In the camp at the border town, tens of thousands of Imperial troops had gathered. The emperor had managed to rally all the elite forces from the southern Empire, and even the halflings of the Moot had sent a contingent of halfling archers and halfling cauldron artillery to help defend Black Fire Pass.
Even so, when the greenskins were just two days away from Black Fire Pass, the armies of Reikland, Nuln, and Solland finally arrived, exhausted from the grueling forced march. The Reikland forces, in particular, were in dire straits. Many soldiers collapsed as soon as they reached the camp, too tired to even set up tents. Their ankles were swollen, and even those who weren't injured could barely stand on their trembling legs.
They had only one day to rest, and even during this time, the soldiers had to begin fortifying Black Fire Pass and preparing defenses.
There was some good news, though. In the wealthy and agriculturally rich Averland, the army's rations had improved significantly. Abundant food, including barley bread, Imperial black beer and ale, roasted pies, and grilled meat, greatly alleviated the soldiers' discontent.
People were amazed at Elector Count Marius Leitdorf's extensive stockpiles. Wagons of salted meat, preserved meat, smoked meat, and dehydrated grains were transported from the castles, manors, and towns of Averland, ensuring that the Imperial army ate well. After the long forced march, this was a much-needed comfort.
Of course, as Marius's close friend, Karl-Franz knew him well. Marius had a peculiar hoarding habit—he loved stockpiling everything. It was said that since taking office, the Elector Count had been obsessed with amassing military supplies and food reserves. Marius even boasted that the weapons, ammunition, and artillery stored in Averheim could last for fifty years, and the food supplies could sustain the population for three years.
The emperor couldn't help but wonder under what circumstances such an enormous amount of ammunition and artillery would be needed.
Aren't you worried about a massive explosion if the warehouses aren't managed properly?
Elector Count Marius didn't care about the emperor's concerns. He simply said, "I like it."
"I'm lovin' it!"
The emperor had no choice but to let him be.
Despite this, the Imperial army had suffered significant attrition during the forced march. Worse still, they had been harassed by Beastmen tribes, plagued by deserters, fatigue, and illness along the way. By the time they reached Black Fire Pass, only eight out of ten soldiers remained fit for battle. The emperor's expected force of 25,000 from Reikland and Solland had dwindled to around 20,000.
Even with the reinforcements from Nuln, the total force barely reached 25,000. Combined with Averland's troops, the emperor knew that these 40,000 soldiers were all he had to face the greenskin horde.
---
The construction of defenses, placement of artillery, and deployment of troops were all underway in a flurry of activity. Meanwhile, Balthasar Gelt, the Supreme Patriarch of the Imperial Colleges of Magic, Grand Alchemist, and Metal Wizard, approached Frederik, who was busy coordinating Nuln's forces and setting up artillery positions. Gelt's metallic mask hid his expression, and his voice, tinged with a metallic rasp, was devoid of emotion. "Fred? Do you have a moment?"
"Mentor?" Frederik was puzzled. Gelt rarely spoke to him in this tone. The baron sensed trouble and quickly nodded. "Yes, I do."
"Then come with me." Gelt turned and walked away. Frederik gave a few quick orders and followed.
The master and apprentice walked several hundred meters to a relatively secluded spot. In the distance, the green wheat fields, the turning windmills, and the farmers anxiously tending to their spring planting formed a picturesque scene unique to Averland.
"Fred? What exactly are you doing?" Gelt turned and immediately launched into a stern rebuke, his metallic voice carrying a tone of criticism. "Do you realize what you've done?"
"What am I doing? I'm preparing the artillery positions," Frederik replied, confused by his mentor's question.
"Yes, you rushed here with your troops. You even had time to return to Nuln, berate the nobles who refused to send troops, and mobilize the transportation resources of Wissenland and Nuln to bring five regiments to the front." Gelt nodded, his tone serious. "Do you realize the problem?"
"The problem?" Frederik was stunned for a moment. The young baron was at a loss, his face blank. After an awkward silence, he tentatively asked, "Mentor, are you saying it was wrong for me to come to support? But…"
"First, tell me what happened with the Sun King and the Countess," Gelt said, nodding and then shaking his head. "Start from the beginning, and be detailed."
