Chương 56: The arrival of the storm

It was a beautiful day in Genoa. The sun was shining, and the birds were chirping. The springtime weather was causing people to come out of their homes and enjoy the fresh air and sunlight, and the city was abuzz with activity and life as everyone took advantage of the pleasant weather to get out and enjoy themselves. There was a feeling of optimism and prosperity in the air, and it was a wonderful time to be in the city. The streets were alive with activity, and there was an enthusiasm that was contagious, making it hard not to be joyful and excited about the prospects of the future.

The guards were glad that they were in a place where things were going well and there was no sign of danger or trouble. This was a pleasant day and an ideal time to patrol the streets and keep them safe. One of these guards, was on duty and minding his own business, watching the sea. It was a pleasant day, and the guard was enjoying the peace and calm that came with his position. The guard was just doing his job, standing near the edge of the dock and looking out over the sea. He was on duty though and had to keep an eye out for anything that might be a problem or a threat. He was attentive and alert, but he couldn't help but admire the beauty of the sea from this vantage point. It was a relaxing and pleasant way to spend the day, and it was an ideal time to take a moment and relax.

The guard was standing near the edge of the dock when he saw something moving on the horizon. He couldn't quite make out what it was at first, but he could tell that it was getting closer and closer. He kept watching carefully, trying to get a better look at it to see what it was. He finally realized that it was a single ship coming into the port. After understanding what it was, he just shrugged. After all, Genoa was one of the most important ports in Europe, and it would be senseless to get on guard for any ship coming into the port. After initially being alarmed by the sight of a ship approaching the port, the guard quickly realized that there was nothing to be worried about. This was just a normal ship coming into the port, and it didn't present any threat or danger. He relaxed and went back to his duties, but he would remain vigilant just in case anything else unusual happened.

Nonetheless, the once-calm guard became agitated and dashed into a fray, sprinting to the commander of the city watch. Why was he so worried? Well, the guard recognized that the ship he was observing was a messenger ship, and the flag it was flying was one that informed the city about the advent of a hostile fleet. The guard didn't even bother knocking as he walked right through the doors,since every second counted. He observed the commander enjoying wine in the company of a girl and gave the message without pausing to explain himself , why he entered without knocking.

"Sir, I just saw a ship approaching the port, and it wasn't a regular trade ship, but a messenger one, with a flag indicating the arrival of an enemy fleet." The guard was definitely taking this extremely seriously, and the commander could sense a lot of concern among the guards and city defenders, who also sighted the ship. He immediately went into battle preparation mode and directed his servant to notify the Senate of a likely conflict with a hostile fleet. The commander was clearly taking the situation seriously, and was not disregarding the threat or risk.

All available resources and men would be called on, and the city would be put on high alert. The commander knew that this was a time of great danger and there was no room for mistakes or hesitation, he was determined to make sure that the city and its people would be safe and protected.

Nearly ten years ago, Genoa lost a confrontation against Venice. The senate probably understood that the opposite ships belonged to Venice, and it was time for a rematch. They immediately began making preparations for a naval battle, and they knew that they had to do everything in their power to prepare for the coming engagement. It was clear that the Senate understood the gravity of the situation and was taking things very seriously, as the situation warranted. They were going to do everything they could to ensure that they were ready, willing, and able to face the enemy and come out on top in this battle. This was a crucial time for the Senate and the future of their city, they needed to have a win, or else the prestige of the republic would plummet once again and it will without a doubt reflect the availability of nations to strike trade deals with the Genoese republic.

The crew of the ship finally arrived in Genoa after 8 or 9 minutes and immediately went to report to the Senate.They announced they were the crew of a ship from Sardinia, that was sent to inform the senate upon the sighting of the enemy fleet , and as their mission requested they gave them, all the information they had, including a rough estimate of how many ships they had sighted and a rough estimate of when the enemy fleet would arrive in the area. This was critical information that would be vital in planning for the upcoming battle. The senate was glad for the information and was sure to make the general of the fleet incorporate it into his battle plans, as every bit made a difference in determining the outcome of the battle. (go to the comment for Visual help)

They would leave nothing to chance and take every step necessary to ensure a victory.In light of the current situation and the information they had just received, the Senate had a serious decision to make, and they spent dozens of minutes deliberating before coming to a decision, going back and forth with the various families and their arguments about who was best suited for the job. Knowing that time was running out , it was ultimately decided that Oberto Spinola would lead the attack, since he was an experienced and capable leader who had proven himself worthy of such a critical duty.

The fact that he was from a minor noble family in Genoa only helped to highlight the suitability of their chosen assignment; it ensured that his own family would be too weak to have an impact on the republic's political structure, regardless of the outcome of the conflict.

As the Senate finally decided who would lead the attack, they also resolved to devote all of their remaining resources to supporting it. This included recruiting any ship that could be utilized as a battleship. This meant that Genoa, after forcefully temporarily taking many merchant vessels, possessed 28 ships, 18 of which were galleys and the remaining ten were the ones taken from the merchants. This without a doubt demonstrated the Senate's commitment to win the upcoming battle .

The activity around the Senate was hard to miss, and soon rumors began to spread about what was happening. The people of the city were naturally curious and wanted to get to the bottom of the matter as soon as possible. There were plenty of rumors going around, and it was clear that something big was happening, but the exact details were still unclear. There was some sense of worry and anxiety spreading through the city, and the people were eager for more information that might shed some light on what was going on. The minds of the people were working overtime as they tried to figure out what the Senate was up to and what they were planning. The people would no doubt be eager to find out what had happened, and they would undoubtedly be keeping an eye out for any future developments around the Senate chamber.

It would not be long until the senate would decide on inventing some news to keep the city from spreading into chaos; after all, even if they lost the battle, the enemy ships would be returning home since they would not be able to make any attack on land, so in either case, the people would not see any difference. The information they spread was that a fleet would be sent to protect an important member of a noble family that would soon marry a member of the Fieschi family. They had to keep the people on their side and avoid any unnecessary panic or worry, so a convoy heading to protect a prominent member of a noble family was an understandable and reasonable excuse. This story would not only explain the chaos and activity, but it would also help keep the people calm and relieved rather than anxious and worried. It was the perfect excuse to keep everyone from panicking.

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