As the first Venetian general to surrender to the Papal States, Wyatt was at least well-known, if not highly respected, and no one dared to slight him easily.
Leveraging this, Wyatt easily found Karl, who was leading his troops in a triumphant advance and was currently resting at St. Paul's Church, by making inquiries everywhere.
"Brother Wyatt, have you been back to see your family? Are they well?" Although busy, Karl anticipated Wyatt's return meant he had something to say, so he politely stepped forward, shook his hand, and greeted him.
"Thank you for your concern. My wife and children are all well. It's just that they were told I had died, and the valuable items in our home were taken by the soldiers who came to visit," Wyatt said without reservation. Such matters would only strengthen Karl's trust and support for him.
"What? How could such a thing happen?" Karl feigned astonishment, a hint of glee in his heart. He condemned it righteously, while also showing some relief, "How could they treat the families of soldiers who fought and bled on the battlefield like that! It's a good thing you didn't truly die on the battlefield and promptly turned to the light. Otherwise, I'm afraid no one would have stood up for their mother and son!"
"Indeed!" Wyatt deeply agreed, then offered his first suggestion, "The Venetian authorities' actions are truly a sign of a nation's demise. I believe this matter is worth heavily publicizing both during and after the war, to persuade more Venetian soldiers and civilians to return from their misguided path."
"That's excellent! I will truthfully report all your contributions to the Papal States and the people of Venice to the Pope," Karl promised, patting his chest.
Wyatt nodded, then shook his head: "You know, I'm not doing this for those reasons. There's one more thing, have you found any trace of Governor Donato?"
Karl answered without hesitation, "Not yet. Although we did a lot of intelligence gathering and investigation beforehand, Venice's transportation is complex, and we are unfamiliar with the area. There are bound to be omissions in our search, and we haven't fully controlled all of Venice yet. He might have hidden in another area.
However, it doesn't matter. Venice is completely sealed off. He won't be able to escape even if he had wings. Finding him is only a matter of time and whether he's alive or dead, though it's best if we can find him alive as soon as possible. He's still very useful to us in this war."
"I do have a method we could try, which might help us find Donato sooner," Wyatt accurately stated what was on Karl's mind.
This made Karl pause, "What method?"
Wyatt thought for a moment, then spoke coldly, "Donato is currently in the dark, and we are in the light. Although we are more familiar with the terrain, it's indeed difficult to find them quickly. Why don't we send out a few small units, dressed as Venetian soldiers, to avoid our Papal States army? This could lure out the remaining Venetian forces, including Donato, who are scattered in various corners, hoping to counterattack or escape, and capture them all in one fell swoop. I just don't know how many Venetian uniforms we've captured?"
Upon hearing this, Karl gasped. This was indeed a ruthless move, luring the snake out of its hole was far better than trying to find it. But there was a problem: "Although we didn't capture many Venetian uniforms, we prepared a lot beforehand, so that's not an issue. But there's a problem: if our people dress as Venetian soldiers and run into our own forces, wouldn't they be accidentally injured?"
"Our disguised people can make some inconspicuous but recognizable marks, and we'll ensure other friendly forces are well-informed," Wyatt added.
After some deliberation, Karl made a decision: "Hmm, feasible, let's do it!"
...
Othello withdrew from the Free Bridge and ascended the Church of the Discalced Carmelites to observe the current situation in Venice.
He didn't know until he saw it, and when he did, he was startled; the situation was far worse than he had imagined. He had originally thought that the Papal States' landing soldiers would have just landed and were still fighting the southern bank defenders. But upon seeing it, he realized that Papal States flags were already flying on the opposite bank of the canal, just one river away, and it was a scene of quiet peace, with no trace of battle!
If Othello were to gather the remaining troops according to the original plan, he would need to lead a group of newly conscripted soldiers through a vast enemy-occupied area, and he didn't even know if there were any remaining troops for him to gather.
In desperation, Othello could only walk eastward along the canal, taking one step at a time. In the face of a collapsing situation, the scene Othello had envisioned of Venetians uniting and fighting back never materialized, which made Othello incredibly frustrated.
Several figures in plain clothes flashed by. Othello's eyes lit up, and he stared intently, then couldn't help but exclaim, "Your Excellency, Governor?"
Donato, startled by someone calling his name, looked over and was equally stunned, "You are, Othello? You didn't run away?"
"I didn't run away? I swore to perish with the city, how could I run away? Who said I ran away?" Othello asked, bewildered.
"You didn't run away, then why are you here?" Donato still didn't believe him. He was trying to escape himself, so he subconsciously thought Othello's appearance here was actually a failed escape attempt.
"The forces on the defense line are completely insufficient. I wanted to conscript more soldiers to fill the line, but I couldn't find any militiamen nearby. After hearing that many nobles had fled from the Free Bridge with their guards, I came here to recruit soldiers, but I never expected the Papal States to arrive so quickly!" Othello explained desperately, but it still seemed very weak.
Donato was still pondering how much truth was in Othello's words when Othello interrupted, "Your Excellency, Governor, this is not the time for such talk. The Free Bridge has been blockaded by the Papal States' navy, and the southern defense line has probably already collapsed completely. It's only a matter of time before it's all lost.
We can only temporarily find some safe places to hide from the Papal States' search, and then, when it gets dark or when the Papal States' blockade forces relax their vigilance, we'll find an opportunity to risk our lives to get you out."
Seeing Othello's firm gaze and a look of readiness to die, Donato finally believed that Othello's words were true.
"Good, but our Venetian soldiers will certainly not be so easily defeated. The fleeing soldiers should also be escaping here. Let's find a place to hide well, then leave people at the main thoroughfares to guide them to us. When we break through at night, one more person means one more strength!"
After a good deal of effort, Othello and Donato, with a small number of soldiers, settled down in an empty civilian house. They dispatched soldiers to several key routes, quietly waiting for the still distant night.
At this time, the several small units dispatched by Karl had already changed into Venetian soldier uniforms. Everyone had folded up a small section of their sleeves as a distinguishing mark for their own people, and one of these teams was personally led by Karl and Wyatt. The messengers who were to notify the other units of their plan had all been dispatched.