Strike to the West

Inside Hofburg Palace, Laszlo, who was secretly manipulating the situation in Moldavia, was plotting with Eyczing and Adolf.

"It's an excellent idea to have Stefan probe the Kingdom of Poland's true strength and tie up their forces," Eyczing exclaimed.

Laszlo felt pleased, but his expression didn't change much. He simply nodded indifferently and said, "This is called starting a western article from the east. Rosenberg can't overthrow Iri through political means, so he can only resort to force. The only one who might interfere in the Bohemia issue is the King of Poland. Once Moldavia falls, the Poles, facing enemies on two fronts, will be too preoccupied to care, and by then, the heretics of Bohemia will be easily dealt with by us."

Adolf hesitated, "Can that Stefan really capture Moldavia?"

It was normal to have such thoughts; Eyczing also harbored doubts, but out of trust in Laszlo's judgment, he didn't voice them.

Laszlo recalled Stefan's attributes and merely smiled at Adolf and Eyczing's skepticism.

"Ability: Administration 5, Diplomacy 4, Military 5"

"General Attributes: Firepower 1, Shock 4, Maneuver 4, Siege 0"

This young man hasn't fully matured yet, but the traits of youth are already clear: one word—fast.

Laszlo had a premonition that he might defeat Peter Aron like lightning, avenge his father, and reclaim the throne of Moldavia.

Peter Aron, the current Duke of Moldavia, Peter III, was, to put it mildly, a scoundrel. He specialized in nothing but ruthlessly exploiting the people of Moldavia and then paying tribute to his Polish overlords, Ottoman masters, and the Crimean Tatars who came to extort him.

Years ago, Stefan's father, Bogdan, with the support of Albrecht II and Janos, led his army to directly defeat Peter, driving him out of Moldavia, forcing Peter into exile in Poland.

Later, with Polish support, he reclaimed the title of Duke of Moldavia from Stefan's father, Bogdan, but the methods he used were extremely dishonorable.

This fellow chose the special time of the harvest festival, and while Bogdan was participating in the festivities completely unprepared, he suddenly led his army in a sneak attack, decapitating Bogdan and reclaiming Moldavia.

Young Stefan, under his mother's protection, sought refuge in Wallachia. Six years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Stefan has grown into a man, about to show his prowess to the world.

The topic of Moldavia was temporarily concluded.

Now, the three began discussing the preparations needed for the impending war.

"Your Majesty, the Independent Army's re-equipment is complete, but the Austro-Hungarian Army and the Saxon Army haven't even been equipped with a single firearm," Adolf reported the military situation to Laszlo.

Laszlo complained helplessly, "That's enough, Adolf. Do you know how much money the Independent Army's thousand firearms and large gunpowder reserves cost me? Even with mass production, the cost remains high. The scrap rate for gun barrels is too high. The firearms produced next will be stored for the Independent Army's replacement use. The Austro-Hungarian Army and the Saxon Army will continue to use their existing crossbows. Also, regarding my phalanx concept, do you have any ideas?"

Adolf nodded and replied, "Your idea of a phalanx of musketeers and pikemen aligns perfectly with our army's current formation methods. If five infantry companies and one musketeer company are combined into a phalanx, it can indeed create new tactics. Moreover, many Swiss in the Imperial Army are very familiar with phalanx combat methods. I consulted some Swiss mercenary officers, and this tactic is definitely very effective against cavalry in open battle. However, this tactic requires extensive military training, and the training period is much longer than for Wagenburg tactics. Furthermore, this tactic is currently only in the conceptual stage. It's uncertain when it will be truly perfected and put into battlefield use."

Although Laszlo was somewhat disappointed, he still understood. It was indeed unrealistic to immediately copy the Spanish phalanx. For now, it was better to continue using Wagenburg tactics; the equipping of matchlock guns would bring stronger firepower to this tactic.

"I have already ordered Laszlo Hunyadi to lead ten thousand Hungarian cavalry from Croatia, heading north to Indrch Castle, where Rosenberg's four thousand troops are waiting. Once everything is ready, we will immediately march north. I want to see what the so-called 'most prosperous' Prague is truly like."

"Your Majesty, I didn't expect Naples to not have started fighting yet, but we are preparing for war first."

Eyczing felt a slight Feelings. His plans were progressing smoothly. The Papal States, Albania, and Naples formed an alliance to preserve Ferdinand I's throne. The Duke of Milan was unwilling to participate in this war, as it could put him in an adversarial position with his close ally, the Duke of Savoy.

Eyczing just hadn't expected the French to take such a long time to prepare, which made him somewhat worried about whether the alliance of small countries could withstand the French offensive.

Laszlo thought about the situation in Naples and mused, "How about we keep some troops ready to support Naples at any time?"

Adolf immediately retorted, "Your Majesty, war is not child's play; indecisiveness is not permissible. Even if fighting breaks out there, I don't think Naples and its allies will easily collapse. The war against Bohemia cannot be delayed; delays will lead to complications. If you don't want the civil war to escalate into an international conflict, you must commit maximum force from the outset to quickly end this war."

Laszlo thought about it; Adolf was indeed right. Whatever happened in Naples was ultimately just a chess move he had made, just like Moldavia, but the war against Bohemia was entirely different.

This war was to consolidate the foundation of the dynasty, to thoroughly eradicate Bohemia's disloyalty, and to firmly grasp this important territory in his own hands.

"You're right, Adolf. Prague must have received intelligence by now. What awaits us will not be an easy war; we must go all out. Eyczing, has the Pope's excommunication arrived?"

"Your Majesty, the Pope's excommunication has been issued. Before long, the entire continent will know about Iri's excommunication."

"Good."

This Pope finally satisfied Laszlo for once. Although Laszlo could directly send troops to seize Prague by force, having the pretext of a holy war would resolve many troubles. This was the advantage of having a just cause.

Iri was vigorously promoting the doctrine of the Cup faction (an evolved version of the Cup faction) in Prague and its surrounding areas, disregarding the rituals prescribed by the Holy See. He spoke of "reform," but in reality, he was weakening the influence of religious power on people's lives.

The Pope could not tolerate such blasphemy. Now that the Ottomans threat was removed, the Pope immediately agreed to Laszlo's request and excommunicated Iri.

As the leader of the Hussite, Iri's excommunication meant the complete breakdown of the nearly twenty-year agreement and reconciliation between the moderate Hussite and the Catholic. This was a complete negation of Hussite ideology and would undoubtedly provoke rebellion among Hussite followers.

And what Laszlo wanted was for them to rebel. If these people didn't rebel, it would be difficult for him to find an excuse to completely crush the Hussite.