Tyranny of Steel

The illumination of high noon gleamed through the windows of Berengar's study, and with it, landed upon his handsome figure. The young Count had a calm expression as he sipped from his tea. In front of him were two people reporting the news he had been waiting for. One of these individuals was his lover Linde, and the other was his close friend and Field Marshal Eckhard.

As Berengar enjoyed the flavor of the chamomile tea, Linde spread a report across his desk; its contents revealed the general attitudes of the noblemen of Austria and how they would react to the news of Conrad's demise and Berengar's declaration of usurpation.

As Berengar read through its contents, Linde announced the general summary of what the report contained.

"As you have expected, Count Audeger, Count Otto, and Count Adelbrand will support you. Their views are simple, to struggle against you is an act of suicide. Besides that, there is a consensus by these Counts and their Vassals that despite losing power in the forms of feudal armies, the economic benefits of tying their dynasties to positions of control over your businesses far outweigh the losses they will suffer because of your reforms."

Berengar nodded in approval when he heard this and continued to read the report; while he did so, Linde further commented on it.

"Upper and Lower Austria will stay out of the conflict entirely. Our spies have reported that while the Count of those Upper Austria is not favorable towards you or your rise to power, his Vassals support your reforms, and without their aid, the Count will not have the armies to rebel against you. As for Lower Austria, as you know it is the crownland ruled by Conrad, with his death it has fallen directly into your hands. As such you will see no resistance in the Northern portion of Austria.

Berengar flipped through the pages while drinking from his tea, nodding in silence. The report was thorough and included far more details than Linde was summarizing; as such, he took the time to read through it while his lover continued to report her findings.

"The regions that are sure to rebel against you when you proclaim yourself Duke are the Counties of Kärnten, Krain, and Kustenland. In other words, the southern regions of Austria. The Counts of those regions are greatly repulsed by your rapid ascension to power and consider you nothing more than a jumped-up Baron. Aside from Kärnten, the other two counties did not personally witness the might of your forces in battle, and as such genuinely believe they might have a chance to stand against you."

While he heard this, Berengar smiled wickedly as he broached the subject with Eckhard, who was standing nearby silently listening to the report.

"Tell me, Field Marshal, how would you handle the situation?"

Eckhard scratched his beard for a few moments while he pondered about the information he had received before coming up with a solution.

"If I were you, I would deploy a few thousand troops to the southern counties under the guise of internal security. After all, since the Bavarian withdrawal, there has been a severe problem with brigands and highwaymen throughout south Austria. The local Lords may be unhappy about it, but you are the Regent of Austria, and as far as they know, Conrad is still alive.

By showing overwhelming force and occupying the regions in the name of internal security, you can squash any form of rebellion before it even begins. The advantage we have is that nobody outside of Kufstein castle is aware of Conrad's death, and before you reveal this card, they can not do anything to rebel.

When you finally announce Conrad's death and that you will be usurping the position of Duke, they will not have the means to fight you, as you will already have occupied their cities and ports—ensuring your rule over the regions.

They might try to foster an insurgency among the local population, but this can be counteracted by introducing your agricultural and industrial reforms; in doing so, the common population will see their daily lives improve and will be less likely to rebel in favor of the local nobility who treat them as slaves. There will be some bloodshed, but it will be minimal, and your reign as Duke over all of Austria will be secured."

Hearing this, Berengar began to tap his fingers on his desk repeatedly for a few moments; this was plausible and was a great way to prevent unnecessary bloodshed in his ascension to the status of a Duke. However, this action plan failed to remove the Counts in power, who would surely continue to scheme against him. Thus Berengar asked the question on his mind.

"If we do this, we will not be able to eliminate the disgruntled noblemen who will do their best to resist my reforms for years to come. How do you suggest we deal with them?"

Before Eckhard could speak up, Linde immediately voiced her opinion on the matter.

"You do not need to worry about this; I have a plan in mind that would allow us to be rid of their treachery permanently while making your ascension of power seem legitimate. As you know, my family is the major Cadet Branch of the main Habsburg line. With Conrad's death, my brother Liutbert is the next in line to inherit the Duchy.

