RNP Page 91
Page 91
"Lord Garibaldi has executed the King!"
Long live the Republic!
Long live Italy!
"Long live Garibaldi!" A new cheer erupted from the crowd, and the morale of the Italians rose rapidly in such an unexpected way.
When they witnessed the king's head being displayed like a toy, the allied soldiers on the other side, especially the officers born into nobility, sighed in dismay. Some female officers even closed their eyes, unable to bear looking at the horrific scene.
Rudolf, who witnessed everything through his telescope, was so frightened that he almost fell off his horse. Although he had heard that Charles of the Stuart dynasty, Louis of the Bourbon dynasty, and even his ancestor Marie Antoinette had all died in the revolution, he was still terrified by such a bloody scene.
"Grandpa Julai! They really killed their king!" Rudolf turned around and looked at the old marshal behind him, his heart filled with apprehension and fear.
"Yes, Your Highness, those damned mobs." Although Julai's face didn't show much expression, the way he gripped the reins so tightly that his fingers turned blue was enough to show the anger in his heart.
"So, will I be beheaded like this?" Rudolf shrank back at the thought of his future and gripped his sword tightly in his right hand.
"No! Your Highness! This will absolutely not happen. We need no mercy for these damned mobs." Marshal Julai raised his right hand and then slowly lowered it. The messengers behind him nodded knowingly, then mounted their horses and rode away.
"My lord, wouldn't it be too hasty to launch an attack now? Besides, the several thousand men we sent out are still engaged in battle with the enemy." In such an unclear situation, launching a full-scale attack rashly is a cardinal sin in military strategy. The adjutant was somewhat puzzled as to why the marshal, who was always cautious and even a bit pedantic and conservative, would be so eager to launch an attack.
"Cols, this is not a pure war. Our empire must set an example for Europe. Only blood for blood will make a regicide fear us, just like the anti-French coalition of the past." The marshal looked solemnly at the Italian camp in the distance.
"But!"
"There are no buts. Obey orders and prepare those two noble ladies to take off as well." The only opponent the two princesses have is that hateful woman, Garibaldi. In terms of the combat power brought by their tacit understanding and cooperation, Princess Lana and Princess Liana are unparalleled in Europe, because they are the first pair of twin magic users in Europe.
PS1: Ra!
Chapter 339 The Fall of St. Stephen's Crown: Capter 55 Hannibal in Italy (ra!)
Under Güle's orders, the main Austrian force left the Allied forces on the rear flanks to remain in place, while the Austrian forces launched a larger-scale attack on the Italians in front of them.
On the vast plains, countless gray-painted magical armors and soldiers in white uniforms marched forward, singing Austrian military songs. The soldiers who had launched the attack earlier had already begun close combat with the soldiers from the Italian headquarters.
The previous battle is still ongoing.
Peter blocked the opponent's attack with his rifle, then smashed the Italian soldier who attacked him with the butt of his rifle. Before he could even relax, a new enemy launched a stab attack from his side and rear.
He took two steps back, drew his pistol from his waist, and fired two shots at his opponent's forehead. The enemy fell to the ground, and he himself was tripped by the corpse on the ground and rolled down the hillside.
"Bang!" A loud explosion erupted from the crowd. Peter struggled to his feet, rubbed his head, and looked toward the direction of the explosion. The massive commotion was undoubtedly caused by their explosives, intended to counter enemy magic armor. Of course, in areas without magic armor, they could still be used as regular explosives. Clearly, someone had detonated the explosives, and in a way that resulted in mutual destruction.
"Are you alright, kid?" Hans shouted to Peter at the bottom of the hill. Because of the obstructed view from the hill, Hans could not see Peter rolling down and could only confirm his condition by his voice.
"I'm fine." Peter had barely finished speaking when he felt a violent tremor from the ground. He turned around in a daze and saw a much larger army approaching them from behind.
"It's reinforcements!" cheers erupted from the Austrian soldiers.
At this moment, in the Italian military camp—
With a livid face and furrowed brows, Garibaldi finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the massive Austrian magic-armored legion rushing towards her carefully laid plan for the central army. She had no time to investigate the matter of her insurance king being killed by his enraged subordinates.
As this was now a fait accompli, she was firmly bound to this war machine and forced to fight against all the monarchies of Europe. At this point, she had no room for negotiation or wishful thinking, only to continue fighting.
