Vittoria — Volume 8

Weisspriess and Wilfrid stride out of Milan toward Monza, their uneasy camaraderie underscored by the smoke of a single shared cigarette. Both men are at a crossroads: one seeks a fresh commission in Hungary, the other wrestles with a growing disillusionment for Italy’s turbulent politics. Their meeting with General Schoneck promises a new posting, yet the promise feels as fragile as the cigar ash drifting in the winter air.

That night, a sudden feather—an eagle’s plume from a Hungarian hussar—falls on Wilfrid’s face, ripping him from the street and into a shadowed palace courtyard. A desperate Italian lady leads him inside, where a proud Hungarian colonel confronts the strangers, demanding loyalty and a sword. As intrigue tightens around the trio, whispered fears of betrayal and unseen enemies begin to echo through the dimly lit rooms, leaving Wilfrid to question where his true allegiance lies.