In the days following the outbreak of war, Archduke Albert did not rush to attack, but he still needed to put on a show.

Archduke Albert didn't plan to have his troops charge directly on the front battlefield, as he himself feared that Italy couldn't withstand an assault. So he ordered the Austrian Army outside the Alps Defense Line to launch a feigned attack from the north to give the Italians the impression that Austria-Hungary intended to break through from the north.

This tactic worked well, as the northern front line was much longer than the southern one, though the roads were hard to traverse and it wasn't easy to move people and supplies.

But behind the northern defense line is not just Venice, there's Lombardy as well, while the southern defense line is short and only in the narrow plains east of Venice. However, Archduke Albert's reputation as a General made the Italians take it seriously; what if Albert really plans to catch Italy off guard from the north?

Therefore, with any slight movement from the Austrian Army, Italy began reinforcing the north. The northern defense line relied on the Alps, which in reality increased the logistical pressure on Italy for strengthening these places.

Moreover, doing this scattered Italy's forces even more, forcing the Kingdom of Italy to mobilize more troops from the rear.

...

About ten kilometers southwest of Rome, in the vicinity of the Pope Country, this was where the Austria-Hungarian forces were stationed.

Antonio and other Austria-Hungarian soldiers were peeling off the Italian countryside attire they had worn for over two months.

For convenience in training, they had previously disguised as Italian peasants. Although the place was quite secluded, in case someone with ill intentions discovered them, it could lead to a leak.

Having just changed into uniforms smuggled from the sea, with the last button fastened, Antonio, commander of the third regiment of the fourth brigade of the second division of the Austria-Hungarian Expeditionary Force, adjusted his imperial uniform and complained to the brigade commander: "Brigade commander, if we don't wear military uniforms soon, I might start believing I've truly become an old Italian farmer! Look at the calluses on my pistol hand, starting to shift from gripping a gun to holding farming tools!"

"Hehe, as the brigade commander, wasn't I accompanying you in the fields too? What's there to grumble about? Besides, seeing your manner of farming, I bet real farmers would chase you down with their shoe soles, thinking you nothing but a brute force idiot." The fourth brigade commander said to his subordinate.

"You're bold to chide me, brigade commander; you're not much better either. You can't even manage turning over the soil, making your plot the ugliest among the nearby fields." Antonio countered.

"Farming isn't about appearances but rather about how much you harvest. While our farming skills are lacking, our value shows on the battlefield, and it's still the combat results over the two months of effort that count."

Austria-Hungarian Expeditionary Force was certainly not genuinely conducting military training in the Italian region — they hadn't even been issued firearms. To prevent the troops from becoming idle, General Karl indeed sent them along with the officers of the Austria-Hungarian Expeditionary Force into the fields, mainly to keep muscles tight and spirits sharp.

As for marksmanship, there's no need to worry. These troops were selected from the elite of Austria-Hungary, the highest military caliber. Even if they don't handle firearms for months, they won't become rusty.

Antonio pretended not to hear what the brigade commander said, mumbling, "I wonder if that corn I painstakingly planted will sprout."

"Don't dwell on it. Those seeds were just props for you. One doesn't truly become a farmer just by planting crops for a couple of days."

...

The number of Austria-Hungarian troops at this location had grown to over ten thousand, more than double what it was two months ago.

To conceal such a large army within the Pope Country, Austria-Hungary had rented a vast farm around here. In the past, this was the site of a sports center outside of Rome city; now it lay as a large wasteland, thus renting it was cheap. The farm owner resided inside Rome and was a noble.

The conditions here weren't considered too bad; there was some slope, and the land was much more barren than the surroundings. Moreover, there were no large rivers nearby, leading to a scarcity of water, yet it was still possible to grow some crops, though yields were pathetically low, so it remained largely abandoned.

A businessman from Austria paid a hefty price to lease such a large piece of bad land, making the landowner quite happy.

Someone actually paying to invest in agriculture here must be out of their mind, but it didn't arouse suspicion for him. He guessed that the Austrian businessman ignorantly leased the land, seeing he was a foreign "friend", and not really knowing the local conditions, which made sense.

Subsequently, the farm owner casually took the land rent paid by Austria-Hungary into Rome for enjoyment.

"Are all the people here?"

Admiral Karl, the highest commander of the Austria-Hungarian Expeditionary Force, appeared before everyone now, without removing his glasses, holding the map behind his back.

"Reporting to the military commander, the troops have assembled!"

"Good, next we will deliver a fierce strike at the heart of Italy. This time, living in the enemy's rear, the situation is undeniably perilous - are you afraid?"

"To serve the empire!"

"Don't utter such pessimistic words; I want you all alive. I hope to review troops in Florence alongside you!"

"Hahaha..." Admiral Karl's words sparked hearty laughter among the crowd.

After the laughter finally subsided, Admiral Karl immediately switched to a serious demeanor on his experienced face and said solemnly, "Alright, now onto serious matters. According to intelligence disclosed by Italy's high officials, over thirty thousand troops from the Kingdom of Italy are heading towards Rome, leading them is Italy's self-proclaimed hero, Garibaldi. While there's some exaggeration, compared to Italian Kingdom officers, he's considerably stronger, hence a worthy opponent. Currently, apart from Rome, the Pope Country offers little genuine resistance against the Italian Kingdom troops, so the enemy will soon reach Rome, probably by tonight. If we want to showcase our forces in Florence, we must first defeat this Italian force."

"Commander, are we to enter Rome city for a defensive swap?"

"Not quite. Wait till the Pope Country troops start fighting with Garibaldi's Italian Kingdom troops, then we'll be responsible for the ambush."

"What if the Pope Country troops surrender directly?"

"Don't worry about that. The least likely to surrender in Italy is Pius IX. Rome's main forces are also mainly French, Swiss, and other foreigners, so they won't crumble at one blow. We have someone conveying this to Pius IX individually, preventing any leaks before the battle."

Raising his left hand and glancing at the time on his watch, Admiral Karl said, "It's getting to the afternoon. Have the cook start preparing meals and bring out our best provisions for today. A hearty meal aids in catching the Italians off guard tonight!"

"Yes, Commander!" The subordinates responded eagerly.