She changed Europe

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"Tsk tsk! Don't be nervous, I was just joking." Jeanne pinched the tip of her nose, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, her eyes carrying a hint of her unique playfulness.

“I also want you to go back and thank your master for me. Although we French have no interest in anything about you Hungarians, I will always remember the kindness of those who have helped me.” Jeanne waved her hand, signaling Gilles to release the disheveled Hungarian.

“You can leave now, but I’ll only count down to twenty seconds. If you don’t disappear from my sight, then I will…” Jeanne stood up, turned her back to the man, and gently raised her index finger to begin the countdown.

Having narrowly escaped death, the Hungarian, without even assessing his condition, scrambled forward, and Giles, like a gentleman, made way for him.

Others say this descendant of the French saint is very difficult to get along with, but this isn't just difficult to get along with, she's clearly a crazy woman! He can't understand why the man beside her is so willing to go along with her nonsense.

"One," the Hungarians took their first steps.

"Two" Hungarians were still a little weak in the knees from the previous fright.

"..."

Jeanne had only counted to ten when she turned around, but by then the Hungarians had already vanished without a trace. This wasn't because Jeanne had some kind of precognitive knowledge that the Hungarians were far away, but because she had used her magical senses to perceive them.

"Hahahaha!" Jeanne licked her lips, then burst into a triumphant laugh. (Jeanne laughs loudly 2333)

“Gils, did you see that ridiculous guy just now? The Austrians and Hungarians are clearly birds of a feather, and even have a relationship of mutual dependence, yet they're constantly undermining and sabotaging each other. Oh well, all we need to do is stay strong.” Jeanne wasn't a subject of the empire, and as a foreigner, she often had a clearer and more objective perspective on the political issues within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

“Yes, Saintess, he really does look ridiculous.” Giles nodded somewhat blankly, just as Jeanne also stopped smiling and pondered for a moment with a serious expression, resting her chin on her hand.

"Gilth, keep the soldiers on high alert. We'll teach the enemy a lesson tonight. I'm looking forward to your performance." Gilth's talent gave Na a thousand reasons to be at ease. In order to have more energy to organize the attack tomorrow and face the enemy's magic users, Na needed to get a good rest tonight.

"Yes, Holy Maiden." Giles maintained his polite and humble demeanor, bowing his head as he watched Jeanne carry the battle flag back to the camp.

Giles knew that he was capable of anything for the sake of the saintess.

Later that day —

Under the bright moonlight, the Austrian lightly armed magic users (who did not pilot magic armor) and the imperial soldiers left behind in Milan, led by Messiah, quietly entered the woods outside the city and then slowly advanced towards the French artillery positions by the faint moonlight.

The objective of this plan is clear: to use the cover of night to severely damage the French artillery and alleviate the defensive pressure on Milan's defenses during the morning's attack. With the French army's siege capabilities weakened, Milan can hold out longer before Princess Gisela arrives. This is the best defensive strategy Benedek can devise given the lack of magic users.

Although Marshal Benedek was mediocre, he was not a fool. Compared to the elderly and conservative Güle, the young and energetic Benedek was clearly willing to make more daring tactical attempts.

"Sir, based on the deductions of the troops we withdrew from during the day, they should be on one of the two hills ahead." The adjutant beside the blonde woman adjusted his glasses and pointed to two hills not far away.

Messiah looked up and followed his adjutant's gaze to the two areas where torches were burning. Strangely, despite the importance of the artillery positions, the enemy's defenses were surprisingly lax. Apart from two small patrol teams at the foot of the hill, there were only a few people bustling around on the hill.

"Are you sure? Is the intelligence accurate?" Messiah turned her gaze back to her adjutant, hoping to get a more definitive answer from this young man. Although Benedek had told her that he felt most at ease leaving this surprise attack to her, he hadn't concealed the risks involved, instead explaining to Messiah in detail the possible contingencies.

"The Duchess of France named Jeanne de Darc was known for her cruelty and cunning. When she participated in the war between Britain and France in the Far East, she was still young and her personality was not as bad as it is now. However, after that war, her personality changed drastically, and she became extremely decisive in killing."

"If you encounter her in a direct confrontation, do not linger in battle. Just destroy the artillery and retreat. I will send a small force to meet you outside the city." Marshal Benedek had previously instructed her in this way.

