“What… What is this?”

Lord Alba of Fatherborn was feeling a chill as he looked at the so-called ‘letter’ in front of him.

The letter, with its corners singed and written in what looked like blood-red ink, contained only four words beneath the Duke Brown’s ominous seal:

“Feuert! Feuer! Blut! Blut!”

If this letter had been just a simple missive, he would have dismissed it as the mad ramblings of a lunatic.

However…

Through the seal of Duke Brown, and at the same time, the 5,000 soldiers stationed outside their castle, Lord Alba realized that this was not something to be taken lightly, but a clear threat.

Even though the 5,000 troops outside could not be considered an actual army by any standard, merely a ragtag bunch of thugs, bandits, and beggars hastily gathered, their numbers were far from insignificant and, in some respects, even more dangerous because of their shambolic nature.

A 5,000-strong mob that had lost their discipline could morph into a band of robbers and rioters at any moment.

He didn’t even want to think about what would happen if they stormed the city.

In this situation, Lord Alba quickly grasped the meaning behind the letter in front of him.

“This is a warning. A warning that if they do not surrender quietly, they will turn this city into ruins…”

Though he considered the possibility of fighting back, the unfortunate reality was that the number of troops he could mobilize at a moment’s notice barely reached 1,000. Any attempt to gather more troops would be thwarted before it even began, as the enemy would arrive first.

Ultimately, Lord Alba recognized that he had no options left and sent a letter requesting negotiations with Duke Brown’s forces outside the castle gates.

The letter offered 5,000 talents in cash in exchange for their quiet retreat.

In response, Duke Brown’s side agreed to the terms, and after extracting the 5,000 talents, they simply retreated southward.

Unexpectedly extorted, Lord Alba felt a deep rage but couldn’t openly express it.

He knew that provoking them might lead to a far greater disaster, so he soothed himself by recognizing that at least it had ended at this.

And soon after, he would realize that this choice had been a very wise one with a deep sigh of relief.

*

In the peaceful small city of Ripshtadt.

Thanks to its vast fields, it had acquired a fair amount of wealth through developed agriculture.

But at this very moment…

The place that once echoed with the laughter of children and the sounds of livestock was now shrouded by the cries of terror and explosions.

“Creeeak!”

“Fire! There’s a fire in the warehouse!”

“Please… save me! I… don’t care what happens to me, just please save the child!”

“Kurrrgh!”

Amid the horrific cries and burning buildings, soldiers were plundering the city and mercilessly slaughtering its people, like ants swarming over a cream bun.

“Feuert! Feuer! Blut! Blut!”

Shouting their ‘slogan,’ the soldiers were turning the entire city into hell.

Watching this mayhem…

She, the instigator of this tragedy and commander of the ‘army,’ Christian Brown, began to burst into maniacal laughter.

“Ahahaha!! Kill them all! Take everything! Killing people and plundering their riches is our business! Those who reject the merciful hands of God’s agents! It’s time to show them a proper example!”

Christian and her soldiers, who mercilessly slaughtered people while selling the name of God, were repaying those who had not paid their ‘military funding’ for God’s Army with thorough retribution.

Scenes of arson and carnage unfolded everywhere.

Young men had their heads chopped off by soldiers,

the elderly were pierced through in agony,

and mothers holding their children were butchered by soldiers’ axes,

while the surviving children were hurled into the flames, crying out in terror until they fell silent.

After erasing the city from the map…

She, the insane woman named Christian, gazed upon the wealth and food acquired from this ‘crusade’ with an ecstasy-inducing smile on her face.

“It’s truly a sweet victory. Ah… soon I’ll be able to indulge in this honey-like bounty without any restrictions..”

Excitedly speaking, Christian began marching southeast with her soldiers, who had finished their rest.

“Now that we’ve shown this much ‘goodwill,’ there will be no lords left who would refuse our sincerity. Hehe. Well then, let’s continue to collect as we move and also gather more soldiers along the way.”

With Ripshtadt turned into ashes as a tangible warning rather than mere threats, lords who received Christian’s ‘letter’ began to tremble in fear, even though her forces had yet to approach.

All of them, possessing limited military power but a certain degree of wealth…

At the same time, those who had given up on joining the heretic alliance due to personal grudges or minor circumstances.

They finally recognized that the harsh hand of Bohemia was, in fact, the hand of an angel, and without further ado, sent the ‘donations for God’s Army’ and ‘reinforcements.’

Thus, Christian and her army continued their march, committing ruthless slaughter and plunder against the lords and citizens who had rejected her ‘favor.’

As a result of these events…

Christian Brown, once just the lord of a small domain, began to spread her infamous reputation across the continent.

Her path was littered with corpses, whether they belonged to church members or heretics, as she burned everything in her way.

Related to these acts of madness, people began to refer to her as:

The Madwoman of Halberstadt.

*

Through extorting lords, Christian gained immense profits.

Now equipped with enormous wealth and treasures, she continued her march, leading an army that had increased to 10,000.

“Just a little further, and we’ll reach Dortmund Castle, and below that, the Palatinate territory… Soon I’ll be able to meet that person.”

Despite having built a considerable force, Christian was well aware that this was still insufficient.

Although she had amassed power by robbing minor lords, facing the heretic alliance of Bohemia or the looming Spinola was an impossible feat with her current forces.

To escalate her plans further, she needed the power of…

Mansfeld.

With Mansfeld and his army currently moving to join her, and Spinola’s large army following behind, she didn’t have much time to spare.

“Well then, let’s hurry and move, even if it’s just a day sooner… to ‘rescue’ the Palatinate from the evil clutches of that church.”

*

“This is not good… This situation is truly…”

The sight of Mansfeld’s army faintly appearing in the distance made General Spinola, commander of the Holy Empire’s Esban army, frown automatically.

Originally, Spinola would have been highly unlikely to engage in battle and would merely keep a wary eye on Mansfeld.

However, the destruction and plundering incidents Christian had exhibited on the way here were enough to make Spinola feel the severity of the situation.

With Mansfeld’s movements leading to a possible union with Christian, though Christian’s army may not seem very strong, she was rapidly increasing her forces through extreme plunder, to the point of being called a madwoman.

If Christian’s army joined forces with Mansfeld’s power, they would become the strongest force in the Palatinate.

Even Spinola couldn’t deny that they would become the mightiest forces in the Palatinate, swooping down on the unsuspecting.

“If that happens… it’s clear what the top predator will do without needing to see it. I must combine forces and reinforcements as soon as possible to prepare against that.”

Fortunately for him, not long ago, a force of 15,000 led by General Tilly had begun making its way towards the Palatinate.

If they could unite, there was a chance to turn the tables, but it would take quite some time.

Recognizing the moment had come for him to make a decision, Spinola began to understand.

“I… have no choice. Unfortunately. For a while, the subjects of the Palatinate will have to endure this. It’s a harsh price to pay for the mistake of choosing heretics…”