She changed Europe

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“Mr. Leopold, I wonder if you were satisfied with this military trip?” Gisela asked in an elegant tone, her gaze first falling on Leopold like a true lady, then naturally shifting to the young woman beside her, who maintained a charming and friendly smile throughout. Gisela wanted to leave a good impression on this “little sister.”

After all, the other party is also a magic user, and there is value in cultivating feelings for them as part of the empire's fighting force.

“Hmm, I’m satisfied. Actually, rather than overprotecting us, I’d rather do more for you…” Leopold only got halfway through his sentence before lowering his head, biting his lip with a serious expression. He knew he hadn’t met the expectations of the beautiful young woman before him, and that he was still quite a distance from fulfilling his promise.

"For you? What for you?" Gisela tilted her head, as if she were a slow-witted girl who couldn't understand that a man's thoughts could be so delicate.

“Make even greater contributions to the victory of your Austrian Empire.” Leopold raised his head again, a resolute flame flickering in his eyes.

"Then I look forward to your performance." Gisela had a hundred reasons to be confident in Leopold's military talent. Although he might not be as talented as Hindenburg and Ludendorff, he was still one of the top figures in the later Second German Empire.

PS1: If Nina were the main character, Gisela would be the villainous supporting character.

Chapter 271 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 132 Husband Currently...

Leopold, an officer who was not from the Prussian Junkers, was able to become a Field Marshal in the Prussian-dominated German Empire, and during World War I, he was one of only five people to be awarded the Grand Iron Cross. The reasons for this are self-evident.

“This is…” Gisela’s gaze fell on the little sister next to Leopold. She already knew everything about Nina from the intelligence, but in fact, this was her first official meeting with this little sister! So even if she knew her, she had to pretend not to know her and go through the motions.

“Your Highness, she is actually my sister Nina Maximilian Joseph Maria Anulf.” Leopold pushed Nina in front of Gisela, so that her sister could meet her cousin and future sister-in-law.

To be honest, Leopold knew that his sister was hostile towards Gisela, but since they would eventually become family, he still hoped that his sister and Gisela would be closer, as it would be better for both of them.

“Hello, my name is Gisela Louise Marie. As you can see, I am your older brother (crossed out) sister.” Gisela extended her hand, intending to shake hands with the girl, but the shy girl did not give Gisela any chance. Instead, she looked at Gisela with some hostility.

Gisela awkwardly held her hand up in the air for a moment before reluctantly withdrawing it.

Gisela showed great tolerance and understanding towards the girl's willfulness. Although she was only a little over 14 years old, he had been an older brother himself and could accept his younger sister's willfulness and immaturity.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, my sister is a little shy and timid." Leopold awkwardly touched his nose and then explained for his sister.

"It's alright. After all, she's my cousin, and I have reason to tolerate her immaturity and willfulness." Gisela still wore a smile that no one could dislike, and the pair of fox ears on her head swayed obediently with Gisela's movements.

"Tsk," Nina clicked her tongue softly from behind Leopold, because this annoying older sister Gisela had subtly categorized her as one of the disobedient ones, and the thought of this made Nina decide to retaliate.

“Sister’s clothes are very pretty today, but why do I feel that the color and style look like old Prussian military uniforms?” Nina said softly, tilting her head. Although her voice was very soft, everyone present could hear her clearly. Especially Chloris, who had been observing Gisela and Leopold’s interaction since earlier, revealed a playful smile.

“And I remember that when my sister rode a horse yesterday, she was wearing a white military uniform. How come she’s wearing a black military uniform today? My sister Rania told me that my sister only brought two sets of military uniforms because my sister Aponia and sister Rita were sick and she hadn’t changed her clothes.” Nina asked the question in her naturally cute tone.

When Gisela heard the little angel ask such a question, she felt a little awkward, as if she had encountered a manipulative girl in her past life. She instinctively wanted to say something, but when she noticed the red-haired girl secretly watching them from a distance, Gisela really wanted to bring out the old "sleeping red tea" and get Rania drunk, then take her to a dark room to do some unspeakable things.

"A talkative guy."

Similarly, after noticing Gisela's warning look, Rania shrank back in fright, then turned around and, with trembling hands, continued on her way. This time, she really didn't dare to look back again.

Gisela's clothes were clearly Chloris's, as yesterday's "blend" incident had rendered her last white Imperial Army uniform completely ruined due to some tears and stains.

