenger from Spinola’s side, General Tilly began to quell the brewing fury within him.
Mansfeld and Christian were rampaging through the Palatinate, leaving destruction in their wake.
Their horrific actions struck a significant blow to the Sacred Empire that had taken control of Palatinate, and Spinola wanted to join with Tilly as soon as possible to drive those madmen away.
And Tilly, who had been given another chance by the Emperor to lead the troops, desired the same.
Although he had failed due to his own mistakes in the last battle, his pride in acting on God’s behalf still burned brightly.
“An army of evil heretics is committing demonic acts. As one who carries out the will of God, I cannot let this stand!”
With anger in his voice, General Tilly spoke.
In response, the young woman sitting opposite him nodded in agreement.
“What you say is right. Slaying innocent people and robbing them of their possessions, we must make them pay dearly for this.”
She spoke with a voice tinged with a hint of excitement.
Seeing that, General Tilly thought this person also shared in his reasons for anger and replied with determination.
“Indeed, truly commendable words from an archbishop who directly serves God’s will. I expect your performance along with the Paladin Order in this war.”
“Leave it to me. We have come to fulfill the Lord’s will even from Milano, this far away. We will strive to realize justice to the best of our abilities.”
With a sincere smile in response to General Tilly’s words…
She was…
Archbishop Maxim Cafeo of Milano, hiding the greed writhing in her heart, while putting on a seemingly righteous expression.
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