In the afternoon, the air was no longer scorching, and a gentle breeze occasionally swept across the coast, carrying the fragrance of plants and bringing a refreshing coolness.
The soldiers, full and rested, had shaken off the fatigue from the morning's exercise.
With no training in the afternoon, they enjoyed a rare leisurely afternoon.
In the open area within the camp, soldiers wrestled, played football, tug-of-war, ring toss—all sorts of simple games that brought the purest joy.
In an inconspicuous military tent, the luncheon continued.
After much toasting, the tables were left in disarray.
Some had already put down their knives and forks, while others were still devouring the remnants like a whirlwind, including Augustus himself.
Firstly, he had gotten up too early and had no appetite, barely eating anything for breakfast.
Then, after a long journey and standing for an entire morning, he was truly starving; otherwise, he wouldn't have insisted on eating before discussing serious matters.
Secondly, the food was genuinely delicious.
Unlike the palace, which emphasized balanced and nutritious meals, this luncheon was all about taste.
Although the cooking methods were mostly simple and crude, the food was incredibly fragrant.
After a while longer, Augustus finally felt satisfied.
He put down his knife and fork, looked up, and found that everyone else had also put down their utensils and was looking at him, their expressions a mix of surprise, delight, and shock…
"Your Holiness, do you still have something important to say?" Faol asked softly.
Augustus coughed twice to cover his embarrassment, then wiped his mouth, and sat upright, saying, "It seems everyone has eaten and drunk their fill, so let's get down to business.
All of you present are people I trust.
Some of you already know what I'm about to say, while others do not.
But regardless, this will remain the highest secret of the Papal States until its final execution.
Once you leave this tent, not a single detail can be leaked to anyone.
Do you all understand?"
Seeing Augustus's serious expression, the eight men dared not be negligent.
They immediately adjusted their postures and then responded in unison, "Understood."
Augustus paused for a moment, his expression solemn, as he looked at everyone in the tent and spoke word by word: "In the coming battle, our first enemy is not the Ottoman Empire, but Venice."
Karl, Duke, and Enzo, who were already aware, remained expressionless.
Stirile and Dracula, who had somewhat anticipated this based on the Pope's instructions in Venice, raised an eyebrow slightly.
The others, however, erupted.
"What? Venice?
Isn't it our ally against the Ottoman Empire?" Giovanni exclaimed in shock.
Faol was equally astonished: "Your Holiness, didn't you personally go to Venice just a few days ago, engage in difficult negotiations with the Venetians, and make huge concessions to finally persuade Venice to send its Navy to join us in confronting the Ottoman Empire?"
Katerina was too surprised to speak at this moment.
How could the Pope reveal such a secret of the Papal States with an outsider like herself present?
She knew that her direct contact with the Pope was actually not frequent.
Or, did the Pope actually have other expectations for her…
"Indeed, it is Venice," Augustus spoke again, and everyone instantly fell silent.
"As a close neighbor of the Papal States and a leading power in the Italian region, Venice has repeatedly offended the Pope, infringed upon the rights of the Papal States, and treated the Holy See as nothing.
It can be said that in terms of threatening and harming the Papal States and the papal authority, Venice is even worse than the Ottoman Empire.
Venice is the biggest stumbling block on the Papal States' path forward, and eliminating the Venetian threat has a higher priority than confronting the Ottoman Empire!
And Venice has always been famous throughout the world for its powerful Navy.
If the Papal States' Navy were to go head-to-head with Venice, the chances of victory would be slim.
If the Navy cannot win, we cannot do anything to the city of Venice.
If we cannot take the city of Venice, even if we conquer all of Venice's mainland territories, we cannot eradicate this deep-seated problem.
Therefore, I not only sought the maximum naval assistance from my uncle, Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany, but also personally went to Venice, made huge concessions, and, under the pretext of confronting the Ottoman Empire, offered generous terms and successfully leased the Venice Navy.
However, given the cunning nature of the Venetians, it is unlikely that they would hand over their entire Navy to me.
They are bound to hold back some, and what they hold back will undoubtedly be their most elite forces, powerful enough that they believe they can withstand any invading enemy in Venice.
So, in this battle, we still cannot be careless; we must intensify our training and go all out.
Only then will our Navy and the Venice Navy at least have a fighting chance, and one could even say the advantage is ours!"
Calm words emanated from the Pope's mouth, like a thunderbolt, shaking the hearts of everyone present.
The Pope had almost secretly, under everyone's noses, systematically implemented this long-planned, bold, almost insane plan.
Faol, Giovanni, and Katerina, who had just learned the truth, were overwhelmed with shock and felt even more awe for this young Pope.
After a long while, Faol finally composed himself.
Things had come to this point; the arrow was on the string and had to be shot.
Now, all everyone present could do was to do their utmost to assist the Pope in completing this plan, but one question had to be asked.
"But, by what reason should we crusade against Venice?
To wage war without a just cause is always unpopular, and it will be difficult to maximize gains after the war."
Augustus waved his hand and said loudly, "Of course, it will not be without a just cause.
Illegal arrests of clergy, deprivation of church-owned properties, extortion by threatening the Pope's personal safety, colluding with infidels to profit greatly during the Holy Roman Empire's resistance against the Ottoman Empire, and even, Venice incited the former Minister of Internal Affairs Francesco to assassinate the Pope and provided him with weapons… Venice's crimes are too numerous to count, so how could it be without a just cause?"
There was one more thing Augustus wanted to say but couldn't: Venice's guidance of the Fourth Crusade to attack the Byzantine Empire, which led to the destruction of the ancient city of Constantinople and the decline of the Byzantine Empire, indirectly causing the rapid rise of the Ottoman Empire, the Christian world's number one enemy today.
However, as the Pope, if he were to list the Fourth Crusade as a crime for attacking Venice, then how could the Papal States, as the instigator, justify itself?
Doing so would be tantamount to mutual destruction.
"The Venetians were involved in the previous assassination?" Katerina asked in astonishment.
Having managed a newspaper for a long time, she had become particularly sensitive to breaking news.
Augustus nodded: "That's right, Enzo investigated this matter at the time, and the results were actually found out long ago.
The crossbow bolts used by the ambushers all came from Venice, and further investigation revealed that the Venetian side was fully aware of the purpose of these weapons.
Following the clues further down, the results were even more astonishing.
To avoid affecting the grand plan, Enzo was strictly ordered to keep the investigation results confidential at the time.
You can personally review the relevant investigation results with Enzo soon, but still, as I said, it must remain confidential.
Once the Papal States and Venice go to war, this matter can be brought out and widely publicized."