Although Gisela wasn't afraid to make this public, which might actually deter Leopold, she knew that before officially becoming emperor, anything that could affect Joseph's evaluation of her should be prevented as soon as possible. Thinking about this, Gisela decided to keep it a secret. But how? Gisela was caught in a dilemma.

"Is it nice? This is our old Prussian military uniform. Although it's not as fancy as your Austrian uniforms, the color and design are still very sophisticated. After all, you know that Prussian soldiers have a high status in the country." When Gisela couldn't explain clearly, Chloris seized the opportunity to insert herself into the conversation, which could be considered as helping Gisela out of trouble.

“Yes, I also think your Prussian uniforms are beautiful, especially the Iron Cross design, which incorporates some of the Knights' style, giving me a special sense of solemnity and masculinity. However, I still prefer the uniforms of Austria and our Bavaria, because compared to your overly plain and practical style, I would prefer uniforms to be a little more ornate. Beautiful uniform designs can objectively make our soldiers feel more at home.” Leopold seriously evaluated and compared Chloris’s remarks, because at this moment he still hadn’t noticed the hidden meaning in her words.

"However, Your Highness, you are still beautiful and charming no matter what you wear." Even so, Leopold did not forget to change the subject and once again skillfully praised Gisela.

“Really…” Gisela continued to smile at the two of them. Because of the frequent compliments from others, she understood that the so-called girlishness was about revealing a blush unintentionally.

From Chloris's angle at that moment, she could just see Gisela's tail swaying under her skirt. That cute fox tail was wagging restlessly, which was obviously how someone reacted when they were lying.

Seeing Gisela's self-righteousness, Chloris quietly moved to Gisela's side and behind, then skillfully reached out and grabbed the furry thing in her hand.

Gisela let out a soft "Eek!" at this sudden turn of events. Leopold looked at his fiancée with a puzzled expression.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Leopold asked with concern, moving closer to Gisela, but due to the angle, she didn't know what Chloris's hands were doing.

"Um, I'm fine..." Gisela endured the unease of having her tail grabbed by that woman, while forcing herself to appear calm as she looked at Leopold. She didn't want anyone to know about such an embarrassing thing.

"Is that so? But I feel that His Highness seems to be feeling unwell." Although Leopold was not close, his words still carried a hint of unease.

"Brother! Come here, I have a problem!" Nina suddenly called out to Leopold, who had no choice but to turn back and walk towards his sister. After all, His Highness had said that he was fine, so he should be fine, right?

PS1: Wow, there's a cow here! 0v0

Chapter 272 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 133 The Siege of Milan (Seeking Votes)

Of course, he didn't know that as soon as he turned his head, Gisela, with a dazed look and a subtle expression, fell towards her horse. If Chloris hadn't stopped her in time, Gisela would probably have lost all her composure and become extremely embarrassed.

Of course, the drama was not completely over. A battle report from Milan was sent by messenger to Gisela, who was leaning on his horse and panting, as quickly as possible.

When the messenger saw the beautiful princess, he couldn't understand why he felt a unique allure from her stunning face, which was flushed and exuded a different kind of sensuality.

"Your Highness, this is the last intelligence Marshal Benedek sent me before Milan was besieged." The messenger took a deep breath, steadied his somewhat disordered breathing, and handed a letter to Gisela from his backpack.

"Claus, help me with this." Gisela was still leaning on the horse's back, her expression still somewhat dazed, and her body was trembling uncontrollably.

"Yes, Your Highness Gisela!" Chloris still gave Gisela face in front of outsiders and did not call her "little fox" directly.

"Hand it over." Chloris reached out and took the file bag, untied the rope binding it, took out the letters inside, and then opened and read them carefully.

"Why doesn't Marshal Benedek use magical communication to transmit intelligence?" Gisela chose to send a letter earlier because the new content was somewhat personal, not a military order. After all, Gisela didn't have the authority to command a marshal, so there was no need for magical communication. On the other hand, due to the special nature of magical communication, while highly efficient and convenient, it also carries a greater risk of information exposure. The unique nature of magical communication means that anyone who wants to can eavesdrop on its contents. (Although the eavesdropping efficiency is low and somewhat unpredictable.)

"Your Highness, our magical communications may have been compromised by the French army," the messenger told Gisela, relaying the marshal's earlier speculation.

