Book 4: Chapter 87

“Your Majesty, the Ottoman army is on our doorstep. They’ll be here at any moment.”

Louis II frowned upon hearing his advisor’s words. “Has our army been assembled?”

“Yes, yes, of course, the war council has prepared everything,” the advisor said and bobbed his head up and down. “Your army of knights are ready to fight at any time, but—”

Louis II slammed his hand down on his table. “I’m not going to call that devil! I know you want me to, but I won’t! This is the Kingdom of Hungary. I am the king of Hungary! The people living here, they are Hungarians! We aren’t part of the Holy Roman Empire just because a devil escaped punishment from the Lord.”

“But, Your Majesty!” The advisor wrung his hands. “Why won’t you call the devil? Isn’t there a saying, evil can only be exterminated by evil? Call the devil and have her fight against the Ottomans. Then, when they’re both weakened, we’ll swoop in and take all their heads. Wouldn’t that prove the greatness of Hungary? We’ll have defeated the Ottomans, and we’ll have saved the Holy Roman Empire from the clutches of a devil.”

Louis II’s brow furrowed. “You have a point,” he said and pinched the ends of his long hair that hung down to his chest. “If we do that, Hungary will certainly end up on top.”

“Then we’ll do it?” the advisor asked, his shoulders relaxing.

“Of course,” Louis II said and nodded, “not! Are you a fool? The devil wanted us to tell her when the Ottoman army was arriving! Do you think she wanted to know that because she wanted to wage war against them? If she wanted to wage war against them, she would’ve invaded their lands, did to their leader what she did to me, but she didn’t! What does that say about her attitude to the Ottomans? It’s friendly!” Louis II slapped the table again. “I bet it was the Ottomans that sent her in the first place. Haven’t you heard about the witch that punched down Belgrade’s walls? You know how witches obtain their powers, right? By consorting with devils! Imagine if we summon the devil whilst we’re being sieged by the Ottomans, and she attacks us from the inside. Isn’t that just asking to be killed?”

The advisor’s mouth fell open. “Your Majesty,” he said and swallowed, an audible gulp echoing throughout the room. “You…, you’ve grown up without me noticing. If the devil were to attack us from the inside whilst we’re besieged, a great tragedy will befall us! Of course, why didn’t I think of that?”

Louis II shook his head. “There’s a difference between our abilities,” he said and leaned back, rubbing the ends of his hair with his thumb and forefinger. “It’s why I’m the king, and you’re the advisor.”

The advisor pursed his lips. After a moment, he opened his mouth. “I’m confused about one thing, Your Majesty. Why are the keepers of the church working with the devil?”

“The keepers have been infiltrated,” Louis II said. “My father left behind a book of advice for me. He told me to never go against the Holy Roman Empire because of the existence of the keepers. There’s twelve of them, all male, each boasting supernatural powers. They’re the descendants of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ.” A wrinkle appeared on Louis II forehead. “Since that’s the case, how are there suddenly thirteen of them, one of them being a woman at that? It’s clear. She’s a devil as well.”

“If that’s the case, are we still deploying the keepers of the church?” the advisor asked. “The devil in black armor may have left the lands using an unknown method, but she left the keepers behind. Wouldn’t it be equally as dangerous if those keepers were to attack us in the middle of the siege?”

“They’re human,” Louis II said. “They might have been deceived, but as keepers of the church, they’re on humanity’s side. They wouldn’t harm a fellow human.”

The advisor’s expression stiffened. “Then why are we deploying them onto the battlefield? The Ottomans—though they may not seem like it—are humans too.”

“They’re there to capture the witch,” Louis II said and rolled his eyes. “Without the witch, the Ottomans are nothing. Our knights will run them over and cut them down like a field of wheat.”

At that moment, the sounds of bells tolling entered the palace. Louis II and his advisor stood up at the same time. “The Ottomans’ goal have been discovered,” Louis II said and licked his lips. “Help me put on my armor!”

The advisor furrowed his brow. “Are you sure?”

“Of course!” Louis II said. “How can I be king if I don’t join the battlefield myself? I’ll personally behead the leader of the Ottomans. I can’t wait to see the look on the devil’s face when she realizes her plan has failed.”

Don’t you think she’ll kill you once she finds out you ruined her plan? the advisor thought but held his tongue. “I wish you luck on the battlefield, Your Majesty. May the Lord watch over you.”

Louis II nodded. The bells tolled as he put on his armor, assisted by his advisor. The set had belonged to his father, and he hadn’t grown into it yet, but that wasn’t going to stop him. After he was fully geared, he left his palace under the watchful eyes of his citizens. There were already an army of knights lining up in the streets, facing the main gates of the city. There was a clopping sound as someone approached him, bringing a warhorse. Louis II stoked the horse’s mane and nodded. “Help me up.”

Soon, Louis II was at the head of his army of knights. There was a group of men surrounding him, his war council. “Have you taken a clear look at the situation?”

“Yes,” one of the men said. “We’ve taken everything into consideration and chosen the best battlefield for our men. We shall engage the Ottomans in the fields near the town of Mohács.”