I Am a Vassal of the Emperor!

On the Baltic Sea coast of North German, Griefswald, the residence of the Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast, welcomed an important guest today.

Inside the reception room, at opposite ends of a long table, sat the two brothers, Erick II and Wartislaw X, who had divided the Duchy of Wolgast.

Griefswald was the boundary line they had drawn.

Rügen, Grimmen, Tribsees, and other areas west of this city were allocated to Wartislaw X.

To the east of this city, including Wolgast, all the vast territories were allocated to Erick II.

(Schematic diagram, a portion of southern Pomerania has been encroached upon by Brandenburg)

Coupled with the Eastern Pomeranian territories Erick II acquired from his father-in-law's line, namely Rügenwalde and Stolp, he now effectively controlled more than half of the Duchy of Pomerania.

After the childless death of their cousin, Otto III, Duke of Pomerania-Stettin, Erick II almost immediately seized half of Stettin's territory.

The citizens of Stettin, fearing an invasion by the Brandenburg Elector, enthusiastically welcomed Erick II into the city.

Elector Frederick II was not slow either; his army quickly departed from Berlin and occupied some territories south of Stettin.

Both sides harbored great ambitions for Stettin.

Frederick II attempted to annex Pomerania to strengthen Brandenburg's national power and become the most powerful prince in the northern part of the Empire.

However, the Griffin Family, which had ruled Pomerania for centuries, would naturally not let him succeed easily.

Now, Frederick II, under the banner of so-called legitimate inheritance, was rapidly assembling more troops in Berlin, preparing to seize Stettin by force.

Clouds of war loomed over Pomerania.

The two sides would clash over Stettin for a long time to come.

As the central city of the Duchy of Pomerania, Stettin held significant economic and strategic value.

If the Elector seized Stettin, the Duchy of Pomerania would be cut in two by him, and Brandenburg would gain the long-coveted access to the sea.

Erick II would never allow this to happen.

Therefore, on one hand, he summoned troops and strengthened Stettin's defenses, preparing to counter Frederick II's attack, and on the other hand, he actively sought external support.

The Grand Master of the Teutonic Order had promised him that if Brandenburg launched an attack on Pomerania, the Teutonic Order would send troops to assist.

What worried Erick II most now was the attitude of his restless younger brother, Wartislaw, towards this war. They were blood relatives, yet they had reached a point of armed confrontation, which made Erick II feel helpless.

He had insisted on unifying the entire Wolgast to form a stronger combined force to resist the invasion of the Brandenburg Elector.

Unfortunately, Wartislaw could not accept his elder brother taking over his territory, so he turned and allied with the Brandenburg Elector. This led to the current situation.

Internal strife is a laughingstock to outsiders.

Now, with the Brandenburg Elector about to attack, Erick II had no choice but to meet with his brother, hoping to ensure that no problems arose in the rear.

After all, if Wartislaw, who controlled Rügen, were to launch a fierce surprise attack on Wolgast from the sea, Erick II would be unable to manage both ends.

If it came to that, there would be no way he could resist the powerful Brandenburg Elector.

"Erick, you seem very agitated. It seems you haven't made any progress over the years."

Wartislaw mocked him without reservation.

He hadn't intended to attend this meeting, but considering that the upcoming war would affect the fate of the entire Duchy, he still accepted the invitation to meet Erick.

Erick II frowned slightly; Wartislaw's attitude made him worry that this meeting might not be very effective.

"I don't want to argue with you at a time like this, Wartislaw. War is coming, the enemy is coming."

Erick was worried; the enemy was, after all, a powerful Border Elector.

Moreover, their fathers had once been defeated by Frederick II and were forced to become nominal vassals.

Although Erick considered himself not exceptionally talented, he had the ambition to revive his family.

He wanted to lead the Griffin Family out of the Hohenzollern Family's control.

Unfortunately, his ambition was not understood by his brother.

Wartislaw said carelessly, "War is your own choice, who else can you blame?

You, I, and the deceased old Otto, we are all vassals of the Elector, and Pomerania is a fief of Brandenburg.

This is clearly written in the treaty.

Now, it is perfectly legal for Frederick to claim Stettin as his inheritance.

