Swiss Arms

Swiss Arms

Chapter 114

-VB-

Hans von Fluelaberg

Isabella and I, once she woke up at a good time during the day the day after her labor, chose to name our son after both of our fathers.

Louis Albert von Fluelaberg, the heir to the Barony of Fluelaberg.

I wondered if this was how long ass noble names started. That's already eight syllables!

It's been a week since then, and the jubilant mood still infected everyone in the town and beyond. I've received congratulations and gifts from John in Toggenburg and Prince-Bishop Gion as well as from non-Compact neighbors like the Lord Mayor of Lindau and, to my surprise, the Count of Werdenberg.

Count Hartmann of Werdenberg sent his congratulations, a big gift, and also a letter. In it, he requested his admission into the Compact. That wasn't something I could just decide on my own, so I sent off letters to all members of the Compact with a request to have a reply sent within thirty days of receiving the letter. The reason why I was so readily accepted his offer was simple.

From what I knew about the man (rumors, spies, and the like), he was stuck between the County of Montfort (which would become County of Breganz in the future and a vassal of the Austrian Habsburgs) and us, the Compact. Werdenberg was sandwiched in between two stronger nations that had fought its previous lord without a satisfying conclusion for anyone.

In a normal situation, this meant future wars.

But Hartmann didn't want wars. He knew he was weaker. Knew he would get overwhelmed. So he was suing for peace early, essentially.

But more than that (from his letter), he was trying to join the Compact not only for protection but also because he saw how he and his fief could prosper by joining the Compact.

I also didn't have any issue with Werdenberg and Hartmann, despite what my peers might think. Yeah, sure, I fought his dad, but his dad also sued for peace pretty quickly instead of needlessly dragging out the war. Unlike John's father.

With the Compact becoming more and more like a proper confederation with each passing year, securing our immediate neighbors was a necessary action. It would be horrible if someone like the Habsburgs getting a foothold right next to us should a war break out between us. Unlikely for now, yes, but there was no such thing as "never" in international politics. I mean, they already had their "in" with John, not that John was particularly loyal to them anyway, despite the Habsburg emperor being his distant uncle.

Or rather because the Habsburgs were too distant that he didn't feel loyalty. Not like they helped his father when I came rolling around, right?

Now, while all of this internationally-minded political considerations were good and all for my new family's future and the future of the Compact, I had something far more pressing and immediate issue at hand.

My plan worked way too well. While the Bavarian countryside was mostly unaffected and thus the majority of the people that Duke Louis could call up as levies, his towns and cities were another story altogether. Towns and cities depended much more on trade and commerce to make their ends meet, and the disruption caused by the suddenly untrustworthy coins led to wildly fluctuating prices, speculation, and enforcement.

I learned just a few days ago that Duke Louis finally got off of his laurels to address the issue.

And to my surprise, he chose to use violence.

His edict was, in a word, suppression. Anyone suspected to be using the new coin will be punished. Anyone suspected to have made the coin will be punished. Anyone speak out against him regarding his handling will be punished.

… Was the future emperor that oppressive? I didn't think that before but I also wasn't so sure of it anymore.

And did I even want someone like that as an emperor? I might not be a prince-elector, but surely, I could lobby to some of them with enough money to sway a few votes?

Or keep the current emperor alive as long as possible so Louis continued to gain infamy and have a hard time becoming the emperor?

… I think the last option was the easier (and cheaper) out of the two.

So why was this an immediate issue?

Because people were leaving Munich and all of the major cities and town of the Duchy of Upper Bavaria. While this wasn't affecting me directly, I now had Henry - the Duke Henry and not Farmer Henry over in Davos - asking me for aid because he just got a huge influx of refugees. Ȓάn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Tell him I'll send over food, money, and soldiers," I told Henry's messenger. "I'll also ask the Council of the Compact to send our neighboring friend additional aid on top of mine."

The messenger gave me a deep bow before moving to retreat out of the hall.

I raised my hand up and he stopped.

I brought out a letter that I had prepared for this eventuality. "Give the good duke my letter. He will welcome it."

The messenger took it and bowed again.

After he left, I let out a sigh.

It was time to move on the Duchy of Upper Bavaria soon.

Had this been in modernity, then our coalition would not have the excuse to do this because of overwhelming idea of sovereignty's independence. However, in this day and age, we could move to "secure our borders and stability" since it was now affecting us.

Hell, I half expected the emperor to move in as soon as we did.

That was the plan, after all.

With Louis acting erratically, we now had an excuse to bring him down and put up a more dignified noble who didn't filch off of his people and break the noblesse oblige: his "exiled" brother, Rudolf, who has been a guest in my barony for almost two years now.

Habsburgs would get to see one of their rivals broken. Henry would have a safer northern border and also see one of his rivals broken. Memmingen would get revenge for … something.

And me?

I would get my own revenge for all of the shit Louis caused.

-VB-

A/N: for reference, the Compact is now about the same size as the County of Tyrol (one of three titles Henry holds), and much more productive than both his county and duchy put together.