Chapter 193: You Will Be Home Before the Leaves Fall From the Trees

Three months passed as quickly as they came, and Berengar was ready to march to war. During this time, Adela returned to Steiermark with her father, where Otto defended his borders. Albeit the two Counts came to an agreement and Berengar began to support Otto with food aid at a discounted price. After all, Otto's people were suffering from the constant raids on their lands, and Berengar could alleviate that suffering for a fee. 

It had been over a year since Berengar was first reincarnated into this world, and he had already accomplished a great deal during this time. As for what Berengar was currently occupied with, at the moment, he was once more outfitted for war, standing Before Linde, who was holding onto their infant child, the baby boy was growing by the day. Henrietta was also gathered to send her brother off to war.

During this time, Berengar had become accustomed to losing his vision in his dominant eye and was now ready to fight once more, albeit he would no longer be the commander once he was brazenly fighting on the front lines. However, at least he would still be on the battlefield commanding his troops. 

Linde had a worried expression on her face, the last time Berengar had left for war; he had lost an eye and nearly his life; now he was going to face such danger again. It greatly pained her to see her lover risk his life on the battlefield. As such, she kissed Berengar passionately before muttering under her breath.

"I will pray for you!"

Berengar chuckled at this remark. Linde was never an exceptionally religious woman, but for him, she was willing to pray to God for his safe return; he found this to be cute. As for Henrietta, she hugged her big brother before making him promise her a solemn vow.

"Come back in one piece this time!"

Berengar laughed at the girl's sheepish expression before he tussled her silky golden hair; after doing so, he agreed to her conditions.

"I promise, I will be back safe and sound!"

After saying such a thing, he departed from his home. It had been too long since he had smelled the gunpowder in the air, and now he was eager to face the enemy who had dared to intrude upon his lands.

As for Conrad, he had stayed behind in Kufstein, ever under the watchful eye of Linde and Berengar's house guard. With Berengar's departure, Conrad would be guarded closely to make sure he didn't try anything malicious.

Berengar mounted his new steed, the brave beast was opposite in appearance of his old horse Erwin, as its coat and mane were entirely white. Though this mighty destrier had been purchased at a great sum, Berengar still profoundly lamented the loss of his old Warhorse and vowed never again to make such a costly mistake. 

After mounting the bold white stallion, which was clad in its own set of Blackend steel plate barding, with magnificent brass trimming, Berengar rode off out of the Castle and regrouped with his army in the streets.

This was the last of his forces to rendezvous with Eckhard and the rest of his army in Kitzbühel. Once the army was on the march, it would split into two, with the more significant portion of the military staying with Berengar as he marched on Salzburg.

As for the smaller portion, they would regroup with Count Otto's forces in Steiermark before marching on Kärnten. Berengar sat at the head of the army, with his burgonet over his head, marching amid summer; he began to hum along to the marching song that the military behind him was singing.

After a few hours, the army reached the eastern border of Kitzbühel, where they proceeded to get settled into the tents surrounding the border fortress. Berengar quickly got off his mount and approached Eckhard, who had long since defended the Northeast border from the invading Bavarians. Still, he was left in control of the region to ensure no other army came to attack. 

Seeing his Lord and Commander approach him, Eckhard quickly pounded his chest in a salute before addressing his old friend, that he had not seen for some time.

"Your excellency!"

Berengar chuckled when he saw Eckhard being serious and slapped the man's backplate with his leather-covered palm. 

"It is good to see you, Eckhard; it has been quite a while!"

Eckhard smiled, seeing that Berengar was back to his old self, even after such a grievous injury. Thus he responded to Berengars informal approach in an equally laid-back manner.

"It is just a damn shame we will be leaving each other's company so shortly after reuniting."

A wide grin spread across Berengar's face as he looked off into the distance with his good eye. He was gazing towards the direction of Vienna, by re-conquering the capital of the Duchy he would soon establish himself and his Dynasty as the main power of Austria.

"Worry not, Eckhard, if we do our jobs right, this war will end soon enough."

After reuniting with his Field Marshal, and his other General Arnulf; Berengar had opted to gather his high-ranking officers on a hill in front of the Borderfort that his army was occupying, there was not enough space for the total amount of his troops to stay within the Fort's walls, so many of them were gathered in tents outside of the fortress.

As the high-ranking officers gathered Around Berengar, he quickly addressed them, as he tried to encourage them with a speech fit for the situation.

"It has been a while since we last marched to war, and though many of you have been defending our borders, others have been enjoying the stability that we have brought to our lands. However, as you all know, the price of freedom is paid with the blood and bodies of those willing to defend it.

Suppose we wish to continue our existence as the overlords of our region without interference from a foreign power. In that case, we must fight, not for ourselves or our families but all of Austria! For though we are all Tyroleans, we are, more importantly, Austrians! Our brothers and sisters in the other regions have bled and starved while we have hidden behind our borders allowing it to happen!

Now our actions were not without good reason, as we needed time to build up an army large and powerful enough to defeat the enemy, or else we would end up just like our neighbors. Yet that does not forgive the fact that that we have chosen to hide in our well-fortified mountainous terrain.