"What is the basis for this statement?" For Gisela, who came from the future, intelligence security was something that truly mattered. In the future world war, how many people would spend their efforts and even lose their lives in the unseen battlefield behind the scenes, just to transmit a sentence consisting of a few dozen words and numbers, thereby guiding the course of the war.

"Yesterday, under the cover of night, the Marshal organized a surprise attack on the French artillery positions. This operation should have been successful and efficient, because out of the 582 men in this unit, 36 were magic users, including as many as 15 level one magic users." Even Gisela now clearly understood what 15 level one magic users meant. That meant the pilots of 15 magic-powered armored vehicles. These 30 men were, on the surface, no less powerful than Rita.

Of course, Rita is at level one just like them, but the rating standard only has a level one cap.

"So what was the result?" Even Gisela couldn't easily deploy such a formidable surprise attack force. After all, although her cheap father had appointed her as the nominal commander of this army, he still kept the Marquis of Brno in the army as Gisela's adjutant, while transferring Gisela's original adjutant, Miss Tifa, back to Vienna to take care of the princess. Clearly, Gisela had realized that some people around the emperor did not want her to stand out too much, nor did they want the princess to deepen her cooperation with her, thereby threatening their own plans.

However, due to her mother's actions, the Marquis of Brno was also the father of her senior, Rania, and the Brno family had been secretly given to Gisela by the Queen long ago, so the friendly relationship between the two families was self-evident.

"They were completely wiped out; the French were prepared." Before the messenger could even inform Gisela of the outcome, Chloris preemptively revealed the battle's result.

"Yes, sir, none of us who participated in the attack returned. If the French hadn't been well-prepared, they couldn't have annihilated an entire elite force with a hastily assembled unit. Therefore, the Marshal believes that the French may have already acquired our magical communication technology."

"Total annihilation, and the French were prepared?" The two men's back-and-forth caused Gisela to fall into deep thought. If that assumption was true, then her concern now wouldn't be Milan, but rather the main force of the Empire currently confronting the French north of Magendra.

No! This is just a hypothesis. Right now, resolving Milan's crisis is the priority. We can't draw conclusions before any hypothesis is confirmed. Gisela was once again jolted awake by the cold water of the battle situation, but he readjusted his mindset and clearly needed to take the upcoming battle seriously.

She also understood that this time she needed to personally pilot the magic armor and confront the French magic armor head-on. This time, no one could help her, because her other self had fallen into a deep sleep after exhausting herself that day, or rather, had achieved a deeper fusion with her, and their powers had truly complemented each other.

"So, what's the situation in Milan now?" Gisela had previously stayed in Milan, and she had a clear understanding of the city's defenses and the size and number of its garrison. Previously, considering the original course of history, at the beginning of the war, he had decided to tacitly accept the Empire's defeat at Magenta and deliberately strengthened Milan's defenses. His aim was to use Milan to delay the allied forces, giving the retreating Imperial army in Venice more time to prepare for the Battle of Solferino.

However, because of his appearance, the war drifted in an uncertain direction, but now everything has returned to its original course, and Milan has once again played his due role.

"Before I left, the French army launched a fierce attack, which forced us to abandon most of our strongholds outside the city and retreat back into the city. The heavy losses of magic warriors rendered most of our magic armor unusable, and the pressure on the defensive line was increasing further."

Gisela's fortifications outside the city clearly failed to achieve their intended purpose. Had she been more capable, she could have simply given the French a taste of urban warfare. However, not everyone possesses her futuristic strategic wisdom. For a general of average ability in this era, when a battle is forced to rely solely on the city's defenses, the collapse of that army is not far off.

"Who is the commander of this French army? Is it a magic user, a magic warrior, or a general with outstanding military achievements?" Such efficient offensive tactics, and the actions taken last night, could not have come from the hands of an unknown person. Cornwall, McMahon, and others are all possible candidates.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 273 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 134 Milan Would Be Better Burned Down

“Your Highness is Lady Jeanne de Darc, Duke of Orléans, France.” The messenger looked at Gisela with a serious expression, his eyes flashing with a natural fear.

"That French saintess?" Upon hearing the soldier's words, Chloris raised an eyebrow. This woman, with an extremely awful and unpleasant personality and no femininity whatsoever except for her appearance, was someone Chloris had met once in Paris. However, even with her high looks, Chloris did not like that woman. After all, while Chloris was lustful, she was not someone who would accept anyone.

