After assigning tasks to Karl and Duke, it was impossible to let them proceed in secret, so they naturally needed help to gain support from various aspects, at least not to be constantly restrained.
The two of them also attended the Papal States meeting convened by Augustus the next day.
When the two came to see the Pope and entered the Papal Palace together, having a long talk with him for a whole day, the various ministers naturally heard some rumors.
When the two of them were still standing at the entrance of the Papal Palace, people had already begun to inquire about them.
Before the two even left the Papal Palace, several ministers already had a clear understanding of their origins and backgrounds, and had guessed one or two of the Pope's intentions.
Even so, the Pope bringing them to attend the Papal States meeting so quickly still surprised everyone.
Someone was about to have their power divided, and David gloated as he glanced at Lorenzo, who also understood what was happening, his face so gloomy it could drip water.
"Let me introduce these two to everyone, Karl and Duke.
From now on, they will both be members of the meeting.
I hope everyone supports each other and works together for the development of the Papal States."
Duke will integrate the existing troops of the Papal States based on the Field Army and expand them to fifteen thousand men, while Karl will be responsible for forming a separate National Defense Force, also fifteen thousand men, both directly reporting to me.
I hope everyone can cooperate with their work."
Augustus deliberately emphasized the last sentence.
"I fully support the Pope's wise decision; the defense capabilities of the Papal States are in urgent need of improvement.
The Pope values these two, so they must have extraordinary qualities.
Welcome to both of you; if there's anything you need help with in the future, I will do my best.
I am David, in charge of the Papal States' finances," David said with a cheerful smile.
"Thank you, please take care of us in the future.
I heard the Pope mention you; the Pope speaks very highly of you," Karl reciprocated with a compliment.
"Please take care of us," Duke immediately followed up.
Before they arrived, Augustus had introduced the Papal States' powerful ministers to Karl and Duke as thoroughly as possible, so the two were not unfamiliar with the name.
One doesn't hit a smiling face, and facing David's clear goodwill, no matter how much the two disdained social niceties, their response was still very polite.
Augustus was clearly very satisfied with David's performance; whether he truly thought so or was just putting on a show, with his words, the resistance would be much smaller, and the opposing voices could be reduced by half.
The other few had rather unpleasant expressions; even Francesco, who had a close personal relationship with David, looked disgusted at David's sycophantic behavior.
One must know that once the Pope began to divide power, it would not be aimed at just one person.
If it wasn't him this time, what about next time, or the time after that?
If the Pope was truly allowed to proceed unimpeded, then he might really do as he pleased in the future, and then he himself would have no say at all.
He didn't have a good relationship with Lorenzo either, so Francesco wouldn't actively stand up and express opposition, but there was no need to rush to take sides so quickly.
Lorenzo's face was particularly grim; the military power was being openly taken from his hands, and he hadn't even said a word, yet they were already engaging in commercial flattery, treating him like air?
"Your Holiness, as far as I know, neither of them is a native of the Papal States.
Is it perhaps inappropriate to entrust them with the nation's most crucial military power upon their arrival?"
Lorenzo still spoke up.
If he said nothing at this point, no one would speak for him, and he would only watch helplessly as his military power was taken away.
In Lorenzo's view, there was still room for negotiation; the Pope dividing the army into two might have been an exorbitant demand, waiting for him to bargain it down.
Augustus smiled slightly; it was as expected.
It would have been strange if Lorenzo had said nothing at this point; something abnormal usually indicates something sinister, so it was best that he spoke up directly.
"Are you questioning our character?" Duke demanded angrily.
"Apologies, I don't know you, and I believe everyone else feels the same, so there's no reason not to have doubts about you."
"We certainly don't know these two, but they are the Pope's chosen men.
The Pope trusts them; aren't you doubting the Pope by doubting them?" Enzo asked coldly.
Augustus's good impression of Enzo increased by a few points; it seemed the resistance was far less than expected, although he didn't know their respective motives.
"No, I didn't mean that."
Seeing Enzo direct the spearhead towards the Pope, Lorenzo hastily explained, "I merely believe it would be wise to observe them for a period before making a decision, as this is not child's play.
Furthermore, entrusting all of the Papal States' army to two foreigners at once seems a bit too dangerous; if it were only a portion, it would be much safer.
And directly appointing them as the supreme commanders of the army might make it difficult to gain public support."
"Whether or not we can gain public support is our concern, so you don't need to worry about it," Enzo's intention was already clear, and Karl no longer held back.
"Your Holiness, you suddenly propose such a large-scale military expansion; do you already have a war objective?" Romeo diverted their topic and asked directly.
As soon as he spoke, the entire room was in an uproar; others also realized this was possible.
How could tripling the army size be for mere display?
This was no small expense.
To say that other countries would brazenly attack the Papal States was a rare occurrence, and currently, no country had such a possibility.
"No, I just feel that the defense capabilities of the Papal States are truly too weak, almost unable to cope with any sudden crisis.
Soldiers don't go straight to the battlefield as soon as they enlist; they still need various training.
It's about preparing early and planning ahead."
Augustus's answer was matter-of-fact, but it was actually problematic.
For example, soldiers being conscripted and immediately sent to the battlefield was the basic operation of this era.
Those who survived a few battles became veterans; troops trained for several years without seeing combat might not necessarily be as effective as those who had been in a few battles directly.
Elites are truly forged in combat.
Actual combat is the most efficient training, and also the most brutal.
It's okay if there are problems; some things are understood but not spoken, which is a basic quality of a politician.
At this moment, Duke spoke: "Actually, there's no problem with soldiers going directly to the battlefield after joining."
How could he have forgotten him? He actually undermined him like that, what a pigheaded teammate.
"Oh, is that so? Well, more training is always good, and on the battlefield, the fewer casualties the better, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes," Duke agreed very straightforwardly.
Being too passive by letting them ask questions, Augustus decided to take the initiative: "By the way, Lorenzo, I have something to entrust to you.
I want to implement a compulsory military service system within the Papal States.
A decree will be issued, stipulating that all eligible men between 15 and 40 years old throughout the country have an obligation to serve in the military.
If eligible but refusing to serve, they must pay a corresponding amount of exemption fees.
During military service, there will be subsidies, including food and lodging.
This matter will be specifically your responsibility.
Any problems?"
Give him something to do so he doesn't cause trouble for himself.
This task needed to be done anyway, and it was within his scope of duties.
Lorenzo was completely stunned.
First, power was taken from his hands.
Then, such a major undertaking as implementing compulsory military service was simply and casually handed to him without any discussion; he would certainly be busy now.
Implementing compulsory military service would inevitably offend many people, but from another perspective, it was also a lucrative position.
"No problem, I will surely not fail in my mission." With no room for negotiation, Lorenzo simply accepted it.
Whether this exchange was a gain or a loss, Lorenzo himself couldn't say.
If he didn't rebel, military power actually had no practical use, merely making his voice sound stronger.
Rebellion, Lorenzo had never even considered; an internal conflict in the Papal States would never be just an internal matter, other countries would certainly intervene, and no matter who the ultimate winner was, the rebel would almost certainly die.
In comparison, being put in charge of implementing compulsory military service could be said to be a heavy responsibility, not only with generous returns but also great significance; if successful, he could even go down in history because of it.
Thus, Karl and Duke had nominally taken over the Papal States' army and entered the core of the Papal States' power.
The next step was integration and recruitment.
Francesco remained silent throughout the entire process, which wasn't necessarily wrong, but it made Augustus feel a hint of unease.