Yet no longer! Tomorrow we march to war to liberate Austria from the occupation of our enemies! The Bavarians seek to press claim over us all and rule us under their rules and their customs! I reject it, for Austria shall forever remain in the hands of the Austrians! I promise you, if you all do your part in this upcoming conflict you will be home before the leaves fall from the trees! God with us!

Right before Berengar had finished the last part of his speech, he drew his sword and pointed it northward into the night sky before shouting the battle cry that his armies had become renowned for. The moment he did so, the officers who had gathered to witness his word all withdrew their swords and pointed them into the sky before also screaming the Tyrolean battle cry.

"God with us!"

After chanting those words a few more times, Berengar finally silenced the crowd and addressed his officers.

"Now, go rest, for tomorrow we march to war!"

After hearing Berengar's orders, the high-ranking officers all began to head towards their quarters, where they all rested for the night. Berengar, on the other hand, had a private drink with Eckhard; he would finally reveal his schemes to become Duke to his most trusted General.

Eckhard knew something was suspicious from the start; after hearing that Conrad was saved by Berengar and brought to Kufstein for safety, he knew Berengar was plotting something serious; though he did not know what. 

Berengar brought two mugs of beer over to the table where Eckhard was sitting hat before he sat down. After doing so, he handed a mug to Eckhard and began to drink from his own. It was only after the two had tasted the beer that Berengar began to address Eckhard with a grave expression.

"I will be Duke of Austria soon enough."

Eckhard merely laughed as he heard these words; Berengar's ambitions were never satisfied; as such, he began to ask Berengar what his plan was.

"How do you plan to do that? Last I checked, Conrad was the Duke..."

Berengar was utterly frank with Eckhard, and as such, he told the truth.

"After I have won that boy's wars for him, I will continue to be his Regent; during this time, he will be slowly poisoned until the point of severe illness, it may be years, but before that boy turns sixteen, he will croak. Leaving me as Regent in a position to sweep in and usurp his title."

Eckhard gazed at Berengar with a shocked expression on his face. Before leaning in and whispering to him

"You are going to poison a child?"

Berengar merely took a drink from his mug before answering Eckhard's question.

"It is either that or I will be forced to start a civil war."

Eckhard looked at Berengar with a sense of disdain before asking Berengar another question.

"You want to be Duke so badly that you would kill an innocent child?"

Berengar shook his head and looked sternly at Eckhard before he began to lecture him.

"The boy covets my fiancee; the moment he gains any real authority by becoming a Duke, he will demand I hand her over to him; by that point, Adela will be my wife, and I will refuse to do so. He will try to have me killed for resisting his orders, and I will raise an army to fight him."

Eckhard could not believe Berengar was willing to throw the Duchy into another Chaotic war all for a woman; as such, he tried to reason with Berengar since this was the justification Berengar had used for his actions, Eckhard would be sure to offer an alternative solution. 

"You could just give the girl over to the boy; after all, you already have Linde, just marry her and legitimize your child!"

Berengar shook his head while taking another sip; after doing so, Eckhard grew furious and pounded his fist on the table before screaming at Berengar.

"Give me one good reason not to!"

Berengar glared at the man fiercely before answering him

"Because I love her!"

hearing this, Eckhard scoffed; seeing that the man was displeased with his plans, Berengar decided to pose a philosophical question.

"Eckhard, with all your infinite wisdom, explain to me why it is more righteous to have thousands of men die on the battlefield than it is to poison a single child?"

With those words, Eckhard stared at Berengar with disbelief. He honestly did not know how to answer that question. Berengar decided to add salt to the wound as he further pressed Eckhard, he pointed to the door while doing so.

"Why do the lives of those men not matter as much as Conrad's? Whether it is to secure Adela's hand in marriage or fulfill my great ambitions, it truly does not matter. If I can spare the life of a single one of my soldiers by poisoning Conrad, then I will do it! You would to best to remember where your loyalties lie. It is not just to me, but the men, women, and children beneath my rule, and if I can spare them the pain of war by engaging in a bit of evil, then I will gladly do so."

Eckhard drained the mug of beer down his gullet before pouring another one, where he proceeded to consume its contents rapidly. It was only after he had chugged three beers and wiped the foam from his beard that he decided to say his final thoughts on the matter.

"You are right! I am sorry, I find it a bit cruel to poison a child, but you are right, as always. Even if you were willing to give up on Adela, put aside your ambitions, by allowing Conrad to be Duke that would only bring disaster to our lands, that boy is not fit to rule our people, but you are!"

Hearing Eckhard finally agreed to his plans, Berengar smiled and patted him on the back. 

"Go get some rest, old friend; we will be marching to war at dawn."

With that said, Eckhard smiled before departing, leaving Berengar by his lonesome. It was only after Eckhard was long gone that Berengar began to think thought about the actions he would have to take before reaching the heights of his ambition. In doing so, his lips turned into a sinister smile before voicing his thoughts aloud.

"For the path that I walk upon, poisoning a child is but a drop in the well. Oh, my dear friend Eckhard, I am destined to do far worse in the future. Yet, in the end, by doing so, I shall establish global hegemony for my Dynasty!"