"Oh? It's that Black Jeanne." Gisela had never dealt with Jeanne before; the last person she'd faced was Su Beiming, and the two had clashed in Guangzhou. She could call her that because she now possessed all the memories of Su Beiming during the time he occupied her body. That silver-haired, golden-eyed saintess was so similar to the woman in that old, crappy cup game she used to play, and then there was Sister Li! This damned world was so sweet, projecting these beautiful girls, similar to game characters, into this world, and the worst part was that most of them were on her opposite side…

In a sense, one can only say that the gods really have a damned sense of humor.

"Alter Jeanne, what is that?" Chloris narrowed her crimson eyes, realizing that this was definitely not a simple matter.

"It's nothing, I just came up with a nickname for that Black Saintess, is there a problem?" Gisela glanced to the side naturally, clearly she was lying again. She was so good at cold reading when observing others, but when it came to herself, she seemed so clueless.

Gisela would never admit that she made mistakes towards Richelieu and Jeanne Alter from the anime/manga era, or that she used the fixed phrase "I will never..." After all, such shameful things have long been completely sealed away by Gisela.

"Alright, have the troops march quickly. Milan won't last long." Without enough magical armor and without magical wielders, Gisela was really worried about Benedek guarding Milan alone.

"Yes, Your Highness," the soldiers responded in unison.

As the group quickened its pace, Gisela expressionlessly raised his head and looked up at the sky. At that moment, an eagle flew overhead, heading towards Milan with the group.

At this moment in Milan—

Benedek sat alone at his desk, staring blankly at the report that had been handed to him that morning. The troops that had launched the attack outside the city had been completely wiped out. He had read this report, which contained only a few dozen words, no less than ten times.

"Messiah, my Messiah." Benedek murmured the name of the woman he had been intimate with that day. His wife's early death led him to dedicate his life to the military. Although he had had various relationships with many women, he never chose to marry again because he did not want to experience loss again.

Until a woman named Messiah entered his life. She was young yet mature and reliable, beautiful and dignified, as well as courageous and responsible. She was an excellent officer and, more importantly, the woman he loved most. Apart from her less-than-noble birth, Benedek couldn't find any flaws in her.

His original intention was for her to gain merit through this surprise attack, and then become an honored noble, so that their marriage would receive blessings from their families and other nobles. Sending out a large number of magic users was also to provide her with better protection. Although it was ostensibly to ensure the effectiveness of the attack, he also had a slightly selfish purpose.

"A clever plan backfires..." The surprise attack failed, and the city's defenses were in danger due to the loss of the magic warriors and the lack of maneuvering magic armor. It was all his fault. Milan would fall, and he had already lost his beloved. In the future, he would also lose his honor. At that time, he would really have nothing left.

The marshal sighed, somewhat helplessly opened the drawer, and looked at the pistol inside.

"Teacher, I'm sorry, I'm going to disappoint you." A soldier who acts out of personal favoritism is never a qualified soldier, but what kind of soldier is one who doesn't even have emotions?

Benedek loaded a bullet into his revolver, aimed it at his forehead, and pulled the trigger—it would all be over.

Just then, the door was violently kicked open, and a burly young man walked into the room.

"Peter, get out! That's an order!"

"My lord! I've seen Miss Messiah!"

"What!" Benedek put down his gun, then stood up excitedly and walked towards Peter.

"Where is she! Where is she!" Benedek grabbed Peter by the collar and asked in a somewhat urgent tone.

She is outside the city.

Upon hearing Peter's words, Benedek excitedly pushed aside the burly young man in front of him and walked towards the corridor.

"Sir! Where are you going?" Peter turned around and looked at the middle-aged man with some confusion. This was the first time in all these years that he had seen his superior so excited.

"Inspecting the city's defenses, so as not to fail His Majesty and Her Highness the Princess's expectations." With that, Benedek walked steadily down the stairs and into the outdoor area.

At this time, the French army—

Jeanne was sitting with her legs crossed on a chair that she had somehow acquired. She rested her head on her right elbow on the armrest of the chair and looked down at the almost unobstructed view of Milan below the hill.

Not far from her, a thick wooden stake stood in the open ground, with a blonde woman tied to it. Several wounded Imperial soldiers knelt on the ground, clearly prisoners captured by the French in the previous night's battle. Thick layers of dry grass covered their feet; the consequences of even the slightest spark were obvious.

