However, as box after box was opened, everyone was dumbfounded. Inside was neither gold and silver nor some kind of devastating weapon, but stack upon stack of yellowed indulgences.
"Soldiers! These indulgences have been personally blessed by His Holiness the Pope! As long as you carry one, no matter how many lives you've taken, you'll still ascend to heaven without a hitch.
What are you waiting for? Charge!" Bishop Minofel cried.
The League of Orthodoxy soldiers' morale plummeted. After all, they had expected something more practical.
Now they had neither the promised reward nor any morale left.
Pius IX had genuinely wanted to support the League of Orthodoxy in Switzerland. Unfortunately, the Papal States were truly broke. They already owed French banks over a hundred million francs. They couldn't even pay the interest without borrowing from Austria, let alone repay the principal.
So His Holiness sent his strongest commander and his most loyal Jesuits to help. But showing up empty-handed still seemed rather shabby.
At this point, Pius IX's most trusted secretary of state, Palma Monzi, made a suggestion.
"Could we send the unsold indulgences in the Holy City to Switzerland? That way, the League of Orthodoxy would be grateful for the Holy See's benevolence, and we could clear out our inventory. After all, warehouses cost money to maintain.
"Besides, this Swiss civil war is essentially free advertising for our indulgences. If we can build a reputation, orders from every country will come pouring in like snowflakes. Then why worry about recouping our costs?
"So I believe this investment is worthwhile."
The secretary of state's words struck just the right chord with Pius IX, who was very pleased. But he merely nodded. He believed that saying little would make him seem more mysterious and make it easier to rule.
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