Chapter 357: 356: Hussite Victory

Eckhard stood within the Great Hall of the Royal Palace within the city of Prague. The halls were stained with the blood of the Bohemian loyalists and their allied forces. Their corpses littered the ground and had already begun to rot. The blade of the Austrian field marshal was coated with the sanguine liquid of life. 

Though he had not personally slain King Radek of Bohemia, Eckhard had done his fair share of bloodshed in the battle that led to such a result. Standing atop the Bohemian King's lifeless body was none other than Alexej Kaspar, a man revered by the radical Hussite Sects as a War Saint of their faith. 

With Berengar's assistance, the Kasparian's and the other Hussite armies had waged a long and bloody war against the Bohemian Crown and their Catholic Allies. However, it was not until Austrian Agents posing as servants of the Bohemian Crown distributed weapons to criminals and brigands that the common people began to take arms against their masters. 

With the support of the common people, the Hussite forces steamrolled over the Catholic Armies and brought their vengeance upon the Church for their crimes against Jan Hus and his followers. For the first time in centuries, the Catholic Church had lost a Crusade. 

Alexej stared at the bloodstained golden crown lying upon the fractured skull of the once-mighty Behomeian King for several seconds, debating what to do with it. Though the radical Hussites revered him, the moderate factions of his faith viewed him as a fanatic and a war criminal. Not to mention the many Catholics who lived within Bohemia that had not supported him and his cause. 

Even a significant minority of ethnic Germans followed the teachings of Berengar and his German Reformation; one thing was sure the Kingdom of Bohemia was far from united. If he were to place this crown upon his head, it would only invite greater chaos. 

Yet without a strong leader, Bohemia would become nothing more than a puppet state of their powerful neighbor to the Southwest. Austria was a behemoth that could swallow Bhoemia whole; by a single decree, the Royal Army of Austria could march onto Bohemia and wipe away years of blood, sweat, and tears that the Bohemian people had shed for a proper reformist state. 

As such, the man was at a crossroads, should he allow someone else, someone more unifying, to become King of Bohemia, or should he claim the position for himself and negotiate the terms of repayment of their debt to Austria from a place of authority, in doing so creating long term social strife.

Before he could make a decision, a few heavily armored men entered the scene; they were flying the banners of a Hussite Nobleman by the name of Valdemar Zukal; among the moderate Hussites, he was the most renowned. 

Upon seeing Alexej standing above the bloodied corpse of the Bohemian King, eying his crown with avarice, Valdemar refused to stand by and began to approach the radical Hussites while flanked by his soldiers. As he did so, he rested his hand upon the hilt of his blade, eying the radicals with suspicion. 

"Alexej, you did not think that I would allow you to place that crown upon your head, thus naming yourself King of Bohemia, did you? You have butchered thousands of Bohemian citizens in the name of your fanaticism, and thus you must answer for your crimes!"

As Valdemar said this, Alexej's followers unsheathed their blades in a show of force; as they did so, they stared down the moderate nobleman with fierce expressions. Just like how the moderates would never allow a radical to sit upon the throne, so too would they never permit a moderate to rule as King.

As for Eckhard, he and his Austrian troops were caught in the middle of these two armed groups. Thus the aging Field Marshal immediately attempted to appease both sides and come to a compromise before they began killing each other over minor differences of opinion.

"Gentlemen, stow your blades! We have won the war, and that is all that matters for now. As for who becomes King, it can be decided upon at a later date by all factions involved in this great victory that we have achieved together!"

Alexej and Valdemar gazed at each other with murderous intent; even after Eckhard's plea of reason, they still felt the urge to cut each other's throats on the spot. In Alexej's eyes, the moderates had done too little for the cause, allowing him and his forces to suffer as the vanguard in the war against the Catholics.

While the radicals fought, the moderates hugged the sidelines, waiting for a clear victor to emerge. As such, the radical leader would never allow an opportunistic man like Valdemar to seize the Bohemian crown, not after all the blood he and his comrades had shed to achieve this victory. 

Seeing that tensions were only increasing, Eckhard played his final card to make the two men see reason, and as such, he sighed heavily before speaking in a grave tone.

"Word of your victory has already been sent to King Berengar; imagine his surprise when he pays a visit to the Bohemian Court and sees that you fools have begun slaying each other over your slight differences. Stow your blades or face the wrath of your benefactor!"

If it were years ago when the war had begun, such a threat would have been seen as a joke by the two sides facing off against each other. However, after news had reached Bohemia of Berengar's absolute victory over the Holy Roman Empire, nobody present was foolish enough to take Eckhard's warning lightly. 

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The Radicals were the first to back down as Alexej sheathed his blade; the moment he did so, his men followed suit. He and the radicals owed Berengar a far more outstanding debt than the moderates. For it was them who Berengar had sent the majority of his aid to. 

As for Valdemar, he clutched his blade intensely as he struggled to come to terms with the outcome. Was he going to sit idly by and allow the Austrians to play kingmaker over their realm? Despite his unwillingness to do so, the man ultimately accepted the futility of his situation. If the Austrians could wipe out the Italians and Swiss in a matter of months, what could they do to a divided and battle-worn Bohemia?

As such, the man quickly did as the Austrian Field Marshal commanded him and stowed his blade. Upon doing so, a sour expression formed on his face. He could not imagine the consequences that would befall their realm for allowing Berengar von Kufstein to act as the judge regarding the question of Bohemian Succession.

However, his hands were tied, and as such, Valdemar spat on the ground before departing; as he did so, he left a passing message.

"This is not the end, Alexej; you will answer for your crimes against Bohemia and her people; I swear to God I will make you pay!"

After Valdemar and his cronies had left, Alexej let out a sigh of relief before thanking Eckhard for his support. 

"Thank you, Marshal Eckhard; I owe you and your King a great deal. What is it that your master has planned for us going forward?"

Eckhard sighed as he dwelled upon the question; he did not know what Berengar intended for Bohemia, years had passed since he last spoke to the man in person, and Eckhard did not doubt that the young monarch's ambitions had grown once more. As such, he could not honestly answer the question. Instead, his response was cryptic.

"I honestly do not know what Berengar's intentions are for Bohemia; I am sure that he will ask a great deal of you and your people for repayment. I suggest that you remember that he is not the minor noblemen you first approached years ago.

I give you this warning as a friend and a companion who has fought along your side for years. Do not underestimate the man known as Berengar von Kufstein; he is as cunning as he is cruel, and he will find a way to extract the most significant value from your lands, a value that you yourself may not even be aware of. 

Most of all, be aware that he is not afraid to use war and violence as a means of diplomacy. If he threatens you during negotiations, do not take it lightly, as he has the means to be back up his claims. While you have spent the last few years waging a brutal war, he has spent it by consolidating his power and advancing his army to unimaginable lengths. I do not know to what degree the Austrian Military has advanced in my absence, but I assure you it is beyond your capabilities. 

If you keep all of this in mind, I am sure you will be able to mitigate the damage done to your people during what is to come. Only ruin awaits you if you choose to ignore my advice and cling to your pride. This is all I can say as your friend, for my loyalty is to Berengar and his Kingdom. Good luck, for you and your people, will need it..."

With this said, Eckhard did not wait for a response; he quickly fled the scene with his men following in tail. They had much to prepare for; with a Hussite victory in Bohemia, the timeline was forever altered, and Berengar intended to take full advantage of it for the benefit of his realm.

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