"About a day after the news reached Altdorf, my father received word of a massive greenskin Waaagh! approaching Black Fire Pass," Frederik explained, still unsure why his metallic-faced mentor was so agitated. But seeing Gelt's seriousness, the young baron didn't dare to be careless.
Upon receiving the news, Emmanuelle's first reaction was actually to avoid mobilizing Nuln's forces.
The reasons were simple. First, during Tamurkhan's invasion, the emperor's forces had failed to support Nuln in time. Emmanuelle was worried that if the Imperial army couldn't hold Black Fire Pass (as had happened during the invasions of Gorbad Ironclaw and Grom the Paunch), Nuln's forces would at least need to ensure the safety of their own city.
Second, Emmanuelle still harbored resentment over the "slut" incident, compounded by the long-standing feud between Nuln and Averland. As someone with little military expertise, Emmanuelle had little interest in sending troops.
However, Leon disagreed. The Sun King scolded his wife, arguing that this was no time for such pettiness. If the greenskins broke through into the Empire's vast plains, even the destruction of Averland alone would be a catastrophic blow to the Empire. Nuln could not afford to stand aside.
After being reprimanded by Leon, Emmanuelle reluctantly agreed to send troops. Originally, Grand Marshal Aldebrand Ludenhof was supposed to lead the expedition, but Frederik volunteered to go instead.
Of course, the baron only mentioned his concern for his godfather and the Empire, emphasizing the dream of building a shared human destiny. He conveniently left out his desire to impress the Everqueen.
After listening, Gelt shook his head in disappointment. "Fred, do you know that Solland's forces encountered Nuln's regiments on the way? The people of Nuln are grumbling about your decision. They're complaining, 'We're a free and independent city, so why are we being treated like the emperor's dogs? If this is the case, shouldn't we have stopped our baron from becoming the emperor's godson in the first place, to avoid raising a loyal hound?'"
"'Why are we in such a hurry to be the emperor's dogs? Why drag us Nulners into this?'"
The young baron was shocked, and cold sweat broke out on his back.
Damn it, I was so eager to impress my parents and the Everqueen that I made such a huge mistake!
Seeing Frederik's pale face, Gelt's tone softened slightly. The metallic voice continued, "It was right for you to rush troops to the front, and it was right for you to come here personally. But you shouldn't have scolded the nobles who refused to send troops, and you definitely shouldn't have immediately handed over all command authority upon arrival! You've been too submissive. You're losing your base of support. You're losing the backing of the people of Nuln. Remember, you are the Countess's first heir, the future Duke of Nuln, Elector Count, and Grand Duke of Wissenland, with a dozen titles to inherit!"
"I just… I just wanted to prove myself," Frederik said weakly, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He finally realized the gravity of his mistake.
---
"Did something happen to you?" Gelt reluctantly accepted this explanation, his metallic mask tilting slightly. "You've received over a decade of court education under the Countess and the emperor, and you've studied under Nuln's military and Meinhardt the Great Engineer. There's no reason for you to handle things this way. Didn't His Majesty Leon and the Countess advise you?"
"Uh…" Frederik suddenly remembered that his parents had indeed pulled him aside before he left, but at the time, his mind had been preoccupied with impressing the Everqueen, and he hadn't paid much attention.
Is this the power of the Everqueen? The baron finally began to see things more clearly.
"Then… what should I do now, Mentor?" Frederik humbly sought Gelt's advice. "How can I…"
"You've already brought your troops here. It's too late to do anything now," Gelt shook his head. "Any further action would only disrupt the upcoming battle. Just focus on performing well. It's too late to change anything."
"Ugh… I'm sorry, Uncle Gelt. I let my emotions get the better of me. How is the Everqueen so captivating?" Frederikfrustratedly grabbed his golden hair, like his mother's, shimmering in the light.
"The Everqueen is the first chosen of the elven goddess Isha. She inherits the power of all previous Everqueens. It's not hard to understand," Gelt said, shaking his head. "Fred, fortunately, you're still young."
"I'm still young?" Frederik muttered to himself.
