Chapter 317 317-Supporting Allied Forces
"The influx of paper from Luka has caused the paper prices here to drop. We can use these stable-priced papers for propaganda to promote stability," one of the mayors explained.
Howard nodded in agreement.
Now that the Lagusa region was under his control, and with the support of Luka's paper supply, spreading propaganda had become much easier.
As long as Lagusa remained stable, this duchy would continue to prosper.
Howard instructed the mayors to vigorously support the emigration efforts to the New World.
If there were poor people who wanted to board the ships for free, the mayors needed to facilitate this, ensuring that everyone willing to expand his territories could embark on the transport ships.
Both mayors nodded in agreement, mentioning they had already been supportive of those wishing to move to the New World.
Having conveyed his primary concerns, Howard walked towards the door.
Before leaving the room, he turned to Vettel, "The rest of the conversation, I'll leave to you. I've said what I needed to."
Howard proceeded to his bedroom, where a maid was cleaning the desk.
He passed by without disturbing her and walked down the corridor.
Encountering Golan, who stood with his head bowed, Howard walked past him.
Suddenly, Golan remembered something important and hurriedly informed Howard.
Nora had sent another letter, urging Howard to set off soon.
From the evening, a wartime conscription had begun in the three counties of Nok, Luka, and Lagusa.
This war was a mission to support their allies.
Traveling overnight, the troops from Nok and Luka were advancing towards Savoy.
They planned to observe and scout for a period before deciding whether to launch a direct attack or to head east to meet up with Howard.
The troops from all three counties of Lagusa had successfully convened and were ready to depart.
The next morning, the combined forces of Nok and Luka, led by Resarite with Anna as his deputy, advanced into Milanese territory.
Suddenly, a 2000-strong Bavarian army approached them.
Resarite, mounted on a towering horse and wielding his knight's sword, cried out, "Charge!" The army roared like thunder, their morale sky-high. N♡vεlB¡n: Your Escape into Infinite Tales.
A few scattered artillerymen, unable to aim properly in the haste, fired their cannons directly.
Now a duke, Howard had equipped his forces with artillery and musketeers.
Ignoring their formation, the infantry surged forward, firing as they moved.
The cavalry, flanking the enemy, swiftly charged, swiftly annihilating the 2,000 Bavarian troops.
After this victory, Resarite continued his march towards Savoy.
Two days later, the allied forces breached Munich.
The emperor and Howard methodically captured the surrounding territories without fortresses.
Areas without fortresses were as if they had their doors wide open for occupation.
Only fortresses could block an enemy's march, stalling them in front of the fortress and buying precious time for the troops behind it.
Pomerania, having been fully occupied by Bohemia's army, unilaterally surrendered.
They ceded the County of Danzig and broke their alliance with Brandenburg, offering over five hundred gold coins as a loan to the allied forces.
The Brandenburg troops intercepted Bohemia's army, leading to a battle.
Trained and disciplined, Brandenburg's forces routed the Bohemians, forcing them to retreat.
Subsequently, Brandenburg's army advanced towards Bohemian territory, intending to occupy it and force Bohemia out of the war prematurely.
Duke Saxton's forces, after some hesitation, believed they had found a good opportunity and attacked Howard's seemingly isolated army.
However, this was yet another application of the feign weakness strategy; Emperor Fritz III's forces, hidden behind the mountains, joined the battle and swiftly defeated Duke Saxton's troops, even capturing the Duke himself.
With Duke Saxton captured, Saxony was compelled to seek an early peace.
Under the demands of the allies, a defeated and disheartened Saxton reluctantly signed the treaty.
The Duchy of Saxony ceded the Upper Saxony region to its ally Bohemia and agreed to pay the allied nations 300 gold coins over five years.
The Bavarian state, now reduced to Brandenburg alone, refused to surrender.
After capturing a Bohemian outpost, they marched directly towards the Bohemian capital.
Howard suggested to Emperor Fritz III that it was essential to rescue Bohemia by marching towards its capital and lifting the siege.
Emperor Fritz III agreed to the plan.
The troops advanced towards Bohemia, where the remaining unoccupied provinces had hired numerous mercenaries, assembling a special attack force of 8,769 soldiers.
This squad was primarily composed of musketeers, interspersed with many seasoned mercenary assassins.
These battle-hardened professionals were the aces of the era of cold weapons.
Clad in finely crafted, sturdy bright chain mail or highly defensive full plate armor, these armors bore the distinct insignias of their respective mercenary groups, making them highly conspicuous and impressive on the battlefield.
Unlike chain mail, which is composed of interlinked metal rings, plate armor is formed as a single, solid piece.
It's akin to a slab or chunk of metal, seamless and impenetrable.
The cost of crafting plate armor was exorbitantly high, representing the pinnacle of aristocratic military gear.
They wore helmets resembling iron buckets, entirely enclosing the head unlike typical helmets that have a hat-like appearance.
These bucket helmets were wraparound in design, covering everything except the eyes, which were left open for combat visibility.
No part of the skin was exposed, ensuring maximum protection.