“Jeanne d'Arc.” Messiah repeated the name of her opponent softly, then raised her head to look at the distant hills, and slowly raised her right hand.

"For the Empire, for His Majesty the Emperor, attack!" She waved her hand gracefully, and behind her, hundreds of imperial soldiers gripped their weapons and, led by the magic warriors, launched an attack on the French army.

The sentries, who were already dozing off late at night, were terrified by the enemy troops that suddenly appeared at the foot of the hill. They instinctively dropped their fire sticks and scrambled back to the camp, shouting incoherently as they did so.

Of course, he soon fell straight to the ground like a puppet with a broken string, and a magic dagger emitting a white, cold light was stuck in his back.

PS1: So busy QAQ

Chapter 268 Irises Wither in the Alps: Capter 129 Total Annihilation (Seeking Votes)

The sound of gunfire rang out, and the French patrol below the hill was quickly greeted by Austrian bullets. A dozen or so unfortunate men were soon riddled with bullets flying from the front.

"Soldiers, no need to be cautious, no need to conserve ammunition. Use your weapons to attack the enemy, delay and disrupt their counterattack. And those soldiers with explosives, once you reach the top of the hill, light the fuse immediately. Our objective is simply to destroy the enemy's artillery." Messiah followed the soldiers as they charged towards the top of the hill. She briefly bent down and successfully retrieved the weapon from the French soldier she had just killed with the dagger she had thrown.

The first Austrian soldier, clutching explosives and shouting battle cries, successfully charged up the hill, only to freeze there before he could even catch his breath.

Some of his comrades also climbed up the mountain one after another, looking at the scene before them with the same astonished expressions.

The line of sight rose again, and in the darkness, there was a fully armed, neatly arranged French line infantry firing formation. The soldiers in the front row were crouching with their rifles raised, while the soldiers in the back row were standing with their guns raised. Of course, their guns were already aimed at the Imperial soldiers who had climbed the hill.

"Fire!" Accompanied by the somewhat hoarse and deep voice of the French commander, hundreds of soldiers pulled the trigger at the same time. Tongues of fire shot out from the muzzles, accompanied by some light gray smoke. The whistling of the bullets was like a magnificent symphony, stirring the heart and soul.

These deadly bullets easily penetrated the fragile skin of their enemies, piercing their internal organs. Clouds of blood rose, instantly staining the distinctive white uniforms of the Austrians crimson. Countless soldiers, who hadn't even had time to regain their footing, were struck by bullets and fell straight down the hill. Many soldiers behind them were also knocked down by the corpses and tumbled down the sloping hillside along with them.

"It's a trap! The enemy was prepared!" the soldier on top shouted, waving his arms to warn his comrades behind him. Unfortunately, few noticed his warning in the darkness. The soldier on top was shot down like wheat being harvested, while the soldiers behind remained oblivious, charging forward one after another.

The heavy casualties made Messiah, who was in the group, realize how bad the situation was. She took a deep breath, gripped her dagger tightly, and pulled back the bespectacled young man (her adjutant) who was also trying to rush forward.

"There must be something wrong up there, we can't go up!" At this moment, because the moon had just hidden behind the clouds, they could see almost nothing except for a few scattered torches.

"My lord! Should we continue the attack?" the young man asked, squatting beside Messiah with a worried expression.

"No! We have to retreat!" Messiah had barely finished speaking when another soldier was shot and fell down, landing right on top of Messiah and knocking her down the hillside.

"My lord!" The young adjutant rushed toward the direction where Messiah had fallen. Although he knew that his superior, being a mage, would not be injured by such a situation, her words just now struck him like a heavy hammer blow.

At that moment, countless torches lit up on another hillside.

The young man looked up and could clearly see a French soldier standing under each torch, and behind them, huge steel behemoths, whose magical armor was currently being charged.

"Intelligence leaked? The enemy was prepared?" The young man swallowed hard, then slumped to the ground. There was no point in running away now. They only had a few hundred men, while the French army in front of them numbered at least several thousand. What was worse, in order to launch a better surprise attack, they hadn't even brought their cumbersome magic armor.

Gilles de Rais stared expressionlessly at the Austrian still struggling in the distance. He gently gripped the hilt of his sword, then turned his gaze to the tent where Jeanne was resting. His most important saint was resting inside.