"What time is it, Gilles?" Jeanne asked in a languid voice, looking at Gilles, who stood behind her with a serious expression and impeccable manner.

"It's noon, Saintess." Giles's voice was flat, as wooden as a machine.

"That's about it." Jeanne stood up, stretched her arms comfortably, and her graceful and unguarded appearance caused many of the French soldiers standing guard to be momentarily stunned. However, they quickly regained their composure, after all, although she was beautiful, they couldn't afford to be too impressed.

“Gilles, give me my sword.” Jeanne stretched out her hand to Giles, her gaze still fixed on Milan below the hill.

"What a beautiful city! It's such a waste to hand it over to the Italians, isn't it?"

“Yes, sir, it’s a great pity,” Giles echoed softly, handing a black sword to Jeanne.

Jeanne glanced sideways at the young man beside her with a hint of displeasure, then looked back ahead.

"Then let's just burn it." Jeanne casually snapped her fingers, a tiny flame flashed at her fingertip, but quickly disappeared without a trace.

PS1: Nothing to do today.

Chapter 274 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 135 Dark Clouds Loom Over the City (Seeking Votes)

"Holy Maiden, if you so desire, I will lay down enough hay to set the entire city ablaze." Giles continued to uphold his loyalty in his monotone voice. What harm was there in setting the world ablaze as long as the Holy Maiden was happy?

As Jeanne looked at Giles in front of her, she couldn't help but think of the blonde woman with braided hair, the blindly loyal one who wielded the Sword of Roland. Both of them were hopelessly rigid, but the biggest difference between them was that one was doing what most people thought was right, while the other was only doing what he thought was right.

If Richelieu had been there, she would have certainly criticized herself, but unfortunately, she wasn't.

“Forget it, I hate the smell of burning corpses! I don’t want to become Nero who burned down Rome, and Milan should be ours.” Jeanne’s tone was as if she were talking to herself, leaving Gilles with no choice but to silently lower his head and agree with the saint’s thoughts.

“Gilles, shouldn’t our audience be arriving soon?” Jeanne gazed at the city walls of Milan with her golden eyes.

“Yes, Saintess.” Upon hearing Jeanne’s words, Giles picked up his binoculars, pointed the lens at the distance, and replied after a moment.

"Then we can begin." With Jeanne's command, Giles gently raised his hand into the air, then gently lowered it. The cannons behind him, already loaded, roared furiously, spewing scorching flames from their mouths. Shells rose up, accompanied by sharp whistles as they flew towards the Austrian city defenses.

Imperial side —

"Take cover." Marshal Benedek, who had just arrived at the front line, immediately began to skillfully direct his soldiers to lie down or take cover as soon as he noticed the French artillery fire.

Milan's old stone walls were originally unable to withstand artillery fire from the French, but after Gisela and her husband's last-minute preparations, she angled the westernmost section of the wall, added a significant amount of earth, and modified it to resemble a bastion. But that wasn't all. Who knows what got into Her Highness while she was in charge of Milan? She also moved all the stones from the eastern wall to the western wall and thickened it considerably.

The idea of ​​robbing Peter to pay Paul might not sound good, but Gisela's judgment at the time proved to be correct. Milan was not a small city, and if the French army wanted to completely besiege it, the troop tying would be huge. Rather than a desperate siege, in this era of artillery, armies tended to focus on key targets to achieve victory over the entire city.

A series of deafening explosions blasted apart mounds of earth, shattering city walls and the massive stones that held them together—the sheer devastation of the 24-pound mortar. Meanwhile, 12-pound and 14-pound field guns easily claimed the lives of Imperial soldiers who had lost their cover. This era was one where the attackers held a far greater advantage than the defenders; ever-increasing caliber and power of artillery sharpened the spear, while the shields of makeshift trenches and outdated city defenses had become utterly vulnerable.

"Be careful, sir." Peter pushed Benedek aside, and a 12-pound shell exploded right next to him. The huge impact threw the fallen Peter into the trench.

Tinnitus and intense dizziness struck at the same time, almost making Benedek vomit. He struggled to hold onto the inner wall of the trench and gasped for breath.

"Cough cough, Peter, are you alright?" The middle-aged man coughed a little and then called out in the direction he had been standing. At this moment, the stiffness in his bones and the pain in his muscles forced the marshal to realize that he was no longer young.