The witch thought I am a Demon God
Chapter 1024 - 523: The Empire Revolution

Chapter 1024: Chapter 523: The Empire Revolution

Three days later, the army of Oyo III clashed once more with the forces of Louis XI. The battle took place on the Fairy Forest Bridge of the County of Frankenstein.

Legend has it that every July, one might encounter fairies on the Fairy Forest Bridge, hence its name.

Oyo III’s thirty-thousand-man vanguard right-wing infantry regiment attempted to cross the Fairy Forest Bridge, only to be cornered by the army of King Louis XI at the river’s edge, and thus a war erupted centering around this bridge.

Initially, King Louis’ forces held the upper hand, but were soon routed by the Emperor’s army, and several military banners of King Louis’ troops fell into the hands of the Emperor. At this time, the Duke of Bavaria, in charge of the vanguard right-wing troops, believed they had won and prepared to celebrate and send victory reports to the Emperor’s forces located 10 kilometers away.

Unexpectedly, the Kingdom of Frank’s Chief Justice, Mason Inno, a highly formidable Duke Knight, broke through the Emperor’s shield wall with a mere hundred Knights of The Sacred Nail, and managed to defeat the Emperor’s vanguard right-wing.

This laid the groundwork for a massive potential collapse of the Emperor’s forces.

With problems arising on the right wing, the high-ranking commanders from the various princedoms struggled to harmonize their tactics effectively, leading to issues with central coordination.

Frank’s seventy-thousand-strong army, like a knife, crossed the Fairy Forest Bridge into the Emperor’s three-hundred-thousand-strong force, cleaving the Empire’s army into several parts.

The battle raged for a full day.

The frenzied assaults and powerful commands of the Frankish people brought them a tremendous victory. What resulted was a nominal commander, Louis XI and the de facto commander, Tsardom Island Chief Justice, defeating the Empire’s three-hundred-thousand-strong mixed forces with seventy-thousand survivors.

This battle struck a substantial blow to many small states that had been watching from the sidelines.

The day after the Battle of Fairy Forest Bridge, Oyo III and Duke Gugel had ashen faces, filled with anger, within their military tents.

Oyo III said, "Did the Frankish Army pursue us? I guess not. Yesterday I personally dispatched over ten Knights of The Sacred Nail, the Kingdom’s third-ranked Knight Regiment."

"Hmph, treacherous vassals. The Sacred Nail is one of the three nails that the God of All Things, incarnated as a mortal to bear the sins of humanity, had driven through his hands and feet. One nail has been used to fill the sea, and another to suppress the volcanic fires at the heart of the Earth."

"The last nail resides in the Kingdom of Frank, revered as a Sacred object by the Frank Royal Family for generations. Yet now, the Kingdom of Frank is using this Knight Regiment to attack the Empire and the Papacy."

Duke Gugel said, "Brother, they are too few in number. Even if they defeated us, they wouldn’t dare to pursue. Yesterday’s situation was a close victory for them; they couldn’t possibly capitalize on our defeat by chasing us down."

"We are at a stalemate."

Oyo III looked unhappy.

That was the state of the Empire’s army; they might manage a defensive battle with sheer numbers, swarming the enemy or holding a strong position.

This required less nuanced command and control.

But once a field battle was engaged, the most significant disadvantage of this mixed force would become apparent.

Clearly, Louis XI had exploited this trait to inflict a heavy blow on the Emperor.

"We lost," Oyo III said. "I’ve heard that the clergy has already gone to suppress the Black Death. Now we can handle the main culprits without restraint."

"The Empire will still have reinforcements. Perhaps we will have to convene the Empire Council once more."

Duke Gugel said, "We have already held two meetings in quick succession, calling a third will only aggravate the Electors further."

"Brother, instead of holding a council, it might be better to borrow troops from other countries. Alsace would be a suitable choice."

"We’ve helped them to this extent; we’ve been more than fair."

Oyo III said, "Do not worry, the troops from the United Kingdom will also come to our aid. I am not concerned about this defeat; we still have a chance."

Suddenly, a messenger entered the tent with very unwelcome news.

It turned out that King Louis’ forces had passed through the Duchy of Lower Burgundy into the Holy Empire, heading towards the Electors and the directly administered territories of the Emperor.

Should the opponent seize all Elector states and the Emperor’s territories, the universal Law: the sacred institution would be rendered invalid.

Hearing this news, Oyo III did not wait for United Kingdom reinforcements but instead immediately ordered a retreat back to the Empire.

At the same time, fifty thousand troops from the United Kingdom were aboard a multitude of ships headed for the newly conquered territories of the Kingdom of Frank—the financial center of the Magic Black Forest in the Low Countries.

After landing in the Low Countries, this force faced few attacks. The local resistance was weak, as the Frankish people regarded the Low Countries as a golden goose, looting its wealth without providing the people with commensurate political status or infrastructure.

This had long caused the people of the Low Countries to loathe the Kingdom of Frank.

There had always been open and covert resistance.

However, Louis XI soon ordered the Frank Empire Marshals stationed in the Low Countries to gather their troops and repel the forces of the United Kingdom.

Originally, the plan of the United Kingdom and the Emperor was for the United Kingdom’s troops to land in the Low Countries, continue to harass the northern coasts of the Frank Empire with their superior navy, then in concert with the Emperor’s forces from the south and north, attack the Frank Empire together. This would leave the Frank Empire struggling to defend on two fronts.