Chapter 1488: The Holy Cross Army

France, the Catholic Pope, and the allied nations organized the Holy Cross Army.

This army claimed to be the orthodox force of the Holy Roman Empire, existing to annihilate the greatest supporter of Protestantism—Prussia.

This force, pulled together by Catholic believers, numbered a full 150,000; they were well-equipped and entered the battle in October.

This army was commanded by the French Duke Douglas, and the deputy commander was also a French prince, Prince Soubise.

This force, composed of believers from countless Catholic countries, had essentially become the armed forces of France.

According to the decree issued by the Pope, they were to attack Prussia, and all Catholic countries were to assist them.

Thus, this force assembled in France, set out from west to east, and launched an eastern expedition.

During the march, Commander-in-Chief Douglas sat steadily on his horse, looking at his deputy, Prince Soubise.

"Soubise, do you think the women of Berlin are even more beautiful than our French women?"

"I can't wait to see them in bed," Douglas said with an excited expression.

It seemed he did not take this war seriously at all.

In the eyes of most people, the current Prussia was already in its twilight years.

Although the Longyan army had now pushed into the ancestral lands of Prussia, pinning down the majority of the combat power of the Franco-Austrian Allied Army.

On another battlefield, Longyan had crushed Poland City and expelled the Russian Army.

This gave Prussia a chance to catch its breath, but winter was now about to descend.

The Prussian Army, ravaged by the flames of war, was now most in need of food.

The massive loss of territory and passive defense on the battlefield would both plunge Prussia into an awkward predicament.

Although Longyan was now helping Prussia bear the pressure, Longyan was a country with little popular support in Europe.

It was unknown if they had even solved their own food and forage problems.

Could they still have the spare strength to support Prussia?

It was said that in the heart of the European continent, in the border cities of Prussia, the Longyan army stationed there was relying on War-Nourished Warfare.

And while Prussia's allies in Poland, Longyan and the Ottoman Empire, were the most likely friendly forces to provide support to Prussia.

The Ottoman Empire had never once declared itself an ally of Prussia.

They were merely coordinating operations with the Longyan people.

Their combat objective was still the Ottoman enemy, the Russians!

And although the Longyan army in Poland was closest to Prussia, bringing material support to Prussia was somewhat of a pipe dream.

First of all, the food and forage for the Longyan army were provided by their ally, the Ottoman Empire.

It was fine for them to provide food and forage to Longyan.

But to provide it to other countries, even if they were allies of Longyan, sorry, that was not possible!

It was already very good that the Longyan army could help Prussia pin down Prussia's enemies on the battlefield now.

Secondly, the Longyan army had not yet broken through the encirclement of Prussia.

According to the latest news they received, Russia was preparing to reinforce Boerniefu's army, but the order issued was not to counterattack the Longyan-Ottoman Allied Army.

Instead, it was to attack Prussia.

Prussia's current situation was still besieged on all sides; it was just that the Longyan army had bought it a glimmer of a chance to breathe, but this had simultaneously stimulated the battlefield.

This French Duke, Douglas, felt exactly this way.

"Prince Soubise, if we capture Berlin, what kind of woman do you want?" Douglas teased.

Prince Soubise glanced at him and said calmly, "Commander-in-Chief, our mission this time is to eliminate Protestantism. If we capture Berlin, I will kill Frederick II, send him to meet the Lord, and let the Lord judge him!"

Douglas looked at this fastidious prince helplessly and whispered, "What a boring fellow."

During the march, they passed through Austria.

The Austrian general,

General Victor, hospitably entertained these Crusaders.

After the grand banquet.

Commander Douglas, Prince Soubise, and General Victor sat in the battlefield command room.

Douglas picked up his swaying red wine glass and smiled, "Respected General Victor, why did I not see Grand Duke Theresa this evening?"

"I have admired her for a long time since I was in France, and I very much want to see her, to praise her in person as the most beautiful woman in Europe."

General Victor smiled and replied, "Oh, I am truly sorry, Grand Duke Theresa has been unwell for a long time."

A flash of disappointment crossed Douglas's eyes, and he apologized, "Sorry, General, please convey my regards to her."

"General, you should also know the purpose of our arrival this time. We want to borrow a path from Austria to attack Prussia from the due west. As far as I know, although the Austrian army has withdrawn from Prussia, the western gateways of Prussia—Hamburg, Bremen, and Hanover—these three cities are still in the hands of the Franco-Austrian Allied Army."

General Victor understood the meaning of the two as soon as he heard it, and Victor quickly brought over a map of Europe.

Austria was located to the southwest of Prussia, and its northern part bordered Saxony; now, after the war.

The southwestern city of Prussia, Saxony, was not occupied by Austria.

However, the three cities due west of Prussia still belonged to the Franco-Austrian Allied Army, where they had defeated the allied forces of Prussia and Britain.

Douglas meant that they wanted to attack Prussia from these three western gateway cities and take Berlin directly!

General Victor nodded.

"As the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, we in Austria have no reason not to choose to help the troops of the Holy Roman Empire."

A hint of imperceptible coldness flashed in the eyes of Douglas and Prince Soubise, and they smiled and nodded: "General Victor, thank you for your generosity."

General Victor waved his hand, his finger landing on the location of Hamburg, tapping it, and sighed: "It is just that these three cities have now been occupied by the Longyan army."

"I am afraid it will not be easy for you to enter from those three cities."

General Victor scanned the two and said indifferently: "If you were attacking from these three cities, you would have no need to come to Austria at all."

"You could have completely set out from France and taken the sea route along the North Sea."

"Attack their Hamburg and Hanover."

Douglas and Prince Soubise remained silent.

"So you intend to divide your forces into two routes, one attacking from Saxony and one attacking from Hanover."

Victor looked at the two of them and said with certainty: "Is that right, Commanders?"

Douglas chuckled: "Nothing can be hidden from you, General."

Prince Soubise, who had been silent all along, also rarely revealed a smile: "The God of War of Austria, the General who has created countless miracles, is truly formidable."

These two sentences undoubtedly proved that Victor's guess was accurate.

Victor leaned back against the expensive sofa, looking at the two supreme commanders of the Holy Roman Holy Cross Army with a hint of arrogance.

"Speak, what do you want me to do by coming here."