Assassin's Creed: Renaissance

Chapter 4

Giovanni Auditore's office is located on the second floor, overlooking the back garden below through the two large double windows on the wide balcony.The swirling patterns of the dark oak wall panels in the room exude a solemnity that is not tempered by the ornate stucco ceiling.There were two desks facing each other in the room, the larger one belonging to Giovanni.A row of bookcases lined the walls, filled with ledgers and red-lacquered parchments.This room is set up to tell the visitor: Here you will find wealth, respect and trust.As head of the Auditore International Bank—a bank that lent mainly to the kingdoms of Germania that were nominally part of the Holy Roman Empire—Giovanni Auditore was well aware of the enormity of his responsibilities.He hopes that his eldest and second sons will stop messing around sooner and help him share the burden he inherited from his own father, but it seems hopeless at present.but……

He sat on the chair behind the desk and looked angrily at his second son across the room.Ezio was standing at another table, which was empty - Giovanni's secretary had been ordered to leave, giving the father and son a chance to speak privately, a conversation that Ezio feared would make him very nervous. pain.It was just past noon.All morning he waited in suspense for his father's call, but he used the time to catch the necessary hour or two of sleep and wash.He guessed his father purposely gave him time to do these things before scolding him.

"My son, do you think I'm blind and deaf?" growled Giovanni, "do you think I didn't hear about the fight you had with Vieri de' Pazzi's gang last night by the bridge?" ?Sometimes, Ezio, I really don't think you are much better than him, and the Pazzi family is not easy to mess with." Ezio was about to speak, but his father raised his hand as a warning. "Please let me finish!" he gasped. "Do you know who you remind me of?" Ezio lowered his head, but he was surprised to see his father standing up and coming across the room to him, Then she put her arms around his shoulders and grinned.

"You rascal! You remind me of me when I was young!" But Giovanni's expression turned serious immediately, "Don't think I don't want to punish you severely, but I still need your help right now. Otherwise , you listen, I'll send you to your Uncle Mario to enlist you in his cavalry. It will open your mind! But I still need you, and right now It's a pivotal time for us in the city, though your stupid brain won't guess it. How does your head feel? I see you take the bandages off."

"Much better, father."

"Then I guess there's nothing stopping you from doing what I've got for you?"

"Make sure it's done, Father."

"You'd better do what you say." Giovanni turned back to the table, took out a letter with his seal from the drawer, and handed it to Ezio, along with a leather case containing two copies Parchment documents. "I want you to take these to Lorenzo de' Medici's bank, and to Lorenzo himself, without delay."

"May I ask what's in it, Father?"

"If you're talking about the official documents, no. But I can tell you that this letter is to update Lorenzo on our dealings with Milan. I spent the whole morning preparing. Should have told you more, but if I can't trust you, you won't understand responsibility. There's been a plot against the Duke of Galeazzo - that guy's a nuisance, I can assure you, but Florence didn't Unable to bear the impact of the unrest in Milan."

"Who are the participants?"

Giovanni squinted at his son. "They say Giovanni Lampignani, Gerolamo Olgardi and Carlo Visconti are among the masterminds, but it looks like our dear Francesco de' Pazzi was also involved. Ultimately The important thing is that the goal of their plan seems to be more than controlling the political circles of the two city-states. The chief executive here has temporarily arrested Francisco, but the Pazzi family may not let it go." Giovanni paused. "Okay. I've said too much. Get these to Lorenzo as soon as possible—I hear he's going to Kaliki soon, to get some fresh air in the country. The cat's gone, and the mouse's . . . ..."

"I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Good boy. Let's go!"

Ezio set out alone, making use of the back streets and alleys he could, not realizing that Vieri might still be searching for him.On a quiet street a few minutes from the Medici Bank, Vieri suddenly blocked his way.Ezio was about to turn back, but found Vieri's other men blocking the retreat.He turned again. "Sorry, my little pig," he called to Vieri, "but I don't have time to beat you up."

"I'm not the one to be beaten," Vieri yelled back, "you've got nowhere: but don't worry—at your funeral I'll send a beautiful wreath."

The thugs of the Pazzi family gradually gathered around.Vieri probably didn't know yet that his father was in prison.Ezio scanned his surroundings desperately.The tall houses and walls on both sides of the street completely surrounded him.He carried the small bag containing the important documents, chose the shortest house nearby, rushed to the wall, began to climb the rough stone wall, and quickly climbed to the roof.Once there, he paused for a moment, looking down at Vieri's exasperated expression. "I don't even have time to piss on you," he said, running across the roof as fast as he could, throwing off his pursuers, and landing with unprecedented dexterity.

It didn't take long before he came to the door of the bank.He enters the bank and sees one of Lorenzo's most trusted servants, Portio.What luck.Ezio hurried forward.

"Hey, Ezio! Why do you look in such a hurry?"

"Portio, there is no time. I have here a letter from my father to Lorenzo."

Potio showed a serious expression and spread his hands. "Oops, Ezio! You are too late. He has already gone to Calgi."

"Then you have to deliver these to him as soon as possible."

"I don't believe he was gone more than a day. At a time like this . . . "

"I understand what you mean! Be sure to give these to him, Portio, and don't let anyone see them! The sooner the better!"

After returning to his mansion, he hurried to his father's office, not paying attention to Federico's kind teasing under the garden tree, nor to his father's secretary Giulio's attempt to prevent him from opening the door and entering the inner room.He found his father having a deep conversation with the prefect of Florence, the prefect Uberto Alberti.This was not surprising, as the two had been friends for many years, and Ezio treated Alberti like his own uncle, but he noticed the seriousness on their faces. "Ezio, my child!" said Uberto kindly. "Are you all right? As usual, out of breath."

Ezio looked eagerly at his father.

"I'm trying to calm down your father," Uberto continued. "There's been a lot of trouble lately, you know, but..." He turned to Giovanni, his tone more sincere. "The threat is over."

"Have you delivered the papers?" asked Giovanni bluntly.

"Yes, father, but Duke Lorenzo has left."

Giovanni frowned. "I didn't expect him to leave so soon."

"I have given the official document to Portio," Ezio said, "and he will send it to him as soon as possible."

"That may not be fast enough," said Giovanni grimly.

Uberto patted him on the back. "You see," he said, "the journey is only a day or two at most. We have already locked up Francisco. What else can happen in such a short time?"

Giovanni seemed slightly relieved, but it was clear that they had other matters to discuss and did not want Ezio present.

(End of this chapter)