Melo, Grimaldi, and other important officials barely managed to escape back to the consulate under the protection of the guards. When Guney, who had been stationed there for a long time, saw them, he immediately asked with concern about their situation.
"Everything is over!" Grimaldi and Melo cried with long faces, not even having the presence of mind to blame Guney for his disastrous plan.
"At this point, there's only one way: call in troops from Matrega, Tana, Sugdaea, and Kerch (Cerchio, Italian for 'circle'? Historically known today as Kerch) to attack Kaffa from the outside. With our accumulated resources in Kaffa, we'll coordinate from inside and out to crush the rioters!" Guney said cautiously.
"Then who stays behind?" Melo and Grimaldi exchanged glances—neither of them wanted to die.
After a long pause, Guney said with a struggling expression, "I'll stay."
The two opposite him instantly changed their original view of Guney: this was true loyalty, what it meant to see true feelings in adversity, this was a great loyal minister! For a moment, they even felt a little ashamed, but to save their lives, they ultimately abandoned the idea of dying for the city.
Paolo Grimaldi firmly placed his right hand on Guney's left shoulder, then hugged him tightly, saying with tears in his eyes, "Your Excellency Guney, you must hold on. When I bring reinforcements, I will definitely rescue you."
"What more can be said at this point?" Guney responded with a bitter smile.
Everyone was silent.
When the two and other Genoa officials were finally escorted near the ship, Grimaldi, out of emotion, made small talk, "It's been so quiet along the way. There weren't any rioters on the way to the ship, it's so different from the battlefield."
"Yes, perhaps they didn't have time to get here," Guney replied somewhat uneasily.
"But it doesn't matter anymore. What more can be said at this point? The soldiers are fighting hard against the rioters, Your Excellency Melo is even seriously injured, and I must work even harder."
"Yes... that's true."
"Yes, no matter what, not everything we've accumulated here has been in vain. The homeland has abundant financial and military resources, and more than half of the Kaffa Consul's territory is still in our hands. As long as we push hard, everything will return to how it once was. This is a lesson, but as long as we don't stop, our rule will continue to expand..." Grimaldi began to speak at length to encourage everyone present.
Suddenly, a noisy clamor came from afar. Everyone looked over and realized that the people of Kaffa were already close to breaching the outer defenses of the consulate.
Guney looked surprised, but he quickly reacted, swiftly pushing the Liguria officials present onto the ship with his confidants, then drawing his personal saber and accurately cutting the ship's anchor line.
Melo, who had been suppressing himself, finally couldn't help but cry out to Guney:
"Your Excellency Guney, what are you doing, Guney! Do you know what you're doing!"
"Ah, ah, ah, hurry and go!" Guney did not respond directly to him, but instead ordered the captain with a sorrowful expression.
At this moment, a reckless big man rushed ahead of all the people. Everyone finally realized the tragic situation they were in, and Guney still had that sorrowful expression of facing death, but he reacted very quickly, grabbing a crossbow and piercing the heart of the reckless man.
"Well, I shot quite accurately," he remarked.
"Guney, Your Excellency..." Some emotional officials on the ship, seeing this scene, couldn't help but cry out.
"You, why are you still looking here? Why are you still making such sounds?" Guney said with a tragic smile to everyone on the ship.
"Because, because..."
"I am an official recognized by the Governor's Office, Gregory Giunio. Protecting Kaffa is my mission! It's just a few rioters, it's nothing to worry about."
"Why, for people like us?" Melo couldn't help but ask him sadly.
"Enough! You all leave quickly! The remaining resistance... is still waiting for you," the other party replied with a sorrowful tone, no longer looking back, but with his back to them.
"And, I finally understand, we don't need to be sad for this small setback, we just need to keep moving forward.
As long as we don't stop, our rule will not end...
No matter what the future holds, I will absolutely not stop! As long as you don't stop, then I will definitely be ahead!
"So I say,
"Don't stop!" Gregory Giunio finally made his final decision with a tone almost like a farewell to everyone on the ship.
Everyone on the ship wept uncontrollably upon hearing his passionate speech. Just then, Guney turned his head, looking with sorrow at the ship as it gradually sailed away from Kaffa under the twilight, moving further and further until it completely disappeared from his sight.
Gregory Giunio watched them depart with a tragic expression. Once he was sure they had completely left, he suddenly changed his demeanor and burst into maniacal laughter at his confidant officials in front of him,
"A bunch of fools!"