1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 221: Gathering of Storms

Chapter 221: Gathering of Storms
The northern coast of the Black Sea, the southern foothills of the Crimean Mountains, the city of Yalta.

The southern coast of Crimea was discovered by Greek colonists very early on and became increasingly populated over time.

The disastrous defeat in the Battle of Manzikert caused the Eastern Roman Empire to quickly lose most of its Anatolian territory. Some refugees arrived in Crimea from the south, and Yalta was officially built as a city.

Yalta is a coastal town with a strong Greek cultural flavor. The Mongols who came from the eastern steppes and the Latin colonists who came across the sea from the south adopted a laissez-faire management approach to the city and did not exercise in-depth rule. This also resulted in the local Greek cultural community not being greatly affected by the war and being relatively well preserved.

At the end of 1461, Haji Giray, the Tatar prince who occupied Crimea, began to recruit tribes with the help of the Lithuanians and marched south in large numbers. In a very short time, he captured many coastal cities including Yalta, completely separating the two governorates of the Eastern Roman Empire in the north of the Black Sea.

However, the ambitious Haji Glei failed to continue his good luck. The artillery provided by the Lithuanians was very old, bulky and slow, and lacked power, and failed to break through the city of Mangup, which had completed the preliminary bastion conversion.

At that time, the Crimean Governorate had undergone military reforms by Princess Charlotte, and the people were eager to join the army. Men spontaneously took up swords and climbed the city walls, while women and children sewed and washed military uniforms, cared for the wounded, and provided other logistical services.

After Prince Justinian led his private army to the city of Mangup, he climbed to the top of the city wall to boost morale. He moved his bed to the top of the city wall despite others' dissuasion, slept in his armor and clothes every day, and did not leave the city wall for two whole months.

Every night, when the citizens of the city passed by the tower with the double-headed eagle flag flying, they would always hear bursts of snoring. The snoring stopped, the sun rose, and then there was a nonchalant curse, the sound of wine being gulped, and the sound of wine bottles hitting pottery outside the city.

So, the soldiers and civilians breathed a sigh of relief, the anxiety and fear in their hearts dissipated a lot, and they picked up swords, spears, and started a new battle.

In this way, with the joint efforts of all the soldiers and civilians, the city of Mangup withstood Haji Giray's six-month attack and survived the most difficult years until Khan Akhmad of the Golden Horde intervened.

Later, when Haji Giray's army retreated, there were still many Tatar cavalrymen stationed around the city of Mangup. Princess Charlotte and Prince Alexander decided to launch a counterattack, leading the angry people to take back the land they had lost and engage in a brutal fight with the Tatar invaders.

Justinian did not participate in the frontal battlefield, but took another approach. He took his fleet to raid the heartland of the Tatars, specifically targeting the old, weak and sick. This greatly reduced the fighting spirit of the Tatar herdsmen, making them panic-stricken and eager to return home.

In the summer of 1463, Princess Charlotte and Prince Justinian advanced by land and sea, along the southern foothills of the Crimean Mountains from west to east, and recaptured the cities occupied by Tatar cavalry.

On December 1463, 12, Princess Charlotte of the Crimea Governorate led troops to the city of Kaffa, forcing the Tatar cavalry to withdraw. The Governor of Azov, Bartholomew Gatilusio, came out of the city to greet them, and the two sides began negotiations.

Under the mediation of Justinian, the two sides finally reached an agreement that the area west of Kaffa belonged to the Crimea Governorate, and Kaffa and the area east of Kaffa belonged to the Azov Governorate. All the people in the Azov Governorate converted to Orthodoxy, and the two sides abandoned all previous conflicts and shook hands in peace.

After the Treaty of Caffa, the territory of the Crimean Governorate was greatly expanded and was no longer confined to the corner of Mangup. The fertile coastal plains on the southern foot of the Crimean Mountains were suitable for farming and nomadism and could feed a large population.

With the help of Charlotte and Justinian, the Governorate of Azov saved the city of Kaffa, the capital of the Black Sea white slave trade and the essence of the entire Governorate of Azov.

In return, after obtaining the consent of the central government of the empire, Charlotte and Alexander gave the city of Yalta and surrounding pastures to Justinian as a prince's fief and a temporary residence for the Cossack tribe.

The city of Yalta is located south of the Crimean Mountains. It has a mild and humid climate. The Black Sea brings warm currents from the south, while the Crimean Mountains block the cold air moving south from the East European steppes, and it rarely freezes even in the cold winter.

Justinian made use of the excellent pastures around Yalta and the broken basins in the Crimean Mountains, recruited a large number of Russian escaped slaves and Tatar free herdsmen, reorganized them into three Cossack thousand households, and attacked northward from time to time to cooperate with Charlotte to wipe out the remnants of Haji Ghrai's army left here.

In the Prince's Palace in Yalta, Charlotte and Alexander walked into the banquet hall and saw Zoe leading a group of servants to make preparations before the dinner.

Charlotte looked around, her eyes full of surprise.

This ancient small palace was originally the residence of a member of the Komnenos family during the Trebizond Empire and has long been in disrepair.

When Charlotte and Justinian conquered Yalta, the small palace was still in ruins. Some of the rooms were eerie and covered with dust. Only an old butler who had served the Komnenos family for generations was still guarding the empty room.

If there had been no war, the old servant might have guarded the mansion until the end of his life, just as his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father had done, until his sons and grandsons took over.

Later, when Justinian moved into the city, the palace became the Prince's Palace, and Zoe volunteered to assist Justinian in managing the palace.

Zoe was obviously very good at this kind of thing. Not only did she keep the Prince's Palace in order, she also redecorated some of the rooms and replaced a lot of Greek-style furniture. She did not seek luxury but strived for warmth.

