Steel Empire
Go Home Before Autumn

Three months passed as quickly as they came, and Berengar was ready to march for battle. During this time, Adela returned to Steiermark with her father, where Otto maintained his borders. Although the two Counts reached an agreement and Berengar began supporting Otto with the help of food at a discounted price. After all, Otto's people suffered from constant attacks on their land, and Berengar was able to alleviate that suffering with pay. 

It had been more than a year since Berengar had first reincarnated into this world, and he had accomplished a lot all along. As for what Berengar currently occupied, at this moment, he was once again equipped for war, standing before Linde, who was carrying their baby, the baby boy was growing day by day. Henrietta was also gathered to send her brother off to war.

During this time, Berengar had gotten used to losing his sight in his dominant eyes and was now ready to fight once more, although he would no longer be a commander after he bravely fought on the front lines. However, at least he would remain on the battlefield leading his troops. 

Linde had a worried expression on her face, the last time Berengar went to war; she lost one eye and nearly lost her life; now she would face such danger again. He was deeply saddened to see his lover risk his life on the battlefield. Therefore, he kissed Berengar passionately before muttering softly.

"I will pray for you!"

Berengar chuckled at this statement. Linde was never a very religious woman, but to her, she was willing to pray to God for her safe return; she found this funny. As for Henrietta, she hugged her older brother before making him promise her with solemn vows.

"Come back this time!"

Berengar laughed at the girl's embarrassed expression before he ruffled her delicate golden hair; after doing so, he agreed to her terms.

"I promise, I'll be back safely!"

After saying such a thing, he left his house. It had been too long since he had smelled gunpowder in the air, and now he was eager to face an enemy that dared to disturb his land.

As for Conrad, he remained in Kufstein, always under the supervision of Linde and the Berengar housekeeper. With Berengar gone, Conrad will be closely guarded to make sure he doesn't try anything evil.

Berengar rode his new horse, the brave beast against the appearance of his old horse Erwin, because his coat and mane were all white. Although this mighty destroyer had been purchased at a great price, Berengar still deeply regretted losing his old warhorse and vowed never again to make such a costly mistake. 

After putting up the brave white stallion, who was wearing Blackend's own set of steel plates, with a magnificent brass decoration, Berengar came out of the Castle and regrouped with his troops in the streets.

This was his last army to meet Eckhard and the rest of his army at Kitzbuhel. Once the army marched, it would be divided into two, with a more significant part of the military staying with Berengar as he marched on Salzburg.

As for the smaller part, they would regroup with Count Otto's troops at Steiermark before marching on Carinthia. Berengar sat at the head of the troops, with a burgonet over his head, marching in the middle of summer; he began humming following the marching song sung by the military behind him.

After a few hours, the army reached the eastern border of Kitzbuhel, where they began to settle in tents surrounding the border fortress. Berengar quickly dismounted from his horse and approached Eckhard, who had long defended the Northeast border from the Bavarian invasion. However, he was left in control of the territory to ensure no other soldiers came to attack. 

Seeing his Lord and Commandant approaching him, Eckhard quickly hit his chest to salute before speaking to his old friend, whom he had not seen for a long time.

"Your Majesty!"

Berengar chuckled as he looked at Eckhard seriously and slapped the man's back with his palm covered in skin. 

"It's good to see you, Eckhard; it's been a while!"

Eckhard smiled, seeing Berengar return to his former self, even after such a severe injury. So he responded to Berengar's informal approach in an equally casual way.

"It's a shame we'll leave each other's company for so long after reuniting."

A wide grin spread across Berengar's face as he looked into the distance with his fine eyes. He gazed towards Vienna, by reconquering the capital of the Duchy, he would soon establish himself and his Dynasty as the main power of Austria.

"Don't worry, Eckhard, if we do our job right, this war will be over soon."

After reuniting with his Field Marshal, and other General Arnulf; Berengar had chosen to gather high-ranking officers on a hill in front of the Border that his troops occupied, there was not enough room for the total number of his troops to stay within the Citadel walls, so many of them gathered in tents outside the fort.

As the high-ranking officers gathered around Berengar, he quickly spoke to them, as he tried to encourage them with a speech appropriate to the situation.

"It has been a long time since the last time we marched to war, and although many of you have defended our borders, others have enjoyed the stability we have brought to our land. However, as you all know, the price of freedom is paid for with the blood and bodies of those who are willing to defend it.

Suppose we want to continue our existence as rulers of our territory without interference from foreign powers. In this case, we must fight, not for ourselves or our families, but for the whole of Austria! Because even though we are all Tyroleans, we, more importantly, are Austrians! Our brothers and sisters in other regions have been bleeding and starving while we hide behind our borders letting that happen!

Now our actions are not without reason, because we need time to build an army that is large and strong enough to defeat the enemy, or we will end up like our neighbors. Yet it does not excuse the fact that we have chosen to hide in our well-fortified mountainous regions.

