Swiss Arms 57 (Patreon)

Swiss Arms

Chapter 57

-VB-

Rudolf I
Duke of Upper Bavaria

“What do you mean there was no one to meet you?” the Duke of Upper Bavaria, Rudolf the First of His Name, demanded.

His men had been hard at work trying to determine both the capabilities of the Compact of the Eight - because it used to be seven before the Prince-Bishop of Chur joined them - and the corruption of the merchant guilds. One of the evidence he needed to punish the guilds was finding their collaborator among the bandits.

“The bandits attacked the Prince-Bishop’s lands,” his spymaster replied. “Who then requested help from the military arm of the Compact.”

“Fluelaberg.”

“Yes, Your Grace. Fluelaberg quickly mobilized, receiving some help from the visiting Duke of Carinthia, and used the roads they built over the last two years to reach Chur and then the target bandit gang’s area of operation within half a week.”

Rudolf thought about that. That was impressive.

Crossing the Alps even during summer was no small endeavor. To cross it, however, small of a land through areas where he, a veteran commander, would hesitate to lead an army through?

This Baron Hans of Fluelaberg deserved respect.

“Did you get any information?” he asked instead.

“Yes. Duke of Carinthia and the Baron of Fluelaberg were in the process of splitting the loot of arms, armor, and other accessories.”

“... And why is the Duke of Carinthia with the baron before I learned about it?”

“It seemed to have been a surprise visit, and with the low volume of trade and travel as people prepare for fall harvest…”

Rudolf sighed.

If it wasn’t enough for him to contend with his younger brother, then he now had to contend with the Duke of Carinthia as well?

While the whole of Bavaria might be too much for the fringe territories of Carinthia and Carniola, Rudolf knew that he wasn’t the duke of all Bavaria, “merely” Upper Bavaria. Upper Bavaria, as it was, was weaker in every measure compared to the combined might of Duke Henry, who ruled not only Carniola and Carinthia, thus giving him major military concessions that enabled him to fight the Slavs, but the man also ruled a huge chunk of the County of Tyrol, which was one of the major trade chokepoints that Bavaria relied on for trade to the Italian city-states and counties.

Damn. Other lords were starting to notice the Compact. That wasn’t good for his own plans.

Worse, his brother was going to notice the Compact soon, if he hadn’t already.

Growling, Rudolf stood up to leave the room. “I will be in my garden.”

“Yes, Your Grace. I shall return later.”

-VB-

Louis I

(the other) Duke of Upper Bavaria

Louis chuckled as he read through the reports coming in from his people in Chur, Rudolf’s court, and other places.

Not only did Rudolf failed to get evidence to punish the guilds that were hounding him, he was now flailing to try to control the situation!

It was moments like this that he enjoyed mercilessly teasing and ribbing his brother. Oh, the next time they met, he was going to tell him about what he heard over from Chur. It’ll piss him off to no end. After all, Rudolf did order his spymaster to insert his own into the Compact, but Louis countered that by having his own saboteurs create “accidents” in the roads near where the guilds’ “bandits” operated.

Of course, Rudolf didn’t know! He was blind outside of Munich.

“What will you do?” he asked himself but it was more of a question directed at this new rising star and his brother. “You got rid of a bandit group, sure, but you now know that there is something odd going on. Intrigue and politics in your lands that isn’t part of your people’s. It will no doubt lead back to us if any of the bandits were dumb enough to keep anything even half important in their pockets.”

If something so convenient did drop into Hans’s lap, then the guilds of Munich would be implicated. Thus Rudolf, being the current ruler over Munich, would be implicated. Hans would no doubt try to get the emperor involved as he has no other way to counter the wealth, military, and influence that Rudolf has, even as a stuck-up duke with nary a social skill.

That said…

He also was not a fan of the Gorizian duke. That man was too strong. He had no enemies to his flank or rear. If he gained Fluelaberg as an ally, then he would have only one path of expansion: north.

And who was there?

He and his brother’s Duchy of Upper Bavaria along with three other major duchies of similar strength and power.

Louis did not fancy becoming a vassal of a Gorizia of all people. If he lost to a man who fathered the most number of bastards known to the empire, then he wouldn’t just be a loser; he would be a weak loser. He and his brother might be co-rulers, but the Duchy of Upper Bavaria was still a land based on fertile farmlands which was once the core of the long forgotten Stem Duchy of Bavaria. Losing to a “duchy” based out in the mountains with far less knights and levies?

No.

That would not do.

So what should he do?

He could try to assassinate any of the hill hicks.

Unlikely to work but he could try. And then pin the blame on his brother.

Oh my God, his genius brain.

That was perfect! A successful assassination meant his flank was safe, but an unsuccessful assassination meant his brother would take the blame and either get jailed or forced to leave his position, leaving him, Louis I, as the sole ruler of the Duchy of Upper Bavaria.

…

This was a genius plan.

Alright then, who was he going to kill?

… Actually, did he even need to kill the lords themselves? He heard from his men that Baron of Fluelaberg might have a love interest… who was also the cousin of Duke of Carinthia… and the daughter of Count of Gorizia.

Why not kill her?

Separate the three lords. Make them mistrust each other. Turn their blades not outwards but inwards.

Genius.

He liked this plan very much. Minimal cost to him as well.