Pressburg

After arranging all the major and minor affairs of Austria, Laszlo once again set off from Vienna with his massive mobile court, embarking on a journey to the East.

The entourage of thousands of people advanced eastward along the wide road beside the Danube River.

This team included hundreds of royal servants, courtiers and advisors responsible for managing various affairs, hundreds of bailiffs and diplomats, an elite Imperial Guard, and missionaries, artists, poets, and scholars who accompanied the Emperor to the East.

Everyone who saw this massive entourage was astonished.

Such a grand imperial court was a manifestation of the Habsburg Dynasty's immense power; throughout Europe, no monarch's court could compare to Laszlo's.

Four magnificent horses pulled the luxurious carriage, adorned with a double-headed eagle banner and multiple national flags, slowly moving along the gravel road, its wheels kicking up fine dust.

Outside the window, the outline of Vienna gradually receded, replaced by vast fields and scattered villages.

Inside the carriage, Laszlo, Leonor, and Empress Dowager Elizabeth sat comfortably in the spacious compartment, chatting leisurely.

This winter was not as cold as previous years; in fact, it could be called a warm winter, with not a single major snowfall, so the roads were clear of snow, making it suitable for a tour.

Leonor was very much looking forward to this trip; in the few years since she married Laszlo, she had been unable to visit the Kingdom of Hungary and other royal territories for various reasons, which was a great regret for her.

In these years, apart from one imperial tour with Laszlo after their marriage, she had always stayed in Austria, either in Vienna or Innsbruck.

As the Queen of Bohemia Kingdom and Kingdom of Hungary, she had never had the opportunity to see them.

This tour was a fulfillment of her wish.

Empress Dowager Elizabeth was also very enthusiastic about this trip; she grew up in the royal castle in Budapest, and this tour could be considered a return to her hometown.

Since her marriage to Albrecht II in 1421, she had frequently traveled between Budapest and Vienna, profoundly influencing Austrian and Hungarian politics—just as her mother, Barbara von Cilli, influenced Hungarian and Bohemian politics.

However, after Laszlo's ascension to the throne, this shrewd and capable mother quickly ceased to meddle in political affairs, instead focusing on managing everything in the court for her son.

As time passed, the Empress Dowager grew increasingly old, and her health deteriorated; she even began to consider her posthumous affairs.

She had mentioned to Laszlo that she wished to be buried in Székesfehérvár after her death.

This idea surprised Laszlo; Elizabeth actually did not wish to be buried with Albrecht II in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.

It wasn't that she didn't want to; in fact, Empress Dowager Elizabeth had mentioned several times that she hoped to move Albrecht II to Székesfehérvár for burial.

Her reason was that Albrecht II, during his lifetime, clearly valued the title and status of King of Hungary more, and therefore should be buried in the "City of Hundred" like previous Kings of Hungary.

Her own reason for wanting to be buried in Székesfehérvár was also simple: because her father, husband, and son were all Kings of Hungary, Hungary held a higher place in her heart than Austria.

Laszlo understood this sentiment, but he would always prioritize Austria. Of course, he also respected the Empress Dowager's wish; if Elizabeth ultimately wished to be buried in Hungary, Laszlo would fulfill her dying wish.

Besides returning home for a visit, Empress Dowager Elizabeth had another important objective to achieve through this tour: to meet her cousin Ulrich in Belgrade.

With Sigismund, Barbara, and Albrecht having passed away, Elizabeth now had only a few close relatives left—her two daughters who had married far away, her son Laszlo, and her cousin Ulrich.

The news of Ulrich's serious illness reaching Vienna was a significant reason for her anxiety about death.

She hoped to see Ulrich again, express her concern for him, and then persuade him to carefully distribute the vast inheritance of the Celle Family, preferably leaving it all to her beloved son, Laszlo.

After all, the familial relationship was there: Ulrich's father and Elizabeth's mother were full siblings.

When Ulrich passed away, the Celle Family would become extinct, and at that time, the large territories Ulrich had acquired over the years should rightfully pass to Laszlo, which was entirely reasonable and legal.

Elizabeth had not mentioned this idea to Laszlo; she intended to quietly arrange this matter to give her son a surprise.

