Berserk, Total War: Second Son of Nobles

In the domed hall of the Helmingen Intelligence Headquarters, bronze chandeliers cast amber light on the crimson carpet.

Spy Minister Wesker stood on a red velvet cushion, presenting a secret report with a gold-stamped wax cover in both hands. Sitting opposite him was John, who had rushed over in the rain.

Outside the window, the spring rain dripped, wetting the newly sprouted oak branches in the garden. The dripping sound and the crackling sound of the burning oak in the fireplace intertwined into a strange rhythm.

"His Majesty."

Wesker's deep voice broke the silence in the room.

"In the case of the weapons seized in Beigang, I have reviewed all the documents overnight."

"What do you think about this?"

John asked directly after reading the report.

"From what I can see right now, although it doesn't seem to have any impact domestically, just based on these flags that resemble national and military flags, I can conclude that there must be a group abroad that wants to do something under the banner of Helderland."

"Then get to the bottom of it."

King John closed the parchment scroll in his hand. Although development had been the main focus in recent years, if someone really wanted to do evil things abroad under the banner of the country he had founded, he would never turn a deaf ear to it.

He immediately ordered:

"Domestic intelligence agencies have assigned some personnel to investigate the source of these goods and find out who received them domestically."

"At the same time, order the spies stationed in the northern part of the Yoda Empire to search for this person named Zell according to his identity information. Make sure to capture him and collect all the information about Heldran from the people of the Yoda Empire."

"I'll write to Hawke soon. All borders of the three provinces bordering Yoda will be strictly inspected, with a focus on citizens who apply to reside permanently in Yoda. I suspect that the leader of this gang is one of our citizens, and he also understands some laws."

Wesker nodded slightly, a glint of approval flashing in his eyes. He knew that the king's suspicion was not groundless. In recent years, many Helderland citizens had taken advantage of the legal differences between the two countries and engaged in shady activities in the border area.

"Speaking of which."

King John turned, walked over to the large desk, and picked up a document marked "Top Secret."

"But the most important thing right now is to collect detailed information on the various rebel groups within Yoda."

"We have to bet on both sides. On the one hand, we help the Yoda Empire train its army, and on the other hand, we can find some suitable candidates from these rebel forces."

"We've already found high-level agents, and we need to develop a group of grassroots agents."

After explaining everything, John chatted with Wesker about some unimportant things:

"By the way, how is the situation in the Earldom of Madge? I remember that there were frequent uprisings there last winter..."

In the city of Padua, Münzer and a group of rebel leaders were listening to the liaison officer who had just returned from Count Madge describe the situation on his side.

“The situation is very grim.”

A ragged liaison slumped in a chair and spoke in a hoarse voice.

He had just returned from Earl Madger's territory, and his face still bore the fatigue of the long journey, his beard was messy, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"The siege of Madge has failed."

He took a deep breath, as if recalling a nightmare.

"The Council of Nobles dispatched a group of troops from the front, along with a lot of artillery, to launch an attack at night."

"I ran out of the tent after hearing the roar of artillery fire. There were rebels and Yoda soldiers everywhere. Luckily, I found a direction with fewer people and escaped before the Yoda army surrounded me."

"I didn't know where I was when daybreak arrived. I was planning to follow the path through the forest to see if I could find a place where people lived. But then I ran into a group of cavalrymen chasing the fleeing soldiers..."

"So, why are you back?"

A bearded leader asked impatiently, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed.

"Isn't that what I'm talking about?"

The contact swallowed and continued:

"Just then, I saw a group of carriages with black, white, and red flags passing by on the road. Seeing that they were numerous, I took advantage of the time when the cavalry were catching the fleeing soldiers and ran from the forest to the carriages. Then, I followed them and walked past them in a swagger."

"Finally I reached a town, got my bearings, and headed back."

After listening to the contact person's narration, the room fell into a brief silence.

"Who is this team? How dare they come out in such an environment?"

A younger leader couldn't help but ask, Padua is still okay, but some nearby territories are either in the midst of war or famine. Throwing a stone into those forests could hit a defeated soldier or a bandit. There are at least a hundred people going out, and they would rob people even in the daytime, let alone at night.

"Helderland."

The contact person answered affirmatively:

"They are the only ones on the continent who use the black, white, and red flag, and Blackwatch is their country's flag."

"No wonder, he's really tough to defeat the Yoda Empire."

After receiving the liaison's answer, several rebel leaders nodded unconsciously, their rough fingers unconsciously stroking the hilts of the daggers at their waists - they knew too well the oppression of the Yoda Empire's army. The Helderans were able to defeat the Yoda Empire's army, so now they are not afraid of the Yoda Army, not to mention that anyone who provoked them would be hit hard by Blackwatch.

"So everyone."

Min Caier suddenly stood up and said.

“Only when you defeat your enemies will they sit down at the negotiating table and listen to your opinions.”

His voice seemed to be vibrated directly from his chest, with a hoarse texture that comes from years of commanding battles.

"The battle with Yoda's regular army is inevitable, and we must win this battle!"

"Correct!"

One of the leaders slammed the wooden table so hard that the clay pot on the table jumped up.

"The Helderlanders can defeat the larger force with a smaller one, so we can do the same!"

"As long as we unite and win a few more battles, the Yoda people won't dare to attack us directly!"

Another bearded leader followed suit. He was missing a front tooth and his voice leaked when he spoke.

"Last time we ambushed them in the oak forest, we used traps to kill over twenty of Yoda's scouts. They still don't dare to search the forest!"

Seeing that everyone was full of fighting spirit, Min Ze'er felt relieved a little. He originally thought that the disastrous defeat in the siege of Madge would demoralize the rebels, but the situation was better than he imagined.

“What an invincible group of people.”

He admired silently in his heart. At this moment, he felt that he, all the people in the rebel army, and even all the people in the Yoda Empire who dared to resist injustice were doing a great cause to change Yoda.

"Time is running out. Each team must complete their assigned tasks as quickly as possible. What awaits us next is definitely a bloody and brutal battle!"