บท 87: Race against time

10 May 1267

Four ships were sailing through the water, heading for the port of Genoa. The crew was entirely made up of Genoese sailors; however, the man in command was not nominated by the Genoese republic, but by Conradin's general Corrado, who dispatched one of his men to reach Conradin and deliver the message written by him to the king.

The crew was intensely focused and focussed on the task at hand, understanding the significance of their mission and the urgency of arriving safely at their objective. They were aware of the perils of maritime travel and had been extremely cautious and watchful during the journey, determined to arrive safely and on time, as even a few days of delay could completely change the outcome of Corrado's campaign.

The general's men were well aware of the importance of this mission and the need of conveying the message to the monarch as quickly as possible. The men were highly focused and motivated to complete this mission because they understood the ramifications and potential consequences of failure , if Corrado did not receive the necessary equipment and reinforcement from Corrado, his forces would remain as lacking in steel as before, greatly lowering the chance of Corrado defending what he gained and depriving Conradin of a safe harbor in which to disembark and unite with his new forces in the future.

The man appointed by the general to deliver the letter, on the other hand, was bored and could only pass the time by staring at the birds flying through the sky and landing on the blue water in quest of fish, or by looking at the white bubbles generated by the ship's breaking waves. A sight that even if beautiful in the long run would undoubtedly bore human's mind

Fortunately, on the horizon, the man selected by Corrado, Alphonse, saw the silhouette of the city. They had been sailing for two weeks, but their efforts had finally paid off, as they arrived on the chosen city.

It must have been a huge relief for Alphonse to finally see the city, as he had been traveling for several days and worked relentlessly towards this objective. He was ecstatic and determined to finally convey the message, and he would have felt a wonderful feeling of achievement and pride in completing the mission successfully. Alphonse had no idea, and he could have been even more upset to learn that the king was not in town, having left for Pavia about three weeks before. He would have been somewhat frustrated by this unexpected change of events, but he would have remained determined and focused on completing his mission.

This, however, was not known by Alphonse, who happily descended from the ship and announced his mission to the Genoese guards, who promptly went to inform the Senate. Sure enough, some dozens of minutes later, Alphonse was kindly invited inside the hall, where he was informed of the absence of Conradin and his current location in Pavia.

After that, he needed to reassess his plans and come up with a new road to go as he was now tasked with getting the message to Pavia instead of Genoa. The senate kindly offered him to rest as their guest; he however refused since he knew that every hour was important for time was running out for Corrado. Since they could not offer them hospitality, they then offered some horses and food to ease the messenger's travel. Alphonse was greatly appreciative of their kindness and generosity, and he was more than happy to accept the food and horses in order to continue on his mission. He would have understood the importance of getting to Pavia as quickly as possible, and he would have been highly motivated to ride hard and fast in order to reach his destination as quickly as possible.

After bidding goodbyes and having given his thanks , the man restarted his travel, and along with him were 10 men on horses sent by the Senate to protect him—big enough men to discourage bandits and low enough to pass unobserved and quickly in the land. The additional protection would have been welcomed by Alphonse, as it would not only provide protection against small enemies but would also give him reassurance in his mission and the knowledge that the Senate had his back and was supporting him in his endeavors.

The travel required to arrive at Pavia was more or less 4 days, a consequence of the fact that they could move quickly by horses, covering more than double the speed of a normal army. This would have been a relatively short journey, as they would have been able to cover a great deal of distance in a very short amount of time. The horses were have been an important factor in this, as they would have provided a great deal of speed and mobility that was otherwise unavailable.

This was the reason for which the Mongols achieved much of their success, since armies could move more than double the speed of their enemy. Unfortunately, this feature of theirs would be lost late in their empire since they relied more and more on the infantry soldiers of their tributary state, which in their defense was needed, since the elitè of their army could not be used for every military campaign. The Mongols were a formidable and powerful force due to their ability to quickly and swiftly move their armies; it was this aspect that allowed them to be so successful in their invasions and conquests. They often used the element of surprise, and by being able to move quickly and efficiently, they were able to gain a tactical advantage and strike first, catching their enemies off guard and off balance.

This travel was a rigorous and exhausting voyage, as the troop would have been traveling at a continuous pace and with no respite throughout. They had had to push their bodies and horses to the maximum in order to arrive at their destination on time and this would have been exceedingly strenuous on both the body and the mind.

The troop journeyed for hours and hours, resting only in the evenings and pushing their horses to give everything they had, and sure enough, after three and a half days, they arrived at the walls of Pavia.

The journey could have been made even in just 2 days if the messenger could have changed their horses every time they were tired; however, they could not have done so since after leaving Genoa they would not be on allied ground again and locations in which to exchange horses were simply not present.

After reaching the wall, the riders rode their mounts toward the gate slowly so as not to appear hostile. Once they were near them, a guard reached out to them and asked for their intention. Sure enough the group did not make the guard wait for them and they shared what their business was with the guard.

The guards suspicious of anyone approaching the city, and wary of a group of men approaching the city on horseback was skeptical at the start, shown by the fact that they observed the men with inquisitive yet bored eyes. However, once they listened to the reason for their arrival, understanding that this was some lord's business and that it was none of their job to inquire on that, he allowed them to enter without making them pay as he noticed how well dressed they were.

Sure enough, a guard who was sent by his colleague to inform the city hall returned alongside 20 guards, who quickly offered to bring the messenger to the guest King himself.

This was a pleasant and welcomed surprise for the messenger, as he finally was able to get the message directly to the king. He was highly appreciative of the treatment he received from the guards,and accepted it as soon for the faster the better.

Obviously, before going to meet with his king, Alphonse was disarmed and checked for any hidden weapon that could serve as a tool to assassinate the ever-more dangerous King Conrad III. After being disarmed, he was allowed inside, where he noticed the figure of a young man with armor depicting three lions on a golden field. The messenger did not lose any moment and kneeled toward his king, for the banner he held was that of the royal house of Hohestaufen.

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