Chapter 34: The Way to End the War

In the very beginning.

The four duchies of the Holy Federation—Waldenburg, Hohenstein, Schwarztal, and Eisenwald—sought to rebel against the rule of the Holy Federation and instigated a localized war.

They only intended to stir up some trouble, to claw back a bit of autonomy from the Holy Federation. They never truly intended to go to war.

And then—

It slowly dragged the Duchy of Dortmund, the Kingdom of Saint Vite, the Kingdom of Helvia, the Empire of Scandinavia, and the Empire of Castilia into the conflict.

In the end, it evolved into a no-holds-barred war between the Empire of Scandinavia and the Holy Federation.

If there was one thing the Grand Duke of Eisenwald regretted most—

It was likely starting this war. He was the only surviving leader among all those of the Empire; every other one had perished. Even the Emperor of Scandinavia—hailed as the Northern Lion—died on the battlefield.

Not even the Emperor could escape death.

Let alone anyone else in this era.

If there was one thing the Grand Duke of Eisenwald wanted most at this moment, it was probably to withdraw from the war.

As one of the weakest duchies on this land, the Duchy of Eisenwald had not been as heavily swept up in the tide of war. In such a prolonged conflict, victory or defeat no longer mattered to Eisenwald. The war itself had become the most terrifying monster, and escaping this monster was what mattered most to the people of Eisenwald.

But—

To the vast empires, they could not afford the price of defeat. Everything they had done would lose its meaning. The empire would teeter on the brink of collapse.

Yet for a small duchy, there was no right to make its own decisions. If the Grand Duke of Eisenwald were to declare withdrawal now, and if the Empire of Scandinavia ultimately won the war—even if it did so completely exhausted—

The grains of sand that slipped through the empire’s fingers would still be enough to crush them.

...

June 20, 1064.

The Holy Federation launched the most frenzied counteroffensive in history against the army of the Empire of Scandinavia.

The Scandinavian army struggled to withstand an assault of such scale. Emperor Gustav III demanded that the Grand Duke of Eisenwald immediately send troops to reinforce them.

However—

The Grand Duke of Eisenwald refused on the grounds that his forces were too depleted to continue.

And this was indeed true. With the war dragged to such extremes, nearly every country had exhausted its manpower. The Grand Duke of Eisenwald genuinely had no soldiers left to send. A second reason was that he no longer knew what to do. Thirty-four years of war had robbed him of the ability to make the right decision.

Or rather—

Every choice was the wrong one.

It was then that the Holy Federation’s diplomatic envoy arrived, allowing the Grand Duke of Eisenwald to confirm one thing: the Holy Federation was not as indestructible as its military counteroffensive had appeared. It was even possible that it had all been a bluff.

But—

The situation in the Empire of Scandinavia was equally disastrous. Even if the Holy Federation was bluffing, what did that have to do with the fragile Eisenwald? Over thirty-four years of war had nearly razed the entire duchy. Even if it was a bluff, it wasn’t something Eisenwald could afford to engage with.

In the end, the Grand Duke of Eisenwald still decided to meet with the envoy from the Holy Federation.

Duchy of Eisenwald.

Stone Fort.

Aside from Colonel Prittwitz, the liaison officer, there was also Princess Cinderella of Dortmund, and a man known as Baron Scharnhorst.

In terms of status, the liaison officer held an official diplomatic role related to the war, and the princess naturally carried significant diplomatic weight as well. But as for a mere baron—it was indeed difficult to justify his presence. Especially since Princess Cinderella of Dortmund unconsciously leaned toward this Baron Scharnhorst, it was evident that their relationship was anything but ordinary.

However, this had nothing to do with the Grand Duke of Eisenwald. He simply suspected that this young man might be someone of hidden importance within the upper echelons of the Holy Federation.

Just as the Grand Duke of Eisenwald had expected—

There was no chance for the Princess of Dortmund or the liaison officer to speak. Ning Luo immediately seized control of the conversation.

“Your Grace, Grand Duke of Eisenwald of the Holy Federation, His Majesty the Emperor has always missed you dearly. In his heart, you will forever be his elder.”

The Grand Duke of Eisenwald was already over eighty years old.

Among the lords of the Holy Federation, he was indeed the oldest, and could certainly be considered a senior to Emperor Ferdinand II. But Ning Luo’s words also underscored that Eisenwald was still part of the Holy Federation.

“I wish to understand His Majesty’s intentions.”

“Surrender—or die!”

It could be said that Ning Luo gave the Grand Duke of Eisenwald no room to maneuver.

Even Colonel Prittwitz, the liaison officer, hadn’t expected Ning Luo to be this blunt. He was one of the very few who knew Ning Luo’s true identity. His purpose in coming along was to ensure Ning Luo wouldn’t act in a way that endangered the Holy Federation.

The Grand Duke of Eisenwald, however, remained calm. He let out a bitter smile.

“You think threatening an old man with one foot in the grave counts as a threat? If you want my life, you can take it anytime. I’m still alive not because I’m afraid of death—but because there are more important things I must do.”

“I know what you want to do. That’s exactly why I’m here.”

The Grand Duke of Eisenwald didn’t respond directly.

Instead, he asked:

“Why was the Holy Federation able to amass such a large force for this offensive?”

“We pulled troops from Schwarztal.”

“So it’s true... Schwarztal has still chosen to stand with His Majesty...”

...

Among the four duchies that initially rebelled against the Holy Federation, they were never truly united. Let alone after thirty-four long years of war, which had shattered this land—along with their hearts.

The Duchy of Schwarztal had always leaned more toward the Holy Federation throughout the conflict.

That was one of the reasons why General Carlwitz dared to approve the redeployment of troops from the eastern front. And it was also the reason Ning Luo dared to force the Grand Duke of Eisenwald into surrender. Ning Luo intended to use Schwarztal to pressure Eisenwald into surrendering—and then use Eisenwald to force Schwarztal into surrendering.

The Grand Duke of Eisenwald continued asking:

“What is His Majesty prepared to offer us?”

“To show the Holy Federation’s mercy and compassion, His Majesty grants you the right to religious freedom.”

...

The Grand Duke of Eisenwald did not understand Ning Luo’s meaning at first.

In his view, the best he had hoped for was that the Holy Federation would forgive past offenses. He had not expected them to offer something as generous as the right to religious freedom.

However—

The Grand Duke of Eisenwald now understood what Ning Luo meant.

“This matter is not something I can decide on my own. If the Duchies of Waldenburg and Schwarztal both agree to surrender—then Eisenwald will follow.”

“Deal!”