Chapter 70: Now None of Us Can Escape

The Holy See actually agreed. Leo clicked his tongue in amazement, and could not help but sigh; this reformist Church was hardly a unified front, but more like a motley troupe.

He folded the letter and handed it to the papal envoy.

“I’ve understood everything. You may return now,” Leo said to the messenger. “Remember to find Brother Ricardo—he’ll give you a silver coin.”

“Thank you for your generosity, Your Excellency, but I have one more matter,” the envoy said, his hand placed on his chest.

His words caught Leo’s attention.

“What is it?” Leo asked.

The messenger replied, “His Holiness has instructed me to visit Cardinal Peter Damian and confirm his well-being here.”

“It seems His Holiness cares greatly for Cardinal Damian,” Leo remarked. “The Cardinal is doing quite well. He’s just caught a slight chill and has been resting lately.”

“His Holiness insists I must see him in person…”

“Ricardo!” Leo called out abruptly, startling the envoy. After a moment, Ricardo rode over, holding paper and pen, looking at Leo in confusion.

But upon seeing the messenger, Ricardo understood at once.

“Take him to collect his reward—five silver coins. As for Cardinal Damian, I will see to his care.”

Leo nodded as he spoke.

The envoy, intimidated, dared not utter another word. He hesitated, torn between fulfilling his duty and enjoying a hearty meal, and ultimately chose the latter.

“I lost five silver coins on the way,” the messenger said stiffly.

Leo merely waved his hand. Even if the envoy took ten more silver coins, it would barely dent Leo’s treasury; he let him take what he wished.

Ricardo, understanding Leo’s intent, led the messenger away.

Leo then turned his gaze toward the army.

The winding column of marching troops resembled a great serpent, moving sluggishly across the land. Soldiers trailed livestock and their spoils of war, with a host of camp-following merchants tagging along.

The noisy, bustling procession was less a military march and more like a spring outing. Yet in this era, Leo’s army was already commendable.

At least they did not linger idly.

Many armies, after battle, would simply lie about and rest for days. Fortunately, Leo’s reputation held sway; his soldiers believed that even if hardship followed him, it would not lead them to ruin.

Victory was all that mattered.

“Gaeta is near,”

At some point, Rossi appeared at Leo’s side, gazing at the city on the distant horizon.

“Yes, do you have confidence?” Leo asked.

At this, Rossi turned to look at Leo, surprised.

“Are we to attack Gaeta?”

“Of course. What else? Am I here for sightseeing? With so many soldiers, all the trouble and expense—do you think it’s just to frighten them?”

Rossi took a deep breath. “This city will not be easy to take…”

“Cities that are easy to conquer are not worthy adversaries,” Leo replied, then glanced at Enrico. Enrico, a stalk of foxtail grass between his lips, stared blankly at Gaeta, lost in thought.

After a while, Leo called out.

“Enrico?”

Enrico came to himself, spat out the grass, and said, “Do you have orders, my lord?”

“Take a few men, ride beneath Gaeta’s walls, and let them know that Leo has arrived.”

Leo spoke calmly, but his words heralded the coming siege of Gaeta. Enrico understood, nodded, and led a small squad of knights away from the column.

…

Within Gaeta.

Richard was in ill spirits, for he faced a problem Leo had not: defeat.

“That bastard bites so hard—he’s a madman,” Richard cursed to his men. “God knows what sort of people his soldiers are.”

The Norman knights were silent, exchanging uneasy glances.

Richard’s curses stemmed from Leo’s relentless pursuit, which had forced him to abandon the camp at Altana.

The baggage left behind could not be salvaged, and most of the soldiers lost their possessions.

The angry troops no longer trusted Richard.

They halted in Gaeta, demanding rest. Even the elite Norman knights were exhausted.

And so, they remained there.

“Soon enough, that bastard’s army will catch up and trap us in Gaeta. Then none of us will escape!”

Richard’s voice was venomous, and his fury was unrestrained.

Gaeta was a city well suited for defense.

Perched on a peninsula, nearly isolated from the mainland, Gaeta boasted the sturdy Angevin Castle for protracted resistance. Only a narrow coastal road connected it to the outside world.

But that meant blocking Gaeta from the land was a simple task.

The sea situation was even more dire.

Richard had no loyal navy at his disposal. The only possible aid lay with the wavering Republic of Amalfi.

That merchant republic, made up of cunning Greek traders, had long suffered under Richard’s oppression.

If he summoned their fleet, Richard dared not imagine the outcome.

If he were not betrayed outright, he would pay dearly.

“If you refuse to go, I’ll leave you here. Survive as you will; I must return to Capua, or Aversa.”

Richard uttered these threats to his men, as if words alone might convince them.

“If need be, I’ll call upon the House of Hauteville—they’ll aid me. You can rot in this castle for all I care.”

“You led us out here,” a disgruntled noble complained. “We all suffered losses. Can’t we rest for a while?”

Others agreed, nodding in unison, which only fueled Richard’s suppressed rage.

But he stifled it.

“Of course, suit yourselves. I’ve offered the best solution—if you won’t follow me, that’s your own problem, not mine. God is witness.”

At this point, Richard suddenly adopted a pious air, as if he had not been warring against the Roman Church.

“We’ll be as swift as we can,”

A few loyal nobles responded, but their words irked another group.

“You lot are nothing but—”

Before the quarrel could erupt, the doors were suddenly knocked upon.

A knight rushed in, his expression anxious as he addressed those in the council chamber, speaking rapidly.

“My lord, there are Tuscan knights outside—they’ve arrived!”

They’ve arrived?!

Richard sprang up, disbelieving the news, and strode out at once. The other nobles looked at each other in shock; none had expected the enemy to arrive so swiftly.

What now?

No one had a plan.

Some followed Richard, jogging up to the city walls. Upon reaching the battlements, they saw the knights below and, in the distance, the winding army. Resignation was written on every face.

Turning back, Richard looked at the nobles behind him, leaning against the wall, as if the strength had left his body.

“Now none of us can escape.”