"Pass down the order: have our flanks attack the enemy's central force. Magic armor in front, infantry behind, separate our cavalry from the attacking force, and advance in the direction the enemy came from." The enemy's recklessness gave Garibaldi a strategic advantage similar to the Battle of Cannae two thousand years ago. The only difference was that she couldn't ascertain the size of the enemy's attacking force this time, because the battle line was far larger than the dense formations of the cold weapon era. Therefore, she had to send out cavalry as scouts to keep a close eye on the battlefield.
"Yes, sir." The officers present nodded and said. Strangely, Garibaldi did not see the silver-haired man in the tent at this time. Although it was a little strange, it was not a big deal to her. After all, the battle was the priority at the moment.
"In a moment, Miss VV and I will take off to engage the enemy's magic users. I will hand over command to my adjutant, but please remember that if our cavalry returns, we must immediately cease our attack and prepare to retreat." This is the worst-case scenario; even with the highest military expertise, she still has to prepare a backup plan without a god's-eye view.
“You’ll come with me, won’t you, Ms. VV?” Garibaldi looked up and fixed his gaze on the silent woman sitting to the side.
“Of course.” VV’s lips curled slightly as she slowly stood up and jumped off the stool. Her gaze casually swept over the crowd before she walked out of the tent with her head held high. The Italian officers tacitly made way for her, watching her leave.
It's worth noting that this woman is a notorious and ruthless figure in southern Italy.
The Austrians' rapid and relentless offensive threatened to overwhelm Garibaldi's militia positioned in the center, and even the artillery barrage from the rear could not halt the enemy's advance. The experienced Austrian soldiers, leveraging their close-quarters combat skills, minimized engagement distance, rendering the enemy artillery largely ineffective.
As more and more Imperial soldiers entered the designated area, Garibaldi's elite troops on both flanks, also battle-hardened, launched an attack on the Imperial army.
On the vast plains, countless magical armors intertwined, the enormous noise of magical cannons being propelled from their barrels, the loud thuds of them striking magical shields, the sounds of explosives exploding, and the shouts of soldiers all blended together.
The soldiers on both sides fought each other like enemies, using everything they had to kill the other. In the brutal battle, the Austrians' white uniforms were stained with blood and ash, and the Italians' dark green uniforms were also soaked with all sorts of stains.
The magical armors approached each other, discarded their cannons, and attacked each other with the arms on their armors.
At this moment, two glowing flying objects rose into the sky from the Italian camp, and the Austrians also sent out magic users piloting magic armor to fight back.
The sky slowly descended, and the sunlight quietly hid behind the clouds. As the light gradually dimmed, the air quietly dropped to freezing point. At this moment, two blonde girls, Liana and Lana, each held a long spear and a scepter-like object, respectively, and stared at their opponents in the distance.
"Nice to meet you, Archduke Ludwig's daughters," Garibaldi said, looking expressionlessly at the two young women in the distance.
"The regicide and the little girl who aided and abetted you, you are unforgivable..." Liana, the younger sister, brandished her spear, looking angrily at her opponent. She wanted to continue provoking her opponent with words, but was stopped by her older sister.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Garibaldi, beloved by the people. I am very sorry for my sister's rudeness. Although you were once just a commoner of humble origins, now that you have killed and deceived, do you really have the right to speak with us?" Lana smiled at the two ladies, bowing and holding her non-existent skirt. Seemingly polite, the meaning she wanted to express was no less blunt and rude than her sister's.
PS1: I discovered something interesting: the Seven Years' War was actually a war between three close female friends (Madame de Pompadour, the de facto ruler of France; Empress Elisabeth of Russia; and Archduchess Theresa of Austria) and one comrade (Frederick the Great). The Three Skirts Alliance (lol)
PS1:R九淋6肆溜F坝芭/Q*nS
Chapter 340 The Fall of Saint Stephen's Crown: Captain 56's Defeat (Seeking Votes)
“At least I gave the people hope, and we are loved by the people and work for them from the bottom of our hearts. As for you arrogant fellows, what right do you have to stand in front of me and criticize me?” Nobles are inherently arrogant, not to mention that they are members of the Habsburg family, the general representatives of the oppressors, and come from the same family as that fox.
