Summoning Italy

Chapter 48: A Besieged Castle

Prime Minister's Office

Giovanni sat there with annoyance and anger at Arde as he stared through the monitor. Beyond the screen, Arde continued to list his demands with a serious look, "Due to the immense economic ruin the Parpaldia Empire has faced, the Republic of Italy is complicit and as such is obligated to pay over 30,000 gold bars equivalent to the 5 billion parlipos lost in economic activity."

The man sighed deeply as he rubbed his eyes. These demands were so unreasonable, it was almost insulting. First they were told to handover the infrastructure they built in Parpaldia. Then they were told to repeal the Trade Technology Regulation Act to open trade for Italian weapons, and now Arde was demanding they pay such a large sum of their gold reserves. He spoke into the microphone of the laptop, "Supreme Commander Arde, while Italy is willing to give some compensation to Parpaldia for your economic loss, this large sum is simply not viable. This-"

"With all due respect, Canessa," Arde said with poison at the Italian's surname. "You have set the Empire back years with its progress due to our lost economic prestige. Business and companies have been shutting down now due to the absolute lack of manpower caused by Ludius's hasty emancipation. All for a few bottles of wine."

"Then can we at least do the payments over, say a 5 year time period?" Giovanni said as he looked to Roberto who had an equally annoyed expression at Arde.

"That is too much time. I'll give your nation a year at..." Arde then looked to the side as a soldier approached him. He leaned in to the whispering man as his face contorted from confusion to anger. Arde looked back to the screen as he smacked the table in frustration. "I just received news that Remille has somehow escaped our captivity! Is this your doing, Canessa!?"

Giovanni and Roberto looked at each other in surprise and then to Arde. Giovanni quickly spoke, "What- No Arde we didn't do anything! We didn't even order a single boot on the ground!"

Arde sneered as he pointed at the screen accusingly, "Don't you dare take me for a fool, Canessa. We had Remille on lockdown, and her aides out. This can only be your doing. You are not a man of your world, and thus I shall be. Pray for your people, Canessa, for they can only hope a swift death."

The mana comm screen then went dark. There was silence for a moment in the prime minister's office.

"SHIT!"

Giovanni and Roberto quickly ran out of the office. With their hearts beating in anxiety, they immediately barged into the emergency meeting room. The generals all looked to the two as Giovanni spoke, "Arde's ordered to attack!"

"Attack!?" Moretti said as the generals immediately scrambled at the news, "What happened, sir?"

"He accused us of aiding Remille escaping— we didn't even know she escaped, let alone arrested!" Giovanni said shakily. He immediately took his seat along with Roberto as he stared at the screen with the map of the embassy and Prato alla Drava laid onto it.

"Crap," Moretti said. "Tell the men, quickly!"

...

Lorenzo looked around the church as his men helped them all up from the walls. The mess of the dead Parpaldians were nothing to him, but the least they should do is make sure the youth wouldn't see them. As he ordered his men to make sure nobody was hurt, Lorenzo's radio crackled to life, "Lorenzo, come in!"

"Yes HQ, what is it?" Lorenzo asked, alarmed at his superior's tone.

"We've received intel that Arde has ordered the massacre to occur! Get ready to engage in a defensive position!"

"Yes sir!" Lorenzo said in a haste before he spoke into the radio again, "Attention all troops! Parpaldia has ordered their men to engage. Prepare for their attacks, go!"