In late May, a Florence merchant ship arrived at Kyllini Harbor on the western coast. Upon receiving the news, Vitus and his wife rushed to the harbor as quickly as they could.
From the outside, the merchant ship was in dreadful condition. Its foremast had snapped, all three main sails were badly damaged, and water leaked through multiple parts of the hull. Vitus asked the captain, "Did you encounter a storm during the voyage?"
The captain said, "Not a storm. The Kingdom of Aragon and the Kingdom of Naples are at war, and both navies are hunting each other's merchant ships. Sometimes, when their blood is up, they do not even spare passing merchant vessels. We endured several rounds of cannon fire. The ship needs a complete overhaul."
After saying that, he handed over a letter bearing the crest of the Di Maggio family. Agnes carefully inspected the seal before opening it. The letter contained greetings for them both, along with a piece of bad news:
The Six-Pounder Cannon Vitus had commissioned had run into trouble and could not be delivered for the time being. It was expected to take until autumn, perhaps even next year.
"An order placed last summer, and it still has not been delivered after a full year? Is a Six-Pounder Cannon really that difficult to make?"
Vitus's requirements for the Six-Pounder Cannon were as follows: a bronze barrel, a new-style gun carriage, six-pound iron shot, a range exceeding five hundred paces (750 meters), field transport by two draft horses, and a barrel lifespan of more than five hundred shots.
At the root of it all, Peloponnese's metalworking capabilities were still too backward, forcing Vitus to outsource arms production to Florence. Irritated, he set down the letter and went into the hold to inspect the other