War Palace and Knee Pillow, Austria’s Destiny

Vienna, Abrecht Palace.

"Uncle Carl, I need an army." Franz said straight to the point. Archduke Carl did not talk to his grandnephew many times, but this did not prevent the latter from being one of the few people he recognized.

"Didn't your grandfather leave you a dragoon regiment during his lifetime? Isn't three thousand troops enough for you?"

Franz shook his head and replied.

"Uncle, after trying for a while, I found that there are indeed not enough people, and they are not suitable for the tasks I gave them."

Archduke Karl suddenly became interested. He wanted to hear what wonderful ideas were coming from this junior's head.

"What I desperately need are soldiers who are professional and follow orders."

"These dragoons are the best of the best. If they are not professional enough and obey orders, then who else will?" The veteran who walked out of the sea of ​​blood from the corpses raised his eyebrows thoughtfully.

He didn't think that the troops directly under the royal family could degenerate to such an extent, especially the personal guards prepared for the new king would not be a bunch of losers.

"No, they are all excellent soldiers, but what I need are mercenaries."

"Do you mean that you need a group of consumables that can be discarded at any time?" Archduke Karl said with a hint of sullenness in his tone.

Seeing that the other party didn't seem to be trying to quibble, he turned to speak seriously.

"My many years of wandering on the battlefield of life and death have taught me that soldiers' lives should not be played with so easily."

"Sometimes the country cannot officially recognize that they are fighting for the country, but it can make up for it with material things." Franz replied.

"Do you understand what you are saying? This is a blasphemy against the honor of the warriors, and from ancient times to the present, no army that is completely tempted by money can maintain combat effectiveness for a long time."

Archduke Karl was still explaining what he knew and hoped that the other party would listen.

"Uncle, I have absolutely no intention of letting mercenaries replace the regular army. It's just that sometimes under certain circumstances an army of mercenaries is needed to complete some tasks that are not obvious and not so glorious.

Of course I don't want anyone to sacrifice their lives in vain, so I came here to ask you for some soldiers and commanders who can perform special missions. If you're not willing to help, then I can leave right away. "

Although Franz came here on the pretext of increasing security for the royal family, he actually came for a pair of black gloves that he could get his hands on.

The problem of the guards is easy to solve. It is not a problem to select a few thousand young men from the families who have been loyal to Habsburg for generations and train them. But a group of cheap scapegoats cannot rely on such selection criteria.

The church can take the blame, but it cannot be embarrassed in Europe. Fanatic believers tend to go their own way, but mercenaries are efficient, cheap, and adaptable to different environments and situations.

As for providing security for the royal family, it is nothing more than a gimmick. As long as financial resources allow, the Royal Guards can expand as much as they want, and they are valued more for their loyalty than their combat effectiveness.

What Franz longs for is a force that can stir up troubles in the world. In fact, it's not that he hasn't tried other paths, such as the "Knights of the Holy Sword" who conspired with the archbishop.

They may not be weak in terms of combat power alone, but the moral obsessiveness of this group of people means that they cannot play the role of Black Gloves at all. For example, the aboriginal people who relocated to Central America ultimately relied on the help of local landowners and gentry.

In the stormy years to come, having more troops under his control would give him more confidence in survival. He could leave Archduke Carl and his family alone and set up a mercenary organization similar to the modern Blackwater Company, and even its capabilities Perhaps it is not inferior to what the latter helped to establish.

But without this bond, Franz would always feel a little uneasy.

"Then let me ask you, in your eyes, what is the meaning of the existence of soldiers and the army?"

"It is the country's violent machine and a tool to maintain rule. No matter what the military does, it has only one ultimate goal, and that is to maintain rule and allow the country to continue.

The same is true for soldiers. They are a group of flesh and blood people, but they must put aside their personal feelings and even the consumables of life. "

Franz knew the other party's next reply, so he recited the "Knight's Declaration" that he could recite fluently, trying to make him understand that times had changed.

“I swear to heaven to make my will clear;

Don’t bully the weak, spend your time humbly;

In the battles you go through, don’t be afraid of powerful enemies;

If there is any evil, I will attack it.

When women are weak and children grow up, war will do them;

A woman is delicate and should never offend;

Colleagues share the same goals and work hard to help each other;

Treat friends sincerely and consider yourself a gentleman;

My true love is unwavering. "

Archduke Karl was a little surprised when he heard Franz reciting the Knight's Proclamation. He always thought that the boy in front of him lacked relevant emotions and was more like a businessman than a nobleman, and he didn't understand the spirit of chivalry.

"Franz, I don't understand. Since you know the meaning of knighthood and honor, why do you learn to think like a dirty politician?"

"Well, how many of the empire's bureaucrats and lawyers are not high-sounding or righteous in front of others, but have another kind of virtue behind them?

They understand, understand, and often use those laws and regulations and moral viewpoints, but when it comes to actually doing things, it may be another story.

Uncle Carl, many years ago Cervantes had already allegorized the end of the future age of chivalry in his "Don Quixote." At present, the torrent of capital is rolling in. We must either make changes or we will be overwhelmed by it sooner or later. "

Archduke Karl understood that what Franz said was true. Even the Crusaders who claimed to "fight for the faith" could rob the people they were obsessed with saving for the sake of wealth. The destruction of the Knights Templar was no better than this.

"But people can't live just for money."

His answer seemed very unconfident, because it seemed to make sense if this theory of naked money and capital was applied to everything that had happened throughout the ages. But Archduke Karl still believed that talent was the master, not just wealth.

"Of course not. It's just that black and white, light and darkness, good and evil, right and wrong all exist relative to each other. The sun cannot grow alone, and the yin alone cannot grow.

Any unilateral behavior is a violation of balance. If the balance of force is broken, the state of objects will change. A person's psychological imbalance will make his character become extreme. The imbalance of power in the regime will make the country go berserk."

Archduke Karl felt dizzy after hearing this. After all, the above discussion was too complicated for a pure soldier in this era.

"That's enough, Franz. You are becoming more and more like a philosopher. Tell me your true plans."

The relieved Franz quickly drank a cup of coffee to calm down his shock, but because the taste was too strong, he stuck out his tongue.

"I am determined to build a universal empire, so that all poor people in the world will be happy. Let the laborers be paid, the nobles should bear their responsibilities, the poor should have their respect, and the rich should be put to their best use. The good will be honored, the bad will be punished, and the lonely will be punished. Everyone has their own nourishment.”

Before he could finish speaking, he was immediately interrupted by Archduke Karl. Obviously, the latter did not want to hear these theories on governance. After all, he was just a soldier.

"Okay, I admit that your vision is not wrong. You may become a good emperor in the future, or you may follow in the footsteps of our crazy uncle.

Of course, these are not things I can judge at the moment. From now on, I will try my best to help you. No matter what extraordinary things you want to do or what crazy actions you want to do, I will support you. "

"You finally agreed?"

Archduke Karl nodded and took out a box.

"This is a file of outstanding veterans and officers from the entire empire in the past ten years. They are all good guys. I hope you can make the best use of them." He did not beat around the bush, but went straight to the point.

"I will, Uncle Carl."

Franz's solemn reply with a solemn expression made Archduke Karl feel a little relieved, and the latter asked immediately.

"Does the security company you just mentioned have a name?"

Franz thought for a while.

"It wasn't there just now, but it is now. Umbrella, Umbrella Company."