Ezio and Petruchio both grew up in Florence, and leaving their hometown for the first time made them both a little nervous and uneasy.
As a member of the Assassin Brotherhood, Maria understood the current situation not much later than Giovanni.
Early the next morning, the Auditore couple took Federico and Claudia to see off the two brothers who were about to leave.
Federico put his hands around the necks of his two younger brothers and whispered to comfort them.
Claudia, who did not understand the situation at all, seemed very uneasy. She asked her mother many times what happened.
Giovanni looked up at the sky, clapped his hands gently and reminded: "I have done what I have to do to say goodbye, let's go."
Turning to look at Lu Xiao, who had already put on his hood, Giovanni solemnly asked him: "Lu, Ezio and Petruchio will be left to you."
Lu Xiao also replied sternly: "Okay, I promise to deliver them to Mario unharmed."
Leaving the city for the first time, Ezio and Petruchio, riding on the same horse, couldn't help but look back after crossing the city gate.
Under the hazy morning sun, the city of Florence looked magnificent, and the towering church towers in the city were still clearly visible, but the rising smoke obscured their view of the Auditore mansion.
Lu Xiao waited silently for five minutes before speaking out to wake up the two brothers who stopped and looked back: "You two, it's time for us to set off. Trust your families, this separation is only temporary. When everything calms down, you will come back again."
to this city.”
"Just think of it as a tourist outing and go to Monteriggioni to visit your Uncle Mario."
Ezio took a deep breath, turned his horse's head and nodded to Lu Xiao. His previously bohemian temperament had obviously restrained, and his demeanor looked much more mature.
"Let's go, Petruchio, hold on to the reins."
"Um."
…
Just like Lu Xiao rode alone across the wilderness in 1475, on the way back to Monteriggioni, Ezio and Petruchio experienced firsthand how dangerous the wilderness was in this era.
"Whoosh!"
Lu Xiao, who was riding a horse, let go of the half-opened bow string, and the arrow that quickly drove away the air pierced the back of the head of the last robber who tried to block the road and robbed him. This group of more than a dozen robbers was destroyed.
"Ugh~"
Petruchio bent over the road with a pale face and kept retching. Seeing the bloody corpse for the first time, this gentle young man was very uncomfortable with it.
Strangely enough, Lu Xiao did not have such an extreme reaction when he participated in the Battle of Monteriggioni. He quickly adapted to the tragic battlefield full of corpses.
Ezio also acted relatively calmly, and he even personally killed two bandits who tried to attack Petruchio with a long sword in his hand.
Seeing Lu Xiao squatting down and groping for something on the corpse, Ezio helped Petruchio along his back with his hands and asked with a frown: "What are you doing? They are already dead."
"Look for clues to determine if there is someone behind these robbers."
Lu Xiao searched through the bodies of more than a dozen members of the bandit group one by one, but found nothing, which made him relieved.
At least it proves that the Templars don't attach much importance to the two Ezio brothers leaving the city.
"Let's go, keep going, and try to get to Auditore this afternoon."
Monteriggioni is just a small castle in Tuscany, not far from the city of Florence. Even taking care of Petruchio, who was not good at riding horses, Lu Xiao and the other three managed to get to Monteriggioni in just a few days.
Below the city of Ligioni.
Mario had already received Giovanni's letter through flying pigeons. He personally stood at the gate of the city to welcome the arrival of Lu Xiao and his two nephews.
After not seeing each other for a year, Mario looked the same as before. As soon as Ezio and Petruchio dismounted, he immediately let out a hearty laugh, strode forward and hugged the two of them respectively.
"Ezio, Petruchio, welcome to Monteriggioni. Did you encounter any trouble along the way?"
Ezio and Petruchio were very young when they last saw Mario, and they no longer remember Mario's appearance.
Seeing the blank eyes of his two nephews, Mario slapped Ezio on the back in shock: "What? You don't recognize me anymore? I'm Mario."
Ezio grinned when Mario slapped his back with his big hand. He forced a smile and replied: "Uncle Mario, it's been a long time indeed."
"The journey was not bad. We only encountered a group of robbers who blocked the road and a small number of wild animals that tried to attack at night. They were all dealt with by Lu one by one."
Mario rubbed Petruchio's hair lovingly, and finally let go of the two of them and walked to Lu Xiao.
Putting his hands heavily on Lu Xiao's shoulders, Mario nodded with satisfaction: "Your body is stronger than when you left a year ago. It seems that you have not relaxed your training due to the bustling and luxurious city life.
very good!"
Ezio twitched the corner of his mouth and complained: "This guy is quite boring. I asked him to go to a brothel to relax together several times but he was rejected."
"Hahaha!"
Mario laughed and waved for the three of them to follow: "Ezio, it seems that you are a typical city person who indulges in enjoyment. I'm afraid Monteriggioni will disappoint you. There are no brothels here, but I guarantee you
This vacation time will not be boring.”
"Giovanni entrusted me to train you strictly in his letter. You have just arrived today. I will give you a day to rest and adapt."
"Starting from the day after tomorrow, get up on time at 5 a.m. During this time, I will teach you how to fight as a man and how to protect the most important things with your own hands."
Ezio's expression suddenly became stiff: "...Huh? Five o'clock?!"
…
After arranging the servants to send the dejected Ezio and exhausted Petruchio to the guest room on the second floor, Mario led Lu Xiao into the study and started talking about business.
"Lu, we are reunited after a long separation. I should have held a banquet to entertain you, but the current situation does not allow us to relax. Let's get straight to the point."
Mario took out a map and spread it on the table. He reached out and clicked heavily on a castle: "San Gimignano, the fiefdom capital of the Pazzi family."
"Due to the grievances between the Auditore and the Pazzi family, the two sides have been back and forth in the past ten years. I have also led troops to attack San Gimignano many times."
"Today's San Gimignano is completely different from before, and the defensive strength is simply different."
Mario pouted and said in pain: "Perhaps it was Rodrigo's help. The Pazzi family purchased a large number of cannons. San Gimignano was armed to the teeth by them, and it was almost impossible to attack head-on.
It is possible to break through the defense of the city wall."
"The scouts I sent sneaked into the city but there was no response. It is most likely that the situation is in danger. To be honest, I really can't do anything about this well-defended city."
Although Mario is the leader of the Italian Assassin Brotherhood, due to his personal personality, he has never learned orthodox infiltration and assassination skills, and behaves more like a brave mercenary leader in battle.
Lu Xiao smiled understandingly: "I understand, I'm here just to help you this time."
"Florence cannot be lost, and the Medici family cannot fall. For this, we need to obtain more detailed information from San Gimignano."
"I plan to sneak into the city myself, but I need your support and feint attack to help me attract the attention of some of the soldiers defending the city."
Mario hammered his chest hard: "No problem! I surveyed it in advance. There are some gaps in the city wall near the west gate of San Gimignano, and the Pazzi family never had time to repair it."
"I will lead the mercenaries to attack from the east gate and attract as many soldiers as possible to defend the city. I will leave the task of sneaking into the city to you."