Since the mysterious panel had already displayed the progress bar for the Empire's reform, Laszlo took some time to plan for the reforms.
In his study, Laszlo diligently wrote and drew on paper, racking his brain to recall long-sealed memories, striving to outline a brand-new blueprint for the future development of the Empire.
Whether it was Matthias I, who ushered in Hungary's Golden Age, or the highly revered Maximilian I, the Last Knight, their successes were inseparable from the support of powerful military forces and a spirit of progressive reform.
Matthias pioneered the formation of the incredibly powerful Black Army of Hungary, a standing mercenary army independent of the domestic great nobles, who answered only to the King.
By learning from the advanced organizational concepts of the Hussite Wars' Bohemian rebels, especially the organizational philosophy and art of war of Jan Žižka, the Black Army became the most powerful army in Europe at that time.
The Black Army captured Prague for him, securing the Bohemian crown, and then captured Vienna for him, sending Frederick III fleeing in disarray, and earning him the title of Archduke of Austria.
He repeatedly defeated the Ottoman, leaving the mighty Mehmed II, the Conqueror, utterly frustrated.
Meanwhile, Emperor Maximilian, summarizing years of experience from the Burgundy War, resolved to create a special legion: by issuing licenses and appointing mercenary leaders to recruit men in various regions of the Empire, a 6,000-8,000 strong elite force was organized, named the "Black Company." This was the Empire's first standing mercenary army, and they followed the energetic Emperor Maximilian on campaigns across the lands, achieving illustrious military feats.
Maximilian gave them another name: "Landsknechts." As the Empire's conflicts on the French, Italian, and Ottoman fronts grew increasingly tense, Austria's military strength proved insufficient to support so many theaters of war, and the Landsknechts' scale gradually expanded, forming the prototype of the Empire's standing army.
National defense is the cornerstone of a country's stable development; if the people live in constant fear, how can economic construction thrive?
Laszlo resolved to form his own "Black Army" and "Landsknechts," a pressing need to counter the Ottoman invasion, and in fact, he had begun preparations at the very start of his reign.
He was undoubtedly very concerned about Hungary.
However, with his election as the new Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, it was difficult for him not to turn his attention to the fragmented state within the Empire.
The infamous golden bull issued by Emperor Sigismund's father, the old Emperor Charles IV, stipulated that the feudal lords held absolute power within their respective territories, directly transforming the German Holy Roman Empire, once Europe's foremost power, into a scattered mess.
The feudal lords cared only for their own interests, even prioritizing the interests of their states above those of the Empire... it was practically a Spring and Autumn Period drama unfolding in Central Europe, now having reached an era of crumbling rites and collapsing music.
No wonder the classic complaint circulated: "Neither holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire."
Now, more and more insightful individuals within the Empire have realized that the Empire should not continue in a state of disorder and anarchy; implementing imperial reform is imperative.
It is very difficult for the Emperor to resist the rapidly rising Ottomans people with his own strength alone.
Laszlo did not want to be like his father, Albrecht, spending half his life entrenched on the Eastern European Ottoman front; comparatively, he felt that integrating the Empire was more important.
When Albrecht II ascended the throne, he encountered significant obstacles in his attempt to implement imperial reforms.
Plagued by years of Ottomans invasions, Albrecht simply abandoned the plan, even becoming disheartened and indifferent to the vast Holy Roman Empire that nominally belonged to him, focusing instead on his own small domain.
But Laszlo would not give up, not only because the Imperial Reform progress bar had appeared in his mind, but also because Austria now held an absolute advantage within the Empire.
Strengthening his rule in the Empire would provide more resources to counter the Ottoman, and only by resisting the Ottomans invasion could he continue to deepen the Imperial reform.
Fortunately, Albrecht II had left Laszlo a substantial foundation; he had already begun to form the prototype of his own standing army.
Aside from the Emperor's Guard, the Austrian Archduke Guard, and the King of Hungary's Guard, all personally established by Albrecht, Laszlo's newly recruited two mercenary legions were organized according to his vision, with a relatively complete structure: one legion consisting of ten companies, each company with 300 men.
Company commanders were granted the rank of Imperial Captain, legion commanders the rank of Colonel, and the overall commander of both legions the rank of General.
This was a brave attempt; in the 15th century, an era when the scale of warfare had not yet rapidly expanded, such military organization was considered advanced.
If the results were good enough, future expansion of the legions would follow this model.
As for how to judge the effectiveness, of course, it would be by testing it in Bohemia.
Europe was currently in a period of flourishing feudalism, with societal changes quietly brewing, but everything still largely resembled the old ways of the Middle Ages.
The main forces a monarch could muster, apart from mercenaries, were the armies of the feudal nobles.
Through a tightly structured feudal system, a king could quickly assemble a large army loyal to him, even though most of its members were merely farmers, not professional warriors.
Knights and seasoned mercenaries often formed the backbone of such armies, and the feudal system, which had prevailed in Europe for nearly a thousand years, had now reached a crossroads.
Jan Žižka's bold military reform attempts during the Hussite Wars included establishing a standing army and issuing decrees, clarifying that soldiers fought for the future of their nation and people.
Such an elite army, with exceptional organization and fighting spirit, combined with the brilliant command artistry and innovative tactics of Jan Žižka and his successors, crushed five counter-attacks launched by reactionaries against the Hussites in the fertile land of Bohemia, leaving both Sigismund and Albrecht II utterly disoriented.
Had it not been for internal divisions within the Hussites and betrayal by traitors, the outcome of this extremely long and far-reaching Hussite Wars would still be unknown.
Although Albrecht II took over Sigismund's unfinished work and suppressed the radical Hussites in Bohemia, his forces were never able to reach Prague, the stronghold of the moderate Hussites (Cup faction).
In the early days of his rule, the still relatively weak Albrecht II had led his army into Bohemia, only to be defeated by the Cup faction army south of Prague.
Just as he was about to regroup his forces for a renewed offensive, he suddenly received news of a major Ottoman invasion.
Under duress, Albrecht granted the leader of the Cup faction, Iri, the position of Regent of Bohemia and reached a reconciliation with the Bohemian Parliament, then immediately rushed his troops to the eastern front in Hungary to resist the Ottomans.
So, whether the Hussite Wars had truly ended was still very difficult to say.
Laszlo did not know if he was the first monarch to notice the military value of the Hussite Wars, but he knew that the Czech had also regressed to the feudal era, and they had personally destroyed the powerful army they had created.
Since there was no generational gap in organization and military technology, Laszlo was confident that he could achieve victory.
He wanted to reshuffle the cards, allowing the German influence to re-infiltrate Bohemia, otherwise the Czech people in this land would never be at peace.
Now he was the biggest reactionary, the reactionary stronghold of the Catholic, and he would continue the work of his predecessors, uniting with the Pope to thoroughly eradicate the Hussites, and establish his rule in Bohemia through bloody means.