Chapter 221: Setting a Trap (1/2)
While the Brigand Act was ongoing in the southern counties of Austria, Berengar began to make a move against the rebellious Counts and their villainous vassals. At the moment, Liutbert was sitting on the seat of his power in Innsbruck, reading a letter. The letter was addressed to him by his devious little sister, who just so happened to be the lover of Count Berengar.
The contents of the letters were a villainous plot devised to eliminate the potential enemies of Berengar while securing the legitimacy needed to ascend to the position of Duke. Liutbert held a unique position in the feudal hierarchy of Austria; with the main Habsburg line destroyed, he was the closest living male heir to the title of Duke. As such, he presented a unique obstacle in Berengar's rise to power.
Liutbert was deathly afraid of Berengar; after all, he had witnessed the impeccable might of the man's army and knew he had no chance contending for the Ducal Throne. On top of that, he was pretty confident his sister would poison him if he dared to act rebelliously against the upstart from Kufstein. Thus he had taken a largely obedient position in regards to Berengar and his rule over Tyrol.
The hope was that the man could gain some benefits for himself and his family by being loyal. So far, it had proven to be a lucrative course of action with Innsbruck becoming the second industrial city of Tyrol; the wealth generated from such a massive business essentially went into his pocket. In contrast, the remainder was paid in tax to Berengar.
Not only that, but the man had been appointed as Chancellor, essentially making him the second ruler over the region, at least in theory. Most of his work was just being delegated tasks Berengar felt he was capable of performing competently. Considering all of these things, Liutbert let out a large sigh before voicing his concerns aloud.
”This is going to be exceptionally difficult to pull off.”
After reading his sister's letter, he lit it aflame by using a candle; after doing so, he blew the candle out before getting to work on the task he had been instructed with. Liutbert immediately began to write letters to the noblemen of Austria who were more likely to rebel against Berengar; this included the ones in Tyrol who were upset with Berengar's reforms.
The letters were a request for a meeting in Innsbruck to discuss the future of the realm. These letters contained sensitive information leaked to the Liutbert by his sister Linde to persuade the disgruntled noblemen to appear in the city.
The letter asserted Berengar was a murderer and a usurper who conspired to seize the Ducal Throne of Austria and that with Conrad's passing, Liutbert was the legitimate successor. For the other noblemen, especially the ones upset by Berengar's rapid rise to power and his political reforms, which limited their feudal powers, Liutbert was a far better alternative for the position of Duke.
After sending out the letters, Liutbert waited for the response, and within a matter of weeks, a date was settled for a meeting of the disgruntled noblemen, where they would arrive in Innsbruck. During this time, Berengar's armies successfully occupied the rebellious regions with his armies under the guise of the Brigand Act.
Thus preventing them from rising in rebellion, their only path forward to war would be gathering in Innsbruck and using the forces seemingly designated to the Chancellor's control to resist Berengar's Tyranny. In reality, these were just mercenaries that Liutbert had purchased with Berengar's backing. The actual Garrison of the region would never dare to fight against Berengar's rule as they had been thoroughly indoctrinated by the time they graduated from basic training.
As the weeks passed, the extraordinary meeting was held within Innsbruck, and Liutbert was sitting in his great hall surrounded by the lords and ladies who were naturally resilient to Berengar's ascension and the reforms that came with it. Most of the noblemen and women were of the older generation, as the young Lords and Ladies of Austria were more inclined to believe in Berengar's reforms.
An elderly Count who presided over the County of Kustenland was the first to voice his concerns. He was obese, bald, and had a puffy white beard. He instantly began to speak as he strutted around the great hall floor with a cane in his hand.
”If the news is accurate, and Conrad is dead, then that means that Berengar has already stationed his troops in our lands to prevent a rebellion! Such a devious plot could only be devised by such a low-born member of the nobility.
What is worse, he has seized control of the land on my coastal regions so that he may begin the construction of his shipyards! Does he seek to challenge the Venetians and Genoans at sea? Bah, he is merely asking for trouble.
It has become increasingly apparent that if we do not stand against Berengar now when his armies are stretched thin, then we will never have a chance to remove him from power! I do not know about all of you, but I refuse to go quietly into the night! There must be war!”