Chapter 108 Chapter 108 My best advice is to listen to Giotto first...
Giotto has been troubled a lot lately.
In addition to secretly supporting Giuseppe Mazzini and their people, dealing with the temptations of other Mafia families, gaining more support from the nobles, and handling the necessary affairs of the self-defense group, he was also worried about family affairs - yes, family affairs, such a definition sometimes made him even laugh out loud, but no matter what, the friction and conflict after they got together was indeed bothering Giotto, no more serious than other things, but no easier to solve than other things.
These people had come together for him, though it sounded a bit arrogant, but it was true. Without Giotto's careful mediation, they might not have gotten along; and that was all for the best. Arnold had slipped past his window the other day and left a secret message. Spedo, having caught Arnold leaving Giotto's study, had clearly misunderstood something and immediately engaged in a brawl. When Giotto arrived, they were still angrily questioning each other's reasons for being there.
Spedo, who was always moody, was fine, but Giotto had never seen Arnold so angry. While struggling to separate them, Giotto asked blankly, "Do you know each other?"
As soon as he asked the question, he knew it was a stupid one. Arnold and Spedo stared at him, then asked in even greater disbelief, "Do you know each other?"
What followed was a violent storm.
Arnold harshly condemned Giotto for allowing an "officer from the Bourbon dynasty" to be placed in the Vongola Manor, especially when he was such an ambitious, ruthless, cruel and bloody "devil"; Spedo retorted, mocking Giotto for being out of his mind to allow an "Austrian secret intelligence service spy" to come and go freely in the Vongola. Only God and the "devil" (Spedo emphasized the words sarcastically) knew what secrets he wanted to steal for his master.
Poor Giotto was nearly squeezed into a hapless sandwich by their mutual attacks. But despite their heated words, Giotto was keenly aware of their concern and care for the Vongola, and with his usual frank, almost sharp sincerity, he insisted on his point of view: he just happened to have made two trustworthy friends, and these two friends just happened to have other identities.
That's all.
While Arnold and Spedo sat in stunned silence, Giotto thanked them both individually, both for Arnold's intelligence (which Giotto knew had been difficult), and for Spedo's genuine concern for the Vongola's safety (which Giotto also knew was sincere). At this point, the two finally stopped fighting. Arnold snorted first, saying, "You better know what you're doing," and hurried away. Spedo, with a strange expression on his face, was clearly about to say something similar, but instead changed it to, "You better know who you're dealing with," and also stormed off.
Giotto, who was left there, sighed deeply. Fortunately, they didn't fight!
Of course, Giotto couldn't care less about the two of them fighting somewhere else. Sooner or later, Giotto thought, he would have to find a way to bring Arnold and Spedo together to go on a mission (with his keen observation, he discovered that although the two seemed incompatible, if they could work together, they might produce amazing results).
However, it was still too early. This was why Giotto thought of Elio in this matter.
"…As our vigilante group grew in strength, the nearby Mafia families began to feel threatened," Giotto explained. "I managed to make some allies while traveling with them, managing to turn enemies into friends. But some still felt…"
"They just want to devour us, Giotto," Spedo interrupted lazily. "It doesn't matter whether we're actually a threat to them or not. If you ask me, there's no need to bother trying to make friends with them. It would be even more troublesome than just nibbling them one by one."
Spedo had clearly mentioned this expansion plan several times before, and Giotto offered him no further objection, merely a resigned look that signaled they should focus on the matter at hand. Elio, hearing this for the first time, raised an eyebrow. Spedo, also watching for his reaction, turned away and asked with a smirk, "What are your thoughts, 'mentor'?"
"My best advice is to hear Giotto out first," Elio said. "Damon."
Spedo's eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked at Elio. Giotto, sensing a subtle but veiled retort, quickly continued, "Anyway, the Scalera family is one of them."
"Are they going to cause trouble for the Vongola?" Elio asked.
"I've received reliable information saying so," Giotto said, pretending not to hear Spedo snort disdainfully at his "informant." "But that's just a small matter. Arnold suspects they're targeting us because they're colluding with the Spanish and don't want to see the local Sicilian power grow."
Elio couldn't help but glance at Spedo, the officer who was officially serving the Spanish. The latter gave him another fake smile.
"—Damon has found a way to confirm this, and the evidence is irrefutable." Giotto interrupted, "So, I need you to strike first and strike at the Scalera family."
This is why Elio and Spedo formed a temporary team. Giotto hoped that the two of them could play to their strengths and help each other, but the only tacit understanding between Elio and Spedo on this matter was that they did not need such a "temporary partner" at all, and it was enough for them to go alone.
Giotto, of course, knew this. But he took great pains to separate the two of them for private conversations. First, he told the proud yet Vongola-loving Spedo, "I can't just have you running around all day. I need to get other family members involved in building Vongola. That's the only way to build a stronger bond." Then, he told Elio, "Damon is a brilliant illusionist. He can be your insurance policy, making me feel more at ease staying here."
