The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1786 Passing the Knife
Franz was not exaggerating; Otto I's control over the army was far less than he imagined.

The most obvious example is that even if someone in the Austrian Empire's army had some ulterior motives, they wouldn't dare to act recklessly; at most, they would only complain at the Gablenz level.

However, even with Otto I personally leading the expedition, the Greek army still dared to act recklessly right under his nose.

Besides the poor training and understanding of his soldiers, Otto I's own prestige was also insufficient to subdue the local warlords.

Didn't the Kingdom of Greece drastically reduce the size of its army before? How come local warlords have emerged again?

The answer is that the 20-strong army of the Greek Kingdom at this time did not appear out of thin air. Although the Greek government issued a general mobilization order calling on the entire population to participate in the war, an army of such a size could not be recruited in a short period of time.

A significant portion of them were private soldiers from local families. Given that Otto I granted them the right to recruit soldiers in the name of the Greek government, it would be surprising if they hadn't become warlords.

Otto I could only control a standing army of over 20,000, plus 30,000 new recruits temporarily recruited from the vicinity of Athens.

When the Austrian Empire's envoy found Otto I and conveyed Franz's message, Otto I was actually quite annoyed.

"Count Centberg, don't you think this is making a mountain out of a molehill?"

“Your Majesty, I am merely faithfully carrying out His Majesty the Emperor’s orders. I also hope you will not make things difficult for us.”

His Majesty the Emperor's intention is to help you better control the country. An uncontrollable army is nothing but a weapon.

Count Centberg said expressionlessly, feeling utterly disdainful of everything he had seen and heard along the way, as well as Otto I's current behavior.

If we follow Count Centberg's idea, the Austrian Empire should take the opportunity to wipe out the Kingdom of Greece as well, since these people are truly despicable and there is absolutely no need to save them.

"Is there any way to alleviate this?"

Otto I asked tentatively.

"Of course, you should issue an emergency summons now, the stronger the wording the better, and it would be best if you could send your trusted confidants directly."

If those people are willing to restrain themselves and turn back before it's too late, then His Majesty the Emperor is not a bloodthirsty person.

Count Centberg said very calmly that he personally found Franz's order strange, and wondered if such a long-winded explanation was really necessary.

"Really? It's that simple?"

Otto I felt that doing so was a complete waste of time, but the gap in national strength between Greece and Austria was enormous. Even if the other side was just indulging in a bit of fun, he had no choice but to play along, since Greece still needed to rely on the Austrian Empire in many ways.

At this point, Count Centberg reminded him again.

"Your Majesty Otto I, please remember that this is your order, not His Majesty the Emperor's will."

Don't forget.

"I understand. I understand."

Otto I suspected that he had plundered too much, and that the Austrian Empire felt that the spoils were too small, which was why they had pulled this stunt.

I couldn't help but feel a little resentful.

"Is it really necessary to make such a fuss over a few pennies? What can't be discussed? Why do you have to come up with such a high-sounding excuse?"

If you want money, why don't you just rob it yourself?

The Greek army also won their spoils through skill!

However, Otto I thought about it carefully and realized that it made some sense. After all, the Austrian Empire had contributed so much, so it was only natural that they wanted a larger share.

Otto I immediately ordered his men to deliver his personal letters to each unit, ordering them to cease looting, assemble immediately, and face military law for disobedience. After everyone else had left, Otto I suddenly let out a long sigh.

Foreign Minister Ludwig von Ammann, who was standing nearby, understood Otto I's meaning, but he felt that it was a great favor that the Austrian Empire would personally step in to help solve Greece's internal problems.

However, since Otto I didn't think that way, he had to put it another way.

"Your Majesty, we are not strong enough yet. Without the support of the Austrian Empire, I fear..."

“I know we’ll be overthrown. That’s it! Stop talking! My cousin promised to give us East Macedonia.”

Otto I said very reluctantly.

Ludwig von Ammann's eyelids twitched. East Macedonia? Wasn't that almost Constantinople?
Even the leader of the Wiltersbach family wouldn't be so calm about such an incredible bargain.

In fact, Otto I and Ludwig von Ammann were wrong. They would not be directly overthrown by the Greeks, but rather treated as rags. They would only be discarded after they lost their value, just as in history.

Otto I's order was quickly passed down, but apart from the Greek standing army, most of the other Greek troops did not respond.

Actually, it would be more accurate to say they were ignored. Those Greeks continued to act like bandits, killing, burning, raping, and plundering all day long, just as the Ottomans had done to them in the past.

The merchants who accompanied the army made a fortune, since the Greek army was generally composed of uneducated men who had never seen the outside world.

This gave the merchants accompanying the army room to maneuver, often allowing them to acquire the goods for only one-tenth of the market price.

On the contrary, those cheap, dilapidated farm tools, clothes, and timber are not easy to fool, since the Greeks really know about these things and can use them when they get home.

Of course, there are also some scoundrels who don't care about these spoils and will sell them for money.

The looting by the Greek army even gave rise to a black market, since the merchants accompanying the army dared not sell people.

But the Greek army is focused on generating revenue, so they don't care about those treaties.

These black markets were almost open, which is why the people of the Austrian Empire held the Greek army in such contempt.

As time went by, the only army that responded was the Greek standing army, and some people openly criticized Otto I's weakness, while others even claimed they wanted to kill the useless king who dared to stop his brothers from getting rich.

These reports quickly reached Otto I's ears, and this time, even without Count Centberg's reminder, he couldn't save face.

Otto I then dispatched his trusted confidants to force the troops to cease their looting and assemble immediately.

However, his orders were ignored, with only a small number of troops returning to their posts, while the majority of the other troops made excuses to delay.

Of course, some people were more extreme or unlucky; the king's messenger went but never returned, and the entourage that escaped claimed to have been ambushed.

Count Centberg was also present, and Otto I was so angry that his face turned green.

This was no longer just a blatant disobedience to his orders, but a challenge to royal authority.

"Your Majesty."

General Pavlos Michalis has met a worthy end; please grant him his wish.

At this moment, Otto I was really frustrated. He did not expect that less than a third of the troops had returned to the ranks, not even half.

Otto I said through gritted teeth.

"it is good."

As a result, the Austrian Empire's troops quickly surrounded the city where Pavlos Michalis was located.