“Of course, if you want to be my enemies, I have enough noble blood on my hands. I’ll just add two more ‘noble’ bloodlines.” Garibaldi covered his cheek with his hand, a smile playing on his lips.
"Don't forget my strength." Garibaldi, who was still standing in place a second before she finished speaking, drew her twin blades. The flight device accelerated instantly with a large influx of magical energy, and rushed towards the two sisters at a speed that could not be seen with the naked eye.
Startled, Liana raised her spear, twirled it once in her hand, gripped the handle tightly, and swung it forward with a faint white light, the swift attack striking Garibaldi directly.
“You are still too weak compared to the fox.” Garibaldi mocked his opponent as he turned sideways and slid the blade in his right hand along the outline of Liana’s weapon.
The crisp sound of metal clashing and the sparks generated by their friction illustrate the contest that the two are engaged in.
The blade approached Liana's wrist, forcing her to temporarily release her weapon to dodge. Garibaldi seized this opportunity, spinning 180 degrees before skillfully swinging his left hand towards Liana's neck. The strike landed precisely on her magical shield, causing a violent tremor.
The attack wasn't over yet; two more point-blank magic cannon shots slammed into her. A massive cloud of smoke instantly enveloped the two of them.
Seeing her attack succeed, Garibaldi reversed her flight device, attempting to widen the distance between them again. But the moment she burst out of the smoke, Lana, who had been waiting patiently, gripped her scepter and hurled countless white orbs of magical energy—objects she had prepared beforehand—at her opponent.
Faced with this sudden attack, Garibaldi did not intend to use any complicated countermeasures. Instead, she used her magical shield to directly block the attack. Her movements slowed down for a moment and created an opening.
"Don't underestimate us." Before the smoke had completely dissipated, the girl wielding a spear rushed towards Garibaldi, who was under attack. The sharp spear tip, emitting a white light, pierced Garibaldi's shield, and the cracks continued to widen.
To protect himself, Garibaldi had to throw one of his blades. To avoid the attack, Liana had to draw her spear and use her weapon to block the opponent's projectile.
The distance between the two widened again.
"Are you alright, Nana?" Lana supported her younger sister, Liana, who was panting heavily and looked extremely exhausted. Anyone who had just suffered Garibaldi's attack would have felt terrible.
"I'm alright, sister. Her magic shield isn't damaged much either. I just need to attack one more time, and I can defeat her." Liana wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and took a deep breath. Magic allows them to maintain cell activity and enhance bodily functions, thus achieving eternal youth and longevity. However, excessive consumption also causes more irreversible damage to the body. This is why many people in history died young due to magic, and even in their later years, they had to endure many pains that were not easily noticed by outsiders.
Unlike her optimistic sister, Lana's gaze remained fixed on the "girl" in black magical armor accompanying Garibaldi. At this moment, pieces of information gradually pieced together the identity of the person before her: the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies did have magical users, but this particular one simply preferred not to appear in public and was not loyal to the royal family…
“Your Highnesses, although I have no grudge against you, and in some ways your Habsburg family is an indispensable client for me and my family, let’s keep things separate. As a businessman, there is only one thing I hate most.” VV slowly raised his right index finger, his scarlet eyes coldly fixed on the two princesses.
"Anyone who gets in my way." VV snapped her fingers lightly, and countless white magic cannons rained down from the sky like a judgment, engulfing the two golden girls.
With the violent explosion, the girl's pitiful screams, and the rising smoke, the battle instantly turned into a one-sided massacre.
The attack lasted for several minutes. The first to fall to the ground with green light particles was the younger sister, Liana. She had already exhausted herself in the battle with Garibaldi, and it was inevitable that her magic shield would overload in the face of VV's powerful and unreasonable attack.
As the smoke slowly dissipated, although Lana, the older sister, was still able to hold on, her wounds and somewhat damaged magic armor showed that her condition was not very good.
"Don't look at me like that. You're not the only one who can use magic bullets. You have the magic relic, the Scepter of Saint Peter, and I have one too, though it's a bit older than yours." VV slowly extended her right hand, and an ancient wooden scepter slowly popped out of the equipment compartment of her magic armor, displaying itself in front of Lana.
"Aaron's Staff, or more familiarly, the Staff of Moses." It is the staff that Moses used to part the Red Sea, as recorded in the Bible.
