CHAPTER 21 #2
The locations of the mines had been designed by a group of mathematicians, ensuring that the chain reactions wouldn’t cause all the mines to explode simultaneously, nor would they allow the enemy to pass through by sheer luck.
At least four thousand men were either dead or injured, and more soldiers chose to stay near the coast, watching these bizarre, devilish-like occurrences.
— Not a single enemy soldier, not a single defending force, yet so many were killed!
How was this even possible?
They tried to find a correct path to advance or detour farther to approach Luka City. But both sides were blocked by cliffs, and the terrain was like an open pocket.
The priest accompanying the army took out his crucifix in an attempt to ward off the invisible demons, but he mumbled in disbelief before running back to the ships.
The lord stood on the cliff, draped in a velvet cloak, and calmly spoke: “We can begin.”
The next moment, a bright green flare shot into the sky, its sharp, whistling sound cutting through the air like a signal.
The majority of the French soldiers noticed the change in the sky, but most of them were completely confused.
— Their country's alchemists clearly couldn't create such things.
What was that? A meteor flying from the ground up to the sky?
Why was there such a sharp sound?
The army was still using livestock to trigger the mines, but the ground began to tremble faintly.
Some sensitive soldiers lifted their heads, but couldn’t see anything coming toward them.
— It was as if a pack of wolves was growling as it approached its prey.
Countless guns and giant crossbows were closing in, and the mercenaries’ steps were steady and silent.
Soon, more and more defenders appeared in the distance, along with the dark muzzles of guns and cannons.
The French soldiers were stunned—
Didn't these people want Luka City? How dare they open the gates and come out?!
And how could there be so many guns and cannons— was Florence really going all in, betting everything on this bay?
"Fire!" Luris yelled, and then several cannons erupted in a blaze of light.
The cannonballs screamed through the air, tracing parabolic arcs, like a hundred hawks diving toward their prey.
The crowd began to scatter to the sides like the Red Sea parting before Moses, but explosions soon rang out over the ships.
Flames, like demons, devoured and spread, while countless blue, white, and red flags were reduced to ashes in the inferno.
"Fire!"
The first wave of soldiers began to retreat, while another wave seamlessly advanced in their place.
Giant crossbows and cannons appeared in front of them, along with more soldiers who, in their panic to escape, triggered more landmines.
This had originally been a difficult defense against overwhelming odds, but now the situation had been completely reversed.
The sound of horns could be heard from a distance, and several large ships had turned around and chosen to retreat.
The wind from the cliffs was cold and carried a touch of ice and snow.
Hedy took a deep breath, turned her head, and looked at Da Vinci.
"Twenty-two," he said, marking another "X" on his sheet. He looked up at her. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking about the Borgias," she frowned and said. "Did the Roman Catholic Church intentionally let him leak France's secrets to the power center in Florence? Is that a signal of some sort?"
"Very likely," Da Vinci nodded. "The Pope himself is under France's control, and part of his territories should actually belong to France."
In this context, for the Roman Catholic Church to leak such information to the Medici family, with whom they had been at odds for at least twenty years, was indeed a signal.
— They were not on good terms with France.
— And now was the perfect opportunity.
If Cesare Borgia's fiancée had been another noblewoman from Florence, and they successfully exchanged vows and rings, the entire southern part of Italy could unite, especially since Florence and Naples had a strong relationship.
What the Pope wanted… might be to regain control over what originally belonged to him.
Hedy clearly thought of this as well. A worried expression appeared on her face as she watched the retreating ships. "They've already started shifting their targets."
Even though three to four thousand of them were either dead or wounded here, they could still choose other locations to attack.
— But Pisa had already reinforced its defenses and stationed soldiers. Would they now move along the Arno River, attacking Vinci and then Florence?
"Don’t worry about Florence," Da Vinci said, placing a hand gently on her shoulder and shaking his head. "News came two days ago, and even the Roman Catholic Church publicly condemned the French declaration of war—at least this time, when they took a side, they were using their brains."
France probably originally intended to control Rome and launch a pincer attack from the north and south, but they never expected to be backstabbed directly by Pope Alexander VI.
