Tyranny of Steel

Days came and went as Berengar enjoyed his week within the City of Constantinople. He had spent the majority of this time in the loving arms of his newest wife, where the newlywed couple shared practically all of their time together. 

After the conflict with Decentius on that fateful morning, the proud prince had not made a move on Berengar or anyone who had traveled with him. Instead, He largely kept his distance from the Austrian host as a whole.

Berengar had grown suspicious of his actions but chose not to make a move himself; he decided that he would later dispatch field agents to keep an eye on Decentius and investigate the faction supporting him for the succession of the Byzantine Throne. 

Eventually, the day came for Berengar to depart, and he returned to Kufstein with his family in tow. The return trip was far less eventful than the journey to Constantinople as such, Berengar and his family arrived in the capital of their Kingdom without incident. 

Oddly enough, Berengar was not given any time of reprieve, for the moment he stepped in the door of his study, there was a massive pile of paperwork sitting upon his desk. Atop this pile of documents was a letter with the seal of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.

As Berengar read the contents of the text, a wicked smile curved upon his lips. He had not suspected the Teutonic Order to come crawling to him begging for his protection. He was greatly interested in the prospect, but of course, was wary.

After all, he would be sending the First Division of his Army into Granada soon enough; as such, it would incur a great expense to create a conflict with the massive Coalition who were at the gates of what remained of the Teutonic State. 

With this in mind, he immediately requested a nearby servant to fetch his field Marshal for him. Eckhard had recently returned from the Bohemian Front and was even the best man at his wedding to Honoria. As such, Berengar knew he was within a reasonable distance. 

After waiting roughly an hour, the veteran field Marshal of Austria stood before his King. Both men were in full-service dress as they began to speak within the personal study of the King of Austria. Berengar handed the letter over to Eckhard and allowed him time to read through its contents.

Eckhard's expression shifted from severe to grave after reading through the text; after doing so, he handed it back to Berengar with a stern expression on his face. Berengar was grinning from ear to ear as he asked for his Field Marshal's opinion.

"So Eckhard, what do you think? Can we annex the Teutonic State and protect it from its enemies to the east?"

Eckhard felt exhausted; he knew exactly where this was heading. He just got back from one war, and now his King was about to ship him off to settle another. Even though he wanted to deny Berengar's wishes, as a man loyal to his King, he gave his honest opinion on the feasibility of the matter.

"Can we? Yes, Though it will require a substantial investment. Should we? I don't think it is worth it. Allow me to ask a question, what exactly are your plans for the Teutonic Order, your majesty?"

Berengar smiled as he heard this question and pointed to one of the stars pinned upon his chest. 

"It is simple; I will annex the territory of the Teutonic State and empower the local nobility. I will reform the Teutonic Order from a Catholic Military Order to a Prussian Chivalric Order!"

Eckhard was immediately confused as he heard this and immediately asked for clarification.

"Prussian?"

Berengar nodded in response to this before answering the field Marshal's question.

"I will elevate what remains of the Teutonic State to the Grand Duchy of Prussia for the time being. After we have united Germany underneath my rule, I will combine it with Brandenburg and raise its status to that of a Kingdom."

After hearing this, Eckhard sighed heavily; indeed, Berengar's ambitions were never-ending; from what the King had stated, it became evident that he wanted to create a Federal Monarchy where Austria and, by extension, his Dynasty ruled above all other German States as the Emperors. As such, Eckhard immediately relented and asked for Berengar's plan.

"So what exactly did you have in mind for this annexation? Hennek has appeared to leave the terms deliberately vague. It is clear that he intends to negotiate for as many benefits as possible."

Berengar immediately turned away from Eckhard upon hearing this and stood before the window gazing out upon the gorgeous Tyrolean scenery as he stood at ease. After a while, he began to speak of his plot.

"I don't intend to negotiate with the Teutonic Order, they have expressed interest in annexation, so I will march the Second Division into their lands, where I will personally accept their servitude. Tell me, Eckhard, what is the progress on the Bohemian Royal Army?"

