What's wrong with building a steel torrent in a dungeon?

To continue.

Of course, Fran wanted to talk to Duke Habsburg.

However, what embarrassed her was that her forces seemed to have never had any contact with the Habsburg Principality, and even if she wanted to talk, she could not find a suitable channel.

The Principality of Habsburg was a strange country in the entire Holy Roel Empire. It never bothered to contact its neighbors, nor did it like to get involved in the messy disputes within the empire. The only communication in all these years was probably the marriage with the royal family, which was extremely unsuccessful.

Because of that marriage, Archduke Habsburg almost fell out with the royal family.

Since that marriage, the Habsburg Principality has become even more closed off from the outside world, focusing on its own development behind closed doors.

It would be fine if the Habsburg Principality was just a small island, but its geographical location is very important.

It is located at the northernmost tip of the Holy Roll Empire. Two-thirds of the northern border between the Holy Roll and the Feruman Empire belongs to the Principality of Habsburg. It can be said that it controls the key routes of communication (war) between the two countries.

Being located in such a strategic location, and with the big neighbor in the north always eyeing it covetously, this was a huge pressure on the Habsburg Principality. If it were an ordinary duke, he would have already defected to Vienna or formed an alliance with the surrounding dukes.

However, the Principality of Habsburg not only did not do so, but instead withstood the invasion of the Feruman Empire on its own without any assistance. It was in this process that Margaret defeated the invading Feruman Emperor, which is why she became famous.

Because they had fought off the enemy many times without relying on any force, and became the iron wall in the north of the empire, the Principality of Habsburg had great autonomy, and no one dared to dictate to them, including the emperor and Grand Duke Hastings. They were afraid that once the Principality of Habsburg fell, the Feruman Empire would take advantage of the situation and invade the south.

The long-term military confrontation made the Habsburg Principality a martial arts country, and many famous generals emerged. The Principality also became a protector of other surrounding forces, making them willing to pay various materials.

Fran originally wanted to send a visiting card in the name of Lord Orila, but Duke Habsburg's attitude towards monsters is still unclear. What if he is a staunch main plane supporter? Wouldn't that mean she would end up losing more than she gains?

Originally, this kind of diplomatic matter should be left to Christina. After all, in the entire Holy Roll Empire, who dares not give face to the Saint?

However, in religious affairs, all the Habsburg Grand Dukes had huge conflicts with the Holy Roman Empire, including this one.

Long ago, the Habsburg Principality refused to accept the cardinals sent by the Holy Roman Empire, stating that it would elect cardinals from its own fiefdoms to conduct religious self-management and would not allow the Holy Roman Empire to interfere in the religious affairs of the Habsburg Principality.

This caused a very unpleasant situation between the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg Principality. Although other cardinals did not listen to the Holy Roman Empire, they were still willing to incorporate themselves under the name of the Holy Roman Empire. However, the Duke of Habsburg was obviously unwilling to even cover himself with this fig leaf.

Christina inherited the Holy Roman Empire and naturally inherited the feud with the Habsburg Principality.

Looking at the distressed Fran, Fanti suggested: "Sir, the population in the Principality of Habsburg is sparse. We can just sneak through it."

"This isn't a secret raid. With so many people, how could it be passed quietly?" After hearing the suggestion, Fran replied with a wry smile.

As the deputy director of the Inquisition, Vanti was obviously used to using various means of infiltration. But this time they were going to have a long battle.

"Or, why not just give this Grand Duke to..." At this point, Vanti pointed at his neck.

"Then I'm afraid we've already started a civil war before we even started fighting the elves."

"Let's take a detour." Christina said, "I heard that the people in the Principality of Habsburg are very tough. They don't like other forces' troops to enter. You don't want your supply line to be cut off by the Principality of Habsburg in the middle of the battle."

"It seems that this is the only way." Fran said helplessly.

This detour extended the marching distance for no reason, and the future supply line was also lengthened a lot, which greatly increased both the supply cost and difficulty.

