-----------------------------

If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.

Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.

I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.

-------------------------------

Sommerzeit-5,2491 IC

"These trains are a marvel," I said as I sat beside the dawi engineer, who handled the machine with precision while we headed toward Altdorf.

"Only a sample of dawi engineering—the finest in the world," replied the dwarf, adjusting levers and knobs as he controlled the locomotive's speed.

"That's why I entrusted this project solely to our mountain friends. As soon as I finish calculating expenses, I'll send payment to Durán; make sure to let him know when you return to the mountains, please," I added.

"Understood, dawongi," the engineer replied, focusing once more on his task.

I gripped one of the bars and stepped outside to watch. The landscape blurred away behind us. The train must have been going at least eighty kilometers per hour, though without a speedometer it was impossible to be sure. All I saw were forests cut through by the tracks, palisades, and watchtowers every few stretches flashing past as we advanced.

"The other train," I muttered as I saw it approach. It roared past us, hauling dozens of empty cargo wagons back toward Reinsfeld.

The journey continued in calm, though from time to time I caught sight of beastmen attacking some of the towers. Nothing the garrisons couldn't handle. After several hours, we arrived in Altdorf. My men-at-arms and personal guard accompanied me. We disembarked immediately, for an audience awaited us in the Volkshalle, where it would be decided whether the Emperor considered my action in Marienburg a crime… or a service to the Empire.

Knights of the Reiksguard flanked my way. I wore my gromril armor and carried my helmet under my arm. We entered the antechamber, and from there the shouts of heated debate reached us: the electors were arguing fiercely inside.

"The city is mine. I am the prince of Marienburg! The historical right to those lands belongs to me. This should not even be up for debate," cried the Grand Baron of Nordland at the central table, surrounded by the other prince-electors and nobles of the Empire.

Every seat was taken, and as I entered I felt their eyes fix on me. Slowly, I turned my head, meeting each gaze until my eyes rested on the main table. There sat the Grand Theogonist, flanked by the Arch-Lectors of the east and south, both holding the right to vote. They exchanged glances when they noticed my presence.

"Chosen of Sigmar," proclaimed the Grand Theogonist, "before any decision is made in this audience with the Imperial noble Albrecht von Reinsfeld, I declare before all the great lords of the Empire that our god, Sigmar, has blessed his enterprise. Unanimously, the Cult recognizes that the lands of the former province of the Westerlands belong to him in perpetuity, returning them at once to the Empire under the custody of the one who rescued the heretic city of Marienburg."

"You have lost your minds!" roared the Grand Baron of Nordland, furious. "Those lands are mine by right. We never recognized the independence of those traitors. To hand them over to this upstart is an outrageous insult!"

"The Empire faces dark times. War and ruin assail us from all sides. Cities of strategic importance must be in the hands of those capable of ruling and defending them. And at this moment, there is no one better than Graf Albrecht, who brought Marienburg, that rebellious city which caused the Empire so much harm with its constant insubordination, back into the fold," countered the Grand Theogonist, ignoring the count.

"Wise words, Grand Theogonist," the Emperor interrupted. "But we are not here to distribute lands just yet. This audience with the Graf is, first and foremost, to hear his explanations regarding what transpired in Marienburg, not to determine titles or rights immediately."

"Graf Albrecht," continued the Emperor, fixing his gaze on me, "can you explain what led you to make such a drastic decision against that city?"

"I believe everything is clear enough in the evidence I provided to Your Majesty. The Directorate of Marienburg attempted to confiscate my holdings as punishment for attacking their merchant ships. Their plan was to time it with the inauguration of the railway, but a messenger arrived early. Instead of wheat and provisions, which was the cargo the city expected, I sent men and arms to teach them a lesson. That was their fatal mistake. I only acted in defense and arrived just in time to contain the daemonic invasion and face the vampire necromancer that was unleashed," I replied calmly, casting a glance at the dignitaries of the Cult of Sigmar.

"It seems too much of a coincidence that everything ended up benefiting you. You did not exaggerate the facts, did you?" the Grand Baron of Nordland retorted with hostility.

"I do not control my enemies' mistakes," I answered with a faint smile. "They sought to humiliate me publicly, and when they failed, fate placed me in the right place to stop the Chaos that threatened the Empire."

"The priest who kept the faith alive in that corrupt city has sent his report," declared the Grand Theogonist then. "In it he details how this nobleman, a paragon of Sigmarite ideals, fought alongside his men against daemons, even defeating a Chaos champion in personal combat."

The Emperor fixed his eyes on me. "Bah… Graf Albrecht once again omitting information," the Emperor said, touching his forehead.

"No… I will see to it that my messenger is punished, Your Imperial Majesty. I made it clear that I personally fought that daemon who wielded a blade imbued with the Ruinous Powers. It was the hardest battle of my life; I stood on the brink of death. Had it not been for this armor, forged by our dawi friends, he would have run me through with ease. But when his blade bounced off the gromril, I seized the opening and struck off his head. Only then did the daemonic invasion begin to fade," I replied steadily.

"And what of the mountains of pyres raised by the Sigmarites?" asked the Elector Count of Middenland.