Why bother bringing trouble upon yourself, using your weak army to fight against the powerful Elector?"

"We are not the invader's vassals!"

Erick growled, suppressing the anger in his heart.

"We are the Emperor's vassals, the Duchy of Pomerania is part of the Empire, not part of his Brandenburg!"

"Since that's the case, then go ask the Emperor for help and see whether the Emperor supports you or Frederick."

Wartislaw shook his head slightly, scoffing at Erick's overestimation of his own strength.

He saw clearly that Elector Frederick had ambition, and his elder brother Erick also had ambition, and both of their strengths were far superior to his.

Therefore, he very wisely gave up his claim to Stettin at the first opportunity.

His own territory did not border Stettin, and he had no right to contend with the other two for Stettin.

It was better to let Frederick and Erick fight tooth and nail, while he could wait for a better price.

There was no overwhelming disparity in strength between the two sides, and it would most likely enter a stalemate.

At that time, Wartislaw, firmly seated on Rügen Island, would have his chance.

Both sides, wanting to break the deadlock, would certainly compete to win him over. At that point, when he made his move, he would surely gain significant benefits.

His goal was clear: this Griefswald, and even Wolgast, were what he wanted.

As for Erick's statement that "he is the Emperor's vassal," Wartislaw scoffed at it.

He laughed at Erick for being as naive as ever.

Anyone who paid a little more attention to the major changes that had occurred in the Empire in recent years could easily understand the Emperor's character from them.

Compared to an ambitious monarch, Wartislaw felt that the Emperor was more like a merchant.

When governing the Habsburg Family's own territory, the Emperor was undoubtedly a wise monarch.

But when he governed the vast Holy Roman Empire, things became much simpler—everything became a transaction, a deal.

Imperial territories, Elector seats, these things were sold just like that.

Compared to that, this small territorial dispute over Stettin was hardly worth mentioning.

Moreover, several years ago, when their father was still alive, the Emperor had acknowledged the Elector's control over parts of Pomerania in exchange for the Elector's support for the Crusade.

At that time, several important North German princes jointly appealed, but those letters of complaint all vanished without a trace.

If all went as expected, even if Erick and Frederick appealed the inheritance issue to the Court of the Empire in Vienna, the final outcome would still be that the highest bidder would win.

Although the Brandenburg Elector was poor, that was only in comparison to other Electors.

Compared to the weak Erick, the Brandenburg Elector had richer political and economic resources.

If the Emperor's court eventually awarded Stettin to the Brandenburg Elector, he wondered if his naive elder brother would show an expression of despair.

He really wanted to see that.

"I will, of course, appeal to the Emperor; the Brandenburg Elector has been wreaking havoc in Pomerania for too long."

Erick said through gritted teeth, looking at Wartislaw with a hint of disappointment.

"Do you really want to be a dog for that damned oppressor?"

"Don't speak so harshly," Wartislaw said in a low voice, also somewhat annoyed, "At least he hasn't shown ambition towards my Rügen."

Erick's expression froze, and he suddenly felt a bit awkward.

He wanted Rügen, wasn't it to resist the powerful Brandenburg Elector?

Wartislaw would not understand his painstaking efforts.

"I am willing to swear that I and my descendants will never attack Rügen.

We can even go to the church now, and I will swear an oath on the Bible, as long as you can help me fight the invader."

Erick was determined; he had to ensure the safety of his rear.

Wartislaw was slightly moved.

Seeing Erick's confident demeanor, he was now somewhat willing to believe him.

"That alone is not enough to secure my support."

He shook his head, refusing his elder brother's proposal.

The war hadn't started yet, and rashly getting involved was not in his best interest.

"Then add this Griefswald and the surrounding territory."

"Are you serious?"

Wartislaw suddenly straightened up, looking at the resolute Erick with an incredulous gaze.

Was this still the elder brother who had been single-mindedly trying to annex his territory?

"Of course I'm serious," Erick said through gritted teeth, "My strength is not enough to resist the powerful Elector, and for that, I need as much help as possible.

You are my brother; we should have worked together to fight the foreign enemy. I apologize for my past contempt and hostility towards you."

"This..."

Wartislaw fell silent.

After a long while, he sighed softly and said, "It seems you have made some progress after all.