However, just when Fran made up her mind to take a detour, the scout suddenly reported that there was a high-speed cavalry moving towards them in the distance.

"Cavalry? It must be the troops of Duke Habsburg!" Vanti, who was familiar with the situation of the Holy Roll Empire, immediately said, "The Principality of Habsburg is famous for its powerful heavy cavalry. The city lord should be careful."

"How many people came in total?"

"Judging from the size, there should be five hundred people." said the scout.

"Five hundred people, let's take a break." Fran said, "And set up a banquet to entertain the cavalrymen who are coming."

"Why?" Catherine asked curiously, "We haven't figured out their background yet. What if they are enemies instead of friends?"

"Five hundred cavalrymen want to raid our army of ten thousand?" Fran asked

"That's possible." Vanti said, "It's not like the Grand Duke of Habsburg has never done this before. Or maybe this is what the Habsburg cavalry is best at."

"Even if it's a surprise attack, have you ever seen anyone launch such a surprise attack on us in broad daylight?" Fran glanced at Fanti.

Fanti understood for a moment, and then immediately went to prepare the banquet with Catherine.

Chapter 150 The Duke's Helplessness

A few hours later, the cavalry soon arrived at the Fran camp.

Just as Fran had guessed before, they were not here for a surprise attack.

When these heavy cavalrymen covered in iron armor came to a few hundred meters away from Fulan's camp, they began to slow down. Fulan waved her hand secretly, asking the soldiers who were hiding in the dark sentry posts and holding muskets to go down first.

Not long after, a team of more than a dozen cavalrymen broke away from the main force and arrived at the gate of the camp.

"Excuse me, who is the Lord of Fulan City?"

The knight who spoke took off his helmet, revealing a weather-beaten face with a thick beard on his cheeks.

"It's me." Fran stood up immediately.

The knight obviously didn't expect Fran to be such a young girl. He stood there in a daze for a long time before saying, "I didn't expect that Lord Fran was so young. Ahem, excuse me. Let me introduce myself. I am the Duke of Habsburg."

"Nice to meet you, Habsburg... Wait, you are the Duke of Habsburg??!!" Fran looked at the uncle in front of her with a little surprise.

Isn't it said that Margaret and the current Grand Duke Habsburg are siblings? The age difference between the two should not be that big.

But judging from the images of the two, Grand Duke Habsburg is more like Margaret's father!

This is too long, isn't it?

"Do you think Margaret and I don't look like brother and sister?" Archduke Habsburg said with a smile. It seemed that he had been misunderstood because of this.

"I'm sorry too." Fran said, "Please come on, Dali. We've prepared some wine and food for you. Let's eat and talk at the same time."

"it is good!"

Led by more than ten guards, Duke Habsburg entered Fran's camp.

"The city lord's soldiers are really well trained." After seeing the patrolling soldiers, Duke Habsburg immediately praised them. It was obvious that he was knowledgeable.

"You are too kind, Duke. The most powerful force in the entire Holy Roll Empire is the Habsburg Cavalry," said Fran.

"Heavy cavalry is heavy cavalry." Duke Habsburg said, "But the city lord has put a lot of effort into building the army since he can train ordinary soldiers so well."

After hearing this, Fran realized that the Duke in front of her was not just a title, he had an extremely rich military career.

At the table, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Duke Habsburg said directly, "Lord, I am a soldier and do not understand the nobles' roundabout ways of speaking, so I will ask directly. What do you think of this war?"

"The elves' invasion was ostensibly to deal with the Feruman Empire, but in reality it was because of Margaret, your sister." Fran said, "Margaret attacked too quickly, making the elves feel that their interests were seriously threatened. So as long as Margaret defeated Grand Duke Hastings, even if Feruman

Nothing like that happened in the Empire, and the elves will definitely intervene in the future."

"Unless the Holy Roll Empire also submits to the elves like the Crazy Sand Empire." Duke Habsburg said.

"Yes. But the Duke should know Her Majesty very well. Given her personality, she would never do that." Fran said.

