WebNovels

Chapter 25 - Cracks in The Crown

The winds that greeted Hans Ehrenfeld Adler upon his return to Vienna were colder than he remembered — not in weather, but in spirit. The city still bore his banners, the Iron Crown stitched upon every flag and engraved into every stone. Yet as his boots touched the polished marble of Hofburg Citadel, he felt it in the air:

Tension. Silence. Division.

Colonel Engelhardt, his loyal adjutant, waited at the gates with a storm written in his eyes.

"Your Majesty," he said grimly, "we have a problem."

Hans did not flinch. He simply nodded. "Take me to it."

The Officer Fracture

In the central war chamber, Hans was briefed on the situation: while he had been in Poland — negotiating unification, stabilizing the region, and restoring order — factions had begun to form within his own officer corps. At first, they were simple political arguments. Now, they had turned into open challenges.

Two major blocs had formed:

The "The Old Guard", hardliners who wanted hereditary noble rights within the Iron Crown, establishing military dominions led by officer bloodlines.

And the newly-emerging "Reformists", composed of younger officers, war-time bureaucrats, and civilians — pushing for constitutional monarchy, elected provincial governments, and guild representation within the Empire.

The Old Guards, styled in regal black and gold, claimed the Iron Crown needed to "ascend from the ashes of Europe as an Imperium."The Reformists argued the Iron Crown had a chance to become something new — a monarchy not of blood, but of order, law, and unity.

Worse yet, skirmishes had broken out in two command towns. Fort Karlingrad's garrison had split loyalties. Oberleutnant Richter had to fire into the air to stop an all-out firefight between rival officer groups.

Hans listened without interrupting, his face unreadable.

When Colonel Engelhardt finished, Hans stood up slowly.

"I did not wear a crown to let wolves devour the body politic. I wore it to protect the soul of this realm."

The Assembly of Officers

Three days later, Hans convened the Iron Assembly in the Great Hall of Hofburg — a chamber never before used for war or politics. For the first time, over two hundred military commanders, guild magistrates, and civil administrators sat beneath the golden banners of the Iron Crown. And Hans spoke:

"I hear your voices — all of them. I see your visions for this kingdom. Some want war. Some want autonomy.But I say this: We will not repeat the sins of the Old World.This is not a new Holy Roman Empire. This is not a feudal playground for ambition.The Iron Crown will stand — united, modern, and just.I reject all calls for feudal division. We will not return to thrones built by bloodlines.If we build anything, it will be institutions."

There was silence.

Then murmurs.

Then applause — cautious, scattered, but growing.

Birth of the Reformist Bloc

By week's end, a new official faction had declared itself:

The Reformists of the Iron Crown — composed of several officer legions, Hans's younger bureaucrats from Oberfeld, and representatives from Poland, Czechia, and even parts of Hungary.

They backed Hans's vision: a monarchist state, where the Emperor served as stabilizer and commander, but where local governance came from the people and laws governed succession, not ambition.

They called for a charter: The Pact of Stability, a document that would form the basis of limited elections, civil law, and provincial parliaments under the Crown.

But the Sovereigns did not back down.

Commander Elian Kreuz, leader of the Sovereigns of the Flame, issued a letter:

"The Iron Crown is forged in fire. You wish to make it velvet. This is weakness, not vision."

Crisis in the Council

On the eve of ratifying the Reformist pact, Elian's forces blockaded supply roads into Vienna from the southern territories. Rumors swirled that rogue The Old Guards were preparing a march on the capital to "reassert order."

Hans sat in the war room, staring at the map. Engelhardt, Richter, and young Oberleutnant Ilse stood at his sides.

"We crushed beasts from another world," Hans muttered, "and now we bleed from the inside."

Ilse spoke first. "Your Majesty. If we allow them to challenge the crown openly, others will follow. You must act."

Engelhardt nodded. "Declare martial law. Outlaw the Sovereigns."

But Hans shook his head.

"No. I will not rule by emergency. Not unless they raise steel against my throne.We will win with law, loyalty, and legitimacy."

More Chapters