"Lord Giles, should our magic armor fire?" A nearby artillery commander bowed respectfully and asked the young man.

“No, no need. I hate the noisy and impolite clatter of artillery.” Gilles’ tone was icy; his usually elegant and rhythmic French sounded lifeless and mechanical. However, perhaps Gilles simply didn’t want to disturb Jeanne’s rest, though none of the French officers present would have thought so.

"Let the soldiers wipe out all the Austrians. I don't need any prisoners of war." Giles was not cruel or heartless; he simply made the most reasonable decision. After all, the logistics for this risky attack on Milan were not guaranteed, and they didn't need to waste even a little bit of extra supplies for a few hundred prisoners.

As for the issue of prisoner exchange after the war? That was not his concern. After all, during the war, even if a thousand people went missing, it was not a big deal. No one would care about the disappearance of a few battalions.

"Yes, sir." The man nodded respectfully to Giles.

Soon, under the orders of their officers, the French troops marched in orderly steps toward the hillside.

With each gunshot, an Imperial soldier was killed or wounded. Although comrades fell and the organization was thrown into chaos, not a single soldier in this Imperial army that ambushed the French fled. Even knowing they would die, they showed no fear. They were simply fulfilling their loyalty to the Empire and the Emperor in their own way.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted from the French marching ranks. Huge explosives and plumes of smoke tore the French formation to shreds in an instant, killing countless soldiers.

"What happened?" Jijiu Minglu Luqi Baers frowned as he looked at the explosion on the hill.

"Reporting, sir, it was an Austrian who wasn't quite dead who lit the fuse, choosing to perish together with the enemy." Several more explosions rang out, affecting even more French soldiers.

"A bunch of lunatics, let our men scatter." Giles took a deep breath and gripped his sword hilt tightly. He hadn't expected the Austrians, who usually had low morale and fighting spirit, to have such a high level of fighting spirit.

“I need prisoners. I need to confirm the information about this unit,” Giles changed his previous orders.

“Now I think we have reason to shell.” Giles turned to look at Jeanne’s tent, sighed helplessly, and issued new orders.

Messiah, who had rolled down the hillside, rubbed her head, which was heavy from the violent impact. Looking at the explosions coming from the mountaintop, she understood the reason for them. Before the expedition, the commander of the army had assured her that, in order to repay the princess's kindness, they would not withdraw from the battle without orders, and they would not regret it even if it meant their sacrifice.

This unit consisted of some of the St. Stephen's Regiment soldiers that Gisela left in Milan before she left. To these soldiers, Gisela was their faith, their Valkyrie, and they were willing to give up everything for this princess.

Clearly, they kept their promise to her, and this explosion is their best answer.

"Unfortunately, we failed. I'm sorry that your sacrifices were in vain." Messiah sighed. At that moment, countless cannonballs flew towards the army with a whooshing sound, followed by a huge explosion.

Messiah closed her eyes helplessly. Perhaps it was her duty, or perhaps it was in response to the sacrifice of these soldiers, but she slowly took out the pistol from her waist, pointed it at her forehead, and then gently pulled the trigger.

PS1: Hey! I got counter-killed!

Chapter 269 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 130 Black Saintess (Seeking Votes)

"Bang!" With the trigger pulled, Messiah, who had already decided to die, closed his eyes, preparing to feel the excruciating pain of the bullet entering his body, and then face death with his defeat and shame.

Unfortunately, the expected pain did not come, because a leg encased in metal slings kicked her weapon and herself up, then slammed them heavily onto a large tree stump.

"Cough cough!" The intense pain caused Messiah to cough violently. She struggled to her feet, leaning against the tree trunk, and stared at the dark figure in the distance with a serious expression.

"Suicide is the specialty of ants. Does Miss also wish to become such an inferior creature?" A voice resembling that of Maaya Sakamoto came from afar, carrying a hint of displeasure and disgust. Although Messiah did not know who Maaya Sakamoto was, she could still discern from the voice that the dark figure speaking German with a French accent was a woman.

“What difference is there between a defeated army and an ant?” Messiah was breathing heavily. She hadn’t been unharmed when she fell from the hill. A stone had cut her arm, and blood was still flowing from it.

