Varna flew into a rage, but Mario Alvarez Khalsa was not only a singer, but also the Queen's envoy, so Varna had no choice but to do as he said.
Still, Varna was confident. This was only a simple raid. As long as those spineless local nobles could keep the Austrians occupied for a few days, he was certain he could take Barcelona.
Even if he failed to take Barcelona, he would still leave the Austrians unable to defend both ends of their territory, throwing them into disarray. That would accomplish his goal.
After that, it would only be a matter of time. Varna did not believe sea transport was more convenient than land transport. With the advantage of favorable terrain and popular support, he could wear the Austrians down.
If it weren't for his own Queen's shortcomings, he would have considered counterattacking Austria.
France, Paris.
Louis Napoleon was deeply disappointed. He had never expected Franz to be so incompetent. After winning just two battles, his true colors had already shown.
It seemed their earlier deal had been nothing more than a flash of inspiration. The members of the House of Habsburg really were all idiots.
He absolutely could not make the same mistake as his uncle and marry a fool, a sickly woman, or a prostitute.
The French government's top officials also popped open the Champagne. Spain was a magical, wretched place, one that almost no one ever escaped unscathed.
"Let us pray for the sweet, ridiculous Franz Joseph I.
Pray that he leads the Austrian Empire into the abyss! Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The crisis of the Habsburgs possibly uniting their crowns with Spain's had been averted. For the French, this was wonderful news.
The French Second Republic had become relatively stable by now, but it still had not emerged