Chapter 71: On a mission (2)

Corrado could now begin working inside the city walls to mobilize the populace now that he had infiltrated it. To accomplish this, he would have to spend his money on recruiting men who could persuade their fellow people to join the insurrection. He realized, however, that in order to do so, he needed to obtain enough weapons to arm the mob, so he decided to begin the second stage of his plan to capture the city, as he was determined to assure their success.

Corrado could gain access to new weapons in one of two ways. He could either buy them and negotiate with a blacksmith, or he could bring them in from the outside. Both options had advantages and disadvantages, and it would be crucial for him to make the right decision and select the finest choice. However, it would not be an easy one. Every step was crucial, since it may determine the fate of the Ghibellines. As a result, it would be critical for Corrado to thoroughly consider everything before making his decision.

By striking a deal with a blacksmith, Corrado could be sure that the produced weapon would already be inside the city and ready to be taken. However, it would also mean that Corrado would have sleepless nights thinking about the possibility that a blacksmith could sell them out for a reward; after all, the rebellion could also fail from the inside.

As for bringing them from the outside, it would mean that there was a potential risk of them being found out, and a manhunt could start inside Matera, which would mean that all the plans that Corrado wanted to execute would be failing before he even started, he had a lot of thinking to do. He could not afford to fail at this point, as he had been granted so much power by his king, reflecting the trust he had given to Corrado. He needed to do all the calculations carefully and make sure that nothing went wrong during his mission.

After much deliberation, Corrado decided that bringing the necessary weapon from the outside was the better option of the two.

The second stage was to duplicate what had transpired during Corrado's infiltration attempt. The objective was to reenact the merchant going into the city to smuggle the weapons in, and since the cart was not checked by the French guard the last time, he had four people acting as merchants enter the city while the French guard had his turn outside the gate.

However, differently from last time, Corrado this time had the cart filled with weapons, while only the superficial surface had sales such as foods and wines. He was being cautious and careful to make sure that everything went according to plan and that no one would suspect or notice the weapons in the cart. Just like the other time, when the merchant handed out some extra money to the French guard, he let them pass without any problem. Little did he know that greed would be the end of him since he would not be able to take pleasure out of the money he managed to get bribed with.

While this was going on, Corrado also contacted a great number of people who were willing to recruit others to join in the rebellion and who were fed up with the increasing taxes that the French were imposing on the people. They wanted freedom, and they were willing to fight for it, for, as they were aware, this was their chance to take matters into their own hands. They wanted to make sure that they would succeed since they understood that if they wanted to have their old ruling house back on the throne, they could not wait to be liberated but had to instead help their legitimate king in their campaign.

After three days, Corrado had obtained 320 swords, 250 maces, and 120 daggers, which were though still insufficient to establish a local revolt. Corrado decided to use the other method just in case, as it would only benefit him and boost their chances of victory. Corrado decided to pay some blacksmiths to keep his shop open throughout his revolution so that people might get their hands on weapons like shields, swords, maces, and even armor. Corrado had everything prepared, and now he could finally carry out his plan in Sicily, which he had meticulously planned since his arrival.

It was time. The tension in the air was palpable, and Corrado had made sure all his plans were ready to be enacted in the coming hour. He had all the men he needed and all the weapons, and now it was time to see how well his plans would work, as Corrado was eager to prove himself and to ensure that he would take control of Sicily once and for all. There was no room for error here, and everything was crucial, for the success of his mission would determine the fate of the cause he was fighting for.

As it was discussed, people got to the planned locations to take their weapons; some had hidden them in their homes; others instead went to the local tavern, who, understanding it was time, gave the weapon he had hidden in their kitchen to the people inside his shops. As they were paid for, the blacksmith had their shops open , and so the mob got inside their shops equipped themselves and got ready for the showtime. During their preparation, many spoke to their friends, hoping that they would join them, and sure enough, the mob grew even bigger. This is the moment they've all been waiting for. Corrado knew that everything was in place now and that the plan would be executed to the letter.

This was it. The mob united in the square as the starting place, and then they all moved like one big wave from tower to tower. They were determined to take control of Sicily from the French, and they were prepared to fight and give their lives for that. Most of the French guards were drunk, having drunk away the night to their hearts' content, thinking they were far away from the fighting. However, the Ghibellines would prove them wrong and show them the consequences of their arrogance and neglect, as they would take over the province with no mercy!

In total, of all the 600 men in the garrison, only 100 were French. Since Charles could not cover the garrison of every city in the kingdom, he had to rely more on employing city guards from the same city he conquered, and well, it turned out that that was not a good idea.Many in the garrison had acquaintances inside the mob, and in the same way, many in the mob were friends with the garrison.

Corrado, who was leading the revolt from the frontline, understood that and started making the surrender of Sicilian guards look like an act of patriotism. He pardoned in the name of the king every soldier that surrendered without fighting, which was an act of mercy and would only help to increase the support of the local population. Sure enough, tower after tower was conquered, and the remaining garrison, which was composed of only Frenchmen, could not do anything to fight the hundreds of rebels, which put them at a disadvantage right away.

Sure enough, the French guards were all killed or captured in a matter of minutes, which could only be the one outcome after the betrayal of their own Sicilian comrades. This scene was repeated all over Sicily, where the local government was more than happy to join the rebellion and betray their French masters. The local people were not in a merciful mood, and so their revenge against their oppressors would be harsh and ruthless. They would all receive their due, and it was not long before the streets were filled with screaming and dead Frenchmen. They had them burned at the stake in the square, hanged, or stoned to death by the same people they had oppressed for so long.

Within a few weeks, the entire island revolted and pledged loyalty to Conradin, despite French soldiers' best efforts to manage the situation, which proved futile as it soon became evident that the people were simply too strong to be controlled. Only Messina and Palermo remained under French control, as Charles recognized the strategic importance of these cities, which he could not afford to lose, and had them heavily garrisoned with his own forces as a result. Regardless of his attempts, the rest of the island was soon lost as well. Now that Charles' backyard was on fire, he could not afford to keep waiting for Conradin to attack him else his hard-conquered kingdom would be lost in a matter of months .

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