The Avenger

A carriage slowly departed from Hunyadi Castle, escorted by several knights away from this dangerous rebel stronghold.

However, the carriage moved extremely slowly, so slowly that Hunyadi, riding his warhorse, could keep pace with it.

Not far behind the convoy, Hunyadi's army followed at a slow pace, the sounds of hooves, footsteps, and clanking armor and swords intermingling.

The Raven banner of the Hunyadi Family fluttered wildly in the cold wind, just as the Hunyadi Family's fate had become unpredictable. The carriage curtain was pulled open by a small hand, and a lovely little girl peeked out from inside, flashing a brilliant smile at Hunyadi, and asked expectantly, "Brother Laszlo, are you sending us back to Bistrița?"

Hunyadi smiled and shook his head, about to say something, when the little girl was suddenly pulled back into the carriage, and another woman peeked out.

"Mother..."

,

Hunyadi opened his mouth, but found he couldn't say anything.

Szilágyi Elizabeth, the mother of Hunyadi Laszlo and Hunyadi Matthias, was now scrutinizing her son with complex emotions.

She wanted to engrave his current appearance in her heart forever.

A fork in the road was not far ahead; she was to go east to the Szilágyi Family's territory, while Hunyadi was to go west to Deva Castle to prepare for the Emperor's grand army.

Perhaps, this separation would be a final farewell.

"You... I didn't expect it would come to this," Elizabeth said with a touch of sadness. "When your father was alive, he often told me that throughout his life, he encountered wise rulers who knew how to utilize people, allowing sovereign and subject to work together in unity against enemies.

But he always worried that after his death, the Hunyadi Family might become too powerful, threatening the King and no longer tolerated.

I had long anticipated this day, but I never expected it to come so quickly, only six years after Janos's death.

It's my fault and your uncle's fault; not only did we fail to save you, but we personally pushed you into the abyss."

"Don't say anything, Mother!" Hunyadi's expression turned cold, and he spoke in a tone devoid of emotion, "All choices were my own; don't blame uncle, and don't blame you.

I still couldn't bear to be subordinate to others.

The territory of the Kingdom of Hungary was preserved, and the Ottomans were finally repelled, largely due to the Hunyadi Family and my father's merits!

But now, the Emperor has repeatedly oppressed me.

He seized my military power and reduced my land; I truly cannot endure this humiliation!

The war has begun, and I have nothing more to say.

The future of the Hunyadi Family doesn't concern me; Matthias is working for the Emperor and is highly trusted by him.

If in the end... you can also move to Austria with him. I believe the Emperor will not trouble you, for the sake of father and Matthias."

"Child..."

The convoy arrived at the crossroads. Hunyadi reined in his horse, remaining in place to watch his mother's carriage drive off into the distance.

Having sent off his most cherished relative, Hunyadi was left only with the subordinates willing to fight to the death with him.

Now he could finally cast aside everything and engage in a true life-or-death struggle with the Emperor.

Withdrawing his gaze from the distance, Hunyadi turned his horse and headed towards Deva Castle, following the orderly marching column.

Wallachia, Severin Fortress.

The fortress was situated on a high ground by the Danube River, with tall, sturdy walls, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

It was very close to the important Iron Gates gorge of the Danube River, making it the most crucial node for controlling upstream and downstream traffic on the Danube River.

Severin Fortress was the largest fortress in southern Wallachia and had been a vital border town for the Kingdom of Hungary for centuries.

The Kingdom of Hungary had relied on this fortress to resist Bulgaria, Wallachia, and the Ottoman.

It can be said that Severin was an important link in the Kingdom of Hungary's border defenses.

Successive Prince Vlad of Wallachia had always claimed sovereignty over this strategic town.

However, the Hungarian had never paid attention to the weak Wallachia, so they naturally would not yield this fortress.

Especially, more than twenty years ago, Janos, who had just been transferred from the Bohemian battlefield to the southeastern border of the Kingdom to consolidate border defenses, held his first official position as the commander of Severin.

From then until now, Severin Fortress had been firmly controlled by the Hunyadi Family.

Now, with an unprecedented opportunity to rightfully reclaim Severin Fortress, Vlad practically did not hesitate and led his army to besiege it.

As for crossing the treacherous mountain paths to attack Transylvania, Vlad decided to wait a little and observe.

After all, the Emperor's grand army was still far from Transylvania, estimated to take over a month to reach the mountainous fringes of Transylvania.

If he rushed over mountains and valleys and advanced rashly, he might be met with a painful counterattack from Hunyadi first, which would be more trouble than it was worth.

Although Vlad was seen as an extremist, stubborn madman, in some aspects, he was more shrewd than anyone.

In this campaign against Hunyadi, the Emperor's grand army was the main force, and their subordinate forces were merely an addition.

To make him risk his life to fight Hunyadi, although he had such motivation, it was clearly not a wise choice.

In such a comfortable wartime environment, one should think more about how to gain more benefits for oneself.

Withdrawing his scattered thoughts, Vlad refocused his gaze on the sturdy fortress in the distance.

Wallachian soldiers had surrounded three sides of the fortress.

The town not far from the fortress also surrendered to Vlad at the same time he arrived.

This time, Vlad did not inflict further slaughter; this was the mercy he occasionally bestowed upon others.

Of course, it might also be that Stefan's earnest persuasion had an effect.

Stefan rode up beside Vlad and immediately noticed that Vlad seemed to have changed into a new set of armor today.

This armor was very familiar: its dark color, coupled with the very prominent mark on the breastplate—a red dragon coiled around a cross.

"Is this... Prince Vlad's armor?" Stefan asked with some surprise.

Vlad first shook his head, then nodded slightly.

Although this armor was not a relic of his father, Vlad II, it was indeed made in the likeness of Vlad II's armor.

His father often prided himself on being a member of the Dragon Knight Order, and thus earned the title "Drăculești,"

meaning Prince of the Dragon.

And as his son, Vlad III, after becoming Prince Vlad, was given the title "Dracula," meaning Son of the Dragon.

People at that time would likely find it hard to imagine that such a formidable title would become synonymous with vampires centuries later.

Unfortunately, Vlad II, who styled himself as Prince Vlad, chose to submit to the Ottomans, and he himself consequently died at the hands of Janos.

Now, as the son of Vlad II, Vlad once again donned this armor.

He raised the banners of Wallachia and the Dragon Knight Order, preparing to seek revenge on the Hunyadi Family.

At Vlad's command, the soldiers surged like a tide towards the sturdy stone walls, launching a fierce assault on the Hunyadi Family's last stronghold in Wallachia.