As for Laszlo, he had not considered so much.

If Ulrich had other chosen heirs, and if that person dared to compete for this inheritance, Laszlo would make him realize the Habsburg Family's determination when it came to claiming an inheritance from an extinct line.

On the second day of the tour, the entourage reached the border between Austria and Hungary.

Looking across the Danube River, one could clearly see the end of the Carpathian Mountains blocked by the river, turning from a north-south orientation to an east-west orientation, and finally merging into the plain.

The entourage camped on the south bank of the Danube River to rest. Laszlo, with a team of guards and attendants, crossed the Danube River and went directly to Pressburg, a crucial hub town on the riverbank.

This city would later be known as Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, but now it was merely a Royal Free City on the border of the Kingdom of Hungary.

The morning sun shone upon the land, bringing a touch of warmth amidst the biting cold wind.

The city gates of Pressburg had been decorated early, and citizens gathered on both sides of the road, eagerly awaiting the Emperor's arrival.

Soon, Laszlo, riding a magnificent white horse and escorted by numerous Hungarian light cavalry, arrived from afar.

The mayor and officials, dressed in their finest attire, lined up at the city gates to welcome him. Also present to greet the Emperor was the commander of the Pressburg garrison, Paul Kinizsi, Laszlo's personally appointed Royal Supervisor.

They welcomed Laszlo into the city with the most solemn ceremony; the cheers of the citizens along the road resounded throughout the entire city. Laszlo waved to the enthusiastic citizens, a friendly smile on his face, fully displaying his imperial demeanor.

After touring the city, Laszlo gained a deeper understanding of this seemingly simple and ordinary, yet strategically important, Hungarian border town.

Historically, after the collapse of the Kingdom of Hungary, Pressburg was established as the new capital of the Habsburg Family's Royal Hungary, until the Austrian recovered Budapest from the Ottoman.

Geographically, Pressburg and Vienna are very close, with a direct distance of only sixty kilometers.

Moreover, the city is the most important fortress and political-economic center in Western Hungary, and in fact, it has significant value to be developed as a secondary capital.

Laszlo kept this idea in mind and summoned the local officials of Pressburg at the city hall, inquiring in detail about the city's development.

The officials, including the mayor, had clearly prepared meticulously in advance; they reported to the Emperor in detail on everything from the city's trade interactions and agricultural water conservancy construction to population growth and cultural development.

It's worth mentioning that with one of the three major legions permanently stationed in Pressburg after the disarmament, the bandit harassment that had plagued the city was completely resolved.

The rampant bandits entrenched in the northwest of the Kingdom of Hungary soon paid a heavy price for their evil deeds under the sabers of the Hungarian Border Guard cavalry.

The arrival of this garrison ensured the safety of trade routes and the smooth flow of commerce, bringing better development to the city.

Unlike Austria's system of central and local apportionment of military expenses, the Kingdom of Hungary's army was entirely supported by national treasury income, which did not affect local economic development.

The Kingdom of Hungary, with its vast territory, could collect much more tax than Austria, while needing to support fewer troops than Austria.

A portion of the money saved was used to subsidize Austria's finances, and most of it was invested in the development of the royal domains.

After listening to the reports from the city officials, Laszlo immediately rushed to inspect the Pressburg military camp.

Pressburg is situated on a hill by the Danube River, originally an ancient Roman castle that had undergone multiple reconstructions.

Emperor Sigismund had transformed it into a sturdy fortress and a comfortable royal residence with Gothic renovations decades ago.

The Pressburg garrison camp was not far from the castle, and Royal Overseer Paul personally guided the Emperor, leading him all the way to the camp.

This was Laszlo's first inspection of the Hungarian Border Guard camp after the disarmament, though he had previously learned about the camp's situation from reports by his informants in the army.

As soon as he stepped into the camp, a solemn and dignified atmosphere enveloped him.

Looking around, neat and uniform tents and orderly formations met Laszlo's gaze.

The flag of the Kingdom of Hungary fluttered above the tents in the cold wind, and the soldiers, with their upright postures and resolute eyes, all demonstrated the might and strength of this army.

In the center of the camp, a wide and straight main road ran north to south, with the gravel on both sides repeatedly compacted, making it as smooth as a whetstone.

