The White Knight

The allied forces advanced so rapidly that Florence almost mistook the news for a fabrication. After multiple verifications, Albizzi ordered the troops to conduct a forced march, aiming to reach the outskirts of Milan before the general offensive began.

"Anthony Doukas, you are still in command of the siege artillery. Do a good job; do not bring shame upon Florence."

"Understood." Vitus accepted the order. He rode his horse around the city of Milan, observing that the city sat upon a plain with a perimeter of approximately five kilometers. It was an irregular circle with no obvious weak points.

Upon returning to camp, he directed his soldiers to construct artillery emplacements. Since the heavy siege guns were still in transit, they had to rely on Serpent Cannon to bombard the battlements for the time being.

The bombardment continued throughout the afternoon, but as night fell, the weather began to turn.

At first, it was a biting cold wind, followed soon by the pitter-patter of rain. By the second half of the night, the rain intensified, eventually turning into a relentless winter downpour. Water cascaded from the sky, endless and unceasing.

By dawn, the camp had transformed into a quagmire. The situation at the artillery positions was the worst—despite the tarpaulins covering the gunpowder barrels, the pervasive moisture had seeped inside. The artillerymen discovered in despair that their powder had become damp and clumped, refusing to ignite.

"It is all the fault of Francesco Bussone and Albizzi for dragging their feet. The Italian winter is cold and rainy; how is one supposed to conduct a siege in this hellish weather?"

As the rain eased slightly, Vitus had his soldiers build rain shelters over the cannons, though a strange premonition took root in his heart: perhaps this city would not be taken after all.

At the end of December, Sigismund dispatched his high-ranking minister, Kuno von Liechtenstein, in the name of the Holy Roman Empire, to order a ceasefire between Milan, Venice, and Florence.

In 1395, Gian Galeazzo Visconti was invested as the Duke of Milan by the Holy Roman Empire. Legally, the Duchy of Milan fell under the rule of Sigismund, giving the latter ample justification to intervene in the war.

Faced with Sigismund's threat, Albizzi decisively backed down. He had never intended to destroy Milan in the first place; Northern Italy could not be allowed to fall under the sole dominance of Venice, and maintaining a balance of power was the ideal outcome.

Since Florence retreated, Venice had no choice but to abandon the siege. Their advantage lay in their navy, and they could hardly sail their fleet onto dry land to fight a decisive battle against Sigismund.

Under the supervision of the imperial envoy, representatives from Milan, Venice, and Florence began lengthy negotiations in Albizzi's tent.

The war was finally coming to an end.

Vitus, wrapped in a thick black wool cloak, trudged through the uneven mud, clutching a supply list in his left hand as he searched for the quartermaster.

The camp layout was chaotic; camp followers and merchants openly wove between the tents, loudly soliciting business. The mercenary tents were clustered in the higher-elevation areas, while the low-lying ground had been softened by stagnant rainwater, forming a vast, dark brown mire.

After walking several hundred paces, the hem of Vitus's cloak was splattered with mud. He exhaled a puff of white mist and headed straight for the center of the camp. This was where the magistrate, Pauli, and other high-ranking officials resided, and where a large amount of baggage was stored. A wooden fence stood on the perimeter, with a trench dug outside it to keep the prying eyes of common soldiers at bay.

Upon entering the enclosure, Vitus found a group of unfamiliar soldiers drinking and roasting meat around a campfire, and he speculated on their identities. Someone noticed Vitus's gaze and warmly invited him to join.

"Who are you?"

A man in his thirties, hiccuping from drink, replied in broken Latin: "The Hungarian Royal Guard, following the King's orders to escort Liechtenstein for the negotiations."

(Sigismund was the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire and also held the titles of King of Hungary, King of Croatia, and King of Bohemia.)

Vitus sat beside the man. Before he could probe for more information, a large silver goblet was thrust into his hand. Gulp, gulp. He tilted his head back and drained it, and no sooner had he set the cup down than his companion refilled it.

After several rounds of drinking, Vitus felt dizzy and began to complain about the war that had come to such an abrupt halt. "It is all Francesco Bussone's fault for bungling things. Because of that bit of money, thirty thousand soldiers were forced to stop outside Milan. As I see it, Milan still retains its strength, and there will be more fighting in the future."

The other man, equally intoxicated, inadvertently blurted out a secret: "No, this was not Francesco Bussone's responsibility.

"Suppose you had besieged Milan two months earlier; Liechtenstein would have ordered you to stop two months earlier as well. For the past half-year, His Majesty has been waiting specifically for this moment—to weaken Milan's strength while simultaneously preventing its destruction, so that Venice would not dominate Northern Italy alone."

Vitus was deeply shocked. He clutched his throbbing head, feeling that Sigismund's approach made perfect sense.

Northern Italy was the wealthiest region in Europe at this time, surpassing Flanders (the Low Countries of the Netherlands and Belgium), the Île-de-France (Paris and its surrounding areas), and Bohemia (Czechoslovakia).

If Venice occupied Northern Italy, it could acquire vast amounts of grain and manpower, and combined with its Mediterranean fleet and numerous commercial colonies, it would surely become a new superpower.

Vitus had an epiphany. "From this perspective, the European situation is far too complex. Once there is excessive expansion, it inevitably triggers the vigilance of surrounding powers. The most extreme scenario is the formation of an anti-hegemonic alliance by various nations."

Having had his fill of food and drink, Vitus rose to take his leave. "My name is Anthony Doukas, the artillery commander for Florence. I have business to attend to, but I will come back to drink with you tomorrow."

The man nodded with a smile. "John Hunyadi, son of the knight Voicu, currently serving as a royal guard for Sigismund."

The "White Knight" John Hunyadi from history? I never expected to meet him here.

Vitus carefully observed the man's appearance. John Hunyadi had a head of fluffy, dark brown curly hair, slightly messy from a lack of trimming, with square facial contours, a nose tip reddened by drink, and a mustache on his upper lip. As for his attire, he and his companions wore traditional Hungarian robes over their chainmail, made of green wool fabric embroidered with vibrant gold patterns.

Hmm, I hope these people stay for a few more days; I still have many questions that need answering.

Vitus found the tent of the quartermaster, Usoya, and after completing the necessary procedures, he returned to his camp in the southwest corner, hiccuping as he walked. This area was also separated from other sectors by fences and trenches, and they had even dug dedicated drainage ditches, keeping sanitary conditions far better than those of other units.

The only thing that drew complaints was that Vitus strictly forbade camp followers and merchants from visiting; soldiers were only allowed to trade in the open space outside.

"Marcus! Damien!"

Vitus summoned the two company commanders and had the soldiers collect their supplies according to the list. A moment later, he collapsed onto his cot and slept until the next morning.

Under the light of the rising sun, Vitus performed his usual hour of morning exercise, drank a large bowl of salted meat and oatmeal porridge, and then arranged the day's training schedule for his subordinates.