As the sun set, the battlefield had been cleared.
The wounded were still being treated, all bodies had been moved out of the camp, and discarded, usable weapons and armor were collected.
The two battlefields now only had some hard-to-clean severed limbs and remains, and bloodstains that had seeped into the soil.
The lingering smell of blood in the air attracted scavenging birds and insects, enjoying an unearned feast.
A mile from the camp, bodies were piled up, almost filling a valley.
Over a thousand bodies, scattered into several thousand pieces, were all piled together, making the scene even more shocking.
A team of soldiers remained to guard the area.
Inside the tent, Augustus asked Duke some more questions, and nodded with satisfaction upon hearing about some of the post-war measures overseen by Karl.
As expected of someone who had experienced the war against the Ottoman, the aftermath work was handled very appropriately.
Augustus was about to summon the other generals when suddenly, Riccardo, without announcement, pushed open the tent door and burst in frantically: "Your Holiness, what exactly is going on?"
Earlier, seeing the war escalate, Riccardo had already understood that the matter was by no means as simple as Karl and he had discussed, merely a retaliation; this was an organized and premeditated encirclement.
And he had been used by the person he trusted most in the Papal States, completely unaware.
Upon learning that Augustus had just returned, Riccardo immediately sought him out to get to the bottom of it.
The two guards at the entrance were caught off guard and let Riccardo rush in, startled, they quickly chased after him.
Augustus waved his hand, signaling them to withdraw, then observed Riccardo's expression: amidst confusion and dissatisfaction, there was even a hint of excitement.
Having roughly guessed Riccardo's attitude, Augustus no longer held back and explained everything in detail: "Now, it's time for you to know the truth.
I presume you have already guessed that Venice was never our ally from the beginning, but our first target in this war.
And using the pretext of fighting against the Ottoman Empire, making huge concessions to gain Venice's naval support, was to lure a part of Venice's proud navy onto land to deal with them, and then convert their warships for our own use.
With this ebb and flow, the disparity in naval power between the two sides can be erased, or even reversed.
If we attacked an ally without cause, the Papal States would inevitably fall into a very unfavorable position in public opinion, which would not only increase the resistance to our war but also make it harder to achieve results after the war.
Therefore, we needed a legitimate reason.
So, on the one hand, we had long ago listed Venice's many crimes, written them into a declaration of war, and sent it to Venice in advance.
Then, we had people disguised as anti-Papal forces from Venice kidnap the diplomatic mission with the aim of disrupting the alliance between the two countries, delaying until after our action here, and then staging a rescue in Venice.
On the other hand, through preferential treatment of Venice's reinforcements, and connivance and favoritism towards their provocations, I fueled the arrogance of Venice's reinforcements, escalating the conflict between Venice and us to an irreconcilable point.
Then, through an opportunity like today, we let Pisani actively lead his army to attack you, and our Papal States army then had a reason to suppress them."
Upon hearing Augustus's account, Riccardo was deeply shocked; his suspicions were confirmed, and an uncontrollable joy welled up inside him, but he still acutely noticed a problem: "But since the declaration of war was sent out early, why did the Papal States not repatriate Venice's reinforcements, who were allies at the time, but instead allowed Venetian soldiers to continue their arrogance within the allied forces, and then even clashed with them and annihilated them?
To outsiders, this would seem too deliberate."
Augustus cunningly explained: "You can't think that way; in the eyes of outsiders, we were unaware of the kidnapping of the diplomatic mission.
So, for the past few days, we should have been the ones feeling confused: these reinforcements should not have been repatriated by us, but recalled by Venice.
But why, after Donato had already received the Papal States' declaration of war, did he still delay recalling the soldiers and warships stationed in the Papal States? What exactly were his intentions?"
Riccardo was first stunned, then enlightened, and couldn't help but exclaim: "It really is like that; outsiders simply don't know that you knew.
As long as this matter isn't leaked, future historians' understanding of this period of history will likely be completely at odds with the truth."
"So, we don't treat you as an outsider, Riccardo.
I have told you everything I can; are you willing to fight alongside us?" Augustus looked at Riccardo sincerely, awaiting his answer.
Riccardo smiled frankly: "Of course, I am more than willing to fight against Venice.
Moreover, the Grand Duke said that no matter who the Papal States' opponent is, I must give my full support.
Now that I think about it, the Grand Duke must have seen through your plan long ago.
It's just that you shouldn't have kept it from me; if you had told me the whole truth from the beginning, I would have helped you all the same."
"Of course, I trust you.
The moment I saw you, I knew you were a trustworthy partner.
It's just that with some things, if it's an act, flaws are always bound to be found.
Only when the actors in this play don't know they are acting will the play be realistic, isn't that right?"
"Your Holiness is truly eloquent; I can't argue with you, I concede.
It's just that I didn't expect Karl, whom I trusted so much, to help you keep it from me.
I'll have to settle accounts with him later." Riccardo said, pretending to be resentful.
"Don't hold a grudge against Karl.
I was the one who told Karl not to tell you these things, and I also instructed him to ask for your cooperation.
Karl suggested telling you the truth several times, but I rejected him every time." Knowing Riccardo was joking, Augustus chuckled.
"Is Your Holiness inside?
Please announce that Karl requests an audience." Karl's voice came from outside the tent.
"Karl, come in."
Overseeing the battlefield cleanup was no less tiring than fighting; Karl walked in, covered in sweat: "Oh, everyone's here."
"Karl, you've come at just the right time!" Riccardo couldn't help but tease.
"Riccardo, you…" Karl hesitated, and also felt a little guilty, "You know everything?"
Seeing Karl's expression, Riccardo patted him on the shoulder and comforted him: "Don't worry, Your Holiness has explained everything to me.
From now on, we're all on the same side, so don't keep things like this from me again!"
"Riccardo, I've always considered you one of us, it's just…"
"I know, I don't blame you." Riccardo magnanimously forgave him.
"Thank you, Riccardo." After speaking, Karl turned to the Pope and asked, "Your Holiness, all the bodies from the war have been moved outside the camp.
How should we handle them next?"
"Have the numbers for each side been tallied?"
Karl bit his lip and reported truthfully: "They have been tallied.
Venice lost 1076 men, Tuscany lost 258 men, and we lost… 349 men, and there are 12 unidentified bodies."
Augustus took a deep breath, blaming himself with great guilt: "I am guilty; I underestimated the fighting will of the Venetians.
I should have planned more meticulously; perhaps many fewer lives would have been sacrificed."
"Your Holiness, to die in battle for you is the glory of the soldiers of the Papal States!" Karl said, holding his head high.
"But to let soldiers make unnecessary sacrifices is my shame."
No one spoke again; everyone present fell into a moment of silence.
After a long while, Augustus slowly began: "Prepare yourselves; I will personally conduct a Requiem Mass for the fallen soldiers.
Officers of battalion level and above must attend; other soldiers may attend voluntarily.
After the Mass, cremate them on the spot.
Erect a monument nearby for all fallen soldiers and arrange for regular maintenance."
Although he was still not very proficient, Augustus still felt that he had to do his best.
What is past cannot be undone, but what is to come can still be pursued.
This was both to comfort the departed souls and to encourage the living.