By luring the rebellious Lords to Innsbruck under the guise of a mutiny against your regency, we can gather every nobleman who seeks to defy your rule in one place, where my brother will raise an army against you. After a small battle, he will concede defeat and transfer surrender his claim to the Duchy of Austria in favor of you. In doing so, the mutinous Lords will be rounded up and executed for their treasonous activities.

My brother will be spared as a benevolent action on your part and will be removed from the position of Chancellor as punishment for his alleged betrayal but still allowed to rule over Innsbruck. As for the rebellious Lords' successors they can be persuaded to toe the line."

Linde made sure to emphasize the word persuaded; it would not be done civilly, bribery, skullduggery, even threats could all be used to make sure the successors of these noblemen would do as they were told. Was it corrupt? Sure, however, sometimes underhanded tactics were necessary to achieve his goals, and Berengar understood this.

Hearing his lover come up with such a dastardly plot, a wicked grin spread across Berengar's lips as he nodded his head with approval. He took another sip from his tea before revealing the thoughts on his mind.

"Alright, I approve of this plan. I want all critical areas of the potentially rebellious counties secure before I reveal the news. You two have your work cut out for you, and I expect it accomplished promptly!"

Eckhard saluted Berengar and responded in the affirmative

"Yes, your excellency!"

As for Linde, she put on a sultry smile before seductively responding to Berengar.

"Anything for you, lover..."

After hearing his two subordinates agree to this plan of action, Berengar leaned back in his chair and gave one more order.

"Dismissed!"

Hearing this, Linde quickly got to the task; while Eckhard stayed behind, noticing that his Field Marshal was still in the room, Berengar asked the man for his reasoning.

"Is something the matter?"

Eckhard had a complicated expression on his face. He did not know the whole truth of Conrad's death, but he suspected it was not a suicide as Berengar had proclaimed to the Castle's staff; as such, he closed the door before approaching Berengar, who was sitting calmly in his leather seat.

"Your excellency, I would like to know the truth about what happened with Conrad... I suspect there is more to the story than a simple suicide, and if you did have a hand in this, it completely goes against the long-term plan that you had in place.

Hearing Eckhard's concerns, Berengar quickly placed his head in the palm of his hand and sighed before revealing the truth of the matter to his loyal Field Marshal, albeit with some exaggeration.

"The boy targetted Linde; he killed her pets in an attempt to cause her mental anguish. Not only did he kill them, but he mounted their heads on sticks outside of their home. If he was so wicked that he would murder three innocent cats to harm Linde, what about Hans? Would the brat target my son next? I do not believe he had not thought of such a thing, and as such, I could not take the risk. So I threw him out his window."

Eckhard was shocked about hearing this news; he had no idea that Conrad had become so vile during his stay in Kufstein. As such, he let out a large sigh before speaking his thoughts on the matter.

"If I were in your position, I too would have done such a thing. To think the little brat was so far gone. It is good that he is finally dead; now we can make some real progress in Austria. Alright, I understand the reasoning for your actions now; I had thought you might have become impatient and rushed your rise to power, and for my assumption, I apologize.

After all, it is a man's responsibility to protect his family from all threats. You are correct to assume he would try to harm your family next; even if he did not have such thoughts at the time, he was working up to it. Thank you for being honest with me."

Berengar smiled when Eckhard agreed with his actions; after the brief argument they had over the act of poisoning the boy, he was beginning to suspect that Eckhard might be too soft for the path that Berengar trod upon. Yet, Eckhard's response had alleviated his concerns for the time being as such; Berengar stood up and clasped the man's shoulder while looking into his eyes before speaking the words on his mind.

"It is no problem, my friend. Now go forth and set the army to the task."

Eckhard nodded and smiled at Berengar's response shortly after he departed and began to fulfill his plan to secure the title of Duke for Berengar. With this strategy in mind, Berengar's transition to power would be stable, and his enemies within his domain would be dealt with accordingly.