The scene of Munster Castle being occupied in an instant.
As they leisurely observed it, a deep smile began to form on the faces of Mansfeld and Christian.
“Just as expected, they can’t even muster a decent resistance before crumbling down.”
“Of course! No matter how many numbers they put together, it’s impossible for hastily assembled troops to match us. Their resistance is nothing but meaningless flailing.”
Even though their numbers were not small, the ratio of mages was overwhelmingly in their favor, and the difference in combat experience was like heaven and earth.
That said, they hadn’t set any particularly variable strategies; they simply had a slight geographical advantage due to the low castle walls.
From the beginning, there was no reason for the Mansfeld side to lose, which is why Mansfeld, who usually avoided risky battles, proceeded with this one without much hesitation.
After all, even the variable of the Emperor’s army, which might be a one-in-a-million chance, was not something to worry about at this moment, as he already knew through the Archbishop.
While watching the slowly crumbling Munster Castle as the flames soared, the two felt confident of their perfect victory and then began to shift to a slightly different topic.
“So then… what do you plan to do next? While Munster Castle might be taken, the resistance against us will surely intensify as we move forward. We can’t just keep pillaging and wandering around like this.”
Though they had amassed great wealth by raiding the Palatinate’s lands, if they plundered Munster Castle and its nearby regions, they could surely alleviate worries about funds and food for a while.
However, their army wasn’t invincible, and no matter how vast the Sacred Empire was, the areas they could plunder were limited.
Currently, the only places they could directly act upon were those ambiguous regions where both the Heretic Alliance and the Emperor’s side were quietly observing without stretching out their hands.
As the risks for the Mansfeld army grew larger, some of those regions were already deciding to fully align with the Heretic Alliance or the Emperor’s side.
In other words, the area in which the Mansfeld army could operate was shrinking in real-time.
But, Mansfeld understood well that they couldn’t occupy one place and settle there.
Though the roaring flames were threatening, if they lost what they could engulf around them, they would quickly weaken and eventually extinguish.
If they were to occupy one place and linger there, the local lords would definitely not let them be, as they had already become an undeniable threat.
Surely, either the Heretic Alliance or the Emperor’s army would seek to draw external forces to eliminate them.
And…
In response to Mansfeld’s worries, Christian began to speak of the solution she had already thought of.
“Don’t worry about that; I have a plan in mind.”
“Oh? What is it?”
As she always did, Christian was prepped to give Mansfeld some sound advice. With expectations riding on this fact, Mansfeld asked, and Christian shared her words with a smile.
“Undoubtedly, due to the events thus far, most of the factions within the Sacred Empire will turn their backs on us. However, at the same time, it is also an undeniable truth that there are those who wish to ally with us in this current situation.”
“What do you mean?! No way.”
Mansfeld suddenly started to recall something at Christian’s words.
As she noted his reaction, Christian began to speak with an increasingly chilling smile, sharing her thoughts.
“If there aren’t our allies within the Sacred Empire… we can simply seek them outside. The countries neighboring the Empire see us as a wild horse rampaging through the Empire’s borders, and if they can tame us, it would definitely help them establish their banners across this vast Empire.”
“Mm… That is a compelling argument. So… who do you have in mind for the rear? The neighboring Franz Kingdom? Or perhaps the nearby Lorend Region?”
“Heh, while both of those factions would be useful, we have someone who can be an even better supporter. A faction already with a foothold in the Sacred Empire, watching for the right moment.”
This was someone Mansfeld had subtly laid the groundwork for before, a person who had ambitions as great as their own in some respects.
Confident that this individual would certainly assist in determining their next moves, Christian was about to reveal the name of this person to Mansfeld.
At that moment…
“Ka-bang!”
“What?!”
“What… what was that?”
A sudden loud explosion echoed.
The faces of Mansfeld and Christian, who had been leisurely observing the situation just moments ago, began to cloud with deep confusion.
Of course, in a battlefield where shells were flying and magic was unleashed, the sound of explosions could be as commonplace as the chirping of birds in a forest.
However… the source of that sound wasn’t from the Munster Castle they had been watching.
The explosion was coming from their flank.
In the thicket and dense trees, at this very moment, unexpected figures were pouring out.
“Is… is that… could it be…?”
“General Spinola! And General Tilly too! A-ah… how did those guys get here?!”
Out of nowhere, from an unexpected location, the Emperor’s army launched a sudden ambush.
Despite the heavy fatigue evident on their faces, having traversed through the difficult forest, Mansfeld knew all too well that this situation could yield disastrous results.
Although they were on the verge of taking the castle, Mansfeld and Christian’s soldiers were still engaging in an offensive against Munster Castle.
As a result, they were currently lined up for an aggressive charge, and crucially, their main forces were rushing carelessly into the castle, just now breaching the Munster army’s defenses.
Their numbers were already lacking compared to the Emperor’s army, and now that forces were divided…
The sudden onslaught of a large army at this time was more than enough to plunge Mansfeld into shock and terror, placing Christian in an equally untenable situation.
“Damn it! Call for reinforcements immediately! Blow the horn! Tell the Munster forces to return here!”
“Y-Yes, Commander!”
“You all follow me! We can’t let the enemy break our formation!”
Although it was Mansfeld’s principle to avoid direct confrontation with strong foes, there was truly no choice in this moment.
There was no distance to easily evade combat with the enemy, and crucially, most of their troops were inside or just outside of Munster Castle, making a retreat impossible.
Ultimately, the only choice left for him was to do everything possible to hold back the enemy and buy time until reinforcements returned.
“I’m going too! Soldiers, follow me!”
“Yes! Lady!”
As Christian instructed, her guards followed closely behind her.
Thus, Mansfeld and Christian’s troops began to charge against the Emperor’s army, which was pushing into their formation like a tide.
“Die! Emperor’s dogs!”
Channeling magical energy into his sword, Mansfeld unleashed it forward.
Moments later, the lightning of black light that burst forth from his sword struck down a group of advancing infantry.
“! Ugh… Uaaaaa…”
Dozens of soldiers fell dead without even being able to scream as they collapsed on the ground.
With a single blow claiming countless lives, the Emperor’s forces hesitated in shock, and without missing the opportunity, Mansfeld and his troops launched a counterattack against the enemies before them.
“Hold the line! We are the invincible Mansfeld Mercenary Company!”
With a booming voice, Mansfeld and his elite guards swept across the battlefield.
But at that moment…
In the midst of the slaughter, one figure kept surfacing in Mansfeld’s mind.
“I never imagined I’d be caught off guard like this… This is why you shouldn’t trust people recklessly. That Archbishop Maxim or whatever her name is… how dare she play me this way? Even if I have to die today, I will surely show you hell!”
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