On the surface of Venice Bay, the pursuing ships symbolically sent by Venice and Milo's severely overloaded warship were locked in a chase, with occasional cannon fire and loud splashes.
Finally, the flags of friendly forces appeared in the sight of Milo's warship. Seeing that the enemy was about to rendezvous with their allies, the ships sent by the Venetians dared not pursue any further. They lined up and fired their cannons simultaneously, all missing. After a show of force, they turned back without hesitation.
After briefly explaining the situation to his allies, Milo's ship immediately chased after the main army.
"Let's talk." Having shaken off the pursuers and properly arranged affairs on the ship, Milo leisurely sat opposite Wyatt, who was tightly bound.
Ever since he was forcibly carried onto the ship, Wyatt hadn't uttered a single word. His eyes were dull, his limbs stiff, and he looked half-dead.
Being captured under such circumstances naturally wouldn't implicate his family, but there was no need to elaborate on the treatment he would receive at the hands of the enemy.
Wyatt didn't respond for a long time. Seeing Milo still sitting opposite him, staring intently, he couldn't help but feel uneasy and reluctantly replied, "What is there to say? Since I've been captured by you, you can kill or dismember me as you please. As for Venice's secrets, I have nothing to say."
Milo nodded thoughtfully, "Of course, I won't kill you. Even if our two countries are at war, Tuscany wouldn't massacre prisoners. We just belong to different factions; there's no deep-seated hatred. To be honest, I quite respect your abilities."
"But I hope you think clearly. The questions I want to ask are just some trivial matters that won't have any impact whether you answer or not. Of course, they won't be Venice's secrets. I also know, what core secrets of Venice could someone who was sent out first as bait to die, uncared for and unrescued, possibly have access to?"
Milo's words deeply stung Wyatt's heart. For a moment, Wyatt even had the thought of revealing some secrets to refute Milo, thinking, 'I'm at least a ship captain, with nearly a hundred men under me, how could I be described as so worthless?' But after a quick search of his mind, it seemed he really didn't have any impressive secrets.
In fact, after years of painstaking management by Enzo, Venice now had few secrets from the Papal States. The only things with a significant impact on the war were the decisions made by Veronese and others on the ship after Wyatt was captured.
Seeing Wyatt remain silent, Milo pressed on, "If you're willing to say something, whether useful or not, I won't have to tie you up like this. Once we reach shore, whether you stay or leave is entirely up to you."
He could leave by answering a few trivial questions, and the other party's eyes didn't seem to be lying. After some internal struggle, Wyatt tentatively asked, "What do you want to know?"
Milo, at this point, found himself in a dilemma: "If there's anything you know and I want to know, what was the purpose of your trip? It couldn't possibly be to eliminate us by fighting two against one, could it?"
Wyatt deliberated repeatedly, confirming there were no issues, and frankly stated, "My name is Wyatt, and I belong to Deputy Commander Lavallette's left-wing fleet. The Deputy Commander wanted to capture some useful prisoners to ascertain your strategy, and was afraid that a full army attack would alert you, so he sent out one ship at a time, so as not to scare you away directly, and then seize the opportunity to tie you down, create opportunities for the main army, and strive for live capture."
"So that's it. We have many slaves and a small number of soldiers who didn't manage to evacuate. It seems Lavallette's intention may have been achieved now. Knowing our strategy, how will your superiors decide?"
"That I wouldn't know," Wyatt tried to make a shrugging gesture, but the ropes tightly binding him reminded him that he was still tied.
Milo glanced at Wyatt's struggling hands and smiled calmly, "Untie him."
Regaining his freedom, Wyatt stretched his limbs, and his mood gradually relaxed. The other party didn't seem as fierce as he had imagined, but he still harbored doubts: "I've told you everything I know. Do your words just now count? Will you let me go once we reach shore?"
"Of course. What good would keeping you do for us? Just one more mouth to feed."
No sooner had he spoken than a jolt went through Milo's mind, and he suddenly had a bold idea: What use was keeping Wyatt? Perhaps he could be of great use! He just didn't know if the other party had the same thought.
A glint flashed in Wyatt's eyes, but it quickly dimmed: "But even if you release me now, I have no home to return to. Even if I said nothing, I'd certainly be branded a traitor."
Seeing that persuasion was possible, Milo quickly began his attempt: "Then don't go back for now! You stay on the ship, and we will treat you as an honored guest. Tuscany is wealthy, so we're not afraid of one more mouth to feed."
Without waiting for Wyatt to reply, Milo continued, "But since that's the case, as a defeated general, even if you return, you'll hardly achieve anything. Have you ever considered another path?"
"Another path?" Wyatt was startled at first, then angrily retorted, "You want to persuade me to surrender to you? If I surrendered to you, my family in Venice would all die without a burial place!"
Milo understood in his heart but remained calm: "So, you are quite willing to surrender, as long as we help you rescue your family, then there will be no obstacles to your allegiance to our army, is that right?"
"I..." Wyatt stammered for a long time before finally uttering a pale excuse, "I didn't say that."
"Some truths, even if I don't say them, I'm sure you understand. If you go back, your future is naturally destined to be bleak. But if you surrender to us, as the first Venetian general to directly confront our army in this battle, and the first to surrender to us, do you think we would treat you poorly?
You will be set up as a benchmark, an example! Your future is limitless, and the heights you can reach might be something I can never attain. By then, I only hope you'll still be willing to help me out!"
Milo's vivid storytelling made even himself crave for more. But honestly, if he could really convince Wyatt, he might truly rise through the ranks soon after.
Wyatt's eyebrows twitched slightly, but thinking of his family, a myriad of voices in his heart told him no.
"But, my family... Can you rescue my family?"
"Once we enter Venice, your family will naturally be rescued! After this battle, do you really think the country of Venice will still exist in the world?" Milo's boundless ambition burst forth, startling Wyatt.
"What?" Wyatt gradually regained his composure, then thought, "If you really can destroy Venice, then of course there will be no problem with me surrendering to you. But, can you really do it?"
"No need to ask, do you know how long we've been preparing for this battle?" Milo inadvertently included the Papal States in their ranks; at this moment, the two nations were clearly a community of shared destiny.
"Then can I wait until you enter Venice and confirm my family's safety before making a decision?" Under the bombardment of sweet talk, Wyatt had already fallen.
"Of course you can, but I'm afraid by then, those in Venice who wish to surrender to us will come like a tide, and you might not be the first, and your future might not be so bright!"
Wyatt deliberated repeatedly and finally made his decision: "Alright! I will surrender to you, but on one condition: before we attack Venice and ensure my family's safety, my surrender cannot be made public. After that, I will be at your command!"
"Absolutely no problem, from now on we are our own people, don't talk about commanding. Once we rendezvous with the main army, I will introduce you to our Commander Riccardo!" Milo laughed heartily.
Nino had just woken up and almost fainted again when he saw Milo holding the enemy ship captain's hand, exchanging heartfelt words.