Genoa

On April 28th, the expeditionary force laid siege to Loras Castle.

The castle was a mere ten miles from Genoa. The governor sent by Milan to Genoa had long been prepared, personally leading three thousand mercenaries to garrison the stronghold and mounting Ribauldequin on the tops of the square towers to fire upon the artillery positions outside the walls.

Vitus paid no mind to these short-ranged multi-barreled weapons. Maintaining his established rhythm, he directed the new Serpent Cannon and siege artillery to demolish a section of the wall. The mercenaries surged into the breach, only to be met with desperate resistance from the defenders, their charges repelled three times in succession.

As the assault ended, a blood-soaked Piero complained to Vitus, "There are Ribauldequin inside the castle! The brothers who charged first were all gunned down!"

Vitus was helpless; the collapsed wall had formed a five-meter-high steep slope, and the defenders had positioned their Ribauldequin behind it, out of reach of the artillery outside.

"There is no other way. I will change positions tomorrow and try to blast open as many breaches as possible to thin out their forces."

Over the following days, Vitus continued to bombard the walls, though progress was delayed for two days by rain. The mercenaries were busy seeking shelter and repairing tents, leaving them no time to concern themselves with the garrison at Loras Castle.

On the morning of May 6th, the sky was clear and cloudless. As twelve mercenary companies organized their formations on the grass before the final assault, a white flag was suddenly raised within the city. Dozens of wounded men helped one another out through the collapsed wall, begging the magistrate for mercy.

After some persuasion from the army chaplain, Albizzi forcibly suppressed his rage. "Where are the others?"

The wounded replied, "A massive rebellion broke out in Genoa yesterday. Loras Castle lost its strategic value, so the governor took most of the men and retreated overnight, leaving us behind in the city to die."

A rebellion in Genoa?

Albizzi's body stiffened in his saddle, leaving him to let the breeze ruffle his white hair, looking like nothing more than an ordinary old man from the countryside.

According to the original plan, he was to lead thousands of soldiers to arrive in Genoa as a savior, signing various cooperation agreements favorable to Florence to reap both prestige and profit. He had never expected such a turn of events.

No, it shouldn't be like this.

Albizzi summoned the mercenary captains. Leaving behind the two companies that had suffered heavy casualties, he led the remaining seven thousand men in a forced march, determined to reach Genoa before the situation stabilized.

Receiving the order, Vitus left the cumbersome heavy siege guns at Loras Castle and hurried along behind the banner of the red lily. By two o'clock in the afternoon, the silhouette of Genoa began to come into view.

To the north of Genoa lay the rugged Apennine Mountains, and to the south, the deep blue, crystalline Ligurian Sea. The sea was filled with a forest of masts, countless sails unfurled like a moving woodland.

The city was layered along the steep terrain, its various houses resembling a dense honeycomb, crowded with countless towering spires. The local nobility held a tradition of building high towers; the taller the tower, the higher one's status and power.

Vitus splashed his face with water from his canteen to shake off the heavy drowsiness of the afternoon.

"Even though Genoa has declined, its city population remains at eighty thousand, second only to Venice. Furthermore, they still possess overseas colonies like Corsica. A camel that dies is still bigger than a horse; the comprehensive strength of Florence cannot compare to Genoa. I fear the magistrate is about to miscalculate."

As they drew closer, the road beneath their feet changed from dirt to gravel, and then to ancient, polished stone slabs. The farmhouses on both sides of the road were shuttered tight, the residents huddled inside, peering through door cracks at this group of fierce-looking mercenaries with trepidation.

Finally, Vitus saw the east gate of Genoa: the Porta di Sant'Andrea. The Flag of Saint George fluttered from the gate tower, while the man-eating serpent banner of the Visconti family lay discarded in the open space outside.

The gate was currently shut tight, and over a hundred corpses lay scattered about—some were mercenaries in armor, others were unarmed civilians. Albizzi sent men to announce their identity, and after a long while, a figure appeared behind the battlements...

Vitus, positioned at the rear of the column, could not hear the negotiations between Albizzi and the Genoese. He dismounted and found a shady spot to take a nap.

A long time later, Pauli shook him awake. "The matter is settled. Casella Eredora is willing to cooperate with Florence and has invited us into the city for a banquet."

Vitus yawned. "They are only letting the high-ranking officers of the expeditionary force enter the city, while leaving the common soldiers outside? Uh, I have a bad feeling about this."

Pauli understood what Vitus meant. "You think Casella intends to harm his guests and destroy the reputation his family has built over hundreds of years? Genoa has already offended Milan; I don't think they would provoke a new enemy.

Besides, this banquet is of great significance. I must build relationships with local families to realize various commercial collaborations. If I stay outside the city, it would be equivalent to handing the opportunity to families like the Medici or the Auditore, losing a massive amount of profit for nothing.

Whether in business or war, there is always risk. Where in this world is there a sure-fire deal? If one blindly pursues safety, one will never accomplish anything."

With that, Pauli followed the magistrate's guard into the city. Vitus followed behind, but the moment he stepped onto the drawbridge, he felt an inexplicable palpitation, and a fine bead of sweat broke out on his forehead.

No, I cannot enter the city!

At the critical moment, he followed his gut instinct. Ignoring the strange looks from those around him, he turned around and retreated back to the open ground outside the city.

Pauli passed through the Porta di Sant'Andrea and followed the procession as it turned into a steep, narrow street. On the sides were four- or five-story stone houses, the ground floors used for shops and workshops, the upper floors for living. The tall buildings kept the alley in perpetual shade, with only a sliver of sky visible above.

Following the previous night's civil unrest, there were few pedestrians on the streets. The group proceeded toward the north of the city without obstruction. As the terrain rose, the streets gradually widened, and the mansions of nobles and wealthy merchants began to appear on both sides.

Finally, the party reached the highest point of the city.

Before entering the door, Pauli took one last look back, overlooking the layered ocher-colored rooftops below, the dense forest of masts in the distance, and the shimmering Ligurian Sea under the setting sun.

At this moment, the bells of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo began to toll. The bell tower featured a striking facade of alternating black and white marble stripes. Soon, bells from towers all over the city began to ring in succession, attracting large flocks of birds to circle in the sky—pigeons, seagulls, and a small group of pitch-black ravens.

The atmosphere in the banquet hall was perfectly normal. Pauli greeted everyone with practiced ease, discussing commercial cooperation with them. For the past decade, the Di Maggio family had remained firmly in second place, never able to surpass the Medici family. Pauli was determined to reverse this situation and bring his various industries to new heights.

"I imagine Vitus is out there gnawing on cold salted meat. That man has too little courage; he's not cut out for business."