Tyranny of Steel

Emperor Balsamo Corsini was sitting upon his imperial throne within the City of Florence, news of Milan ’s fall had just reached his ears, and he could hardly believe it. If it were not coming from a trusted source, the man would never dare to believe such shocking words.

The Holy Roman Emperor swallowed the saliva built up in his throat before asking the question on his mind to the General standing before him.

”Can you repeat what you just said for me? ”

Upon being asked this question, the General did not hesitate to respond with the words he had just spoken moments before. He sighed with defeat as he announced the grim news that he had only recently received.

”Milan has fallen; it took the Austrian Army roughly an hour to penetrate the city ’s defenses. Afterward, resistance to the Austrian invaders ended as swiftly as it had begun. According to reports, the Austrians have been ransacking the wealth of our Northernmost cities. Anything of value that can be taken has been stripped from the local populace, leaving the population poor and destitute. ”

With this clarification, the Emperor rested his head in his hands as he gazed at the floor with a panicked expression; he could seldom believe Milan had fallen so quickly, especially after he dispatched forces to hamper the Austrian advance. As such, he promptly asked about the status of his skirmishers.

”What about the troops we have set in the field? How many of them remain to slow down the Austrian Army? ”