Page 279 of DATE
They chose not to provoke the local lords, taking a shortcut directly to Genoa.
Before their departure, they had already received word from Lord Lorenzo.
His response was still brief yet powerful.
"—Florence will always be your support."
Hedy folded the letter and tucked it away, feeling a sense of relief.
The fact that this core person held no suspicions was already a stroke of absolute luck.
If another, more confused lord had been in control of Florence, learning of her decision to march north to Genoa, they might have started to suspect her intentions or even issue irrational commands, and she might not have been able to hold Luka City.
Conquering Genoa wasn’t a particularly difficult task.
From a geographical standpoint, it was easy to attack but hard to defend, and its many resources made it an attractive prize.
Throughout history, it had been tossed around like a dangling pearl earring, repeatedly contested and conquered.
Before the Romans arrived to build their city, the indigenous people here were the Ligurians. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Byzantines took control.
Then the Lombards and Franks came in turn, each enjoying the strategic benefits of this magnificent port.
As time passed, the region prospered, and Genoa became a republic, engaging in multiple conflicts with Venice.
In the following centuries, it would be passed between the Spanish Empire and the French First Empire, with its ownership constantly shifting, even briefly held by the British as a piece of international trade leverage.
Hedy was well aware that with her and Da Vinci's presence, the history of the next few centuries might be completely rewritten. What the future world would look like, she couldn't even begin to imagine.
At least for now, she could use enough calm and mature strategy to first seize this crescent-shaped city.
With its naturally advantageous deep-water port, once the situation stabilized, they could expand and develop fleets and international trade, even exploring other continents. And oncethe existence of the Americas and Asia became clearer, many resources and medicines could eventually be accessed.
She rubbed her forehead, realizing that she might be thinking too far ahead.
At first, she had only planned to secure a stable job in Florence, to simply survive and find some peace in this unfamiliar city.
Then, by a twist of fate, she ended up at the Doge's Palace—now the Old Palace—where she transformed from an alchemist into a secret political and business influencer.
From Florence to Milan, from Milan to Luka, many things she had once given up on, believing they were mere fantasies, were now constantly turning into reality. Even in Milan, there were now Medici family shops selling penicillin.
All the choices and judgments felt like walking a tightrope over an abyss with her eyes closed.
Luckily, even though there had been some wrong decisions along the way, she had managed to survive.
With more and more resources at her disposal, her demands and aspirations were expanding as well.
What would the world look like in five years?
The journey had been constant and bumpy. Sometimes, due to the many stones the wheels had to roll over, she would be shaken awake several times at night, and her sleep wasn’t great.
Clearly, this era didn’t have highways. Sometimes, when they encountered large pits or ditches, it was a challenge to push the wooden carts carrying huge cannons through.
And at these times, Da Vinci’s presence felt almost divine.
— No one could figure out how he did it, but he just made it happen.
He would find some seemingly fragile wooden branches or dismantle a wooden cart and turn it into a bridge. Even though the bridge might look awkward and flimsy, the long army could pass over it smoothly.
