Departing from Vienna and traveling east, it took three days to reach Székesfehérvár, which people preferred to call 'White City'.
Vast swamps surrounded this sturdy fortress, and its towering walls, combined with natural defenses, ensured that any enemy coveting it would suffer greatly.
People commonly considered Pest-Budapest to be the capital and political center of Hungary, but few knew that the capital of Hungary in the mid-to-late Middle Ages was actually Székesfehérvár.
Many Kings of Hungary were crowned in the cathedral of the White City and buried there after their deaths.
Additionally, the capital of Serbia, Belgrade, also literally means 'White City', but in Serbian. Now both 'White Cities' are within Greater Hungary, and Belgrade is even the frontline against Ottomans incursions.
Laszlo, however, was not particularly interested in these obscure historical facts; he simply found the small city quite beautiful.
All the prominent nobles of Hungary were now gathered in this city, awaiting the King's coronation.
Inside the solemn and holy cathedral, Laszlo knelt on one knee, hands clasped, pretending to look devoutly at Archbishop Veszter of Hungary.
Beside the Archbishop, a kind, white-haired noble held the famous saint stephen's crown.
A circle of Hungarian bishops surrounded them, and in the hall behind Laszlo, Hungarian nobles gathered to witness this holy ceremony.
Veszter recited a long, tedious Latin blessing. Even with knowledge of Latin in his mind, Laszlo found it hard to understand what he was saying, likely something about God granting him authority to rule this land.
In any case, the most important thing was to wear that crown. Hungarians were famous for 'finding a King for the Crown'; only by wearing the saint stephen's crown at the coronation could one truly become King of Hungary.
His attention was more focused on the old man beside the Archbishop.
Unlike most Hungarian dignitaries, he wore a rather unadorned formal suit, had a lean face, sharp eyes, a smiling, wrinkled face, and a scimitar at his waist, exuding a heroic aura of vigor in old age.
Archbishop Veszter recited for about ten minutes, and just as Laszlo was about to lose his composure, the Archbishop finally stopped his chanting.
He nodded to the noble beside him.
The latter immediately stepped forward and placed the crown firmly on Laszlo's head.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty," the old man congratulated gently.
"Thank you, Janos," Laszlo responded politely.
Immediately, Laszlo rose and faced the nobles.
The old man behind him drew the scimitar from his waist, raised it high, and shouted, "Long live the King!"
The nobles in the hall enthusiastically cheered in unison, "Long live the King!"
Laszlo walked through the cathedral, and along the way, the nobles bowed to him. This feeling of being the center of attention made Laszlo feel somewhat light-headed, as if he could fly after a few more steps.
Now, he was the undisputed King of Hungary—Laszlo V.
Meanwhile, in Vienna, inside Hofburg Palace.
Frederick toyed with the golden wine cup in his hand, staring at the fine wine within, lost in thought.
Across from him, the shrewd diplomat and Frederick's chief advisor, Ulrich Eyczing (not Ulrich II of Cilli), was also silently contemplating.
"Ulrich, he actually fled Vienna without a trace of reluctance to consort with those Magyar barbarians. I am truly heartbroken."
"Duke, His Majesty must have been misguided by some fool to act this way. As things stand, your promise to the late Emperor seems to have become exceedingly difficult."
Frederick's face was already grim, and hearing this made it even darker.
A meeting of Electors was about to be held in Frankfurt. At this critical juncture, this young Laszlo rushed to Hungary to inherit the throne, and might even stay in Hungary to rule. This situation undoubtedly increased the difficulty of him bribing the Electors.
To hand over the throne of the Holy Roman Empire to another family? This was unacceptable.
At this point, he could only grit his teeth and push forward.
"Ulrich, I'm leaving this matter to you. Get it done at all costs."
Eyczing, however, revealed a mysterious smile at this moment.
"Duke, have you... considered another possibility?"
"Stop, Ulrich! I promised the late Emperor; how could I possibly be a candidate myself?" Frederick quickly waved his hand, urging him not to continue this dangerous topic.
Eyczing sighed softly, secretly cursing Frederick for his indecisiveness. Such a wishy-washy person was truly not worth assisting.
He had already begun to consider changing allegiance in his heart. It seemed that the King's Austrian territories were temporarily entrusted to Frederick's care, which was a good opportunity.
Speaking of the territorial division of Austria, one cannot help but mention a past of fraternal strife.
Several generations ago, the Habsburg Family's territories were divided between two brothers. The Albrecht branch ruled Lower Austria (including the Austrian core Vienna region), while the Leopold branch ruled Inner Austria, Outer Austria, and Upper Austria (Styria, Carinthia, and parts of southern Dalmatia, Tyrol region, and the Habsburg ancestral lands of Switzerland-Alsace region).
The Leopold branch further split, giving rise to the Styrian branch, which ruled Styria, and the Tyrolean branch, which ruled Upper Austria and Outer Austria.
This might be complicated, but European noble inheritance is just like this. In any case, old Albrecht's "Austrian Succession Law" was still just a piece of paper. If any of the brothers didn't get a share of the family property, they would cause trouble, so it was better to just cut it up and divide it equally.
Laszlo was currently the sole heir of the Albrecht branch, holding the title of Archduke of Austria and the territory of Lower Austria (Vienna).
Frederick was the heir of the Styrian branch and had inherited the title of Duke of Styria long ago. Later, Albrecht II (Laszlo's father) attempted to integrate the family territories and, together with Frederick, divided the territories of the Tyrolean branch, bringing all of Upper Austria and Outer Austria under the rule of the Archduke. Frederick was then granted the title of Duke of Inner Austria, expanding his territory.
Although Austria was largely unified at this time, it was still effectively divided. Frederick, as a close political ally of Albrecht II, naturally maintained consistency in his stance with him, so everyone saw a harmonious and unified Austria. However, once Frederick started making small moves, the internal situation of Austria would become turbulent.
However, a person like Frederick, despite having grand ambitions, lacked the corresponding strength and initiative, and ultimately would not amount to much.
Just like in a certain timeline, he was elected Holy Roman Emperor by the princes and usurped his nephew Laszlo's Archduchy of Austria, expanding his power by bullying orphans and widows, and even brazenly claiming that "A.E.I.O.U" meant "Austria will rule everything," becoming immensely popular for a time.
In a blink of an eye, he was severely beaten by the blackened Little Ma (Matthias Hunyadi), even losing Vienna, and could only live in Linz, eating rats and studying astrology, eventually dying in depression.
As an old P-society war criminal, Laszlo naturally understood his "uncle," who had been an Emperor in another world, and knew what a good-for-nothing he truly was. However, temporarily entrusting him with the management of the Austrian territories was acceptable.
Poor Frederick did not know that he had already been classified as a "tool man to be used at will" by his dear nephew.
He was currently racking his brains to secure the Holy Roman Empire throne for his nephew Laszlo.