She changed Europe

Page 121

"Is she French?" Because of the close proximity, Goben could clearly see the woman carrying the battle flag, which seemed to have an iris pattern on it.

But this is a battlefield, and the other side is our enemy. Nothing else matters right now.

Thinking of all this, Goben slowly stood up, gripped his fully charged magic sword, and thrust it toward Jeanne's back. The moment Jeanne realized the danger and opened her shield, she leaned forward slightly and raised her flag spear in a backhand motion. Goben's attack followed the trajectory of the flag spear, creating sparks as the metal collided.

In a split second, the two switched positions beautifully, and neither attack was able to break through the other's shield.

"Hmph! These German barbarians only know how to ambush; you're just as despicable as your ancestors who raided the forests." Jeanne frowned slightly, displaying extreme disdain. (Alter Jeanne is referring to the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, a historical allusion; those unfamiliar with it can look it up online.)

"And what makes you Gauls any better?" Goben retorted coldly to Jeanne's equally unfriendly tone. In fact, Jeanne Alter's sharp tongue and cruelty were her true stance against enemies; as for the side that was constantly bullied by Gisela, it was clearly the difference between a wolf and a husky.

The two raised their weapons, and a battle was about to break out. However, this time, the difference was that the battle between the magic users had moved to the ground.

Logically, since the fox had given prior instructions not to kill Goben, Jeanne shouldn't have used her prized Crimson Lotus right away. However, sometimes plans don't go as expected, and Jeanne was also dissatisfied with the sneak attack. So she decided to teach this lady a lesson she would never forget. She took a deep breath to calm herself and then softly recited:

"Praise be to the gods, and honor my lord." Jeanne murmured the prayer, planted her battle banner heavily in the ground, and then raised her black-inscribed sword.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 452 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 71 Jeanne VS Goben (Vote Requested)

"Praise be to the gods, venerate my lord." Jeanne murmured the prayer, planting her battle banner heavily into the ground before raising her black-inscribed sword. A dark light emanated from Jeanne's palm, quickly spreading across the entire blade. Although she didn't believe in gods and even despised those empty prayers, she had benefited throughout her life from the so-called divine blessings and the miracles left by her ancestors.

She was conflicted, but she was also rational. In any case, fate ultimately allowed her to inherit the grace and mission of the saintess. It's just that this time, the saintess changed from saving a group of people to saving a few people.

As for the path to salvation in this world, it may have already been presented to her, but she still felt some resistance to it.

“That familiar chanting… you really are the saintess of the French Kingdom.” Goben gripped the hilt of his sword, his expression one of utter disdain.

The person in question may not care, but after this saint, the noble Jeanne de Darc has betrayed her country without hesitation and sold her soul, at least in the eyes of ordinary French people.

Because of her bad reputation, even Goeben, who was in Prussia, had heard of this saint's descendants.

"I don't care what they think of me in France; I do what I'm doing just out of interest." Jeanne will not reveal any vulnerability or hesitation to this enemy; the battlefield has taught her the truth to crush him without hesitation.

"I hope your strength matches your arrogance." Goben took the lead, pushing off the ground and launching an attack on Jeanne with his weapon. She couldn't let her opponent finish the chanting and then suffer the consequences herself; she had to do things in advance.

"Hmph! You meddlesome ant like you, shut up!" Jeanne knew that the other party would not let her have her way, so she adjusted her breathing, raised the hilt of her sword, and slashed straight ahead.

At this moment, a black aura swept over, and Goben instinctively raised the magic sword in his right hand to block the sword energy materialized by Jeanne. Then, he spun around and flashed in front of Jeanne. Almost instantly, Jeanne activated her magic shield and retreated in sync.

"Don't think that you can do whatever you want just because you believe in gods." Goben's sword tip quickly struck Jeanne's magic shield, making a crisp sound. As she concentrated her power, she aimed her magic cannon at Jeanne's body.

"Justice will prevail!" Goben roared at Jeanne after taking a deep breath. The magic cannon fired, a blinding white light flashing, and the immense impact shoved Jeanne, who was shielded, away, sending her crashing into several massive tree trunks before finally coming to a stop. A huge explosion followed, and a miniature mushroom cloud rose, clearly visible even to Gisela, who was watching from afar.

By compressing and releasing magical energy, this magical cannon is several times more powerful than a normal attack. However, the cost is damage to the muzzle caused by overheating. But as long as it can seriously injure the opponent, Goben's attack will not be a waste.

Gazing at the burning area in the distance, Goben gripped her weapon and walked step by step toward the direction of the explosion. As she passed by, she pulled up the battle flag that Jeanne had planted in the ground and picked it up as well.