"That's right." Duke Habsburg smiled bitterly. "She has had great ambitions since she was a child. She wanted to emulate Charles and Franco the Great and revive the Holy Roll Empire. It is impossible for her to surrender and be willing to be someone else's puppet."

"What is the Duke's attitude?" Fran asked straight to the point.

Grand Duke Habsburg did not answer Fran directly, but talked about the past.

"The ancestor of the Habsburg family was just an ordinary guard. He was promoted from an ordinary civilian to a grand duke by Charlemagne. In order to repay Charlemagne's kindness, our ancestor once vowed to firmly guard the gate of the empire and prevent it from being invaded by the north. Over the years, successive greats have

The Duke has always been abiding by this legacy."

"So is this also the reason why the Principality of Habsburg has always avoided communicating with the outside world?" Fran said.

"The official answer is yes." Duke Habsburg said with a smile, "But what about legacy? If there is not enough benefit, how can it be maintained for so long? In fact, this is also our helpless move."

"A helpless act? No one in the entire Holy Role Empire dares to threaten Duke Habsburg."

"Haha, this is not due to force." Duke Habsburg said with a smile, "It's mainly because we are different from other places in the Holy Roel Empire. To inherit the noble title of the Principality of Habsburg, one must have certain military merits and military experience. And even if one becomes a noble, one cannot get rich by relying on the income of the fiefdom like outsiders.

Thick funds.”

"How do the nobles support themselves?" Fran asked curiously.

"With the army's salary." Duke Habsburg said, "In our principality, the salary of officers is much higher than that of other places. If nobles want to support themselves, they must join the army and climb up step by step based on their achievements in the army."

After hearing this introduction, Fran immediately understood why the Principality of Habsburg was so martial and had so many heroes and generals.

"This system makes the surrounding duchies regard us as aliens. Some even joke that we are not the duchies that own the army, but the army that owns the duchies." Grand Duke Habsburg said, "They are afraid of us, so they are unwilling to communicate with us. We are also worried that the aristocratic culture outside will corrupt the internal culture, so we do

We can just close the door and not disturb each other."

"But Margaret is an outlier." Fran said.

"Yes." When talking about his sister, Grand Duke Habsburg showed a trace of helplessness on his face. "According to her military talent, she should inherit the title of Duke of Habsburg. But she doesn't want to be bound by the identity of a duke within the duchy, and she doesn't want to marry other nobles and have children, so she let

I got lucky.”

"It seems that you have a very good relationship with Her Majesty Margaret. You are not as incompatible as the rumors outside." Fran said.

"Of course, my sister and I have no conflicts of interest. She even voluntarily gave up her right to inherit the title of Duke." Duke Habsburg said, "But her ideas are in conflict with the interests of the Principality. If I rashly support her, it will definitely drag the Principality into a quagmire of war, which may not be a good thing for her.

"That's right..." Fran said, "The disputes within the empire are too complicated. If you are not careful, you will be deeply involved. It is better to stay in a corner and preserve your strength."

"At least doing so can prevent internal friction and allow us to preserve our strength to deal with the enemy from the north." Grand Duke Habsburg said, "So the city lord just asked me about my attitude towards this war. As a member of the Holy Roel Empire, civil war is one aspect, but facing the invasion of the enemy country, I will naturally stand on the side with all my strength.

Behind Margaret."

It sounds like Grand Duke Habsburg's attitude is somewhat similar to that of Rainbow City.

Fran said: "But if that's the case, why didn't the Grand Duke send troops to help Her Majesty Margaret?"

"Well... the reason why I didn't send troops is the same as the city lord did a few months ago. Because my sister didn't ask me to send troops at all. Of course I dare not act rashly." Duke Habsburg said helplessly.

Chapter 151 The Corpse Collector

After hearing this, Fran couldn't help but widen her eyes.

Since the war began, everyone has been speculating about Archduke Habsburg's position and thoughts, wondering why he has remained silent.

Brother-sister dispute? Sit back and reap the benefits? Wait for an opportunity to move in?

