It was already March; the severe winter had passed, and spring had arrived imperceptibly. At noon, the warm spring sun hung high in the sky, gently radiating light and heat towards the earth. Everything was just right, dispelling the cold of winter without making one feel scorched, and bringing enough light without being dazzling.
At this moment, Francesco, the former Minister of Internal Affairs, who had once enjoyed boundless prestige, was held in solitary confinement in an underground secret chamber, tightly handcuffed to a chair, unable to move. There was no light, nor any sound.
In the endless darkness and dead silence, Francesco did not know how much time had passed, nor what was happening outside. His emotions gradually shifted from initial indifference to fear: if he had to spend the rest of his life in this dark, hellish place, he would rather be killed quickly with a single blade.
Francesco knew that his hope of seeing the light of day again was slim. In this desperate situation, Francesco was clearer-headed than ever before. Enzo and Augustus had already joined forces; even if he were outside, neither of them would be easy for him to contend with.
Moreover, he was already imprisoned. Who would risk their life for him, a man on the verge of death who had committed a grave crime? His former subordinates and confidants, even if not implicated, had probably scattered like monkeys when the tree fell. Francesco dared not even dream that the Pope would spare his life; he only hoped to involve his family as little as possible.
But Francesco still couldn't understand why Enzo knew about this matter so precisely. Was it pre-planned? What benefit did Enzo gain from going all out to bring him down this time? To completely take over his forces? How could the Pope possibly tolerate a powerful minister with such a large force? In any case, he had truly lost completely this time.
Inside the Papal Palace, Faol had just returned and was reporting the latest progress of the case to Augustus. Augustus listened while rapidly scanning through documents about Venice.
After listening to Faol's report, Augustus put down the documents in his hand and couldn't help but sigh, "I never would have thought it was truly him. What a pity. Well, since he cannot be used by me, it's better to make a clean break sooner. I must say, Enzo certainly has a knack for handling such matters. He caught Francesco so quickly and made him confess willingly, but his methods are a bit underhanded."
Faol nodded in agreement, "Enzo's performance this time indeed far exceeded my expectations. It's just... there's something I'm not sure if I should say."
"Of course, you should say it. There's nothing you shouldn't say between you and me," Augustus said with a wave of his hand.
Faol hesitated for a moment, then frowned and said, "After Francesco learned I was next door, he deliberately spoke loudly, saying that Enzo actually knew about this matter all along but kept silent... I believe it's not impossible, and in fact, it's highly probable."
Augustus took a sip of tea and slowly said, "It is possible. So, what do you think was Enzo's reason for keeping silent?"
"Of course, it was to increase his leverage in striking Francesco and his cronies. An assassination attempt that wasn't carried out, and one that was carried out but failed, cannot compare in impact," Faol answered without hesitation.
"Francesco and his cronies cannot be used by me. To strike them down, I think Enzo's intention is good."
"But he must have done it for himself! And this was risking your life. If it's true, I find it unacceptable."
"I don't think much of it. Nothing happened. If it had truly succeeded, then I would have been too unlucky. If a person is unlucky, they can be killed by a vase falling on their head while walking down the street. Moreover, this assassination attempt has helped me greatly. We can put the issue of Enzo aside for now; he still has a great use ahead, and we shall see how he performs."
Faol fell silent, still unable to get over it in his heart: how could a person who disregards the Pope's safety be entrusted with such an important task?
A knock on the door sounded.
"Come in."
Dracula strode in, "Your Holiness, the other soldiers of the guard have returned with the prisoners and the spoils."
"Good. The injured guard soldiers should be granted appropriate leave and given subsidies. Then, the two of you, take a few men and bring the prisoners and spoils to Enzo. First, confirm if the people they are meeting are the ones Enzo caught, then hand over the spoils and prisoners to Enzo and see if he can uncover any useful information."
In the blink of an eye, Enzo had already caught dozens of people, and the arrests were still ongoing. These people did not receive the same good treatment as Francesco. Not only were the places of detention significantly worse, but torture was also applied without reservation. Some confessed within ten minutes of arriving.
Faol returned with his men to find Enzo, hearing heart-wrenching screams from afar, which made him shudder. Dracula, who was accompanying him, also slightly frowned.
Through the visible and hidden sentries along the way, Enzo learned that Faol had arrived and was waiting at the door early.
Upon seeing Enzo, Faol went straight to the point, "Enzo, the other soldiers of the guard have just returned with prisoners and spoils. His Holiness has asked me to hand over the people and things to you for further investigation."
"Additionally, His Holiness asked me to take the leader of this group of mercenaries to see Anastasio first, to confirm that he was the one who met with this group of mercenaries, so we can rest assured. Where is he now? Please lead the way."
Seeing that Faol wanted to find Anastasio, Enzo scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Anastasio hit his head against a wall and fell unconscious. He has already received treatment and is still not awake."
"What? Such an important prisoner, how could you..." Faol said with some displeasure.
"It was my oversight. My subordinates were ineffective in their work. I am willing to accept punishment for any consequences that arise."
"Forget it. We just need to bring someone to identify him. It doesn't matter if he's awake or unconscious, as long as his face isn't disfigured. Where is he now? In a hospital in the city?" Faol waved his hand and said.
"No, he's right here. Because prisoners are often injured, and to prevent outbreaks of disease, there are doctors and corresponding facilities here," Enzo replied, then turned to Enrique and instructed, "Enrique, you are responsible for incarcerating the other prisoners and receiving the spoils. Wait for me to come over."
Your facilities are quite complete. With your interrogation methods, those who enter the door will either die or be crippled. Faol muttered to himself.
After struggling with it all the way, Faol still couldn't help but remind him, "Enzo, although His Holiness asked me to try not to interfere with these matters, I must say something. Interrogation still requires methods and approaches. Blindly using violence may lead to extorted confessions."
"This will undoubtedly be detrimental to the investigation of the truth, the reputation of His Holiness, and your future."
"Thank you for your reminder. Please rest assured about this. Whether it's arresting people or convicting them, we rely on evidence and will never extort confessions. It's just that some stubborn individuals won't tell the truth without severe torture, and coupled with the eagerness of subordinates to gain merit, they sometimes act without restraint, so occasional deaths and injuries are unavoidable. But I can guarantee that none of them are innocent," Enzo replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"That's best."