From the crater created by the explosion, Jeanne slowly and somewhat disheveled climbed up. The attack had put a severe strain on her magical shield, forcing her to support herself with the hilt of her sword. She then wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with her right hand.

“Without the protection of this thing, what difference is there between you and those ordinary French magicians?” Goben planted Jeanne’s battle flag upside down in the ground, stepped on it, and then deliberately let the white and blue iris patterns get stained by the soil, while continuing to verbally provoke Jeanne.

"Hmph! The difference? Compared to soulless loyalty to the country or to any particular person, I feel that my life is clearly more meaningful now." Jeanne slowly stood up.

“You are loyal to Prussia, and I now appear to be loyal to Austria, but that is merely the result of my loyalty to myself.” Jeanne raised her head and gazed at Goben with her golden eyes.

"Why do you think I planted the battle flag there waiting for you to take it? Look at your feet, you foolish Prussian." Jeanne's lips curled up slightly, her previous disheveled state seeming as if it were intentional.

Just as Jeanne said, when Goben looked down, countless flames seemed to be dancing and swirling around the flag.

“Miss, please, please don’t forget my true title.” Jeanne slowly raised her sword hilt, then slammed the tip heavily into the ground. A burst of fire quickly burrowed into the soil and then converged towards the battle banner.

These flames are the embodiment of magical energy, which in itself demonstrates the user's immense power. Throughout Europe, there are only a handful of magical users who can do this, and the most famous one in France is Jeanne, who is standing before us!

Realizing the danger, Gobe instinctively released his grip and stepped back.

"Too slow." Jeanne's cold words reached Goben's ears like a real judgment.

"Roar! My wrath!" A massive wall of fire spread out from the flag, quickly engulfing Goben. At the same time, a beam of light descended from the sky like an apocalypse. The attack was so shocking and dazzling that even Gisela, who was watching silently from afar, was taken aback.

Compared to Jeanne three years ago, Jeanne's control over Crimson Lotus has improved far too much. It's impossible for Jeanne Alter not to have improved. Even though she was usually bullied by me, it seems that she might only be intimidated by Su Beiming's lingering power and have a habitual fear of me. Otherwise, I might not have been able to control her.

As is well known in the game, Gisela is also a hairy monster, and it is common knowledge that hairy people are weak to fire, so Jeanne should theoretically restrain herself.

Back to the present moment, the fiery sky and burning ground were intertwined, and even the Austrian soldiers, several kilometers away, could clearly see it all.

The attack didn't last long. Jeanne's move was powerful, but it also consumed a lot of magic energy. In a sense, it was similar to the Red Mage's Explosion Magic.

Then, exhausted from her magic power, she knelt on the ground. Just as she was about to fall, Gisela appeared at the perfect moment, put his arm around Jeanne's waist from behind, and helped her up.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 453 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Captain 72 Achieves a Great Victory (Vote Requested)

"You're enjoying watching the show from the sidelines, aren't you? To be honest, this is a trick I'm using to deal with you later." Jeanne's voice was somewhat ethereal, and her tone clearly showed exhaustion, but the content of her speech still maintained her usual style.

"You..." Gisela was momentarily at a loss for words in response to Jeanne's words. After all, she had warned Jeanne not to harm Miss Goben, and he not only disobeyed but also recklessly used his full power. Yet, it wasn't exactly what angered her; after all, this was a battlefield, and such actions were understandable in order to defeat the enemy.

"What's wrong? Are you scared?" Jeanne raised an eyebrow, feeling even a little proud. Her face seemed to say, "Aren't I strong? Praise me!"

"No! I just feel sorry for you having worked so hard."

"?" Jeanne was taken aback when she actually heard the fox praise her. Her pale cheeks flushed slightly, and to hide her embarrassment, she reached out and wrapped her arms around Gisela's neck, resting her head on Gisela's shoulder. Deliberately avoiding looking at Gisela's expression, she whispered:

"Hmph! Who needs your praise? Just wash your neck and wait for me to kill you. I'm going to return to Paris with Richelieu as heroes!" At this moment, Black Jeanne muttered softly, as docile as a kitten, which made Gisela feel inexplicably itchy.

Who says tsundere has disappeared? The essence of tsundere has never been the arrogant part, but the cute part. It is the pursuit of that extreme contrast!

"Really? Then I'm always welcome." Perhaps because of the excellent surprise attack today, Gisela's mood inexplicably improved, and she readily agreed to Jeanne's offer!

"Hmm? Why aren't you rebelling..." Jeanne was a little confused by the fox's unusual behavior. After all, when the silver-haired fox was around, he was always unforgiving and afraid that she would disobey him. He also had a very strong desire for control. But today he was acting unusually.