"A city as corrupted as Marienburg had to be purified. Corruption infested every corner, Prince of Carroburg. Vampiric corruption in the Suiddock… Did you know that the vampire who hid there had ruled the city's underworld for centuries? Among his belongings we found documents linking him to none other than Vlad von Carstein. He was one of his generals, concealed in Marienburg as lord of its criminality. Furthermore, Chaos cults were on the verge of opening a portal. Had it not been for the intervention of the witch hunters, who knows what might have happened? Perhaps the terrible visions Sigmar sent me would have come to life," I replied calmly, noting that many sought to challenge me, but none dared contradict the Sigmarite clergy who backed me with such severity.

"Graf Albrech is a man of honor and duty. Clearly, he acted to safeguard the Empire. But let us not forget that those lands still have a living claimant," declared the Ar-Ulric, causing the counts of Middenheim and Middenland to fix their eyes on him.

"And let us not forget the obvious," resumed the Grand Theogonist. "Before us stands a noble who has defeated champions of Chaos without falling under their mark. It is a clear sign that our lord Sigmar has blessed him to protect the Empire."

The Emperor remained silent, his expression dark. I could see that if he attempted to downplay my deeds or deny me reward, he would not only have to confront the Cult of Sigmar but also several powerful electors whose wrath could jeopardize the stability of his own line.

"Very well… with that said, we shall take a pause to deliberate the next point of the session. Graf Albrech, come with me to my study now," ordered the Emperor, rising abruptly and striding out of the Volkshalle.

The electors and the Grand Baron of Nordland stood immediately, whispering among themselves, while the Sigmarite trio remained calm and united, conversing with the Ar-Ulric. I followed the Emperor, who walked at a brisk pace until we reached his nearby study.

We entered, and the door closed behind us.

"Very well… what sort of plan do you have? How did you manage to gain the Grand Theogonist's support so thoroughly?" asked the Emperor, visibly irritated. "Have you been pretending to be naïve all this time? No… you're more cunning than you appear, aren't you? Answer me, Albrech… what is it that you truly want?" he demanded, his voice thick with frustration as his composure began to slip.

"What do you mean, my Emperor?" I replied calmly.

"All signs point to you aiming for the highest seat in the Empire. It was only a matter of time before the Grand Theogonist proposed it… that we grant you the title of Elector Count of the Westerlands. That would put me at a disadvantage: I would have to cede to you large parts of Reikland, and if you shield yourself under the Cult of Sigmar, I could not reclaim those lands without provoking their fury," said the Emperor, pouring himself wine, though the cup trembled in his hands.

"And what would be so wrong with that? All nobles dream of deciding who the next Emperor will be, do they not?" I answered, seating myself across from him.

"If I support you, I lose Reinsfeld and Merxheim, which I had planned to turn into economic hubs to finance Reikland with taxes. And I gain enemies: Middenheim, Middenland, the Ar-Ulric… and probably Talabecland and Talabheim with their Ulrican leanings. If I don't support you, I face the united vote of the Cult of Sigmar and likely all the southern electors as well. That would ruin any chance of my son inheriting the throne," he confessed after taking a long drink.

"You see only two paths, my Emperor. I see a third. Recognize me as Elector Count, and I will cede part of the Westerlands to the Grand Baron of Nordland, along with a considerable sum of gold, in exchange for his public renunciation of any claim over my lands," I said calmly, noting how his breathing steadied.

"But even then, that makes you independent of Reikland," the Emperor replied, wary.

"I know when to stop biting. The crown has never interested me; I do not wish to be called Emperor. I only desire the title of Elector so that they stop seeing me as their lapdog. I offer you something unique: the chance to have a vassal Elector Count. I will still answer to Reikland. It would be the first true step toward unifying the Empire and ending the provinces' autonomy. My ultimate goal is to strengthen the Empire, and in that, our paths are more aligned than you think," I said with a calculated smile.

"That… that would be unheard of. None of the other electors would accept it. I'd set them all against me," the Emperor answered, torn between disbelief and curiosity.

"The Cult of Sigmar will continue to back you. With my vote and theirs, you would already have the base of five ballots for your son—far more than most can gather. Besides, Middenland, Middenheim, and the Ar-Ulric will always need my aid to cleanse their forests, so more than one might be persuaded. And if we triumph in the war against Bretonnia and rebuild the March of the Grey Mountains, another elector might join our cause," I added, rising and pacing slowly before him.

The Emperor began to consider it seriously… until at last a smile spread across his face."It might work… yes… it might work. To tie my dynasty to Ghal Maraz…" he murmured with satisfaction.

"Exactly. You only need to place me at the head of the Imperial army… and I will win your battles. Against Bretonnia, against anyone. Moreover, I will consolidate the Empire's political borders as never before in its history," I answered with certainty.

The Emperor smiled even wider, nodding silently, at last realizing he had found a viable path.

After that conversation, we returned immediately to the chamber to debate the question of the lands. For all his shouting and protests, the Grand Baron of Nordland was forced into a great compromise: I would cede all the lands north of the town of Vasse and Fort Solace, in a straight line, and also pay two million gold crowns. In exchange, the count would strike from his titles any claim over my domains. He was forced to agree, for he stood against nearly all the electors and was dangerously isolating himself.

As for me… I received the title of Prince of Marienburg and Elector Count of the Westerlands, gaining an electoral vote. Though, to soothe tensions, it was left unspoken that I still formally answered to Reikland, so that the arrangement would not provoke an immediate or open conflict…

-----------------------------

If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.

Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.

I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.

-------------------------------