Steel Empire
Count's Heir to Surrender

While Berengar was involved in Operation Trident, Otto besieged Vienna to free its inhabitants from the tyranny of Lothair. Linde is resting in Kufstein leading the Berengar reform. Through the conquests of Schwaz and Innsbruck, he began to incorporate it into Kufstein's jurisdiction, and although he had not permitted the conscription of the people of the region. Infrastructure projects and agricultural improvements are ongoing; the sooner he gets them in development, the sooner the profits will be seen by themselves.

The Kufstein people enjoyed their lives during this time of turmoil as they were well insulated from the violence and bloodshed that arose throughout the German world today. However, many young men decided to fulfill their patriotic duties and volunteer for military service. Of course, the volunteers were only a small part of the troops deployed to not only help the Berengar campaign but also ensure the defense and stability of the entire Tyrol, which Berengar would soon conquer. Thus, thousands of young men are currently undergoing basic training, where they will then enter specialized training in the field that is best suited for them.

After receiving his first-wave conscription in Innsbruck, Berengar instructed Linde to resume special training. With infantry being the main focus, followed by artillery, and then Cavalry. Berengar currently had the entire Cavalry Battalion under his command and as the unit suffered limited casualties during the war; it was more than enough to deter the cavalry troops of any potential troops he would encounter for now.

Currently, the newest recruits have started their basic training and are going through basic PTs to get them ready to fight fast. Push-ups, Sit-ups, Pull-ups, running, etc., become a daily exercise for men forced to work. Parades and basic formations were also drilled into their heads. They also practiced how to operate their weapons efficiently, as a series of exercises were created to quickly embed the gun loading procedure into the muscle memory of the people who used them.

Thus, the military bases used to house and train recruits were filled with thousands of young men who had just entered the armed forces. Some of them have been here for weeks and will soon be sent to their stations throughout Tyrol, whether it be in the form of field troops or acting as a garrison.

As for Officers, knights and nobles who were still alive from the captured area were put into the Berengar army and trained effectively to fulfill the position of its Officer Class. Seeing how they had changed from Master and Knight to Officer, there was an initial level of defiance by the Cadets. However, when they realized how effective organizing Berengar's semi-modern army was, they quickly changed their tone.

There was a level of courtesy and respect given to Officers just as much as a Knight or Noble, and as such, they quickly found themselves at home within the Officers Class. Indeed, it was a meritocratic power, and they would not be given a position due to their birth; they still had to graduate from the so-called "Military Academy" and rise through the display of competence. However, at this moment, there were few if any ordinary people among the Officers class, so for now it had basically turned into a position held by nobles in the Berengar military hierarchy. After all, only a few commoners were educated enough to lead a properly warring army.

While conscripts continue their training, Linde is reading the news she received from Adela about their father's battle in Vienna. The chances of his father surviving the siege were slim, but there was a chance the ferret could escape and return to Innsbruck. As she was reading a letter in Berengar's office, the door opened to reveal her brother Liutbert whom she had never seen since the awkward family reunion they had done days before. After appearing in his office, Liutbert noticed his sister's facial expression and began to question what she was reading.

"Is the letter important?"

After realizing that he had been smiling wickedly, Linde put down the letter for Liutbert to read.

"Father was trapped in Vienna, and Berengar began besieging the main resistance centers in South Tyrol. It's only a matter of time Before Dad loses the war; I suggest you find out where your loyalty lay before the war ends. . After all, Berengar was ruthless in the face of his enemy..."

Looking at the letters Linde gave to Liutbert, which contained great intelligence about the ongoing war effort, Liutbert could not understand why Linde allowed him to see such valuable information and voiced his concerns aloud.

"Why did you let me read this?"

"Because you're my brother Liutbert, and I don't want to see you end up like a father. So I gave you the choice to make the right choice. Bend your knees to Berengar and recognize him as the Count of Tyrol by Kanan. Conquest. Or support Father, and side with his failed rebellion, even if you openly voice your support for Father, when he finally loses, you will surely suffer as a traitor.

So an important decision was pushed on Liutbert; he could show his loyalty to his father, condemn Berengar as a heretic and a traitor, and deny his claim to County Tyrol, which seemed unlikely to end well for him. Or he could submit to Berengar's authority and dispose of his family's position as Prince. Before she made her choice, Liutbert had one last question to ask Linde about her lover's future plans.

"If I do what you ask, what is the position of our family?"

Linde stretched her back to the soft leather chair and grinned with a comfortable smile as she told Liutbert about Berengar's decision.

"We will obviously lose our status as Nobles for a while, but Berengar's ambition does not lie in simply being a noble, nor does he want to be the Duke our father wanted. When Berengar finally unified the German-speaking territories into a cohesive whole. Empire, he will need talented and loyal people to fill positions in his government. Right now, his political reforms are still in the early stages, but I will tell you a little secret. It doesn't matter which noble title you have. in the years to come, at least not as much as it is now. By gaining the support of a future Emperor and proving yourself to be a competent and loyal subject, that's how you'll gain political and economic power in the future."

When Liutbert heard Berengar's high ambition from his sister's mouth, he could hardly believe it. Still, he could hardly consider himself skeptical when thinking about how quickly Tyrol fell into Berengar's hands. If that man could seize Tyrol with thousands of soldiers, what could he do with tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands? As long as Berengar managed to keep himself alive and powerful, he could achieve his vision.

Thinking about the position he was standing in and his family, excluding their rebellious father, Liutbert let out a heavy sigh and nodded his head as he decided on the important intersection he found.

"Well, I'll support Berengar in any way you need. From the intelligence you have shown me, Father is destined to fail in his war, and Tyrol will soon fall into the hands of Berengar. It would be doubtful for Duke to entrust the reign of Tyrol to our family after Father's actions, so I hereby submit to Berengar's authority ... "

Linde smiled wickedly upon hearing her brother relented, and she got up from her seat to pat the young man on the back.

"You have chosen well, brother."

with this, Berengar's rise to the Tyrolian Prince could no longer be disputed if Lothair's heir was willing to give up his claim for Berengar's sake. Berengar had unknowingly gained a valuable ally in his future war; after all, Liutbert was a wise and intelligent young man. Someone who is proven to play an important role in Berengar's future benefits.