Perhaps to cover up her embarrassment, Jeanne bit down hard on Gisela's exposed neck with her pearly white teeth! Keep in mind that without activating her magic shield, her neck was unprotected.

"Tsk!" A sharp pain shot through her neck, and Gisela frowned, releasing Jeanne and letting her fall to the ground with a thud...

Just then, the five magic users in the sky, led by Gisela's cousin, gathered around them and soon landed beside her.

"Report the results." Gisela covered her neck, as if nothing had happened, and turned to Lana and the others with a serious expression, asking them questions.

"It is now confirmed that the Prussian army facing the Rabe River has completely retreated. Our light cavalry has followed up and is monitoring their movements closely, but based on our aerial reconnaissance and assessment of their movements, most of the Prussian First Army Corps has retreated northeast. It is likely that they have joined up with the Second Army Corps, as reported in the intelligence." Although for the time being, we are not in a predicament of being attacked from both sides by the Prussian pincer movement, given the current situation, we will soon need to rely on 100,000 men to face an attack from nearly 200,000 Prussian troops on the northern side of the defensive line.

Leaving aside the issue of magic users, the direct confrontation between the two sides' land forces is what Gisela is most uncertain about right now. After all, despite its large size and numerous troops, Austria's combat effectiveness is truly worrying. Whether it was its performance in the Austro-Prussian War or in World War I, Austria was unable to achieve significant results against the Russian army, and most of the time it needed the German army to provide strategic assistance by diverting troops. Of course, this is a systemic problem, and Gisela has tried various methods to change it, but she still feels somewhat uncertain in the face of this "big test".

"Take the seriously injured Miss Goben back to the camp first. As for the other Moltke, that's fine. We can't linger here for too long. The north needs us to return to defend it quickly. Bella's legion can't hold out for long without the protection of a magic user." Even with advanced technology like machine guns, Gisela knew that if the Prussians launched an attack like the one she had today, the consequences would be unimaginable.

At this point, Gisela turned her gaze to the blonde woman lying motionless on the ground. Goben was clearly unconscious, and whether he was in mortal danger was another matter. It could only be said that the attack was too harsh, after all, Goben had saved her life, and an apology would be inevitable afterward.

"By the way, let our technicians study her magic cannons." Gisela had developed a strong interest in this Prussian technology after witnessing its power far exceeding that of ordinary cannons.

"The application of magical energy compression is a blind spot for our empire." It is worth mentioning that the major European powers each have their own areas of expertise in the application of magical energy.

For example, the Austrian Empire excelled at innovating in the design of magical armor, whether it was specialized or mass-produced; France was adept at innovating in the types of magical weapons, resulting in a wide variety of weapons; Prussia excelled at enhancing the performance of magical armor, including its weaponry and techniques for improving armor performance within existing frameworks. The British focused more on the innovation of magical armor itself, such as equipping mass-produced magical armor with gliding systems, demonstrating forward-thinking research; as for Russia, they emphasized the research on the materials and airframes of magical armor, and of course, their primary concern was cost reduction, given that the Russian Empire had always prided itself on its sheer numbers, both in terms of army size and the number of magical warriors.

These are the parts they are most proud of, but it is precisely because the Russian Empire values ​​the training of magic users while neglecting the training and equipment innovation of lower-ranking soldiers that the Russian Empire's ordinary army has poor combat effectiveness, which are important reasons for the failure of the Crimean War.

"I am very satisfied with Your Highness's actions today," the black-haired loli mage from Transylvania said, nodding approvingly to Gisela. Her words were quickly echoed by the other Austrian mage wielders.

"So, Your Highness, where shall we go next?"

"That's it." As Gisela's hair turned golden again, her aura became much more approachable. It felt like using this power today was a bit of an overreaction, since Gisela had only fired one shot from beginning to end, and that was when she destroyed the Prussian army headquarters.

The Austrian sorcerers then left the area, while Julia, hiding in the ruins, could only helplessly huddle there, watching Goben being taken away. She regretted not having left Prussia with the princess.

PS1: Jeanne and Gisela suddenly became sweet together, but the scumbag fox will eventually crash and burn.

PS1: The weather has been really hot lately QAQ

Chapter 454 The Rebirth of the Double-Headed Eagle: Capter 73 Machine Gun! The God of War's Blessing, Yin Qi* Billion%4% Dad's Blessing

On the afternoon of the same day that Crown Prince Frederick's Prussian Second Army Corps learned of the First Army's setback, he sent the news back to Berlin, requesting the General Staff in Berlin to formulate a new operational plan based on the current situation. However, he disregarded the advice of the generals accompanying him and ordered the Prussian lightly armed troops to launch a surprise attack on the weak Austrian defenses in front of him.