But no one expected that the real reason why Archduke Habsburg chose not to move was that he had not received Margaret's mobilization order.

Without the emperor's order, Duke Habsburg could not mobilize troops at will. Any move could be interpreted as a bad thing by the outside world, and could even lead to war.

"But didn't the Grand Duke ask Her Majesty Margaret to send troops?" Fran asked curiously.

"Of course I asked." Duke Habsburg said helplessly, "But my sister has never paid attention to me. It may be because I criticized her for openly taking concubines and building a harem a few years ago. After that, she never asked us for help again."

Uh, what a cliché plot of brother and sister having a conflict and being arrogant and ignoring each other.

Fran couldn't help but frown after hearing this.

"But...Duke Habsburg said, "Our Habsburg cavalry does not have much advantage against the elves. Even if we go to the battlefield, we won't get much benefit. If I were Margaret, I would not rashly send our cavalry to attack the elves. We should use them in more useful places."

Other parties, such as other armies of the Northern Alliance."

Fran nodded, then said, "But I already know the Grand Duke's attitude towards the war. When I meet His Majesty, I will definitely convey your feelings to him."

"Thank you, City Lord." Duke Habsburg said

"Since we are allies," Fran said, "I have an unwelcome request."

"You want the army to pass through the Habsburg Principality? No problem." Duke Habsburg said, "During the war, the convoys of Orila City will be able to pass through the Habsburg Principality unimpeded. Not only that, we will also help you with supply transportation. There are many warehouses and supply stations in the Principality, which can be opened to the city lord for use.

"The Duke is so generous." Fran didn't expect that Duke Habsburg would be so easy to talk to. This immediately solved Fran's supply line worries.

"This is what I should do." Duke Habsburg said, "Although the city lord is not from the Holy Roll Empire, he still sent troops to help Margaret without hesitation. As Margaret's closest ally, we must naturally help Orila City."

Well, if you knew how closely Margaret guarded me, you would never have said the word "intimate," Fran thought to herself.

Duke Habsburg drank a glass of wine and said, "But the current war situation seems to be very unfavorable to the Vienna Alliance."

"The Soul-Guiding River is a natural barrier, but the Northern Alliance has too many troops. If they attack from multiple directions, or even bypass the Soul-Guiding River to attack the southeastern part of the Feruman Empire, the situation will be disastrous." Fran said, "Also, the elves are too strong in positional warfare. Even with the natural barrier, it is difficult to hold on."

"Yes." Duke Habsburg said, "There have been so many wars between the countries in Calradia that I always thought that the empires outside would fight in the same way. Little did I know that the magic of the elves is so powerful. If the Soul-Guiding River is pierced, our Principality of Habsburg will be the first to bear the brunt."

"Your Excellency the Duke, there is no need to be so worried. After all, the Holy Roll Empire is our home turf. At worst, we can take advantage of our mobility and engage in guerrilla warfare with them in this vast land." Fran comforted.

Duke Habsburg smiled and waved his hand, then said: "Of course I am not afraid of the elves. Our Principality of Habsburg has fought more difficult battles, so why would we be afraid of this invader who came from afar? Besides, Rainbow City will definitely take action at that time. With the help of magicians, our Holy Roel Empire is no worse than the elves in positional warfare.

How much. What I am worried about is the Feruman Empire. "

"The Feruman Empire? Why worry about them?"

"I have always been curious about where the army of the Feruman Empire has gone." Duke Habsburg said

"The Feruman army..." Fran thought about it. It seemed that the Feruman army had been in hiding since the beginning of the war. Most of the battles were fought with Margaret as the main force, and only a few sporadic battles relied on the Feruman. So she said, "Could it be that Arthas deliberately hid himself in order to preserve his strength?"

Are you up?"

"It's unlikely." Duke Habsburg said, "We have been dealing with the Feruman Empire for decades. Although we have been suppressing them recently, they are, after all, an ancient empire entrenched in the north, and their military strength is immeasurable. It is impossible for such a large army to hide quietly. But up to now,