"Youth is an excuse. You're only 17. Being young means you're impulsive. Being young means you'll make mistakes. This time, people will still tolerate you—a 17-year-old minor. We all understand. As the ancient proverb says: Humans are, after all, too young, too simple, sometimes too naive." Gelt's metallic voice carried a strange cadence as he nodded. "Next time, don't make such a foolish mistake. If you lose the emperor's trust, you'll still be the Duke of Nuln and Elector Count. But if you lose the support of your nobles and people, no matter how strong you are, you'll be exiled."
"Understood," Frederik finally let out a long breath.
The master and apprentice fell silent for a while. After thinking for a long time, Frederik tentatively asked, "So, Mentor, you support me, right?"
"You're his son, His grandson. If I don't support you, who else can I support?"
"Mentor!"
"Go. Fight well in this battle. The future is yours."
---
Three days later, before Black Fire Pass.
The Imperial army had assembled, with dozens of regiments ready for battle.
The left flank consisted of the Nuln Ironclads, Nuln Black Guards, three Nuln handgunner regiments, two Nuln artillery regiments, and Gelt's Solland forces. Solland's troops were primarily infantry, crossbowmen, and pistoliers. Due to the forced march, they had brought only a few mortars, but the famous Eldrad Guard stood ready.
The center was Emperor Karl-Franz's Reikland army, including several knightly orders, the Carroburg Greatswords, the Brunswick Honor Guard, the Franz Guard Corps, and numerous Imperial infantry regiments. Three steam tanks, dozens of artillery pieces, and a host of wizards and engineers were also prepared.
The right flank was the Averland army, led by Elector Count Marius Leitdorf, who had volunteered to defend this side, believing that the right side always brought good luck.
The greenskin horde was approaching.
On the other side of Black Fire Pass, massive clouds of black smoke and dust rose into the air. The thunderous footsteps, roars, and the unmistakable stench of greenskins filled the atmosphere.
Though the battle was imminent, these Imperial soldiers were veterans who had seen it all—greenskins, Chaos, undead, Beastmen, bandits, and even human civil wars. Under the stern commands of their captains, the reminders of seasoned veterans, and their ingrained training, everyone fell into formation.
Emperor Karl-Franz stepped forward, his stride firm and his expression calm.
All eyes were on him.
As the crowd watched, Karl-Franz emerged, clad in the emperor's mithril full plate armor, a griffon-crested helmet with colorful plumes on his head, the Silver Seal of office hanging from his chest, the Runefang "Dragonfang" at his waist, and the legendary warhammer Ghal Maraz in his hand.
"I am Karl-Franz, your emperor!" As everyone expected, the emperor delivered a pre-battle speech. "Born into the same world as you!"
The only response was the sound of heavy breathing.
"A world of war, darkness, and terror!" Karl-Franz didn't shy away from the truth. "But at the heart of the Old World, there was once a hero who built a bastion of hope and courage!"
"That is the Empire!"
The breathing grew heavier.
The Empire! The Empire! Yes, the Empire!
"The Empire stands at the heart of the Old World, holding back the tides of destruction and terror," the emperor raised the symbol of the emperor, Ghal Maraz glowing in his hand.
"The Empire! The Empire! The Empire!" Some began to shout.
"The Empire! The Empire! The Empire!" Others murmured.
"We were once divided. We were once in decline. We were once on the brink of collapse. We faced cowardly generals, corrupt nobles, and a weak nation. We failed, time and time again!" Karl-Franz addressed the crowd. "But we never truly fell. We rose again, stronger than ever!"
"Thud! Thud! Thud!" The soldiers pounded the ground, their shields, and their armor.
"Now, let us stand together, and let our enemies taste the might of the Empire!" The emperor clenched his fist, a fierce smile on his face. "Let us crush these greenskin scum!"
The warhammer rose high, and just as it had over two thousand years ago, the heirs of Sigmar would stand against the green tide of destruction, just as the first emperor had done.
"For Sigmar, for the Empire, for Ghal Maraz!"
"I swear by the name of the emperor, I will lead you to victory!"
Before the emperor's speech could fade, the greenskin war horns sounded in the distance.
The Third Battle of Black Fire Pass had begun.
______
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