Serbia

Even though Ulrich was filled with sorrow, the extinction of the Cilli Family's main line was an irreversible fact.

Moreover, it wasn't just the simple extinction of the main line.

The Cilli Family, from its founding over 130 years ago, had seen all its collateral branches die out by Ulrich's generation, leaving only Ulrich's line struggling to survive.

Once Ulrich passed away, the person with the strongest Cilli Family bloodline in the world would be Empress Dowager Elizabeth, followed closely by Laszlo.

This seemed like a punishment from God upon the Cilli Family, punishing them for their aggressive expansion of family territories through the acquisition of extinct noble lines.

However, Laszlo didn't believe in God. In his view, the reasons for noble lines dying out were very simple.

Accidents, assassinations, backward medical care, genetic diseases, etc., all frequently led to nobles failing to produce sons, or their sons dying young, ultimately resulting in the extinction of their line.

Therefore, Laszlo felt no psychological burden regarding the acquisition of extinct noble lines.

His maternal uncle Ulrich was born with 'Withered Branches and Decaying Leaves', which could only be described as Heaven's blessing upon Habsburg.

After his maternal uncle's passing, he would easily reclaim the Serbia Crown.

Not only that, but a large amount of Austria, Croatia, and Hungarian territory, as well as the hereditary lands of Cilli and an Imperial Diet seat, would also be inherited by him.

This would undoubtedly further enhance the Habsburg Royal Family's influence and power in the Empire, Austria, and its various subordinate states, solidifying his advantage over the nobles of various countries.

Upon thinking of these things, Laszlo's tears of sorrow and emotion were almost flowing from the corners of his mouth.

The most pressing task was to consolidate the legality and reasonableness of his inheritance of the Cilli Family's legacy.

However, Ulrich was currently plagued by illness, clearly not long for this world.

If he were to take advantage of the situation to demand that Ulrich sign an agreement establishing Laszlo's absolute right of inheritance, it would inevitably be suspected of taking advantage of someone's misfortune.

This put Laszlo in a dilemma.

It wasn't that he felt too embarrassed to speak out due to sympathy for Ulrich; rather, he felt that if he made the demand directly, it would be too unsightly.

Although Laszlo wasn't someone who cared much for his reputation, he couldn't bring himself to do something like that.

Just as Laszlo was still pondering what pretext to use to get his maternal uncle to confirm that he would leave his inheritance to him, Empress Dowager Elizabeth, who was nearby, pulled out an envelope.

When Ulrich saw what his cousin held in her hand, his eyes flickered slightly, and a nostalgic expression appeared on his face. He recognized what the Empress Dowager was holding.

Laszlo also noticed the Empress Dowager's actions at this time. He was somewhat puzzled and secretly wondered in his heart: Could it be that the Empress Dowager intends to directly persuade his maternal uncle to sign and stamp?

"Ulrich, do you remember this?"

Elizabeth carefully opened the envelope and took out a well-preserved agreement from inside.

Something was written in black and white on it, and at the end, there was the Emperor's seal and the signatures of Albrecht II and Ulrich.

Ulrich nodded gently, suddenly showing a relieved expression, and slowly said, "I never thought that this agreement, signed by me, would also have to be fulfilled by me."

Laszlo and Leonor, who were kept in the dark, were full of questions, not knowing what was happening.

Laszlo's gaze lingered between Elizabeth and Ulrich, this cousinly pair, finally settling on the paper in the Empress Dowager's hand: "Mother, what is that?"

Elizabeth didn't keep him in suspense and directly handed the somewhat old agreement to Laszlo.

Laszlo took the agreement and quickly scanned it along with Leonor, who was equally curious.

Neither of them had expected that this was a mutual inheritance agreement signed in 1443.

However, people often referred to it as a 'betting agreement'.

The stakes of the bet were also very simple: who would have their bloodline extinguished first.

This agreement also clearly spelled out the stakes.

If Albrecht II's bloodline were to die out, then Ulrich's descendants would have the right to inherit the Hungarian and Croatia thrones.

The territory of Austria would still be inherited by a collateral branch of the Habsburg Family.

If Ulrich's bloodline were to die out, then all the property of the Cilli Family would be inherited by the Habsburg Family.