Frederick's judgment was not difficult to understand. The reason he sent tens of thousands of vanguard troops to attack the Austrians without waiting for the General Staff's reply was mainly because he had received feedback from the First Legion about the size of the Austrians. The main force represented by the seven magic users was concentrated in the northwest, so the Austrian army in the north must not be too large. If they did not act at this time, they might lose an excellent opportunity.

His generals opposed the decision mainly because they believed that without flank support, even if they successfully broke through and penetrated deep into the heart of the Austrian Empire, they might still face the danger of being encircled.

But the opportunity was fleeting, and the crown prince did not want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Thus, this breakthrough operation was ultimately handed over to one of Frederick's confidants—Lieutenant General Heinrich, who had previously made "illustrious achievements" in controlling Charlottenburg Palace, arresting Bismarck, and purging fence-sitters in the army.

It comprised the Prussian 14th and 15th Divisions, as well as an additional brigade as its core, supported by four regiments of new magical armor (the same type previously used in Hanover), totaling approximately 32,000 men.

Because Frederick had ordered this lightly armed force to quickly break through the enemy's lines, it did not carry heavy artillery. Considering its own strengths, General Heinrich once again decided to launch an attack on the Austrians under cover of night.

The first phase of the Sudetenland campaign officially began on December 19, 1874. That night, taking advantage of the moonless night, the Prussian army prepared to launch an attack on the Austrians facing them.

At this moment, on the main attack direction of the 37th Company of the 15th Prussian Division, a middle-aged man named Ludendorff was holding his issued Mauser rifle with a solemn expression. Because the torches were extinguished, the surroundings were particularly dark, and there was no light except for the campfire lit by the Austrians on the distant hillside.

Just a month ago, he was a policeman in Berlin. Because he had served in the army in his early years, when the pre-war mobilization notice was issued, he naturally said goodbye to his comfortable life in Berlin, his wife and daughters, and responded to the country's needs to come to the front line.

His daughter, Eishi von Ludendorff, is eleven years old this year, and next year will be a pivotal year for their family. She will face two choices: first, due to her exceptional awakened magical abilities, she can enter a magical academy; second, she can attend the Berlin Army Junior School. The former would mean she becomes a distinguished magical warrior, while the latter would mean she becomes an elite member of the Prussian army. Regardless, this is a momentous event for the Ludendorff family, as Eishi is his and his wife's only child.

Thinking about all this only strengthened Ludendorff's resolve to win today, because only by defeating the enemy could he return to his homeland sooner and leave this cold, unfamiliar land.

At 1 a.m., countless flares emitting a blazing white light rose into the pitch-black night sky. Tens of thousands of Prussian soldiers, under the command of their officers and the sound of whistles, launched a swift attack on the Austrian defenders in skirmish lines.

Ludendorff was positioned towards the back, and as he looked at his comrades who were making good progress in the attack, he had never been as convinced of the correctness of his superior, General Heinrich's, judgment as he was today.

Under the overwhelming offensive of the Prussians, many Austrians who were peeking out from the hillside were quickly hit by the accurate marksmanship of the Prussian army, and then rolled out of their trenches and fell down the hillside.

At this moment, Gisela's new military deputy, General Bella, was standing on the hilltop observing the Prussian army's bold breakthrough on the mountainside and the unfavorable situation her own side was in. After calmly and briefly calculating the number of enemy troops, she issued the order to fire to the artillery units in the rear.

Soon, the Austrians' first wave of artillery fire landed on the Prussians at the foot of the mountain. Countless shells, carrying the dread of death, struck the ground and exploded, scattering shrapnel that turned countless enemy soldiers who were busy taking cover into a bloody mess.

Because of the skirmish line attack, even fragmentation shells had extremely limited lethality, and the Prussian attack remained strong. Strangely enough, the morale of the Prussians was even higher than before.

Ludendorff raised his rifle and, using the light from the flares in the sky, aimed it at an Austrian who was firing at his comrade. He was still very familiar with the way his instructor had taught him to use a gun, even after many years.

"Bang!" The crisp sound of the Mauser rifle rang out. The bullet spun out of the barrel, passed through several comrades, and struck the chest of the man in the white military uniform. Blood quickly seeped from the wound, staining his blouse crimson, and he soon fell to the ground motionless.

"Bring that out." General Bella, who had witnessed her troops being unilaterally slaughtered by the better-trained Prussian army from a distance, put down her binoculars, rubbed her brown hair, and spoke with a serious expression.

