Western Austria.
Linz.
"Your speech was truly magnificent." Ney tipped his hat to Moreau. "If you hadn't joined the army, you surely would have become an excellent lawyer."
At nine in the morning, after firing a dozen or so cannon shots, their army easily captured this important border town.
Moreau then delivered a passionate speech in the square at the city center before numerous Linz citizens, rallying the soldiers to "take Vienna."
"Thank you for the compliment. I did study law at the University of Rennes..."
He curled his lip. "But I never got my degree. Well, my greatest gain from university was leading my classmates and those lowlifes... uh, I mean, the citizens near the school, in brawls, which let me practice commanding in battle."
"You truly are a genius, to grasp how to command an army from fighting!"
"Ah, let's not talk about that." Moreau gave a light cough. "Please assemble the troops at once. We still have to take Perg before nightfall."
"Perg?" Ney's eyes widened. "You don't really intend to storm Vienna, do you?"
Perg was a small town east of Linz and the only route to Vienna.
"Of course not." Moreau gave him a sly smile. "The Bavarians certainly can't move that fast. Continuing deeper will only make our performance more convincing."
Four hours later, Moreau Legion entered Perg. After quickly gathering some food, they left from the eastern side of the town.
At dusk, the French Army swiftly turned around and headed back toward Bavaria across a stretch of wilderness.
Central Bavaria.
Ingolstadt.
General Dernberg, Commander-in-Chief of the Bavarian Army, watched as soldiers drove a group of Baden prisoners out of the city, a relaxed smile appearing on his face.
He motioned for a staff officer to bring over a map, then began