Milan. Porta Tosa. Manara leads the melee assault. They emerge into the open 200 meters from the gate, covered by covering fire from nearby houses. They manage to reach the gate, douse it with turpentine, and set it alight, but many are decimated by the fire of a large contingent of newly arrived Hungarian grenadiers (about 400). The imperial defense is well-positioned and the technique impeccable, but a fundamental difference emerges, one that will increasingly weigh heavily on the Europe of Nations: however educated and motivated the soldiers are, they are mercenaries of an empire, whereas the Milanese go to their deaths unpaid, to liberate their city, and for a national ideal, even if many are unclear what that means.
