Franz was not being alarmist. Otto I's control over the army was far weaker than he had imagined.
The most obvious example was that even if some men in the Austrian Empire's army harbored crooked thoughts, they did not dare act recklessly. At most, they only dared grumble at Gablenz's level.
Yet on the Greek side, even with Otto I personally leading the campaign, the Greek army still dared run wild right under his nose.
Aside from the disparity in the soldiers' training and awareness, Otto I's own prestige was insufficient to cow those local warlords.
Hadn't the Kingdom of Greece drastically reduced the size of its army before? How had local warlords appeared again?
The answer was that the Kingdom of Greece's army of two hundred thousand had not sprung out of thin air. Though the Greek government had issued a general mobilization order calling on all citizens to join the war, an army of such scale could never have been recruited in such a short time.
A considerable portion consisted of private troops belonging to local families. Coupled with the authority Otto I had granted them to recruit soldiers in the Greek government's name, it would have been strange if they had not turned into warlords.
All Otto I could control was a little over twenty thousand regular troops, plus thirty thousand new recruits hastily raised around Athens.
When the Austrian Empire's envoy found Otto I and conveyed Franz's intentions to him, Otto I was actually quite depressed.
"Count Sentberg, don't you think this is making a mountain out of a molehill?"
"Your Majesty, I am merely faithfully carrying out His Majesty the Emperor's orders. I also hope you will not make things difficult for us.
"His Majesty the Emperor's intention is to help you gain better control