Chương 59: Shattered retreat

The Venetian retreat was a depressing one, as they were forced to retreat in defeat and were unable to make any headway against the Genoese. The Venetian admiral, Lorenzo Zeno, was clearly depressed and disappointed by the turn of events, and he was seen shaking his head in disbelief as he ordered his men to retreat from the battlefield. He knew that this was a devastating defeat, and he felt like he had let his men down. It was to be a long way back to Venice, and the admiral would have enough time to understand the true reasons for his defeat. Even though inside of him he gave the fault to his French allies, he knew that a defeat was still a defeat and it would leave a terrible mark on his future political voyage. He also wondered how he could deliver the new to the doge and not anger him, and instead manage to intercede through him to the council of the forty. It was clear that they would be disappointed and enraged at the failure of the Venetian Fleet, and they would definitely be looking for someone to blame, so he had to make sure that the blame would be delivered to the Frenchs.

Lorenzo had to be ready to face their wrath, but he also had to find a method to persuade them that he was not to fault for the setback. He was willing to go to any length to restore his reputation in their eyes, and he was determined to overcome this setback and demonstrate that he was still a useful and capable sailor and admiral. He was angry and frustrated at having lost the struggle, and he was determined that this would never happen again. His dignity and authority had been severely harmed by the Genoese victory, and he was resolved to restore his people's prestige in the future, hoping that his uncle would still give him a chance.

After all, it was not like Venice had lost something big; their enormous fleet was still present, their coffers were exceptionally full, and finally, they did not suffer any damage to their territorial holding. All that was lost was their streak of victory against the Genoese.

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While the fleet's retreat back to Venice was gloomy and resentful, the Genoese's was the polar opposite. Following their victory over the Venetians, the Genoese forces were filled with excitement and triumph. They were confident and proud of their achievement, which they considered as proof of Genoese dominance and power in Italy. The Genoese were also determined to capitalize on their triumph and expand their power and influence in the region. They were pleased with themselves for yet another victory over the Venetians, and they were confident in their capacity to continue to stand up to them and safeguard their trade rights.

They knew that the Republic would be eager to try again, but they were ready and prepared for another round with the Venetians.

While the men were controlling the ship, Oberto Spinola rose from his private deck to deliver a speech to his crew.

''MAN, ATTENTION TO ME! '' after the crew stopped in their tracks and gave attention to their captain, Oberto continued, '' Do you hearthis men? Do you feel thissmelll and this taste in your mouth? I hope you feel it, for this is the smell and taste of victory! Meanwhile the venetians must be wondering if what they feel is the taste of the loser of the literal shit they just ate'' Oberto's speech was a short one, for he wanted to make his crew laugh, and it worked; the men were exhilarated and brought back once again the happiness of having achieved victory and survived to witness their return home. Oberts Spinola's words ignited a fire in the hearts of the Genoese troops. They were filled with a sense of pride and patriotism in their victory over the Venetians, and they were inspired to take their triumph home to Genoa and to their fellow Genoese.

After that, the men returned to their work, for they wanted to arrive in Genoa before the next morning. They knew that they had done something great, and they wanted to honor their fallen comrades and celebrate their victory with their families and friends. They knew that they would be welcomed home as heroes, and they wanted to see the reaction of the people of Genoa to this great achievement. They were confident and proud, as they had every right to be, and they knew that this victory would be remembered forever by their people.

Unfortunately, during the voyage, darkness set in, leading Oberto to order their return home to be slower, for he did not want any incidents during their voyage back.The Genoese ships made their way back to Genoa slowly and carefully, as it was crucial to get home without any kind of incident or accident.

Sure enough, they had arrived the next morning, ready to deliver the news back to their capital. While the fleet tracked in the port, a messenger was sent to the streets, announcing that a fleet , and obviously not the one they sent to guard the noblewoman, had won a great engagement against Venice and the usurper of the Sicilian Kingdom. They did not mention that the fleet was the one that departed yesterday, for obviously it was an escorting ship and not one sent to fight a hostile convoy of ships. The streets of Genoa were bustling with people who had heard about the Genoese victory over the Venetians. People were cheering and celebrating, and they wanted to know more about the engagement. This was a huge triumph for the Genoese, and they were very proud of their warriors for pulling it off. The city was buzzing with energy and enthusiasm, and there was a spirit of celebration and solidarity among the people as they awaited the return of the Genoese fleet and the announcement of the triumphs.

Sure enough, the new also arrived to Conradin, who let out asigh of happiness and relief, for using the sea would be a big part of his plan to acquire back his kingdom, and his campaign would have been at great risk if it were not for this victory. He was relieved by the news and was adamant about meeting Admiral Oberto Spinola and personally thanking him for his victory. He knew that this was a great achievement, and he was thankful to both the Genoese troops and the captain for what they had accomplished. It would no doubt be a huge boost to morale among his own troops and the people of Sicily, for he was sure that the news would relieve them from their dire and sad situation.

After all, he was informed of what Charles did in Sicily to raise finances for his campaign,and the gradual increase of hate towards him from the people but he had no idea what Charles did in Florence. Conradin would have laughed at Charles' foolishness if he had known, for even if he triumphed against him, the Italian city would undoubtedly form a unified front against Charles' expansion.

Oberto was then invited to the Senate hearing to report his victory and get his proper award.

He did exactly that when he arrived: he reported the number of enemy ships, the tactic he used, how the hostile fleet tried to attack their flank before being stopped, and lastly, how the center broke through and the retreat and pursuit of the fleeing ships. He then reported their losses and the captured ship. The total genoa had lost 360 men, 210 of whom were severely wounded, while capturing 12 ships, four of which were galleys and the rest were simple merchant ships that switched to war.

The senators were ecstatic about the victory, and they decided to throw a public feast in his honor and also award him with some mansions along with the surrounding farms in the central holding of Genoa. He had proven himself to be a true hero of the Genoese Republic, and he was honored for his bravery and his leadership during the battle.

It was announced that the feast would be launched tomorrow, while a public donation of food would be given this afternoon, when it would be officially announced the victory. The feast was a grand celebration of the victory over the Venetians, and it was filled with food, drink, and joyous celebration. There was music and dance, and all the people of Genoa came together to celebrate their heroes and their victory, and Oberto Spinola was honored as the man who led them to victory. This victory was a great boon for the Genoese people, and it was clearly a day of celebration and jubilation for all the people of Genoa. This was a day to be remembered, and it would long live on in the memory of all of them. For the Genoese people, the celebration of the victory was the pinnacle of the day; as for the sailors, they were given each 15 denarii to spend and were given free drinks, which will be paid by the state for each of them. It was a great day for everyone—for the people, for Oberto, and especially for the sailors who most passed the night of their lives that day.

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