"Of course, the real thing isn't quite as legendary, but its amplification of magical energy manifestation is still very significant," VV said earnestly, before putting the weapon back into his equipment compartment.
"The rest is up to you, Miss Garibaldi. But please don't kill them, because with just a few injections of suppressant drugs, they'll become more useful bargaining chips than the king." VV naturally wouldn't tell Garibaldi that she and Queen Elizabeth had an agreement not to kill members of the Habsburg family. Killing them wasn't allowed, but using them wasn't forbidden.
Looking at the wound on her right hand, which was covered by a glove, VV revealed an unusually amused smile.
"I will only die in battle, I will never be captured by you!" Lana gritted her teeth and looked at her sister who had disappeared into the sky. Now she only wanted to kill the two of them and avenge her sister.
However, soon after, with a loud "boom!" explosion, the two princesses disappeared completely into the air.
PS1: No cutscenes for defeat.
Chapter 341 The Fall of St. Stephen's Crown: Capter 57 The Old Marshal's Resolve (Seeking Votes)
The roar of the explosion echoed across the wilderness—
At this moment, the soldiers of the Empire seemed to realize that disaster was imminent. As more and more enemies flanked them, they were shocked to find that their own troops had been divided and surrounded on this vast plain. Without the protection of magic, they had to rely on their own strength to fight the enemy.
The old marshal, atop his warhorse, immediately realized the danger and wanted to order his troops to cover Rudolf's retreat. He still had tens of thousands of Allied soldiers under his command, enough to fight even if he abandoned his main force. For him, Rudolf's safety was clearly more important than the safety of his own country's army. He couldn't take the risk; Italy could be lost, but the Crown Prince absolutely could not be lost.
“Organize a retreat; the surrounded troops can break out on their own.” Before Julai could finish speaking, the Italian cavalry unexpectedly charged at them, led by the man who shared the same name as the dragon-slaying hero.
Unlike the imperial soldiers, the troops of the Italian princes, seeing a large number of enemy troops at the front and many enemy soldiers advancing to their rear, immediately assumed that a rout had occurred at the front and thus abandoned their positions in order to save themselves.
In an instant, the Allied soldiers guarding the two flanks retreated on their own.
This bizarre scene unfolded during the battle: while the soldiers on the front lines were still fighting valiantly, the army in the rear was already suffering an uncontrollable rout.
The battle gradually descended into chaos, and at that moment, Crown Prince Rudolf's warhorse seemed to be startled and suddenly leaped up, causing the poor boy to fall off its back. Had he dodged in time, he would have been fine, but unfortunately, already trembling with fear, he was unable to move his body, and then the warhorse's iron hoof kicked him in the body.
Rudolf's mournful cry echoed across the battlefield. It was a pity that a boy of only thirteen years old seemed so insignificant in such a war. If it weren't for duty, the chaotic soldiers would not have noticed the fallen boy at all.
However, he was still found by the old marshal.
"Your Highness!" Julai quickly dismounted, ordered his men to stop Rudolf's frightened horse, and then ran to him to pick him up and check his injuries.
A bruise appeared on his chest, indicating a broken rib. Fortunately, the horse's hoof did not strike a vital spot, otherwise Rudolf might have died there. However, this should not be taken lightly, as the consequences could be dire if he did not receive timely treatment.
"Cough cough, sister, I'm scared. I don't want to die. I want to go home." Rudolf's body convulsed, his vision blurred. He gripped the marshal's clothes tightly, instinctively calling out to the person he cared about most, hoping she could help him relieve the pain.
"Your Highness, you'll be alright, you'll be alright." Julai gently stroked the boy's forehead while signaling the military doctor to prepare a sedative and to first give him a simple bandage.
Gunfire erupted around them, and Marshal Julai's guards instinctively formed ranks, raised their weapons, and created a space for them amidst the chaos of the defeated soldiers.
The marshal quickly handed the sleeping Rudolf over to the medic and his adjutant, and then mounted his horse again.
"Sir, where are you going?" the adjutant holding the boy asked.
“There are some things I have to clean up. These allied armies have never been reliable. If we retreat with them, none of us will escape when facing the Italian cavalry. Moreover, this defeat was due to my underestimation of the enemy.” At first, Julai did not take Garibaldi, who came from a commoner background, and that ridiculous Republican army seriously. In his mind, these temporarily recruited soldiers were nothing more than a rabble.
