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POV of Luitpold von Holswig-Schliestein

Sigmarzeit-21,2491 IC

"The war in Bretonnia has stalled once again. There are too many wizards and Grail Knights, and the number of Pegasus riders in the region makes it nearly impossible to carry out new maneuvers. The general is facing serious problems, especially as the greenskins descend from the mountains and attack our supply caravans," said one of the Reiksguard knights as he read the report on the situation in the west.

"How many reinforcements are needed to hold Montfort? We cannot afford to lose that fortress. Next year we will launch the real offensive," I replied thoughtfully, looking for a way to contain the Bretonnians without having to send our own wizards to the front.

"My Emperor, at least four thousand reinforcements are required, preferably armed with black powder weapons. That is the only thing that has managed to stop the massive cavalry charges. Our attempts to advance have been decimated by them," the knight answered.

"Ah… damn it, why is it so difficult for them? The Graf of Reinsfeld achieved victories despite being clearly outnumbered, and now, with a full army sent in support, all we hear are misfortunes," I replied bitterly, convinced that this campaign against Bretonnia was proving to be a mistake: the costs far outweighed the benefits.

"We still hold Parravon, Majesty. That was a valuable conquest," added one of my advisors.

"Yes, but it is not the same as Montfort and its gold mines. Parravon offers little more than manpower and population. The general should have marched north instead of south, securing both passes into the Empire. We know that sooner or later more Bretonnian knights will attempt to raid Reikland if given the chance. Speaking of which… what news do we have about the weapons order in Nuln?" I asked another of my advisors.

"On schedule, my Emperor. We have been assured that the next shipment of weaponry to sustain the war will soon arrive," he replied.

"Excellent. We must gather everything possible, because if conditions remain the same, next year we can send two armies the same size as the current one, with the help of the electors… perhaps even more. Has there been an increase in recruitment?" I asked one of the Reiksguard spies.

"Considerable, my lord. All the electors and provinces have begun mass recruitment. There should be no shortage of men for a major offensive in Bretonnia," the knight assured me.

"Good. If everything goes as planned, we will secure the mountain passes and, at least for a time, no longer have to worry about Bretonnian incursions," I said, raising a hand to my forehead.

"By the way, how is my son? I have not seen him for days," I asked.

"The prince is well, Majesty. He has simply devoted himself with greater fervor to his training. His tutors have also intensified his lessons, so he is busier than usual," an advisor replied.

"Good… I think I will—" my words were interrupted by a knight who burst into the hall, nearly smashing the door.

"The Graf Albrecht has attacked Marienburg!" he announced breathlessly.

"What? What in the hell has he done?" I shouted, incredulous.

"Yes, your Majesty. The Graf launched an attack against Marienburg. I do not know his reasons, but one of his messengers has just arrived to inform us," said the knight, trying to catch his breath.

"He had better not dare close river traffic! I will not face another army of disgruntled merchants. He is to cease all hostilities immediately; we are in no condition for a new conflict with them," I replied furiously.

"Eh… my lord…" The knight hesitated, unsure how to deliver the news.

"What?" I pressed him, fixing my eyes on him.

"The city has already fallen. The Graf controls Marienburg. It has returned to the Imperial yoke," he said, still hardly believing his own words.

"What…? Ah… summon… summon… summon the electors at once. We must avoid the chaos that is coming…" I murmured, barely able to get the words out.

"The Graf Albrecht requests that a large contingent of priests of Sigmar and witch hunters be sent. In the city they discovered a vampire necromancer, and a daemonic portal was opened. They also captured numerous cults operating within. He will soon send a full report with the information," concluded the knight.

In the following hours everything was a whirlwind of emotions and events. The electors of Wissenland, Middenland, and Middenheim were already in Altdorf, so they were informed of the situation—and all were as stunned as I was to learn that Marienburg had fallen in a single day.

But that in itself was not the most important matter. Who knew how much damage had been done to the city, or whether anything remained standing? If there had been a necromancer and a Chaos portal, the entire city must have been devastated… I still struggled to understand what had driven Albrecht to do something so reckless, putting the entire political balance at risk.

While we were already speaking with the electors about what to do to punish the Graf, another messenger from him arrived, bringing enormous quantities of evidence obtained from the city… all pointing to possible financing of rebellion and collaboration with our enemies in Bretonnia.

And the cause that provoked the Graf's attack—that they had attempted to confiscate his properties… his strike had been legitimate. Which only complicated matters further.

I had much of those letters examined, suspecting possible forgery… but when it was confirmed to me that the handwriting was identical and the wax seals legitimate… everything indicated that Marienburg had indeed been plotting to create an uprising in Altdorf. We now had the names of those leaders and the location of their hiding places. The evidence was overwhelming… and it was clear they had tried and failed to destroy the information, as many of the documents were half-burned.

It seemed we had narrowly escaped disaster.

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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.

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I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.

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