"Why don't you just bring whatever you have to show His Holiness the Pope? Why do you need His Holiness to come with you? And why do we need to avoid them? You're not planning any tricks, are you?" Dracula questioned.
"It's not a thing, it's people, and not just one or two. It's inconvenient to bring them in and out of the Papal Palace, and it would attract too much attention. If everyone knew about their existence, they would be useless," Enzo explained earnestly. This was his hard work of many years, and he certainly didn't want it to be ruined due to the Pope's distrust in him.
"So mysterious. What kind of shady business are you really involved in?" Karl mumbled.
"Alright, no more talk. Enzo, you lead the way, and I'll go with you. Dracula, bring the Swiss Guard and follow. They won't go inside. How does that sound to you?" Augustus believed what Enzo said, but after the assassination attempt, he dared not be careless about his own safety, so he proposed this compromise.
"Absolutely no problem," Enzo breathed a sigh of relief.
Enzo's carriage, followed by Augustus's carriage, drove out of the city. They twisted and turned for a long time until Dracula also lost his sense of direction, then stopped at a village that looked very ordinary from the outside.
"Enzo, is this where you wanted to bring me?" Could it be that he was bringing me to visit some reclusive master, Augustus thought to himself.
"Precisely, Your Holiness. You'll know once we go inside."
"Dracula, you all guard the entrance," Augustus turned his head and said.
"As you command, Your Holiness," Dracula replied without a ripple, showing no hint of dissatisfaction. Dracula had never harbored any improper thoughts due to the Pope's trust in him and always avoided anything he shouldn't know.
Enzo whispered a few words to his coachman, who then scurried off, disappearing from sight, presumably to do something. Enzo then led Augustus towards an unassuming small house among the many buildings.
Upon reaching the doorway, feeling a hint of unease, Augustus immediately drew the flintlock gun from his waist and pressed it against Enzo's back.
Enzo froze for a moment, then was about to turn his head when Augustus's short, forceful "Don't move" stopped him, and he quickly raised his hands.
"Your Holiness, what is this?"
"What did you just send your coachman to do?" Augustus asked.
"Oh, I'm bringing you to see people, aren't I? I sent him to gather the people. They're inside now," Enzo pointed his finger towards the door.
"Is that so? Then why wouldn't you let me hear?" Augustus pushed the gun forward slightly and coldly pressed for an answer.
"I'm just used to it," Enzo said with a wry smile. "It was my oversight. Your Holiness, could you please put the gun down? This thing is quite dangerous. If it goes off, I really won't rest in peace."
"Let's keep it this way for now. You can rest assured about my gun skills; it won't misfire, and if I want your life, you won't be able to escape," Augustus remained unmoved, even warning Enzo, then asked, "We've come all this way, and it's just the two of us here. Now can you tell me who you're bringing me to see?"
Enzo looked left and right, confirmed they were alone, then lowered his voice and answered truthfully, "They are Assassins."
"What? Assassins? Why are you bringing me to see Assassins?" Augustus's voice rose a few pitches due to surprise.
"Your Holiness, please lower your voice," Enzo quickly whispered, explaining, "I brought you to see them because I want to prove my innocence through them. Because if I were the one trying to assassinate you, I would never go looking for those vulnerable bandits; I would have them act directly."
"It seems you have great trust in your Assassins. So, are you saying you believe your Assassins are capable of killing me?" Augustus narrowed his eyes dangerously, a plan forming in his mind, and questioned him.
Enzo broke out in a cold sweat and quickly corrected himself, "I absolutely did not mean that. You are the one chosen by God; no one can harm you…" Enzo wanted to say more but couldn't organize his thoughts at the moment.
Augustus pondered for a moment, then nodded in approval, "Your explanation is quite credible. Since you have such a well-trained group of Assassins that no one knows about, both in terms of success rate and secrecy, they would be the best choice."
"Precisely, Your Holiness, that's exactly what I meant," Enzo said, as if he had found a kindred spirit.
"Then the question arises, why have you been secretly training such a group of Assassins without anyone knowing? Could it be that you had ulterior motives all along?" One must know that in the distant East, merely secretly raising Assassins, regardless of the reason, was a grave crime punishable by extermination of the entire clan.
"I've been wronged, Your Holiness! I did all of this for the Papal States! To complete missions, sometimes I had to use simple and efficient methods, which is why I formed them. They have been established for over ten years, silently performing countless meritorious deeds for the Papal States, and have never done anything to harm the Papal States!" Enzo cried out, as if he had suffered an immense injustice, his voice choked with tears.
"Then why didn't you let me know after I became Pope for so long? Are they truly a hidden force of the Papal States, or are they your private army?" Augustus threw out questions one after another, testing Enzo.
"You are the Pope chosen by God; you should be high above, perfect and flawless. These shadowy dealings should not be known to you, nor should they dirty your hands and eyes. They are, of course, a force of the Papal States, merely managed by me and performing their duties through my hands," Enzo answered flawlessly.
"So many years, secretly controlling such a formidable weapon without anyone knowing. You truly are a man of deep secrets," Augustus praised sincerely. "Did the previous Popes know of their existence?"
"They were not aware."
"So, I am fortunate enough to be the first. They have followed you for so many years. As you said, if you wanted to kill me, you would send them. Then they would not hesitate to kill me if you ordered them to.
So, are they loyal to you or to me? The answer to this question should be obvious, shouldn't it? If so, how can they be considered a force of the Papal States?" Augustus felt an unprecedented wariness towards Enzo, and his grip on the gun tightened a bit.
Upon hearing this, Enzo became extremely alert. Enzo knew that this question concerned not only the lives of his Assassins but also his own. One wrong word could lead to irreparable loss.
After careful consideration, Enzo spoke slowly and deliberately, "They are not loyal to anyone, but rather to the Papal States and to God. No matter who the Pope is, they will dedicate all their strength to our country, just as I do.
I believe that if I were to do anything detrimental to the Papal States, they would not hesitate to end my life to preserve my soul."
"So, they, and you, are loyal to the Papal States and to God, and not to me?" Augustus probed again.
This time, Enzo answered without hesitation, "Precisely so."
"Very good. I hope you continue to maintain that. Augustus put away his gun with satisfaction. "However, I believe we need to re-discuss the ownership of these Assassins. There's no rush. Open the door; let me see."