In the garden pavilion, Laszlo and Leonor met the Empress Dowager Elizabeth.
"Are you two leaving Vienna already?" the Empress Dowager asked reluctantly, not wanting to part with her son and daughter-in-law so soon.
"Mother, I apologize, but this is unavoidable. We must first go to Rome for the coronation, then to Burgundy to attend Philip's banquet. I plan to hold an emergency Imperial Conference on the way back, either in Nuremberg or Regensburg. There's still a lot to do after returning home."
"You're still going to attend Philip's banquet? Can't you just send someone else in your place?"
Elizabeth was somewhat displeased. If it were anyone else, it wouldn't matter, but it had to be Philip.
Not only did he forcibly occupy the Empress Dowager's hometown, but he also drove her cousin, with whom she had a very good relationship, out of the castle, leading to her tragic death in exile.
At that time, Albrecht II chose to reconcile with Philip and even intended to marry his eldest daughter, Anne, to Philip's son.
Elizabeth had given Albrecht II the silent treatment for over half a year because of this matter, and the Empress Dowager still held a grudge to this day.
Now, her own son was eagerly rushing to attend that scoundrel's banquet. Elizabeth couldn't understand what kind of bewitching potion Philip had given the father and son.
As a wife and mother, she was both angry and sad about her husband and son's behavior of siding with outsiders.
The Duchy of Luxembourg should have been her son's territory, but it was shamelessly seized by Philip. Yet, the two parties involved were getting along splendidly, making her seem out of place.
Laszlo could only patiently soothe his mother's increasingly agitated emotions.
He couldn't just say, "I'm waiting for my good brother-in-law, Charles the Bold, to get his head smashed in so I can directly inherit the entire Duchy of Burgundy, right?"
Laszlo even suspected that his father, Albrecht II, had the same idea. After all, the Burgundy family's population was dwindling, and who knew when they might die out without an heir?
When it came to inheriting from extinct lines, if Habsburg said they were second, no one would dare say they were first.
"Mother, please calm down first. This banquet is not simple."
"How not simple? So much so that you, the esteemed Emperor, must personally attend?" Elizabeth was in a fit of pique, and Laszlo's explanations only made her angrier.
Luxembourg! She, Elizabeth von Luxembourg, the last direct descendant of the Luxembourg family. After her passing, there would be no more Luxembourg family in the world!
The brief glory of the Luxembourg dynasty ultimately turned to dust.
And the Habsburg dynasty had already risen from its corpse.
She was now the Empress Dowager, yet to visit her hometown, she had to leave the country? Who could she complain to about this? Usually, she deliberately avoided thinking about these matters, but not now. If Laszlo could avoid attending the banquet and return to Vienna earlier, that would be wonderful.
Laszlo also saw through his mother's little thoughts. A mother who couldn't bear to be separated from her son, truly…
"Mother, this is a banquet jointly hosted by the Pope and the Duke of Burgundy. They will call for a new Crusade against the Ottomans at the banquet."
Upon hearing this, Elizabeth immediately calmed down.
"A Crusade? A new expedition?"
"Yes, Mother, I am already the Emperor, and I must set an example."
Laszlo's conviction was firm now; this war was inevitable.
"But… you are still too young. Although your father placed great hopes in you, isn't this too soon?"
Elizabeth looked worried. She didn't believe Laszlo had enough ability to lead an army to defeat the invincible Ottomans.
She didn't want Laszlo to repeat the mistakes of his grandfather, Sigismund; a rash attack on the Ottomans would only bring disaster.
"Mother, I am no longer an infant in swaddling clothes."
"Yes, you have grown up."
Elizabeth gently stroked Laszlo's cheek, saying nostalgically, "Do you know why your father and I named you Laszlo?"
Leonor, watching the mother-son interaction from the side, immediately perked up her ears at this part. There was gossip to be heard.
Laszlo was puzzled. Wasn't the name Laszlo just to please the Hungarian?
He said bluntly, "Isn't it to curry favor with those Hungarian? To make them feel more belonging to our family's rule?"
Otherwise, why would two German give their only son a common Hungarian name?
Elizabeth was slightly taken aback by his words, somewhat annoyed, and rubbed Laszlo's face vigorously a few times.
"Is that how you truly see us in your heart?"
"Mmm mmm~ Mother, stop rubbing. I know I was wrong."
"We named you Laszlo hoping that you would be like the historically renowned Hungarian Knight King, Saint Laszlo: expel invading foreign enemies, cherish your subjects, uphold chivalry, expand territory, and become a great monarch revered and loved like a saintly king."
"I see." Only then did Laszlo realize how much hope his parents had placed in him.
"Saint Laszlo passed away on the eve of the first Crusade. I believe his heroic spirit will surely bless you with victory in this Eastern expedition."
"Mother, do you think I can truly do it? Although I've been trying to convince myself to firm my resolve to fight, everyone can see how powerful the Ottomans are…"
"Silly child, are you overthinking it? This isn't your fight alone. Go find that person, the sharpest sword and the strongest shield your father left you. As long as he is there, no matter how difficult the battle, victory will ultimately be achieved—your father once told me that."
"Janos Hunyadi, huh…" Laszlo knew who his mother was referring to.
Janos, he had been fighting the Ottomans since he came of age. Countless defeats, countless victories, his determination to defend the kingdom had never changed.
Laszlo remembered a conversation with Matthias once, where Matthias said his father always couldn't save money; any savings he had were all invested in strengthening the border army, which caused great disagreement between the two brothers.
At the time, Laszlo laughed at him for not being loyal enough, but then he thought, how many nobles could achieve what Janos had?
That's right, Laszlo's confidence was rekindled. He still had such a trump card in hand!
Moreover, in another timeline, Janos, with only the strength of Hungary alone, was able to firmly block the Ottomans's attacks for half a century and still curb the Ottomans's expansion after the disastrous defeat at Varna.
Now, Laszlo could integrate all the resources of Austria and Hungary. Bohemia… Laszlo had no expectations. And with the Duke of Burgundy, the combined strength would definitely be even greater.
Just wait, Ottomans, I'm coming to crush you!
Elizabeth then affectionately held Leonor's hand, gesturing for Laszlo, who was in the way, to leave. The secret conversation between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was about to begin.
Laszlo also didn't want to linger. He hurried away; there was a pile of things waiting for him to arrange. He couldn't stay here to accompany the two most important women in his life.