“That’s right! Although I don’t care about your lives or deaths, I still need to borrow you while you’re alive for tomorrow’s attack.” Jeanne rested her chin on her hand and slowly walked toward Messiah. Just then, the moonlight pushed aside the clouds and shone its light on the ground again, and Messiah saw the face of the person in front of him for the first time.

Snow-white skin, a head of silky silver hair, and a pair of golden eyes that seemed to burn with flames. She wore a set of black plate armor. Although she had long since left behind the era of knights, Messiah could still see some of the old-time charm in her attire.

"Is that so? I wonder what you, this tasteless old-fashioned person, want me to do?" Messiah was not afraid of death; on the contrary, she wanted to provoke this woman. If this woman killed her in a fit of rage, that would be the best outcome.

"An old relic? Hahahaha!" Jeanne covered her cheeks, looked up at the sky and laughed arrogantly. Combined with the explosion on the hillside, it created a strange and unsettling feeling.

“You’re absolutely right, this is an old antique, a piece of junk left behind by my utterly tasteless ancestor.” Jeanne lowered her right hand from her cheek, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Messiah instinctively wanted to back away from this somewhat eccentric French woman, but when she reached the tree trunk, she realized she could not retreat any further.

“This armor was originally silver, the color of which symbolizes the glory and holiness of the Lord.” Jeanne planted the battle flag in the ground on her own, and like a devout nun, crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at the sky.

"At this moment, I need to fervently proclaim: My Lord is here. Then I can be like that woman from hundreds of years ago, giving up my life for those damned ants."

Messiah frowned, completely baffled as to what the woman before her was trying to say.

"It's so ridiculous and pathetic that so many people still yearn for such an ending."

“I hate those incorrigible gods. I want to be myself. That’s why I like black, because black is a symbol of impurity, a symbol of blasphemers. For me, only Satan and hell are the real heaven.” Jeanne roared hysterically, not understanding why she was willing to tell these words to the woman in front of her.

"No! You are the descendant of that rebellious saint?" Messiah finally connected the Duke of Orleans, whom Benedek had reminded her of, with the woman before her. As a descendant of the saint, she rightfully deserved the title of saint.

"Shut up! I'm not that ridiculous fanatic!" Jeanne angrily rushed towards Messiah, grabbed her by the neck, lifted her up with one hand, and roughly slammed her against a tree stump.

"Remember my name is Jeanne de Darc! Not Joan of Arc! Not Joan of Arc!" Jeanne roared, her brow furrowed, as she threw Messiah to the ground. The vast difference between a mage and a mage meant that Messiah could only endure Jeanne's "abuse" without any chance of resistance.

"Does this matter to me?" If I anger her again and make her attack me once more, my wounds will definitely reopen, and I will bleed to death soon. In that case, this woman will no longer be able to use me.

"Tsk, if you think you can die so easily, then you underestimate me." Jeanne raised an eyebrow, cracked her wrist, and grabbed Messiah, who was curled up on the ground in pain.

"You should get some sleep now." Jeanne gently stroked Messiah's neck, and the woman quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Of course, soon after, as the artillery fire and gunfire ceased, the last imperial soldier fell. From that moment on, Marshal Benedek's surprise attack officially failed, and Milan's crisis escalated further.

Meanwhile, Gisela and her army, dozens of kilometers away, were also rushing to Milan through the night.

Let's turn our attention back to the honest man (scratch that) and his sister.

Leopold and Nina are currently positioned in the middle of this army. Gisela, though seemingly oblivious, understands that important figures must be protected first. The Bavarian Regent's son and daughter are both in the army, and if anything were to happen to them, relations between the Empire and Bavaria could deteriorate. Of course, the most crucial reason is that the Kingdom of Bavaria, as the largest state in southern Germany besides Austria within the German Confederation, and the largest pro-Austrian prince, is also related to the Bavarian royal family through marriage—essentially family.

Before Gisela departed, Empress Elizabeth summoned Gisela to her side and, in front of Emperor Joseph, told her that she must take good care of her fiancé. If anything happened to him, she would no longer be allowed to command the army. Emperor Joseph "obediently" accepted Sissi's decision.