But not anymore! Tomorrow we march to fight to liberate Austria from the occupation of our enemy! The Bavarians are trying to sue all of us and rule us under their rules and customs! I reject it, because Austria will forever remain in the hands of Austrians! I promise you, if you all do your part in this coming conflict, you'll be home before the leaves fall from the tree! God is with us!

Just before Berengar finished the last part of his speech, he unsheathed his sword and pointed it north into the night sky before chanting the battle cry that made his troops famous. As he did so, the officers who had gathered to watch his words all pulled out their swords and pointed them at the sky before also shouting Tyrolean war cries.

"God is with us!"

After shouting those words a few more times, Berengar finally silenced the crowd and spoke to his officers.

Upon hearing Berengar's orders, all the high-ranking officers began to head to their residence, where they all rested for the night. Berengar, on the other hand, had a personal drink with Eckhard; he would eventually reveal his plans to become Duke to his most trusted General.

Eckhard knew something was suspicious from the start; upon hearing that Conrad was saved by Berengar and taken to Kufstein for safety, he knew Berengar was planning something serious; he knew that he was planning something serious; even though he doesn't know what. 

Berengar brought two cups of beer to the table where Eckhard sat before he sat down. After doing so, he handed the cup to Eckhard and began drinking from his own. Only after the two had tasted the beer did Berengar start greeting Eckhard with a serious expression.

"I will soon be Duke of Austria."

Eckhard only laughed upon hearing these words; berengar's ambition was never satisfied; therefore, he began to ask Berengar what his plan was.

"How do you plan on doing that? Last I checked, Conrad was Duke..."

Berengar was completely honest with Eckhard, and because of that, he was telling the truth.

"After I won the child's war for him, I will continue to be his Regent; all this time, he will be poisoned slowly to the point of severe pain, perhaps years, he said, but before the boy turns sixteen, he'll be hoarse. . Leaving me as Regent in a position to sweep and seize his title."

Eckhard looked at Berengar with a surprised look on his face. Before leaning back and whispering to her

"You're going to poison a child?"

Berengar simply took a drink from his cup before answering Eckhard's question.

"It's one or I'll be forced to start a civil war."

Eckhard looked at Berengar with disdain before asking Berengar another question.

"You want so badly to be Duke that you're going to kill an innocent child?"

Berengar shook his head and stared intently at Eckhard before he began to lecture him.

"The boy covets my fiance; when he gains real authority by becoming a Duke, he will demand I hand him over to him; at that time, Adela will be my wife, she said, and I will refuse to do it. He will try to kill me for refusing his orders, and I will gather an army against him."

Eckhard did not believe Berengar was willing to throw the Duchy into another Chaos war just for a woman; therefore, he tried to negotiate with Berengar because this was the justification Berengar used for his actions, he said, Eckhard will offer an alternative solution. 

"You could have given the girl to the boy; after all, you already have Linde, just marry him and hand over your son!"

Berengar shook his head while taking another sip; after doing so, Eckhard became angry and slapped his fist at the table before shouting at Berengar.

"Give me one good reason not to!"

Berengar glared at the man ferociously before answering

"Because I love her!"

hearing this, Eckhard scoffed; seeing that the man was unhappy with his plan, Berengar decided to ask a philosophical question.

"Eckhard, with all your infinite wisdom, explain to me why thousands of people dying on the battlefield is fairer than poisoning one child?"

With those words, Eckhard looked at Berengar in disbelief. To be honest, he didn't know how to answer that question. Berengar decided to add salt to his wound as he pressed Eckhard even more, he pointed to the door while doing so.

"Why aren't people's lives as important as Conrad's? Whether it was to secure Adela's hand in marriage or fulfill my grand ambitions, it really didn't matter. If I could save the lives of even one of my soldiers by poisoning Conrad, then I would! You better remember where your loyalty lies. This is not just for me, but the men, women, and children under my rule, and if I can save them from the pain of war by engaging in a little evil, he said, then I'll be happy to do it."

Eckhard finished the beer cup down his throat before pouring another one, where he began to finish the contents quickly. It was only after he downed three beers and wiped the foam from his beard that he decided to say his final thoughts on the matter.

"You're right! I'm sorry, I feel kind of cruel to poison a child, but you're right, as always. Even if you are willing to give up on Adela, put aside your ambitions, by letting Conrad become Duke. it will only bring disaster to our land, that brat is not fit to rule our people, but you!"

Hearing Eckhard finally agree to his plan, Berengar smiled and patted his back. 

"Go to rest, old friend; we will march to war at dawn."

With that said, Eckhard smiled before leaving, leaving Berengar alone. It was only after Eckhard had left long ago that Berengar began to think about the actions he had to take before reaching the peak of his ambitions. In doing so, his lips turned into a sinister smile before voicing his thoughts out loud.

"For the path I walk, poisoning a child is just a drop of water in a well. Oh, my friend Eckhard, I'm destined to do far worse in the future. However, in the end, by doing that, I will build a global hegemony for my Dynastiku!"