There was no joking in the military. Since General Morkes had proposed a plan to attack on three fronts at once, it naturally had to be put into action.
At an order from headquarters, half of Italy was plunged into war at the same time. Austrian troops stationed in Lombardy launched fierce offensives along multiple fronts.
The thunder of artillery fire was clearly audible even in Milan, dozens of miles away, and the ground could faintly be felt trembling.
Looking in the direction of Turin, Vittorio Emanuele III let out a meaningful sigh. "Kolosna, have we figured out the Austrians' true purpose?"
Vittorio Emanuele III was no flower raised in a greenhouse; he had a clear understanding of his own worth.
The King of Sardinia was important to the Vienna Government, but that importance was limited to political propaganda. It was not enough to make General Morkes, commander of the southern front, mobilize such a grand display.
The middle-aged Kolosna shook his head. "Not yet. Our intelligence network in Lombardy was severed by the Austrians long ago.
"Even those fortunate enough to escape disaster drew a clear line between themselves and us early on. We can no longer contact the covert network.
"I tried visiting several nobles who had once leaned toward us, only to be driven straight out.
"Last night, I even received several threatening letters warning us not to pull any little tricks, or they would not be polite."
It was clear that Kolosna was in an extremely foul mood. The Kingdom of Sardinia could only rely on Austria even to restore itself—under such circumstances, where would he find the nerve to pull any little tricks?
After enduring the brutal beatings of society, the Italian Independence Organization was no longer as juvenile as the Carbonari. They had long