“Wh-what?! General Spinola… General Spinola has… been defeated?!”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty… that’s correct.”
“W-well… Where is the general now? Th-this can’t be! I need to hear this directly from him!”
“Th-that is… General Spinola is already…”
“Th-this can’t… be…”
Emperor Sijip Ferdinand was taken aback by the unexpected news. Spinola, the one he relied on for so long, one of the most powerful mages in the empire, and the governor ruling the eastern territory of the Esban Region, had been defeated and killed, and Sijip could hardly believe it.
“How… how could this happen?! Wasn’t this operation supposed to be perfect?! Didn’t I say I would capture that vile heretic leader, Friedrich, and bring him to his knees before me?!”
“I… I have no words to say, Your Majesty…”
“Ugh…”
The emperor frowned as he saw his minister bowing his head in tears. Filled with grief and rage, he asked with a fierce glare.
“What are Generals Tilly and Valenshtein doing?! What on earth have those two been doing while everything has turned to chaos?!”
“I-I apologize, Your Majesty… From what I’ve heard, both are currently engaged with Chris IV’s army moving south… They had no time or ability to assist General Spinola…”
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it all!! These damned heretic traitors have made a fool out of me like this!”
Thus, Emperor Sijip screamed with deep hatred.
Of course, his rage towards the heretic forces had already been sky-high. Yet, now, the death of General Spinola ignited almost a mad fury within him.
“This cannot stand… I need to give orders to General Tilly immediately! I can no longer watch as these vile heretical bastards wreak havoc for another day! Charge! Go and behead every last one of the heretics! Such demon-spawn have no right to exist in this world! And tell every lord to behead anyone who believes in heresy! Not a single one shall escape!”
“P-please, Your Majesty… Calm yourself! Such orders…”
“Shut up! I am the emperor! This empire belongs to me! Will you refuse my command? Execute it at once! Wipe out every last one of those damned heretics from this world! Right now! Right this instant!… Gah!”
“! Your… Majesty! Your Majesty!”
“You… get a physician here immediately! Now!”
In the midst of his furious shouting, the emperor collapsed from overwhelming rage.
As the ministers rushed to his side, the royal palace was engulfed in chaos.
*
“Uhmm…”
“How… how is he?”
The priest examined the emperor lying in bed.
He then calmly spoke to the ministers, “His loss of consciousness is simply due to immense shock and anger. Fortunately, his life is not in immediate danger.”
“Uhmm… Is that so…”
“But… Given the severity of his emotional state, it seems it will take some time for him to recover.”
“Sigh…”
The ministers sighed with relief and concern after hearing the priest’s words.
After the priest left to check on the emperor, the ministers began discussing among themselves.
“What should we do now? Must we really… go through with that order?”
“To kill all the heretics within the empire? Even before, the emperor’s decree caused tremendous chaos within the country.”
“We must face the truth. No matter what we do, even if the emperor expresses his will strongly, it is impossible to completely eradicate heretical doctrines from this land.”
“Who doesn’t know that? Even here in Vienna, about one-tenth of the population believes in heresy. In other regions, it could be as high as two to three or even four-tenths.”
“Killing them all is madness; it could even shatter the empire’s strength in half, or worse, cause it to burst apart.”
“The problem is… only Emperor Sijip remains unaware of this fact…”
It has been over a hundred years since the heretical doctrines took root everywhere in the empire.
The desire of those who felt nauseated by the corrupt church to seek true faith had grown so strong that it even led them to tolerate discomfort, making its removal impossible.
If things had been dealt with ruthlessly like during the early days of the Franz Kingdom, the situation might have been slightly better, but the Sacred Empire had missed that opportunity, and crucially, the regional lords were far too strong for such actions to be executed easily.
Thus, regarding the impossible tangible realities, the ministers had no choice but to agree among themselves.
“We have no choice; let’s treat what happened just now as a decision made in the emperor’s delirium and let it go for now.”
“That seems wise… Actually executing it would be a huge burden anyway.”
“Then how should we deal with General Tilly?”
“We should at least push for realism. There’s still a chance since Spinola has been defeated and Lorend could mobilize, as time will surely not be on our side.”
“Understood. Then let’s proceed that way…”
And so, the ministers casually discussed and prepared their countermeasures. However, they were all inwardly gripped by uneasiness.
With the emperor increasingly bound by the chains of the church, his demands grew more and more outrageous, sowing deeper concerns about how his behavior would steer the empire.
*
News of victory in Lorend reached General Tilly and General Valenshtein, and worry began to cloud their expressions.
“Could it be true that General Spinola has been defeated…”
“To lose despite having devised such a perfect plan… I still can’t believe it.”
“I can’t either. War always has variables, but even so, to have such a decisive blow thwarted and even break the sword is far-fetched…”
Although General Spinola’s forces were smaller compared to theirs, their role was undeniably critical.
Completely eliminating the possibility of insurrection from the east Lorend while pressuring the heretical forces controlling the northeast was vital.
However, as that failed, Generals Tilly and Valenshtein found themselves cornered from three fronts.
“Fortunately, the forces from Lorend aren’t that strong, or things would have gotten serious if they charged through here.”
“Still, we don’t have much time. If Bohemia moves under the current circumstances, our chances of success will plummet. We must swiftly execute the plans we’ve set.”
With resolute seriousness, Valenshtein strongly advocated his opinion.
For him, this war was his first outing and an essential step toward achieving his objectives.
Thus, he needed to instill the name of victory in the hearts of his soldiers as soon as possible, especially after receiving the unsettling news of their ally’s defeat.
After a moment of deliberation, General Tilly finally reached a decision regarding Valenshtein’s assertion.
“…Very well. Since the emperor has been pressing for an attack, we should move out. I’m not sure if the enemy will respond, but…”
“They surely will. They take great pride in their combat strength. Especially after this recent victory report, their confidence will have soared. They will definitely take the bait.”
With conviction in his voice, Valenshtein spoke confidently.
In response, General Tilly nodded slowly, harboring both concern and a hint of hope.
