Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 135 Assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, now 51, had only one thought in mind as he reviewed the Austro-Hungarian troops stationed on the outskirts of Sarajevo.

This is a slow, backward, and closed-off army.

Although it looks huge, it is actually more accurate to say that it is bloated and bulky.

It's not just about being behind in weaponry and tactical thinking.

Even more fatal was that this multi-ethnic army did not have a single language commonly used within the military.

In some units, there have even been instances where soldiers couldn't understand the orders given by officers from Vienna.
Archduke Ferdinand considered this army to be almost utterly incapable of fighting.

In just a few years, the Serbian army will surpass the Austro-Hungarian Empire, this stumbling giant, in terms of combat power.

He also believed that the Serbs had been itching to make a move for some time.

The destruction of a 'Black Hand' branch in Bosnia a few months ago already demonstrates that the Serbs are constantly trying to infiltrate the Austro-Hungarian Empire and then exploit nationalist tensions to incite radical actions by the Serbs within the empire.

This is something that certain people within the Kingdom of Serbia have been pushing for all these years.

Even though he overruled opposition and restored trade between Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Serbia, offering them extremely favorable loans.
However, Serbia's hostility toward Austria-Hungary did not diminish in the slightest.

Thinking of this, the Archduke couldn't help but recall the conflict he had with the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Franz Konrad von Herzendorf, before he left Vienna.
"We must strike first, Your Highness!"

Conrad was in his office at the time, waving his arms excitedly.

"Serbia is a ticking time bomb that keeps expanding. If we don't deal with it now before it becomes too powerful, it will blow up the entire empire once it fully expands!"

"Conrad, can't you talk about anything other than war?"

Archduke Ferdinand was simply rubbing his temples wearily; he had always been among the most opposed to war within the empire.

"Waging war against neighboring countries will only exacerbate loyalty problems within our multi-ethnic empire!"

"Conrad, have you considered what the soldiers of other ethnicities within the Empire will think if we go to war with the neighboring countries? Will they charge for His Majesty the Emperor, or will they turn their guns on him?"

Even so, Conrad firmly believed that Serbia would one day surpass the Empire in military prowess.

The empire will then face annihilation!
Therefore, he advocated waging a 'preventive war'—that is, taking military action in advance to prevent such an attack should a military threat from the Kingdom of Serbia be encountered.

This war forced Austria-Hungary to proactively resolve the issues of Serbia and the entire Balkan Peninsula once and for all.

The fall of the Lucia Empire presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Without the support of the Lucian Empire, even if the Gauls or Britannia wanted to intervene in Balkan affairs, they would be powerless to do so.

When the two parted on bad terms, and Conrad left in anger, the Grand Duke couldn't help but sigh.

His relationship with the Imperial Army Chief of Staff was not as fraught with conflict as it is now.

The other party was able to become the Chief of the General Staff of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1906 precisely because of his recommendation and support.

And it was he who helped this 'warmonger' get reinstated in 1912 after he was dismissed from his post for being too belligerent.
During this period, both Archduke Ferdinand and Conrad considered themselves parallel forces propelling the empire forward, with the Archduke also being a significant driving force behind Conrad's attempts at internal military reforms.
However, their increasingly prominent political differences gradually deteriorated their relationship.

Conrad was a well-known hawk, a fact that was no secret throughout the empire and even the Balkans.

He consistently advocated for a military solution to the problems in Serbia and the Balkans, a view that Archduke Franz Ferdinand opposed.

The Grand Duke himself had been trying to bring the Bosnians into the center of power after he presided over the peaceful annexation of Bosnia.

This was intended to transform the Austro-Hungarian Empire into a 'tripartite empire' and eventually into a federal system.
However, this idea not only contradicted Conrad's ideas, but also met with opposition from other forces within the empire—especially those in Budapest.

The annexation of Bosnia also fueled the deep hatred of the Serbs.
Seeing her husband sigh with a worried expression, Grand Duchess Sophia, standing beside him, gently tugged at his sleeve.

"Frantz, don't do that, the soldiers are watching you," she whispered in his ear.

His wife Sofia's gentle voice rang in his ears, pulling Ferdinand back from his chaotic thoughts.

He saw his wife give him a look, indicating that he shouldn't show such a worried expression in front of the soldiers being reviewed.

Seeing his wife's concerned gaze, the Grand Duke finally smiled.

His wife, who came from a Bohemian count family, was always on the margins of the Viennese court because she did not meet the standards for marriage to the Austro-Hungarian imperial family, and was even unable to attend most official events with him.

