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The defenders had completely lost their composure, desperately hanging every piece of white cloth they could find on the edges of the wall, fearing they might not be seen as surrendering.
"Alright," Da Vinci said with some sympathy. "If we keep firing, we'll destroy everything. In the end, it’ll be our people who’ll have to help rebuild it."
When the leaders of both armies met, many of the soldiers' faces were grim.
This frail, slender girl—who still looked like an unmarried young woman—had taken their city with just two or three shots?!
The bishop and the local leaders looked ashen-faced, but the mercenaries around Luris were all grinning.
Though Hedy appeared gentle and calm, she was unyielding when it came to matters like peace treaties.
Having suffered greatly in her past life, she knew that mercy wasn’t always a virtue.
So, the lord and bishop handed over their power and even provided the map of Genoa.
— The contents were quite detailed, with even the small entry points clearly marked.
Hedy instructed her people to expel them from the city, and told several of the Zino family members and Leonardo to gather new recruits.
There were tens of thousands of people in this city, and there were likely many who wanted to rise above their current station.
She did indeed need to develop her influence— if some Genoans couldn’t be trusted, they would be put to work rebuilding the walls and clearing farmland.
This city would become a vital port and energy supply hub, and she couldn’t afford to be careless.
To her surprise, just as Mr. Fabio had said, there were indeed several coal mines here, and the yield seemed remarkably promising. Even the oil fields, which people had sealed off, believing them to be the domain of demons, had been found and fully tapped!
Coal, oil, and a port—
It all seemed like a gift from the heavens!
Hedy could hardly find the words to describe her emotions. For several nights, she stayed up late reviewing documents.
Messages kept arriving from the Zino family in both Luka and Massa. Florence had just learned of Massa’s news, and the letter from there had also been passed on to her.
— During their northern journey, the French navy had attacked Pisa for the third and fourth times, but had been repelled again. It was said that they had already returned to their homeland.
The Papacy and the Triangular Defense Alliance had also signed a treaty, guaranteeing passage rights and some aid should war break out.
News of another Medici lord leading his army north hadn't yet reached them; clever allies had kept the information hidden, even Milan on the other side of the mountains had no idea.
Hedy, growing tired from reading the documents, extinguished the light to rest for a while.
She missed the bright glow of incandescent bulbs.
Candles were always unstable, and after reading documents for a long time, her eyes would strain.
But when the light went out, she noticed a faint glow coming from a distance.
Dechio had just gone downstairs to fetch some water. Who else could be around here?
In her memory, the small and stuffy room had no friends willingto stay in it.
Hedy stepped lightly, slowly approaching the door.
Sure enough, the light was coming from that room, and there was a familiar figure bent over the desk, working.
Dechio had just brought up the boiling water and was about to greet her when he saw the lord gesture for silence.
