Now Lieutenant General Varna's biggest problem was that Austrian influence was rapidly spreading across the entire southeastern coast. It was said that Austrian troops had begun appearing in the Pyrenees as well.
Lieutenant General Varna felt he had uncovered the truth: the Austrians were surely trying to confuse him before launching a sneak attack from behind.
Catalonia had many mountains, hills, and rivers, making its terrain complex. For the Spanish, this was both an advantage and a disadvantage.
The difficult terrain hindered the Austrians' march and made it easier for the Spanish army to launch ambushes. But it also gave the Austrians many possible routes of attack, and once they broke up into smaller units, they would be difficult to scout.
The Austrian Empire's army had come and gone before, and recruited troops in the cities. It had all been a ruse.
Lieutenant General Varna, convinced he had uncovered the truth, immediately ordered troops redeployed to guard the various mountain passes and strongholds in the northeast.
In theory, there were many possible routes of attack, but Catalonia was Spanish home ground. How could the Austrians possibly know the terrain better than the Spanish?
Lieutenant General Varna felt he had everything in hand and was preparing to go relax. What he did not know was that a pair of icy eyes had been watching him all along.
Mario Alvarez Khalsa had become a castrato singer in his youth. His voice was pure and flawless, and his features were so androgynous that he seemed like an angel from legend.
Yet Mario's fate had been full of hardship. First, a regional bishop had taken an interest in him. After finally escaping the man's clutches, he joined a traveling theater troupe.
Life on the road had been hard, but at least he had felt