Bella's adjutant nodded, picked up a signal flare from the table, and raised his right hand, aiming it at the sky. With a crisp gunshot, a golden beam with a long tail rose into the sky, then burst into a dazzling display of light.

The Prussians stared in bewilderment at the Austrians' actions, and even the marching troops couldn't help but look up at the sky.

Upon receiving the order, the Austrian soldiers pushed out their barrel-shaped guns and aimed them at the attacking Prussians below.

"Feer!" The resounding command echoed from various positions within the Austrian defensive line.

When the Prussian soldiers, having recovered from the light in the sky, looked ahead again, they would witness a magnificent scene unlike anything they had ever seen before.

Countless bullets spread out like a dense grid, and within minutes hundreds upon hundreds of bullets flew towards them. The Prussian soldiers, who had been advancing with great momentum, were quickly mowed down by machine guns like wheat being harvested.

Ludendorff tripped over the bodies of his comrades and fell to the ground. In the area where he had just fallen, several of his comrades behind him were riddled with bullets and rolled down the hillside right in front of him.

PS1: Monday the Deadly

Chapter 455 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 74 Austria's Counterattack

This unprecedented super firepower has broken the world record for the highest number of bullets fired per minute in warfare history.

To achieve such firepower density, it must be said that the Austrian garrison had at least ten times the manpower of the Austrians. Even some junior officers felt an indescribable despair, but their instinct for obedience drove them to urge their soldiers forward.

Faced with the enemy's terrifying firepower, General Heinrich had no choice but to deploy his magic-armored troops to the battlefield, attempting to use them to forcefully break through the enemy's defenses. However, their plan was quickly thwarted.

The moment the Austrians opened fire with their machine guns, Bella ordered all of her magical armored units to flank the enemy from both sides and launch a surprise attack on their rear. Her original intention was to cut off the enemy's retreat and prepare for the complete annihilation of this enemy force. However, influenced by the darkness, she lost her way and accidentally stumbled into the Prussian magical armored units that were waiting in ambush. A melee ensued.

The Prussian army's highly mobile light magic armor, used for breakthroughs, did not have any advantage when facing the Austrians' traditional magic armor. On the contrary, they were in an awkward and passive position because they could not destroy the enemy while the enemy could easily destroy them.

The battlefield was in utter chaos, especially Heinrich's command, which was bewildered by the situation. Frontline soldiers were under mysterious, intense fire, while his reserves were being attacked by the Austrians. Caught in a difficult predicament, he dared not even issue a retreat order, fearing it would lead to an uncontrollable rout.

In contrast, at the Austrian headquarters, Bella marked several points of contact with the enemy and easily understood the general situation of the battlefield. She picked up her drawing tools and, in the sight of her adjutants, measured for a moment and drew several areas.

"Based on the current battlefield distribution, these are my predictions of several possible locations where the enemy command post might be located."

"How many mobile reserve units do we have left?"

“General, we have three hussar regiments in the east, and a mechanized magic ranger unit here.” Princess Gisela’s reason for naming it was extremely strange, but naming things doesn’t really matter, and no one complained about the princess’s taste.

"The hussars continue to scout northward, preparing to cut off the enemy's supply lines and paying attention to the movements of enemy reinforcements. The mechanized rangers in the south will launch a frontal breakthrough."

"My lord, our light magic armor is also lacking in protection."

"Don't worry, based on my observation just now, this enemy force lacks heavy firepower and means to counter magic-armored units." Bella appeared extremely calm. As a general, she tried to pay attention to every detail of the battlefield and make the most of every opportunity to win the war.

The soldiers prepared for the new battle. After Bella completed her deployment, she walked out of the tent with her head held high. At this time, dozens of magical armors were ready and stood on both sides of Bella like warriors.

"My lord, we request permission to launch an attack," said a female mage officer standing at the front.

“No problem, that’s exactly what I was thinking.” With that, Bella raised her right hand with a slight smile and pointed to a double-headed eagle battle flag fluttering in the distance.

“Take it, take the supreme glory of the royal family, and drive the Prussian wolves out of our country.” Bella’s tone was calm, but her expression was exceptionally serious.

"Soldiers, the glory of the Habsburgs for six hundred years is watching, the spirits of Prince Eugen and Archduke Karl are watching, take up your weapons! The Empire may be vast, but we have nowhere to retreat. Prague is behind us!" Bella drew his sword and raised it above his head, and deafening cheers erupted from the Imperial army.

Amidst the flashes of bullets and the explosions of artillery shells, the Austrians' counterattack began.