But she is a woman of sense and insight, who always gives herself reminders and advice at crucial moments.

This is why I insisted on marrying her despite the enormous pressure I faced back then.

Being invited to Sarajevo to inspect the troops is a rare opportunity for the couple to appear together in public.

Ferdinand composed himself, regaining the dignity befitting a crown prince.

After the review ceremony concluded, Bosnian Governor-General Oscar Bodiorek approached him with a broad smile.

"Your Highness, the citizens have been waiting for a long time in the City Hall Square. They all want to catch a glimpse of you and your wife." The Grand Duke's eardrums were permanently damaged from years of hunting, making him a beat slower to react.

The governor called him several times before he came to his senses.

"General Bodiorek, I have said before that choosing June 28th is not a suitable time."

The Grand Duke's tone was somewhat dissatisfied.

"You know what day it is today. This will provoke great anger among the Serbs."

"Your Highness, please rest assured!"

Governor Bodiorec patted his chest and assured him:
"With the 'Black Hand' completely eradicated from Bosnia, I assure you that Sarajevo is now safer than Vienna!"

Hearing this assurance from the other party, the Grand Duke said no more.

After nodding, he and his wife got into the convertible.

The motorcade slowly drove into the city, and the roadsides were crowded with citizens who came to welcome them, waving flags and cheering loudly.

In that instant, the Grand Duke could feel the warmth and welcome of the Sarajevo residents for his arrival.

Perhaps my idea of ​​transforming the empire into a federation is not impossible to realize?

As the Archduke smiled and greeted the crowd, a royal magic guard of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, sitting in the passenger seat of the car, was incredibly nervous.

Like the Saxon Empire, spellcasters were extremely scarce in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

However, unlike the Saxon Empire, they did not treat spellcasters as researchers, but instead, like Brittany and Gaul, trained them as combat personnel.

The Royal Spellguard is a guard force composed of spellcasters of the 3rd to 4th rank, specifically designed to protect members of the royal family.

Although he had cast a [4th Ring Spell - Stone Skin] on the Grand Duke before setting off, giving him a high level of resistance to physical damage.

But for some reason, looking at the enthusiastic crowd around him, he felt that the environment was really terrible.

"This is too open; it's too easy for something to go wrong."

The magic guard couldn't help but think this to himself, then turned around and glanced at his companions in the carriage behind.

The Grand Duke was accompanied by two Royal Magic Guards on this trip. One sat in the passenger seat of the Grand Duke's carriage, while the other waited in the vehicle behind.

When the convoy arrived at Joseph Franz Boulevard, the Royal Spell Guard, who had received long-term guard training in addition to his studies in magic, suddenly noticed something unusual in the crowd.

He was an ordinary-looking man who appeared to be cheering along with the crowd.
But the rapidly moving mouth made the magic guard realize—the other party seemed to be casting a spell!

"Your Highness, please do not resist my spell!"

The Spellguard practically roared those words amidst the commotion.

His magical power began to surge, preparing to cast a [3rd Ring Spell - Protective Energy] on the Grand Duke.

At the same time, he subconsciously raised his clenched right fist as a warning signal to the car behind him.

All the magic guards' attention was focused on the suspicious man.

But in that instant, he saw the man suddenly smile at him, then raise his hand and quickly perform a standard spell gesture.

The next moment, the Spell Guardian felt the magic he was channeling suddenly go out of control, and the [Protective Energy] spell that was about to take shape instantly collapsed and dissipated into the air.

"Oh no, it's a counterspell!"

The magic guard's heart sank; he immediately realized he had been tricked.

The opponent wasn't preparing any offensive spells at all!
Instead, it waits for itself to cast a spell, then precisely interrupts itself with a [Spell Counter]!

This discovery sent chills down his spine. It meant that the other party was not only a spellcaster, but also a spellcaster with extremely rich combat experience and extremely strong mental fortitude!
"Warning! Assassin!"

He yelled as he tried to draw the pistol from his waist.

His companion in the car behind had also jumped out and was running towards them as fast as he could.

However, it was too late.

After successfully countering the magic guards, the man raised his hand again without pausing.

This time, his target was Archduke Ferdinand, who was sitting in the back seat.

An invisible magical light flashed on the Grand Duke, and the spellcaster could clearly feel that the effect of the [Stone Skin] spell he had cast on the Grand Duke earlier had instantly disappeared.

(End of this chapter)