Giotto had to endure Spedo's "Oh? So how did you coax Elio?" and Elio's "I think he's a lethal measure," responding with an awkward smile and scratching his head; but anyway, the two of them agreed to the team plan, much to Giotto's relief.
Watching Elio and Spedo leave while discussing their plan of action, Giotto felt a sense of relief. However, Giotto soon received another report: "Master Gatling and Master Asari were fighting in the training ground."
As for this little thing, Elio certainly didn't know. Spedo knew the location of the Scalera family, but they should first formulate a battle plan. Obviously, they couldn't just attack head-on.
"Why not?" Spedo asked. Just as Elio frowned, Spedo quickly made his intentions clear. "You must understand that the Scalera family and our Vongola family are bound to fight to the death. In that case, we should take this opportunity to launch a high-profile attack and serve as a warning to other wavering families."
Spedo leaned against the door and described in vivid detail how they should break in. First, they would clear the way with the flames from hell, then they would slaughter people everywhere until ghosts and wolves howled, and finally they would leave an obvious mark, such as placing a Vongola family emblem in the sky to deter all potential enemies.
In the room, Elio was packing up his gear, carefully checking his still-sharp throwing knives (though this was something he did every morning), and he listened silently the entire time. Spedo hadn't guessed he was internally complaining, "Why do all illusionists have this aesthetic?" He paused mid-sentence, doubtful, "Are you even listening?"
"I'm listening," Elio finally put on his coat, shifting in place for a moment, checking with satisfaction that the hem of his coat covered the sword hanging at his waist. "But I must remind you that we Vongola don't have an official emblem yet."
Spedo frowned, "Is that the point?"
"This must be a key point for Giotto," Elio said, finishing his preparations and heading for the door. "Just wait. He'll gather everyone together one day and have us discuss the design of the emblem."
Spedo frowned, considering this possibility for a moment. Having never experienced being summoned by Giotto and then asked for the organization's opinion, it was clearly difficult for him to understand. Elio smiled and patted his shoulder. "Let's go."
"Do you agree with my plan?" Spedo asked suspiciously.
"I agree with you about 'deterring the enemy,'" Elio said. "In my opinion, it's one of only two ways to protect your companions."
Spedo's tone revealed a conciliatory attitude, as if he was willing to hear more. "Oh?"
They left the main building together and headed towards the stables. There seemed to be sounds of fighting in the training grounds, but neither of them paid too much attention.
"As for the other," said Elio, "it is what Giotto is doing, 'making friends of enemies.'"
Spedo snorted, "But he can't make all his enemies his friends."
"He certainly can't," Elio said pertinently, "but he is, and has been, establishing an image of the Vongola as one that is more tolerant and inclusive. That's why you and Arnold are both under the same roof, and I won't question your position, nor will I question Arnold's."
Spedo raised his eyebrows, but before he could speak, Elio interrupted him.
"The Vongola's external measures must be consistent." Elio led out a horse and coaxed it while saying gently, "Giotto adopts a more tolerant attitude towards the outside world, but we are brutally attacking the hostile families that have not yet taken action. This will only drive away those wavering families who might have thrown themselves into Giotto's arms, turning them into enemies..."
"'Brutal'?" Spedo snorted coldly, interrupting Elio. "If you've ever been on a battlefield, seen the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, if you've ever witnessed how those hostile families intend to treat us, you wouldn't be able to use the word 'brutal'!"
There was nothing gentle about the way he dragged the horse from the stable. The animal practically whined, but tremblingly submitted to Spedo. The demonic officer mounted his horse and spoke condescendingly to Elio, "I thought you'd be more persuasive than Giotto and Gatlin, but it seems I was mistaken. Or perhaps, having stayed so long in the manor, you're completely oblivious to the outside world, which is why you can offer such naive and noble words?"
"Oh," Elio, who had also mounted his horse, fiddled with the hilt of his sword, then bent down and patted the horse's neck affectionately. "I just thought you probably wouldn't like me calling your plan 'dramatic.'"
Spedo felt like he'd punched a ball of cotton, a ball that threatened to jump and choke him. He was speechless for a moment, and could only glare at Elio. Elio smiled, holding the reins in one hand and gesturing with the other. "Please, Damon. You're the only one who knows the way."
"'Spedo'," Spedo corrected with a cold face as he forced the horse to turn.
"Please, Spedo," Elio said readily. "We can discuss how to 'strike' the Scalera family on the way."
Spedo gave his horse a hard kick and set off. It was hard to tell if he intended to keep Elio behind him, but behind him, Elio, chatting with his horse, quickly caught up. One in a dark blue military uniform, the other with his riding coat unbuttoned, rode one after the other out of the ochre-colored manor, down the lush green hillside, into the golden wasteland, and then gradually disintegrated into two parallel dots, disappearing into the orange-red horizon.
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The author has something to say: *Giuseppe Mazzini, if you are interested you can search online, he exists here as the historical background of the "Giotto/Vongola is busy" incident.
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