He was surveying the city. Milan was a beautiful and famous city, encircled by the Ticino River and the Adda River. The soil was therefore quite fertile, and water from their tributaries had been used to carve out moats, fortifying the city's defenses.
Milan was even larger than London or Rouen. Though both were major cities in the north, they paled in comparison to Milan. Even within Italy, there were few cities that could rival it.
Here, the city's growth had already spilled beyond its walls. Outside, countless houses were packed tightly together.
But now, there was no one to be seen. In normal times, even the area outside the walls would have been bustling with activity. The sheer number of houses proved that the residents here could support a small market of their own.
Thistles, nettles, and all sorts of unrecognizable plants—or rather, weeds—grew right up to the city's high walls.
