Tyranny of Steel

While Berengar was engaging in Operation Trident, and Otto was laying siege to Vienna to liberate its population from Lothar's tyranny. Linde was resting in Kufstein presiding over Berengar's reforms. Through the conquest of Schwaz and Innsbruck, she had begun incorporating it into Kufstein's jurisdiction, and though she did not allow for conscription of the people in the region yet. Infrastructure projects and agricultural overhauls were underway; the sooner she got them under construction, the sooner the profits would show themself.

The people of Kufstein enjoyed their lives during this time of chaos as they were well insulated from the violence and the bloodshed that was appearing across the German world at this time. However, many young men decided to fulfill their patriotic duty and volunteered for military service. Of course, the volunteers were only a small percentage of the troops being raised to not only aid in Berengar's campaign but ensure the defense and stability of the entirety of Tyrol, which Berengar would soon conquer. As such, thousands of young men were currently undergoing basic training, where they would then enter specialized training in the field they were most suited for.

After receiving the first batch of conscripts in Innsbruck, Berengar instructed Linde to continue specialized training. With infantry being the main focus, followed by artillery, and then the Cavalry. Berengar currently had an entire Cavalry Battalion under his command and because the unit had suffered limited casualties during the war; it was more than enough to deter the cavalry forces of any potential army that he would come across for the time being.

At the moment, the newest batch of recruits had begun their basic training and were going through basic PT to get them into fighting shape quickly. Pushups, Sit-ups, Pull-ups, runs, etc., became a daily exercise for the men who had been forced into service. Basic marches and formations were also drilled into their heads. They also practiced how to operate their weapons efficiently, as a set of drills were created to quickly instill the loading procedure of the muskets into the muscle memory of the men who wielded them.

As such, the Military bases used to house and train recruits were overflowing with thousands of young men who had just entered the armed forces. Some of them had been here for weeks and would soon ship out to their stations across Tyrol, whether that was in the form of a field army or acting as a garrison.

As for the Officers, the surviving knights and noblemen of the captured regions were incorporated into Berengar's army and were effectively trained to fulfill the position of his Officer Class. Seeing as how they went from being Lords and Knights to Officers, there was an initial degree of defiance by the Cadets. Still, when they came to realize how effectively organized Berengar's semi-modern army was, they quickly changed their tune.

There was a degree of civility and respect afforded to Officers much like that of a Knight or Noblemen, and as such, they quickly found themselves at home within the Officer Class. Granted, it was a meritocratic force, and they would not be afforded the position due to their birth; they would still have to graduate from the so-called "Military Academy" and climbed through the ranks through a display of competency. Yet, at the moment, there were few if any commoners among the Officer class, so for the time being it had essentially been turned into a position held by the nobility within Berengar's military hierarchy. After all, few commoners were educated enough to lead soldiers into battle properly.

While the conscripts continued their training, Linde was reading the news she had received from Adela about their fathers' battle in Vienna. The likelihood of her father surviving the siege was slim, but there was a chance the weasel could escape and return to Innsbruck. While she was reading the letter in Berengar's office, the door opened to reveal her brother Liutbert who she had not seen since the awkward family reunion they had a few days prior. After appearing in her office, Liutbert noticed the look on his little Sister's face and began to question what she was reading.

"Is the letter important?"

After realizing that she had been smiling wickedly, Linde placed down the letter for Liutbert to read.

"Father is trapped in Vienna, and Berengar has begun to lay siege to the key centers of resistance within Southern Tyrol. It is only a matter of time Before Father loses the war; I suggest you find out where your loyalties lie before it is over. After all, Berengar is ruthless when it comes to dealing with his enemies..."

Seeing the letters Linde had provided Liutbert, which contained great intelligence about the ongoing war efforts, Liutbert could not comprehend why Linde would allow him to see such valuable information and voiced his concerns aloud.

"Why did you allow me to read this?"

Linde merely laughed lightly at his question and rested her beautiful face onto the palm of her hand while stared at Liutbert with a gaze filled with familial affection.

"Because you are my brother Liutbert, and I do not want to see you end up like father. So I am giving you the option to make an informed choice. Either bend the knee to Berengar and recognize him as the Count of Tyrol by Right of Conquest. Or support Father, and side with his failing rebellion, though if you publically voice your support for father, when he finally loses, you will be sure to suffer as a traitor. "

Thus an important decision was thrust upon Liutbert; he could either show his loyalty to his father, condemn Berengar as a heretic and traitor, and reject his claims to the County of Tyrol, which by the looks of it will not end well for him. Or he could submit to Berengar's authority and throw away his family's position as Counts. Before he made his choice, Liutbert had one final question to ask Linde about her lover's plans for the future.

"If I do as you ask, what becomes the position of our family?"

Linde stretched her back into the soft leather chair and grinned with a comfortable smile as she informed Liutbert of Berengar's decision.

"We will obviously lose status as Counts for a while, but Berengar's ambitions don't lie at simply being a count, nor does he wish to be a Duke as our father desires. When Berengar finally unites the German Speaking regions into a single cohesive Empire, he will need talented and loyal men to fill the positions in his government. At the moment, his political reforms are in a stage of infancy, but I will let you in on a little secret. It will not matter which noble title you have in the coming years, at least not as much as it does now. By gaining the favor of the future Emperor and proving yourself as a competent and loyal subject, that is how you will gain political and economic power in the future."

When Liutbert heard the height of Berengar's ambitions from his sister's mouth, he could hardly believe it. Still, he could hardly consider himself a skeptic when thinking about how quickly Tyrol has fallen into Berengar's hands. If the man could seize Tyrol with an army in the thousands, what could he do with an army in the tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands? So long as Berengar managed to keep himself alive and in power, he could accomplish his vision.

Thinking about the position he stood and that of his family, excluding their rebellious father, Liutbert sighed heavily and nodded his head as he decided the important crossroads he had found himself in.

"Alright, I will support Berengar in any way you need me to. From the intelligence you have shown to me, Father is doomed to fail in his war, and Tyrol will soon fall into Berengar's hands. It will be doubtful for the Duke to trust the governance of Tyrol to our family after Father's actions, so I hereby submit to Berengar's authority..."

Linde smiled devilishly as she heard her brother relent, and she rose from her seat to pat the young man on his back.

"You have chosen well, brother."

with this, Berengar's ascension to Count of Tyrol could no longer be argued if the heir to Lothar was willing to relinquish his claim in favor of Berengar. Unknowingly Berengar had gained a valuable ally in his future wars; after all, Liutbert was a wise and intelligent young man. One who would prove instrumental to Berengar's future gains.