"Friends of Tuscany, I have a small request; I wish to borrow something from you," Augustus said very politely.
"Please speak, Your Holiness, we are happy to serve you." The patrol captain had met his share of minor and major dignitaries, and every single one of them looked down on him from the bottom of their hearts.
In contrast, the Pope treated him with great courtesy and even wrote a personal letter to spare him from punishment.
This not only saved him from punishment but could also be passed down as a family heirloom.
Of course, he should return the favor; as long as it wasn't asking for his life, it was no problem.
Augustus nodded and continued, "Knowing my itinerary accurately and setting up an ambush in advance—this is not something ordinary mountain bandits can achieve.
Therefore, I am concerned that this incident indicates someone within the Papal States is coordinating with them, or even that they are the masterminds.
Firstly, I worry they have a backup plan, waiting for me on my upcoming journey.
Secondly, if they have other plans, the Papal States might already be in chaos.
Thirdly, I need to find the mastermind as soon as possible.
For these three reasons, I need to return to the Papal States quickly to take charge of the situation and begin organizing an investigation.
My return route also needs to be adjusted to avoid potential future attacks; only then can I seize the initiative.
Therefore, I would like to borrow your horses."
The patrol captain pondered for a moment and then agreed, "Alright.
Although warhorses are military assets and we are not authorized to lend them without permission, the situation is special, and there's no time to report to our superiors.
I'm sure when they learn of the circumstances, they will approve of my actions.
It's just that we only have a dozen men and a dozen horses; I don't know if that will be enough."
"No problem, a dozen horses are enough—just right, in fact.
Too many people would make it inconvenient to move.
Thank you very much."
"Good, then without further ado, I will go have my men bring the horses over to you." With that, the patrol captain scurried away.
"Dracula, you, pick another dozen or so Swiss Guard soldiers who are good at horsemanship and haven't expended much energy, and come back with me on horseback.
Not taking a carriage means the road requirements are much lower.
Then, arrange the return route, choose shortcuts; as long as a horse can walk, no matter how steep the path, it doesn't matter."
"Your Holiness, your horsemanship… are you sure it's alright?" Dracula asked, somewhat uneasily.
He had never seen the Pope ride a horse, and if a bad road caused the Pope to fall and be unable to return, it would ruin important matters.
"My horsemanship is fine, don't worry."
"Alright.
Then how should the other Swiss Guard soldiers be arranged?"
"Have all the injured soldiers get into the carriage.
Immediately ask the Tuscany patrol to lead the way and escort them to the nearest place for treatment.
Also, make sure to guard the prisoners well.
Then, rest for a day in Siena before returning to Rome to rendezvous with us."
"But that's your carriage!" Dracula exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course, I know it's my carriage.
It's my carriage, and I decide who gets to use it.
The guards were injured for me; what's wrong with letting them use the carriage?" Augustus found it very frustrating to constantly waste time explaining such things.
Moreover, it was completely futile; this was a fundamental difference in philosophy that could not be resolved with a few words.
And if such a difference were truly eliminated, it might not necessarily be a good thing for him.
Augustus suddenly realized that the conflict itself was not between him and others, but between himself and himself.
"I spoke out of turn." In fact, Dracula's words just now were merely habitual, as if it were the natural thing to say.
"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but may I ask one more question: why have the guards rest for another day in Siena?"
"Take a guess; you should be able to figure it out." He couldn't let them get into the habit of asking him everything directly, or he would eventually die of exhaustion.
Dracula frowned slightly, then suddenly understood, "I know.
The carriage is too conspicuous; this group of ambushers must have located you through the carriage.
You are worried that there might still be people lying in wait on the main road.
Therefore, you are having them rest for a day to stagger the timing and also to recuperate their strength to deal with any potential attacks.
By then, we will have already returned and begun investigating this attack, greatly reducing the likelihood of them encountering another assault."
"Exactly!
See? You thought of it very well, even more than I originally did." Augustus praised him unreservedly.
Soon after, the patrol captain returned, leading his soldiers with a dozen horses.
"Your Holiness, these are all of them." The patrol captain said this, but his eyes were full of reluctance.
Augustus understood his thoughts and immediately reassured him, "Don't worry, we are only borrowing them.
As soon as we return, we will immediately send someone to bring the horses back to you.
As long as I am safe, I guarantee they will be well too!"
"Thank you, Your Holiness!"
Augustus carefully examined the horses the patrol captain was leading: well-proportioned, strong limbs, pure coat color, eyes the size of half a fist, thin eyelids—they were indeed good horses.
However…
"Good horses!
Are your horses native to Tuscany?
They don't look like it." Augustus asked.
"Oh, Your Holiness also knows about horses." The captain was very surprised.
"To be honest, these horses are indeed not from Tuscany but were imported and bred from the Anatolian Plateau."
"Good, I understand.
Thank you very much.
Also, I have another question: where is the nearest place with a doctor?
Several of my soldiers were injured in the recent battle and urgently need treatment."
"Your Holiness cherishes his soldiers like his own children; to be your guard is truly a blessing for three lifetimes." The captain first praised him, then replied, "Our outpost has a doctor; they can come back with us."
"Thank you." After saying this, Augustus turned to Dracula and asked, "Dracula, how are your arrangements?"
"Your Holiness, everything is ready; we can depart at any time."
"Good.
Have the other Swiss Guard soldiers go back with our Tuscany friends first; they have a doctor there to treat our injured soldiers' wounds.
Then, call the selected soldiers; we can depart."
After bidding farewell to the patrol captain and his remaining soldiers, Augustus and a dozen Swiss Guard soldiers, including Dracula, mounted their horses and resumed their journey home.
At first, Dracula would check on Augustus's riding every now and then to see if there were any problems.
After checking several times and confirming that Augustus truly knew how to ride a horse, he finally relaxed completely.
At the same time, he secretly marveled at His Holiness's versatility.
Augustus did not notice Dracula observing him; instead, he was thinking about needing to return quickly, then how to arrange things upon his return, and then about the horses from the Anatolian Plateau…