The Habsburg Family here was not limited to Albrecht II, but rather, according to kinship, in order of proximity to Albrecht II, within the family.

At the end of the agreement, it was also clearly written that this agreement was signed to solidify the long-term alliance between the two families and to resolve the Bosnia throne dispute.

Before he even finished reading the content of the agreement, Laszlo's eyes were already gleaming.

Although this cheap father had passed away suddenly not long after he transmigrated, he never expected that he had left such a contingency plan.

Speaking of such betting agreements, Laszlo was not unfamiliar with them at all.

This thing could be said to be the Habsburg Family's ultimate weapon for expanding territory by acquiring extinct noble lines, besides intermarriage, a good method passed down from their ancestors.

In the original world's history, the two most famous betting agreements of the Habsburg Family were with two Hungarian Kings.

The first was with Matthias I. The useless Frederick III signed a betting agreement with Matthias I to claim the Hungarian throne.

Later, Matthias truly couldn't produce a legitimate heir and therefore wanted to renege, but Frederick was unwilling to let it go.

This directly led to Matthias raising an army and invading Austria, capturing Vienna in 1485, almost leading to the downfall of the Archduchy of Austria.

When Matthias died of a sudden illness in 1490, the Habsburg Family wanted to claim the Hungarian throne, but the Jagiellonian Family of Poland got there first.

Although the Habsburg Family, having painfully lost the Hungarian Crown, recovered the lands of Austria, the crisis of national ruin and family destruction was finally averted.

Less than twenty years later, the Habsburg Family again signed a betting agreement with King Louis II of Hungary from the Jagiellonian Family in Pressburg.

The stakes were the two crowns of Bohemia and Hungary.

This betting agreement achieved great success.

The army led by King Louis II of Hungary was almost completely annihilated by Sultan Suleiman of the Ottoman Empire, and he himself died young on the battlefield.

His Queen, Mary of Habsburg, who deeply loved Louis, had not yet had time to bear him any children.

The Habsburg Family, by virtue of this agreement, successfully acquired the Bohemia Crown and one-third of Hungary; the remaining two-thirds had already been seized by the Ottoman.

This secret agreement was unknown even to him; if the Empress Dowager hadn't brought it out today, he wouldn't have known about it.

He never expected that Albrecht II, in order to win over Ulrich, would agree to sign such a bold betting agreement with him.

However, thinking carefully, Albrecht had a son at the time, while Ulrich did not.

Ulrich was also only about ten years younger than the late Emperor.

From this perspective, Albrecht indeed had the confidence to sign such a betting agreement with a high chance of winning.

Laszlo's gaze turned to Ulrich, finding that Ulrich was also looking at him.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but Laszlo felt that Ulrich's gaze towards him had become somewhat more benevolent.

It was like the look an elder gives to a junior on whom they place high hopes.

"Your Majesty, this agreement was originally intended to prevent the current situation from happening, and you don't need to worry about me betraying this agreement," Ulrich took a breath and said gently, "I watched you grow up. Although you are not a descendant of the Cilli Family, the bond of blood is so close, it cannot be ignored.

If I can hand my inheritance over to you, I will have no regrets."

Laszlo was greatly moved, forcing out a few tears, and looked at Ulrich with emotion: "Maternal uncle..."

This brief conversation ended shortly, followed by a welcoming banquet in the Belgrade Royal Palace.

The nobles of Serbia gathered in the Royal Palace to pay homage to the Emperor's majesty.

As the host of the banquet, Ulrich only made an appearance at the beginning, then, dragging his ailing body, returned to his bedchamber to rest. Empress Dowager Elizabeth also followed to take care of Ulrich, to talk more with her seriously ill cousin, leaving Laszlo and Leonor in the banquet hall.

Many important nobles also proactively approached Laszlo to show their faces, hoping to become familiar.

The nobles here were also a mixed bag, with Hungarian, Serbia, Albanian, and German people all present.

Laszlo picked out some talented nobles among them and chatted with them for a few extra words.

If he were to inherit the Serbia Kingdom in the future, these people would all be useful.

This banquet lasted until late at night. When the powerful figures of Serbia departed, almost everyone realized that the Serbia Kingdom was about to change hands very soon.