This was a serious matter. Gisela couldn't seize power without the support of the army. He had fought bloody battles in Italy and had finally built up his prestige. He couldn't let such a small matter ruin everything. So, Gisela arranged for Leopold to stay in the safest place most of the time, and when he was busy, he would stay in the central army.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 270 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 131 Nina's Little Thoughts

The young couple had a very good relationship; they were truly a match made in heaven. Everyone in the army, from the Marquis of Brno (Lania's father, the former commander of the Bohemian Legion) to the rank-and-file soldiers, thought so. Except for Nina, who she would never acknowledge as her sister-in-law, after all, Nina had done something to betray her own brother.

Thinking of these girls, they turned to look at Chloris, who seemed unharmed but was actually the culprit. Sure enough, her father was right; the people of North Germany were a bunch of despicable and evil people.

Nina couldn't understand these women's thoughts at all. She didn't understand why two women could have such strange feelings for each other. If she were to get married in the future, she would definitely look for a partner based on her brother's template, and that person would have to be liked and approved by her brother...

But should I tell my elder brother about that matter now?

Nina rode her horse absentmindedly, sighing as she did so. Suddenly, she felt conflicted. Although if word got out, her brother and her cousin might not be able to get together, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt looking at her devoted brother.

Nina kept this embarrassing matter to herself, and even now she is still going through a series of complex internal struggles.

"Nina, what's wrong? Why do you seem so down? Are you worried about Milan's situation?" Leopold naturally didn't know why his sister was troubled, so he offered what he considered the most reasonable guess. After all, the upright Leopold was completely focused on winning and relieving Milan's predicament.

“Nothing, brother,” Nina sighed listlessly and replied softly to Leopold.

"No! Something's wrong! Nina, your older brother has watched you grow up since you were little. If there's something bothering you, just tell me." Leopold observed Nina's expression, leaned closer to her, and affectionately stroked the girl's head.

"Oh! You silly older brother, can't you see that my cousin doesn't like you? Not only does she not like you, she also..."

“Brother, I’m talking about hypothetical situations. If the person you love most, who is engaged to you, has some bad relationships with other people, how would you feel?” Nina’s eyes darted around, and she looked uneasy. To Leopold, it seemed as if she was asking him for advice about her feelings.

Does Nina have someone she likes? Leopold stroked his chin, a look of realization dawning on his face.

Nina looked at her brother, who was deep in thought, and felt even more uncertain. Had he seen through her?

“If that’s the case, Nina, as long as you still love him, you can forgive him. After all, we are nobles and should always maintain elegance. Even if he is dissolute, greedy, and lustful, you can use your gentleness and tolerance to rekindle his love for you.” Leopold earnestly instructed his sister.

"..." It seems that her brother can forgive Gisela. No!? Why is it him and not her? The clever Nina quickly realized that the third-person pronoun was masculine rather than feminine.

“Brother, are you mistaken about something?” Nina frowned uncertainly. The marching soldiers also looked up in confusion at the two distinguished adults from Bavaria.

"Shh, Nina, I'll figure something out for you. Don't let anyone else know!" Leopold covered Nina's mouth and made a shushing gesture, indicating that she should be quiet.

"After all, your father won't approve of your free choice in love." Even at this moment, Leopold didn't forget to think of Nina's well-being.

The thought of her cousin betraying such an excellent brother made Nina clench her fists, wanting to demand an explanation from that prince.

Just then, Gisela, who was returning after inspecting the marching troops, passed by the central army and noticed the black-haired, very well-behaved girl next to Leopold. She began to observe her with great interest. Perhaps because she was a magic user, Gisela had to admit that the girl was indeed a beauty, about the same age as herself, and her appearance matched Gisela's aesthetic. If she could be tricked into serving Austria, it would strengthen her control over Bavaria and increase her own combat power, which would be a win-win situation.

Just thinking about these things made Gisela's lips curl into a barely perceptible smirk.

Today, Gisela is wearing a dark-colored women's military uniform. If you look closely, you will easily see that the princess's clothes are a modified version of an old Prussian military uniform, with an Iron Cross pattern on the back of the cuffs. Of course, due to Gisela's personal request, this symbol has been covered by her rolled-up cuffs.

People might wonder why Her Highness is wearing a uniform so different from the standard Austro-Hungarian army uniform. But curiosity aside, as the daughter of Emperor Joseph, a noble princess of the empire and a sorcerer, she has the privilege of being unconventional, and of course, no one present has the right to make unfounded accusations against her.