His rigid and conservative tactics led to a complete defeat this time. Thirty thousand elite troops of the Empire were about to be wiped out in the remote and impoverished countryside of Italy. If he returned like this, he would never be able to hold his head high in Vienna again. Rather than living in disgrace, dying in battle might be the best end for him.
"But sir, what will happen to the army if you leave?" The adjutant looked at the marshal, his expression somewhat blank and at a loss.
"You will now command the retreating soldiers. First, lead them into Rome. Relying on the Papacy's thousand-year-old defenses in Rome, we should be able to hold out for a while. Remember to destroy all farmland along the way and poison all stagnant water sources. If I successfully lead the breakout, I will lead the army back to Rome. Remember to report the battle situation to His Majesty promptly, without concealment or falsification. I will bear all the responsibility." At this moment, this old man, who had grown up listening to the legendary tales of Archduke Charles and Prince Eugene, and who was as self-disciplined as a classical knight, finally unleashed a courage and decisiveness that had long since vanished, after nearly half a century.
He divided his reserves into two groups: one to meet the attacking Italian cavalry, and the other to continue advancing in the direction the enemy had come from. In this way, he unexpectedly led a small force to the rear of the enemy's main force on both flanks and then launched an attack.
The pressure from behind caused the Italians, who were surrounding the main force of the Imperial Army, to briefly halt their attack. Taking advantage of this gap, the pressure on the besieged Imperial Army was slightly relieved, and some troops took the opportunity to break through the Italian encirclement.
Taking advantage of the marshal's attack, two soldiers who managed to break through the encirclement happened to be among those resilient individuals.
"Uncle Hans, are you alright?" Peter helped Hans, who had fallen to the ground, up, looking somewhat disheveled.
"Just a minor bruise, nothing serious," Hans said casually. If one ignored the bleeding wound on his arm, the old soldier would appear just as nonchalant as he usually was when he was joking around.
"Why has the enemy's attack suddenly weakened?" Peter asked, glancing back at the enemy in the distance as he tried to bandage Hans's wounds.
"Never mind that, our priority is to retreat." The Third Battalion, which had been the first to attack, had already been broken up. In the chaotic battle, the two of them had unknowingly fallen from the front to the rear of the column.
Just then, another shell exploded not far from them, and a magic-armored suit of armor next to them was hit instantly and collapsed.
Peter frowned as he stared at the damaged magic armor, then ran toward where it had been.
"What are you doing, kid! The retreat order has been given, get out of here!" Hans shouted at the young man, supporting himself with his gun.
“Uncle Hans, the magic armor hasn’t exploded yet, so the magic user inside should still be alive.” Peter turned around and replied to Hans before jumping onto the magic armor. Then, using the horizontal bar on its outer armor, he jumped to the cockpit.
PS1: Ra!
Chapter 342 The Fall of St. Stephen's Crown: Capter 58 The Defeat of the Austrian Army
Looking at the compartment in front of him, which was twisted and deformed by the explosion caused by the shell, he took out his shovel, inserted it into the gap of the hatch, and then pried it open with all his might, and a burst of hot air rushed out.
Without any hesitation, he rushed inside, picked up the unconscious girl, and before he could even take a second look at her, he quickly jumped off the magic armor.
"Uncle, let's go!" Peter hugged the girl, and then retreated in the predetermined direction with the middle-aged man.
"This little girl must be only a teenager," Hans said with a hint of helplessness as he looked at the girl in Peter's arms, lit a cigarette, took a deep breath, and exhaled the smoke.
Because women are more gifted in magical abilities than men, the vast majority of women are required to shoulder more responsibilities in the field of war. This is an unwritten rule in countries around the world. The image of these delicate and weak women killing people is extremely tragic, but ordinary people like them cannot change it.
“Yes! But this is war…” Peter looked up at the sky. Sometimes he longed to be an eagle soaring through the sky, coldly watching the humans killing each other.
But the girl in his arms pulled him back to reality. He lowered his head and gently stroked the soft hair of the magician girl in his arms, which easily reminded her of her younger sister back in their hometown.
"Let's go! If we don't leave now, we won't be able to escape."
"Hmm..." After saying that, the two continued to retreat.