Steel Empire
Victory of Dimeran

Eckhard stood in the middle of the siege camp he had set up outside the town of Meran. He was currently wearing his blackened ammo plate-half armor with brass ornaments, on top of his winter clothes. A German-style burgonet adorned above his head, protecting his skull from potential danger. The three protrusions formed at the top of the helmet are trimmed with brass, as well as the edge of the helmet.

The veteran knight, who now acted as Field Marshal Berengar pouted as he watched the ongoing siege of Meran. Due to the increased distance when compared to Sterzing, he needed an extra day to reach his target with his troops. Unlike Berengar, he did not engage in field battles before carrying out the siege, therefore his troops were well rested for the campaign to capture the South.

While Berengar had developed an appetite for the horrifying nature of war, Eckhard was completely bored with it. He had seen too many deaths in his life, and the fertile fields of a hundred battlefields turned into barren deserts scorched by the flames of war, and the blood of battle was engraved in his permanent memory. However, as a Knight whose only skill was in the art of war, he had no other choice in life but to fight until the day of his death.

Hearing the horrifying screams of the enemy defenders being shot dead by snipers in his army, many of whom had become talented snipers at this point in the campaign, he could not help but sigh and shake his head as he muttered his weapon.

"So many unnecessary deaths. They should just give up, their defeat is inevitable ..."

Despite the grizzled veterans' views on the conflict, the enemy defends with all their might to defend against Eckhard's technologically advanced forces. Just like Berengar, the army in which he was assigned to lead was filled with a mixture of veterans, conscripts, and levies. Many veterans who survived this conflict would become NCOs, and even Officers in the Imperial Army in the future Berengar, were, but for now they just crouched in trenches and shot at enemies from a distance away from the range of the bow.

After making this observation that the wall had finally collapsed, after several days of besieging Meran, victory was within his grasp, Eckhard began to wonder if Berengar and Arnolf had conquered their cities. Nevertheless, now was not the time for that, as Eckhard took his loaded rifle and ordered his troops to prepare to storm the gap. Eckhard took a different approach to combat than Berengar did, he bombarded a crack inside the wall with explosive bullets, he said, make sure to do great damage to anyone stupid enough to stay near that gap.

After bombarding the location for some time, the enemy was afraid to protect it, therefore, they managed to stay quite far away from the area, when Eckhard finally asked the bombardment to stop, the fissure is hunted by nearby musketeers and levies that run into the city and begin their slaughter. No matter how strong the defense was originally planned, under the fire of the rifle, whose sides were covered by levies, the city quickly fell into the hands of Eckhard.

As one of Berengar's generals, Eckhard had made sure to enforce Berengar's rule on the treatment of civilians and prisoners of war, anyone who voluntarily surrendered to Eckhard and his troops was treated with dignity, and under the watchful eye of Eckhard's forces who had Berengar's rules of war embedded in their heads, the levies were prevented from acting and causing a commotion. After all the enemies were captured as prisoners of war, and the civilian population was taken into account, Eckhard gave the order to begin bombing the Castle.

Unfortunately for Eckhard, the enemy Regent was stubborn and refused to surrender, so the bombardment continued for several more days before the wall collapsed. Wanting to end the battle as quickly as possible, Eckhard ordered his grenades into position to fire at the enemy troops before throwing their grenades into the fissure. A common tactic used by grenades, after causing significant death and destruction to enemy defenses, a major melee breaks out as levies, conscripts and veterans clash with enemy garrisons. The castle is protected by the elites left behind in Meran and consists of heavily armored troops resembling armed men.

Eckhard stayed behind the army and watched his troops slowly seize the courtyard before breaking down the castle's doors with the battering ram, where they marched in with their rifles loaded, bayonets tacked on, and then they were thrown in, and a spear in the hand. What followed was the slaughter of everyone who resisted until finally, they entered the Great Hall where the regent stood firmly against Eckhard's forces.

When Eckhard forced his way forward and saw the arrogant Regent, he could not help but sigh in his heart. This man was clearly willing to die rather than admit defeat. The regent noticed the respect given to Eckhard realizing the possibility that he was the commander of this force, therefore he asked in puzzlement about Berengar's location.

"You're too old to be the Cursed Berengar, who are you? and where is the heretic who encircles my land?

Eckhard noticed the use of the phrase "my land" even though only a Regent showed that the man undoubtedly had an exaggerated sense of pride. He therefore sighed and introduced his rank and name to the Regent who acted in power when the Ruler of this region went to Vienna to fight in the Lothair war.

"I am Field Marshal Eckhard von Hallstatt, the leading General of Berengar, he has assigned me to besiege this city and as such, I have full authority to accept your surrender!"

The stubborn Lord looked at Eckhard as if he was joking, and once again asked about Berengar's whereabouts.

"Where exactly is Berengar if he doesn't surround my great city?"

Eckhard once again noticed the use of the term "me" when referring to cities, and if not previously clear, the, it now became clear to everyone in the room that this Regent was not only stubborn but also extremely arrogant, thinking that the leader of the Loyalist forces in Tyrol would come to Meran himself, he said, therefore Eckhard grinned and told the man about his true worth.

"Heard you're currently besieging Sterzing and have asked me to take Meran when he's not around. Now that the City is ours, and the Castle has been secured, I strongly advise you to surrender, otherwise I will imprison you by force."

At this point it did not matter whether the regent surrendered or not, the city belonged to Eckhard and furthermore, Berengar, the Regent's willingness to accept defeat was irrelevant. But surprisingly without an army to protect him, or the will of the people to defend him, the Regent still refused to admit that he had lost, and instead punished Eckhard.

"I will never give up this City as long as I catch my breath, when Lothair and my subordinates return, they will take you to the depths of hell, and I will be greatly rewarded for my loyalty!"

Seeing the stubbornness of this Regent had turned into stupidity at this time Eckhard just sighed and gave orders to his troops.

"Capture this guy, and put him in solitary confinement. I don't want him to influence the prisoners to rebel against our rule here!"

With that said the soldiers beat their chests to salute and obey his orders.

"Yes sir!"

After saying that they quickly locked the man in chains, though he tried his hardest to fight, and dragged him to the dungeon while kicking and screaming.

"I can't wait to see how Duke Lothar slaughtered you traitors like pigs! All of you will be condemned to the afterlife for following that heretic to hell!"

With those words, the troops did not react in the slightest, as far as they knew Berengar was the one who had proven himself many times worthy of being followed, no matter what the Church might say, he said, he was a righteous person, who practically became a Saint Warrior in their eyes. Of course, you are, they had no way of knowing that in the distant future after Berengar's death there would be a great debate among the leaders of the German Church over whether Berengar should be canonized as a Saint Warrior or not.

With the Regent locked in, and the city's defenders defeating the battle for Meran has resulted in a victory for Eckhard, the first of many to come from the first Field Marshal of Berengar's army.