"Faol, immediately send someone to have Karl and Duke come over," Augustus instructed after dinner in the Papal Palace.
Just as Faol stood up, an attendant reported that Karl and Duke had arrived.
A few minutes later, Karl and Duke appeared before Augustus.
Augustus's expression was a bit strange. He looked at Karl, then at Duke, and asked with interest, "Are you two always so coincidental?"
"Not this time. I asked him to come with me," Karl replied.
"Oh, well, so that's how it is. It seems there aren't that many coincidences in the world. But your first meeting, with both of you appearing at the same time, was indeed quite a coincidence." Augustus was a bit disappointed, having thought they were a match made in heaven. "What do you need me for, bringing Duke along?" Although he was almost certain, Augustus decided to ask anyway, just in case they weren't talking about the same thing and it became awkward.
"I guessed you had something to tell us privately that wasn't said in the meeting, so I called Duke to come with me. Was I right?" In private conversations, everyone was much more casual, unlike in public settings where it was all 'Your Excellency' and 'Your Majesty.'
"You guessed correctly. Thank you for your trouble." Augustus nodded in satisfaction. Recalling the scene when Karl and Duke first met and almost came to blows, Augustus couldn't help but sigh, "It seems your relationship has improved a lot."
They were both outsiders, both new arrivals who quickly rose to high positions, both promoted exceptionally by Augustus, both high-ranking military officials, and both covertly and overtly ostracized and isolated by the local aristocratic forces.
Even with their vastly different personalities and conflicting views, their positions dictated their perspectives. This pair of unfortunate brothers would be in agreement on crucial issues for a long time to come. Unless their positions were about to shift, in which case, their perspectives might well shift along with them.
"Augustus, are you really going to send troops to help Austria against Ottoman?" Duke wasn't in the mood to ponder any subtle changes in his relationship with Karl. He was only interested in the current situation and the upcoming plans, and he asked impatiently.
"Of course it's real. How could it be fake?" Augustus said, blinking.
"What you said in the meeting today didn't sound like you."
"Oh? It didn't? Then I'll have to be more careful next time." Augustus was still smiling.
Karl speculated, "I guess resisting Ottoman and aiding Austria is real, but it's not the whole plan. You have other intentions."
"You still couldn't be fooled," Augustus said with a shrug and a smile.
Seeing that his guess was correct, Karl continued, "Are you planning to attack another country while resisting Ottoman and aiding Austria? Then the army we send to fight Ottoman must be sufficient to cover our tracks, and also have enough reserves to quickly take down this other country. Is it a small country?"
"Why must it be simultaneous? Can't it be sequential?" Augustus retorted.
"Sequential? If it's first, then resisting Ottoman and aiding Austria won't serve as a disguise; instead, it will make us a target for everyone and will have a very negative impact on our reputation. If it's later, then it will be greatly affected by the Ottoman war situation. If we join the battlefield and the war remains stalemated, or if we even lose, then achieving our main goal will be a distant dream," Karl analyzed calmly.
Undeniably, Karl was right, but Augustus had not failed to consider these issues, so he pressed on, "My idea is to go first. If the country we are going to attack is somehow connected to Ottoman, then wouldn't we be justified?"
"It depends on the nature of the connection. Moreover, everyone knows that it's just an excuse, and being justified isn't enough. To truly convince other countries, we must offer tangible benefits, and even then, success is not guaranteed. Furthermore, in our subsequent war against Ottoman, we must play a crucial role. In addition to ensuring complete victory in both wars, we must also withstand diplomatic pressure and deal with various possible after-effects." By the end, Karl understood that Augustus's mind was made up. He took a sharp breath and sincerely exclaimed, "This plan is truly too risky!"
"Fortune favors the bold. The first step must be a gamble. Gambling too small is meaningless and will only miss opportunities and alert other countries. Therefore, we can only do this, otherwise the Papal States will sink into oblivion, never to rise again." Though his tone seemed relaxed, Augustus's heart was equally heavy. Knowing the course of history, Augustus, compared to current figures like Karl and Romeo, was undoubtedly clearer on this point.
This was also one of the reasons why the entire plan was not revealed at the meeting. It was almost impossible for those ministers to support him. They were content with their comfortable lives in their corner and would never be willing to join him in this national gamble. The more privileges they gained, the less courage they would possess. Of course, he was an exception.
It would take at least three to five years to appease them, and by then, who knew what the world would be like. Therefore, Augustus's plan was to directly bypass them and make them believe that everything was in preparation for resisting Ottoman and aiding Austria.
"What riddles are you two speaking in? You still haven't said who the target is," Duke asked, scratching his head impatiently, completely confused.
"Venice," Augustus said decisively.
"What? Venice?" Although Karl had somewhat anticipated it, he still couldn't help but exclaim when he heard Augustus say it himself.
"Is there a problem?"
"It's a bit too strong, isn't it? In terms of naval power, I'll be frank, the Papal States are absolutely no match. Venice also has a full treasury, and once the battle cannot be resolved quickly, the mercenaries they hire will continuously pour into the battlefield. Besides that, Venice has many allies. Will they stand by and do nothing if we attack Venice?" Karl's mouth was like a machine gun, firing off several questions at once.
Augustus understood these issues Karl mentioned. Augustus knew there was a certain risk, but he believed that with his advantage of foreknowledge, the success rate was relatively high. All countries during this period were like boats rowing against the current; if they didn't advance, they would decline or even perish.
Duke didn't speak, but fell into deep thought, seemingly already considering how the war should be fought. If Augustus said to fight, then he would just fight. Let alone a small Venice, even if it was a one-on-one with Ottoman or Spain, Duke had nothing to fear.
"I believe you can achieve everything you need to on the battlefield. So, are you willing to trust that I can handle everything outside the battlefield?" Explaining the strategy would have little effect, and this was still a gamble. Moreover, some things were beyond Karl and Duke's help, so there was no point in saying them. Thus, Augustus played the emotional card.
After a long silence, Karl said solemnly, "I trust you!"
"Good! Then let's work together. The future is in our hands," Augustus encouraged.