"We can't hold this place much longer," Hedy frowned. "Luka City is a military stronghold, but in just three days, they've lost so many men—Leonardo, how many mines are left in the other four directions?"
"Altogether, there are 112 mines remaining. Our mercenaries know the markings and their importance, so they won’t act recklessly."
Luka City was as solid as a fortress. Even if some unlucky fool ventured out and triggered a mine, it wouldn’t affect the rest of the city.
"We should leave," Hedy said softly. "The French won’t be stupid enough to use lives to force their way through."
"But there’s no need to go back to support Florence," Da Vinci said seriously. "The arms buildup there began four years ago, when you first suggested to Lorenzo to strengthen the armaments."
"So, what you’re saying is..." Hedy's eyes met his. "We can move northwest."
To the north of Luka City was the Duchy of Asava, and further north were the closely neighboring Genoa and the Duchy of Milan.
If they took control of Genoa, with its winding coastline, they would be right in front of France.
"Bold plan," Leonardo raised an eyebrow. "But we still need to stay here for at least another month."
This was a very cautious decision.
Throughout the Middle Ages, assassination and infiltration were ubiquitous. Although Lorenzo, the lord of the Medici family, was known for his kindness and philanthropy, he was also suspected of being behind several assassination plots.
If they left hastily, there was a risk that French forces from the south could secretly infiltrate the city and seize everything here.
The first thing Hedy did after returning was establish a dual verification system using secret codes and emblems.
From this point forward, Luka City would only allow people to exit, not enter. All mercenary records and fingerprints were meticulously checked and confirmed once again.
They would have to stay here for at least thirty days while waiting for news from Florence.
Thanks to the Medici, communication between the two cities had been shortened to just three days, which was already the maximum possible with the relay stations changing horses.
The French, indeed, continued to move south, lingering near Pisa without advancing.
They had been repelled at Luka City, but they still hoped to extract some benefit before retreating.
An army of over thirty thousand was no small number, and managing and controlling such a force was a daunting task. However, the lords to the south had already fortified their lands with strong defenses, and their counterattacks were firm and decisive.
When good news arrived from the south, Hedy let out a sigh of relief. She had a vague sense that it would be better for the situation to escalate as much as possible.
If both sides played dumb, pretending that the sudden naval attack was just a group of marauding pirates after treasure, the ensuing chaos would spiral infinitely.
The map of Europe was fragmented like broken cookie crumbs, with wars and conflicts lasting five hundred years, never-ending in their disturbances. The idea of unification sounded like a joke.
Not to mention unifying Europe— even unifying Italy could accelerate the development of the region's technology, culture, and economy at an incredible pace.
There had to be a war.
She steadied herself, her eyes falling on the word ‘Genova’ on the map.
Genoa, now almost in control of the entire Tyrrhenian Sea, was both incredibly wealthy and vulnerable.
In addition to the Italian name ‘Genova,’ it also had another Latin name—‘Janua.’
According to legend, Janua was a deity with two faces— one facing forward and the other facing backward— standing at the gate of time, between the past and the future.
It was because of this that the English name for January was derived—‘January’—symbolizing both an end and a new beginning.
Hedy gazed at the crescent-like outline, her mind calm yet profound.
She had a vague sense that if she could seize this country, it would mark the end and the beginning of a chapter in history.
By taking it, she would become a lord powerful enough to rival Florence, a political figure capable of influencing the course of Italy’s future.
Controlling it also meant she would face the threat from France directly, along with more troubles and challenges.
But as long as she moved forward—
By gaining more power, more armies, more influence, and a higher status—
The frustrated past of her previous life, the countless scandals twisted and ridiculed by malicious tongues, and the current life where she once felt powerless, would all be overturned and rewritten.
Another hand rested on her back, the heat of the palm sharp and unmistakable.
"I’ll be with you," Leonardo said, staring at her. "Don’t show such a hesitant expression anymore."
Hedy lifted her head and looked at Leonardo, frozen for a few seconds. Her voice was hoarse.