However, even if we unite, we are definitely no match for Elector Frederick."

"The Teutonic Order will support us."

"This way, our strength will be comparable to that of the Elector."

Wartislaw tapped the table and began to ponder.

"You agree to my proposal?"

Erick looked at his brother, who had relented, with some surprise.

Wartislaw nodded slightly, still thinking about the potential war.

"Secretary!"

Erick immediately called the ducal secretary and had the recent promise written into a formal agreement.

Then, he pulled his brother to sign it together and stamp it with the ducal seal.

"Hmm," Wartislaw looked at the agreement in his hand and nodded with satisfaction, "Let's go."

"Where?"

"To the church. I will watch you swear."

Wartislaw showed a smile.

Just now, this prosperous Griefswald and the surrounding territory had already become his, which was no small fortune.

"All right, I'll swear well."

Erick said somewhat helplessly, the big stone in his heart finally falling.

In fact, one important reason he dared to make such a promise was that both he and his brother were now over forty years old, but together they only had one male heir.

That was Erick's son, Bogislaw.

His current swearing and ceding of land was essentially a gamble that his brother would not have a legitimate heir.

When he and his brother died in the future, his son Bogislaw would inherit all their territories, becoming the sole Duke of Pomerania, unifying the entire region.

If he could hold Stettin in the upcoming war, his son would truly become the Duke of Pomerania in the future.

Even if the gamble failed, he would not lose anything at all.

Without Wartislaw's support, Erick would almost certainly lose the war against the Elector.

At that time, not only would Stettin be lost, but even more Pomeranian territory might be lost.

He would rather give some land to his brother first, so that the land of Pomerania would remain under the control of the Griffin Family.

As long as it wasn't given to the Hohenzollern Family, he could completely accept it.

With his brother's help, he might be able to hold Stettin in the upcoming war.

The value of Stettin was much greater than that of a Griefswald.

His only concern was Wartislaw suddenly abandoning the alliance in the middle of the war.

After all, Griefswald was the gateway to Wolgast, and his ceding it to his brother was to show his sincerity.

But if Wartislaw had more ulterior motives, his situation would become even more passive.

He ultimately chose to believe his brother would stand with him; he had no other choice.

The two quickly arrived at the church, and under the witness of the local bishop, Erick placed his hand on the Bible and swore an oath.

He and his descendants would never attack the Rügen territory, otherwise they would suffer God's curse and punishment.

The two brothers quickly completed the transfer of land ownership, and then began to actively prepare for war.

Several envoys departed from Wolgast, galloping towards Berlin, Vienna, and Marienburg.

Before the war fully erupted, Erick still hoped that the Emperor could make a fair ruling, preferably using the Emperor's prestige to peacefully resolve the dispute.

Of course, he did not hold too much hope for this.

Just as his brother Wartislaw believed, he also considered himself to be very clear about the Emperor's nature.

Even if the Emperor ultimately awarded Stettin to the Brandenburg Elector, he would not give up the struggle.

Stettin was inherently an important part of Pomerania, and he would absolutely not allow it to be ruled by anyone outside the Griffin Family.

Now, he needed to prepare for a long struggle and simultaneously seek more allies for himself.

Denmark, due to its marriage alliance with the Hohenzollern Family, was unwilling to support Pomerania's struggle.

Other North German princes, although sympathetic to Pomerania, were unwilling to get involved in this dispute.

Even their neighboring Mecklenburg lord had some territorial disputes with his brother.

After searching around, Pomerania still had two neighboring countries.

The Teutonic Order, which occupied the Prussian region, and Austria, which controlled the Greater Poland exclave.

The Teutonic Order had already agreed to provide military assistance. If he could form an alliance with the Emperor...

But Erick only dared to think about it.

He, a small lord of Pomerania, wanting to rely on the high and mighty Emperor, would have to pay an unknown amount.

He was unwilling to pay too high a price for support before truly reaching a desperate situation.

If he truly reached a dead end, he would be willing to cede a part of Eastern Pomerania—the province of Stolp—to the Emperor in exchange for the Emperor's support for his inheritance of Stettin.

Before that, he would fight the ambitious Brandenburg Elector to the very end.