Imperial Diet V

[OverKnight]

Matthias is alarmed by Jonas von Mahren's seizure and is relieved when the Franconian receives aid.

Count Jonas has my consolations, if it means anything to him. Most of us have lost a friend or family member in service to the Reich. It may serve as small comfort, but the sacrifices of the fallen have ensured our continued primacy in the world.

Matthias pauses, lost in thought.

Yet a live man serves the Reich and his House better than the fallen. Count Sigismund chose to assault Bran with only his retainers and a unit of spearmen. If he had used all the men at his command, I doubt we would be mourning him now.

Despite the minstrel's songs, battle is not a game or a tourney. It is deadly, and our fates lie in balance on a blade's edge. Bravery can save the day, but an excess of it can lose it. The Reich does not have so many commanders that we can throw them away on a whim. When we fight in a battle, we are not just burnishing our own individual reputations, we are advancing the interests of the Reich. If there is a conflict between the two, I hope my fellow Electors will remember their duty to the Empire and the Kaiser.

[AussieGiant]

Sitting listening to the Chancellor, Arnold begins to speak, stops and then sits with a clear look of anger and frustration on his face. As the Chancellor finishes Arnold can only nod in agreement in cold silence