Eckhard sighed heavily once more before speaking his thoughts on the matter.

"They haven't been in training long; it will still be a few months before the first batch of recruits is ready for combat. Why, what do you have in mind for them?"

Berengar's lips curved into a wicked smile as he revealed his intent for the Bohemain Forces beneath his command.

"It is simple; if the Coalition does not halt their advance, then we will smash their Army with our forces. If they relent, then we will use the combined force of the Second Division and the Royal Bohemian Army to reclaim the German-speaking regions currently occupied by the Eastern Coalition. I will not rest until we have retaken Konigsburg!"

Eckhard immediately understood Berengar's intent. He would use the fresh Bohemian recruits as the cannon fodder, while the more veteran and elite Austrians would act as shock troops in this conflict. Upon seeing the level of understanding in Eckhard's eyes, Berengar immediately asked the question on his mind.

"Tell me, Eckhard, have the new field uniforms been properly distributed? Black and gold may make excellent dress uniforms but are less than ideal for combat. It is too.... flashy."

Eckhard nodded his head silently; the field uniforms had been prepared and distributed to every soldier within the ranks of the Royal Austrian Army. Berengar smiled in response to Eckhard's answer; after doing so, he began to issue a new order.

"Very well, when the Second Division has been properly equipped with our newest weapons, I will march them to Marienburg, where I will accept the Teutonic State's request of annexation. Until that time, make sure the men are fully prepared. If you will excuse me, I must have a meeting with the Director of Royal Intelligence about this. I want our agents to be in the field well ahead of our advance."

After saying this, Eckhard saluted his King before departing from the room. Afterward, Berengar had Linde brought to him, who was exceptionally happy to see him. She immediately tried to kiss him. However, Berengar pushed her away with a stern glare in his eyes. 

The young beauty immediately began to pout as her husband shoved away her attempt to show her affection. However, Berengar continued to glare at her as he calmly explained his reasoning for doing so.

"Linde, I called you here to discuss important matters of State, not to fool around. The fact that we are standing in my office is proof of this. So let's get down to business. I need you to deploy some of your field agents to the Teutonic State and the Eastern Coalition."

Having heard the severe matter at hand Linde immediately stepped out of her role as a loving wife and into that of the Director of Intelligence; in an instant, the affectionate expression she was giving her husband shifted to that of a quiet professional. She could easily separate business and pleasure, and Berengar admired that most about her. As such, her tone shifted to severity as she immediately asked for clarification on the details.

"Are we going to war again?"

Berengar nodded silently with a stoic expression. The moment he did so, Linde knew that things were about to get serious. As such, she quickly asked for further instructions.

"What do you need my agents to do exactly?"

Having heard this, Berengar leaned in close and began to whisper his plot into his wife's tender ears. 

"For now, I want your agents to gather intelligence, assassinate priority targets, and sabotage the Eastern Coalition's efforts to conquer what remains of the Teutonic State. To put it simply, I need you to buy me time in whatever way you deem appropriate. It will be a few months before I can deploy the Second Division to the east, and in that time, I do not want the Teutonic State to fall. 

After my forces have arrived and annexed the Teutonic State, I fear that the Coalition may be a bit hesitant to step on our tail. As such, I will need your Agents to provoke a conflict with them in a way that makes them appear to be the aggressors. Once we are in open war with the Coalition, I will do the rest."

After hearing her orders, Linde nodded her head and saluted Berengar as if she were one of his soldiers. She then boldly declared her acceptance of the tasks bequeathed to her.

"It will be done, your majesty!"

After saying this, Linde wasted no time; she immediately departed from Berengar's office and entered the Headquarters of Austrian Royal Intelligence, where she relayed her orders. Berengar now had two wars he would be fighting in the near future. As such, he smiled while pouring himself a glass of wine within his Skull Chalice. After taking a slight sip from the drink, he exhaled deeply before commenting to himself on the situation.

"It looks like the Needle Rifle will see yet another conflict! Good, I wouldn't want it to be replaced without serving its purpose!"

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