Page 323 of DATE
One had been kidnapped for several days, and the other had been focused on playing a maid recently, with no time to keep track of the happenings outside of Rome.
"To be precise, it was Mr. Lorenzo who, together with us, initiated the war—we're calling it the War of Rebirth."
After the Roman Church's threats failed, the enraged Pope unilaterally declared the excommunication of the entire Medici family and incited the Duchies of Modena and Siena to launch wars one after another.
Before this, after discussions, the people of Genoa, still following Machiavelli's strategy, decided to send part of their army south to support Leonardo. The strategist had an inkling that, regardless of whether the lord was alive or dead, war was inevitable, and it would be better to proactively move forward with troops.
Their army quickly followed the half-completed road toward Florence and clarified everything they had done so far.
The lord did not comment on Leonardo's mission to rescue Rome but directly joined forces with Luris' legions to initiate an even more intense war—attacking straight from the center.
This time, they did not seek any peripheral territories but, like a sharp arrow, aimed directly at the heart of the Church—Rome.
The Rebirth, the old Church filled with sin and blood, would eventually be consumed by the flames, and the new faith, like the immortal phoenix, would soar across Europe.
"Has Lorenzo gone mad..." Hedy said, her voice growing more intense. "His two children are still in Rome!"
Did he not even care about the heirs anymore, even if he disregarded her life?
"Oh—those two children? I've already gotten them out. They're in front of the convoy," Leonardo coughed. "When my men found them, they were drawing cat whiskers on Jesus."
Machiavelli let out a long sigh of relief and explained, "PopeAlexander VI is the type who bullies the weak and fears the strong. He usually retreats at the slightest pressure and is bound to give up many benefits to seek peace."
He wasn't an ambitious man, but rather a foolish one who excelled in wasting and enjoying his wealth.
The life of indulgence over the years had made him extremely hypocritical and self-centered. Instead of worrying about how much land he had lost, he preferred to spend his time figuring out how to extract more taxes and exploit his children for various advantages. It was precisely because of this that Naples had repeatedly harassed the borders in recent years, using military intimidation to extract more gold from him.
"So, you're saying—Naples, Milan, Genoa, Florence, they’ve all joined the battlefield?"
"Yeah," Niccolo nodded. "At this rate, they’ll probably be in Rome in a few days."
"The problem is..." Hedy carefully considered her words. "Leonardo has blown up Rome."
"Blown it up?" The young man repeated mechanically. "What do you mean blown up?"
"Five churches, six courtyards of varying sizes, and several houses," Leonardo tightened his grip on Hedy's hand, his tone still laced with anger. "If it weren’t for the dampening of some of the gunpowder, I could have blown his residence to smithereens, not even leaving any bone fragments to recover."
...How can this man be a little cute when he's angry?
"General da Vinci," Niccolo reached out and grabbed the window, raising his voice in disbelief. "You actually blew up the heart of the Church?!"
"It should trigger a chain reaction—fires and collapsing buildings won’t be so simple," Hedy leaned against his shoulder and said slowly. "It was after we left that it happened—I don’t know how many Borgias are still left."
That chaotic and sinful family... perhaps only the flames could cleanse some of their filth.
"That's really ruthless," Niccolo muttered under his breath. "Even the Milan Grand Theatre wouldn't dare perform like this."
——
Lorenzo lowered his head, scanning the battle reports, only turning the page after a long while.
"My lord, it's already late," Cosimo brought over a cup of freshly warmed orange juice, his tone respectful and gentle. "You should rest early, so your leg pain doesn't flare up again."
It was no longer just leg pain.
At its worst, the pain radiated through his limbs and could cause excruciating spasms that lasted for a long time.
"Understood."
