The return of the fallen king

Chapter 78: Sicilian affairs (3)

May 09 1267

Seven days have passed since Corrado gave the order to his knight to recruit as many men as they could with their equipment, knowing that every man counted.

In the meantime, Corrado continued to keep a close eye on his enemy's movements and prepare for any possibility. For They would need to be ready to respond quickly and efficiently to any developments in the campaign, as their enemy would be doing the same. Only by staying ahead of the enemy and being fully prepared for every scenario would the imperialists be able to succeed in their campaign and liberate more regions from the French occupation. Currently, however, Conradin's spy in Naples did not send any news of any movement from the French army stationed there, and since Naples did not receive any news, the other cities must have been still in ignorance of what was happening behind their backs.

This was good news, for it would be a key advantage in the upcoming campaign, as it would allow his army to strike quickly and take control before their foe had a chance to react and organize themselves effectively. This could give them a much better chance of success, and it was clear that Corrado was counting on this to give him an edge in his campaign. Corrado knew that they had only a short window of opportunity and that they would need to make the most of it in order to bring about victory. It was essential that his forces hit the French forces hard and fast before they had any chance to recover from the shock and give an appropriate response. After all, is not the unexpected blow the hardest to receive?.

Despite the difficulties, he had managed to get everything in place and ready for their campaign, and it was evident that he was confident in his abilities to defeat the French forces. He had implemented an effective and well-thought-out strategy, and all that remained was to ensure that his forces were prepared to carry it out. It would undoubtedly be a difficult time ahead, but Corrado felt confident that he was equal to the task.

Returning to the recruitment campaign, Corrado's agents were able to recruit a force of 1,700 infantrymen in seven days, which, coupled with his 200 knights, was all the forces Corrado could utilize. Of these 1,700 however, only 500 were given chain mail while the other 1,200 were instead equipped with just padding, effective against blunt weapons but not with pointy ones.

'I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed'. Corrado thought, hoping that he would at least reach 2,500 men, but in order to reach that number, he knew that he could only rely on supplies sent from Genoa.

The count would now need to organize these men and prepare them for battle so that they were ready to fight when the time came. Unfortunately, time was running out, so he made the delicate decision to first bring Calabria under his heel and then train their troops once they were inside a fortress, he knew that he was making a big bet for if any city even gave the slightest impression of wanting to fight, his army would fall like leaves during autumn.

The fact that time was running out only served to emphasize the need for decisive and quick action on the part of Corrado and his forces. They would need to waste no time in securing Calabria so that the frenchs would need to waste time on besieging the region , giving him much more time to receive more support from the northern frontier.

Corrado and his 1,900 soldiers got out of Catania in order to embark on the ships loaned by the Genoese and disembark towards Reghium (Reggio). As he entered the port, he watched his ship track inside the wooden facility of the port, and without wasting time, he ordered his forces to embark. As he watched his troops enter the ship, he felt a mix of emotions. There was certainly a sense of excitement and anticipation, as he knew that this could be a decisive moment for their campaign. However, there was also a sense of nervousness and dread, as he was aware of just how much rested on their success. It had been a long and difficult journey, filled with many challenges and obstacles, but now they were finally ready to set sail and begin their new campaign.

Corrado was outside the deck as the ships set sail, feeling the breeze on his face and watching the Genoese seamen skillfully maneuver the ship. Corrado temporarily relaxed while admiring the landscape provided by the water because he had nothing else to do. It was tranquil and peaceful, and he allowed himself to concentrate on what they had accomplished so far and to take in the beauty of the surrounding environment for a little while. He was also aware that they had a mission to complete and that their end may come at any time. It was up to them to win this war, and Corrado was willing to lead the way.

''Omnes vulnerant, necat ultima (Everyone wounds, the last one kills)'' Corrado spoke in hushed tones to remind himself that everything he had built was like a massive sand castle ready to crumble at the slightest touch. After all the reconquest of Sicily was just a light blow to the French and it would be foolish to think of that as a great victory over the usurper for if Corrado faced just one defeat, everything would crumble before his eyes.

'Isn't my predicament identical to that of Belisarius? Few troops as opposed to a vast force, having only as advantage the local support, hell, even the campaign's beginning location is the same'

With a mournful smile, Corrado reflected on his situation, which was comparable to that of the last great general of antiquity. And who knows, maybe Corrado's feat will be comparable to that of the great general?

After a short sea voyage lasting only about 7 hours, it was now time to disembark on the Calabrian shore. They were ready and prepared for battle, and now it was up to them to show the enemy what they were made of and bring an end to this unjust occupation once and for all. This was planned to not be a challenging campaign; they would just descend with their army, accept the surrender of the cities inside the region, and use the mountainous terrain and fortresses to stop any French army from accessing Sicily. If Calabria were to fall to Corrado, the sea path would not be able to be taken by the French since they would be surely stopped in their tracks by the Genoese fleet, so they would have no choice but to besiege every fortress inside Calabria in order to reach Reggio and cross the strait.

As for the disembarking army, their first objective would be to secure the city of Reggio in order to gain a foothold on the mainland and continue their march towards the rest of the region. This would be a critical step in their campaign, and Corrado knew that it would be crucial to their success.

The army was basically just around Reggio, and only a short march of maybe less than two hours was needed to arrive in the city.

Corrado, however, did not know the way around there and needed a guide. Most of his soldiers only lived in Sicily, and as such, they did not know the way around. In order to get someone to indicate the right way, Corrado dispatched his knights to go to a nearby village and employ a man to guide them toward the nearest city, offering them a reward for their service. Sure enough, after half an hour, a group of knights returned alongside a man named Robertu, a sheepherder who, in order to sell his herd's offspring, traveled to the cities around the region.

''What is your name?'' Corrado asked with a rough voice to the young man in front of him ''Robertu, your lordship '',the men said while appearing anxious to Corrado, ''do you know the way around here?'' Corrado asked, prompting Roberty to nod respectfully.

''Be our guide, and you shall be rewarded in the name of the king. ''Corrado said to motivate the man and calm him while offering him a bag of silver coins.

Just like that, the young man calmed and started to guide the army toward the city of Reggio. After a march of two weeks, the army had finally reached the city.

The city of Reggio has always been known as the ''Metropolis of the Theme of Calabria'' and was used by the Byzantines in southern Italy as the center of administration of the theme (duchy in Greek). It remained one of the last strongholds of the Byzantines in south Italy until its conquest by the Norman duke Robert Guiscaard in 1060, with the Byzantines being completely ousted from Italy in 1071 with the surrender of the city of Bari to the same Norman duke.

Corrado, wanting to play the role of liberator, marched alongside his 1,900 soldiers to outside the city, pausing just before the city's gate. The gate was however already locked before the army arrived, as it would be stupid to leave the it open upon the entrance of an unknown army. Nonetheless, when the mayor of the city saw the Hohestaufen house's banner flying beside the Capece's, he realized that this was the army was led by a general who served their legitimate monarch, their concern quickly turned to uncertainty, for they thought the last Hohestuafen was in the north. Soon after, a courier left the army and halted directly in front of the gate to deliver a general message to the city.

Instead of risking unnecessary bloodshed and loss of life, it appears that Corrado chose a more peaceful method first in order to avoid instilling fear in its residents, as any community would be terrified if an army landed on its doorsteps. He was aware that it was critical to incur as few losses as possible during his campaign, for the cities that he will be liberating would be used by him to reinforce his army. This was an admirable and commendable attribute in a leader, and it demonstrated Corrada's ability to perceive and understand the larger picture, for he knew that without local support his campaign would end at its start

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