Small paths extended from the main road, crisscrossing and dividing the entire camp into regular areas, each with a clear and defined function.

Inside the armory, spears stood like a forest, their metal spearheads glinting coldly in the sunlight, while shields and armor were neatly stacked, their surfaces wiped spotless.

In the stables, horses stood quietly in their designated stalls, the placement of troughs and hay racks strictly uniform, and the scent of hay mingled with the distinctive smell of horses.

On the sandy ground of the training field, clear traces of neat formations were visible, the soldiers' training positions already worn into fixed imprints from repeated treading.

Wooden training equipment, such as archery targets and obstacles, were evenly distributed and orderly arranged, the signs of wear on them serving as proof of the soldiers' diligent training.

Along the edge of the camp, tall wooden fences stood straight and tall, with watchtowers at regular intervals; the sentries on the towers stood upright, their gazes vigilantly watching the surroundings, echoing the patrolling soldiers on the ground, forming a tight defensive system.

Throughout the entire camp, whether it was stacked fodder and baggage, or spare wheels, ropes, and other supplies, everything was neatly categorized and stacked with sharp edges.

The camp also housed a large number of Hussite War Wagons; although the Hungarian army did not often use the Wagenburg tactic, this clever tactic was clearly one of their training programs.

The scale of this military camp was by no means small; it was almost as if a new town had been built next to Pressburg.

Such a well-organized camp was truly pleasing to the eye, and Laszlo began to appreciate Paul even more.

He had once fought under Janos, and later, promoted by Hunyadi Laszlo, he became an important general of the Border Guard; now he was the Royal Overseer in charge of the Pressburg Legion.

It now seemed that his rapid promotion among the many fierce generals in the Hungarian army was largely due to his own formidable strength.

Paul was a Serbia, born a commoner, the son of a miller, and later became a mercenary for some reason.

Undoubtedly, he possessed the talent to become a general.

"You've done well, Paul."

Laszlo did not stint on his praise; strict military discipline was not a simple matter, and the combat effectiveness of this army would certainly not be weak.

Paul was overjoyed to hear the Emperor's praise, but still humbly replied, "Your Majesty overpraises me; this is all what I should do."

Laszlo nodded slightly and, accompanied by Paul, slowly walked along the main road of the camp.

He inspected some tents to ensure that the camp's winter supplies were sufficiently abundant, and personally checked the soldiers' food and pay conditions.

It was gratifying that there were no anomalies.

After the military demobilization, the Kingdom of Hungary's military budget, when distributed among the three legions, immediately became much more generous.

Soldiers' pay and food were guaranteed, and there was even surplus military expenditure for repairing weapons and upgrading equipment.

For example, Paul significantly increased the number of ranged weapons held by the infantry in his legion.

A large number of crossbows and arquebuses were issued to the army, with nearly half of the soldiers in the legion carrying either a crossbow or a firearm.

Paul lived up to his 4-point firepower attribute; his favorite combat method was to use ranged firepower to heavily deplete the enemy's effective strength, strike at their morale, and then use cavalry charges to decisively defeat the enemy.

After leaving the barracks, Laszlo and his retinue came to the training ground within the camp.

Here, infantry were conducting live-fire drills, with shouts and the clashing of weapons rising and falling.

Laszlo watched their drill process with great interest.

The weapons in the hands of these soldiers were diverse, but without exception, they all possessed exquisite martial arts and tacit cooperation.

These mercenary foot soldiers from Hungarian, Bohemia, and German regions not only mastered the technique of fighting in formation but also possessed impressive individual combat capabilities.

Warriors tempered and selected through countless battles were all elite veterans.

Cavalry trained further away, riding their steeds across the training ground, raising large clouds of dust.

Straw men covered in chainmail were repeatedly hacked, becoming shaky. In the Hungarian army, the number of cavalry was even greater than infantry, which was very peculiar.

Finally, Laszlo gathered all the warriors of the entire legion, encouraged and affirmed them, and emphasized the importance of loyalty.

Before nightfall, the Emperor and his guards crossed the Danube River and returned to the main eastern expeditionary force; they would continue their eastward journey tomorrow.