It had been 3 months since the Animal General appointments, and now Hannover was on the horizon.
Victor had been counting down the days to see his family, to hold them and be able to spend time with them. He had missed them terribly. It had been almost a year and a half since he set sail for Gu with his army, but now he was sailing home a conqueror. His kingdom now spanned across two continents.
This was a feat that no one in the history of Syronnea had ever achieved. To have two continents fully under one kingdom's control was unheard of. Even the remaining four monarchs were beginning to pay close attention to Victor.
The Sultan of the Hakim Sultanate was intrigued and eager to meet Victor. They were similar in age and both overthrew their fathers. Tsar Fyodor Mikhailovich was annoyed at Victor's success. Now that the continent of Simbar was under Luxenberg control, it made raiding so much harder. The two warring princes of Zandar were also taking a keen interest, but they were too busy dealing with each other to act themselves.
Victor's city was coming into view, his port was flourishing like normal, and all sorts of merchant ships were travelling in and out of it. Goods of all manner were unloaded and stored in warehouses.
Soldiers patrolled the docks and the walls while the Luxenberg coat of arms fluttered in the wind, high above the walls. The distant sound of bells could be heard deeper from within the city.
There was a hint of nostalgia as Victor sailed into port; the once rundown and impoverished city he had inherited had blossomed into a vibrant and bustling city. Eye-catching colours and pristine-looking buildings now lined the clean streets of Hannover.
Victor's fleet was headlined by the mighty flagship, The Holy Trinity. Half of the original number of ships had returned, as the other half of the fleet was either stationed in Simbar or dropping off soldiers to Bismarck and Osterbon.
People crowded the streets as they wanted to catch a glimpse of the returning king. They rejoiced as he walked past them, flowers were thrown at the feet of the soldiers, and music began to play.
Hannover was celebrating the return of the king, drinks were shared, food was eaten, and good times were had. Soldiers reunited with their loved ones, and taverns were full of veterans, already beginning to tell their tales of the recent war.
When Victor returned to the Luxenberg Palace, all of the 400 Royal Guard infantry were present in the courtyard in a parade-like fashion. They formed a straight line that led straight to the steps of the palace entrance, where Queen Clarisse and her children were standing.
As soon as Victor came into view, they rushed him, almost tackling him to the ground. All six of the children missed their father terribly and prayed he would return safe and soon. The sight of them caused little Vanessa and Victoria to cry, while Anton and Henri were persistent in wanting to know how the war went.
When Clarisse was given a turn to greet her husband, she wasted no time in giving him a long and passionate kiss. Her bed felt ever lonelier as Victor was away on campaign. Now that he was home, there was a lot of catching up to do.
Victor was fortunate enough to return just before dinner, so he was lucky to enjoy a hearty feast with his family. All sorts of delicious food were brought out, and Victor indulged a bit too much. His waistline was slowly getting choked by his pants, and a button may or may not have popped off.
Clovis and Vincent rested on their father's lap while he told them his tales. He obviously refrained from the gruesome details, but he told enough that was for the likes of Anton and Henri to be satisfied. However, once Victor mentioned that Field Marshal Schwarzenberg would remain on the continent as the ruler of Simbar, Anton was disappointed.
Anton had grown quite fond of the Austrian Field Marshal and often pestered him to tell war stories or teach him. This had been going on for two years before the first incident with the Kingdom of Gu.
With Anton starting at the military academy, he was looking forward to more teachings from the Commander-in-Chief of the Luxenberg Military. Unbeknownst to him, there would soon be a suitable replacement to take Schwarzenberg's role.
With his belly full and his heart warmed by his children, it was now time for him to retire for the night with his wife. (There is no need to elaborate further)
During Victor's time away, nothing eventful happened in his kingdom. No secret invasions, no assassinations, no foreign emissaries. It was relatively calm, which Clarisse was thankful for. She dutifully fulfilled her role and ruled to the best of her ability. The people loved her, and she loved them, which made things easier for her to deal with. Victor was beyond grateful for her and what she had done over the last year and a half.
Before Victor truly fell asleep, he decided to begin searching for the next Commander-in-Chief of his military. Field Marshal Wellesley was an excellent candidate; he had served as the Commander-in-Chief for the British Army during the Napoleonic Era.
His resume was impressive, but Victor was hesitant to appoint him, not because he doubted his ability or did not trust him, but given the fact that he had Legendary-Level Commander Summon to use.
There were two men Victor hoped to receive from this Commander Summon. The first man was someone that Victor had wanted since the early days of his rule. It was a man who was known as Napoleon's right hand, Marshal Louis-Alexandre Berthier.
As Napoleon's Chief of Staff, he was his logistical and operational brain, translating his rapid-fire orders into coherent, executable movements across multiple army corps. He was often overlooked because he lacked flair, but his precision made Napoleon's complex operations possible.
The other man would be perhaps the lowest-ranked five-star commander that he could summon; this was Lieutenant General Gerhard Johann David von Scharnhorst. He was a Prussian General who reformed the Prussian Army after its defeat in 1806 to Napoleon.
Under his leadership, Prussia underwent sweeping changes: abolition of corporal punishment, merit-based promotion, ending foreign enlistment, and instituting a reserve army through conscription systems like the *Krümpersystem that circumvented Napoleonic troop limits.
(The Krümpersystem: A rotating short-term training system that inflated trained reserves beyond the French-imposed cap of 42,000 men, preparing Prussia for mass mobilisation in 1813)
With either of these men, Victor's military could continue to improve and be the most formidable fighting force in the world.