"Charlotte, Alexander, you are here."

Seeing the two people coming, Zoe gathered her hair and said with a smile.

“Sure, Zoe. In six months, you’ll have the palace looking brand new.”

"Grand Duke Ivan will be very lucky if he marries to Moscow."

Charlotte knocked on the dining table that smelled of wood and sighed.

"Justinian has never had a mistress, so I just had to help."

"Yes, I'm afraid that if you leave, Justinian won't be able to find such a good hostess."

Charlotte looked at Zoe mischievously.

"This kid is the same. Other noble children of his age are either married or engaged. But he always likes to stay with a group of barbarians. There is no woman around him. I don't know who he is waiting for."

Charlotte sat down carelessly and put her sword aside.

"It's not just him. Many previous emperors liked barbarian soldiers. Basil II even had a special liking for the Varangian Guard."

Zoe gathered up her skirt and sat down gracefully.

"Okay, don't say nice things to him. I don't blame him."

Charlotte shook her head.

"By the way, where is His Royal Highness the Prince?"

Alexander looked at Zoe.

"He asked us to come here, is there something he wants to discuss?"

"It's nothing, actually. He's going to the south to fight soon, and I'm going to Moscow too. He asked you to come here just to get together and commemorate the difficult times we've spent together."

Zoe asked the maid to bring three cups of coffee, then she picked up her own cup and took a sip.

"He went to the Dnieper River with his men three months ago. He sent a message a few days ago saying he would be back soon."

"Andreas' vacation was over a long time ago, and he went back to his classes."

"Your Highness is truly unique. I have never heard of any child of an emperor or king in Western Europe who loves war so much."

Andreas also chose a chair and sat down, a smile on his face.

“He was born during the most troubled years of the empire and experienced the turmoil and upheaval brought about by the Battle of Constantinople.”

Charlotte sighed.

"When his younger brothers and sisters were born, they were greeted with flowers and brocade, and they were waiting for fine clothes and delicious food. The empire was thriving and prosperous."

"When he was born, he was greeted by a people in a state of panic, by the Turkic cavalry that occasionally appeared outside Constantinople, by his father and grandfather who managed to turn the tide under great pressure, and by the powerful enemies that surrounded him, with the country in danger of extinction."

"During the Battle of Constantinople, he and the queen were staying in Birinchi. There was no news from Constantinople. The tribes inside were ready to make a move, and the Hafsid Dynasty and the Mamluk Dynasty were attacking from outside."

"Born in war, raised in war, and having experienced the fickleness of human nature and the vicissitudes of life, I am naturally different."

"I saw quite a few Cossack herdsmen when I entered the city. Has his military strength increased a lot recently?"

Charlotte looked at Zoe.

"Yes, there are three thousand households, including women, children, the elderly and the young, nearly seven thousand people."

Zoe laughed.

"In order to feed his troops, he sold everything that could be sold in the city, and even almost sold this palace."

Zoe's eyes were somewhat resentful.

"He rarely lives here. Instead, he has set up a big tent by the river valley in the north of the city. His own thousand households and the other two thousand households that are not fully staffed all graze around the big tent."

"He and Timur Tash were always planning how to go out and rob people. After they had robbed all the small Tatar tribes around them, he would take a boat north along the Dnieper River and raid other people's nests."

"That's really strange. When we came here, the workshop area of Yalta City was very prosperous. There was no sign of war at all."

Alexander was a little confused.

"That's true. He has a lot of tricks."

Zoe pouted.

"Whenever Justinian conquered a tribe, the first thing he did was to gather the tribe's craftsmen and send them to Yalta to settle down, so that they could produce weapons and daily necessities for him."

"At the end of last year, he had a sudden idea. Instead of going to the Dnieper River, he entered the Don River from a tributary and robbed a large tribe with empty troops. He brought back more than 30 craftsmen in one go."

"I heard that Ahama Khan and Haji Grai Khan are ready to cease fire, and the men from various tribes are rushing back. I'm afraid there won't be such a good opportunity in the future."

Alexander said.

"Yes, that's why he's running around so anxiously, wanting to increase his strength as quickly as possible."

Zoe nodded.

As they were talking, there was a noise outside the Prince's Palace, with cheers and exclamations coming from far away.

"Justinian is back, let's go to the dock!"

Zoe quickly stood up, told the maid to prepare a banquet, put on a coat, and hurried to the port.

The port was very close to the prince's palace. Under the protection of the guards, the few people walked through a block, pushed through the crowd of onlookers, and saw the fleet returning with a full load.

The fleet was docked at the dock in sequence with the Emperor Zeno as the center, and there were many other ships of strange shapes around it.

"What is this? A Viking longship?!"

Charlotte pointed out the strange little boats around the Emperor Zeno and was very surprised.

"It was also invented by Justinian. He modified several of his original ships based on Viking longships and built several more. These small ships are more suitable for inland shipping than large ships."

Zoe nodded helplessly.

"Haha, Zoe, Charlotte, Alexander, did you miss me?"

Justinian jumped off the bow and walked towards the men, laughing.

Behind him, many Cossack centurions shouted loudly and directed the soldiers to move out the goods and lead out the prisoners.

Justinian turned around and looked for his most loyal subordinates.

"Timurtash!"

"king."

Timur Tash fell to one knee.

"It's the same as before. These new Cossacks will be divided into three parts. I'll take half, and you two centurions will each take half!"

"Yes!"

"All the craftsmen will be mine, and you can divide the property among yourselves. We will soon be heading south to give the boys some fun!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Timur Tash was overjoyed and quickly stood up to tell the Cossacks the good news.

The Cossacks immediately cheered and called out Justinian's name loudly.

They were all people who had nothing. They were not afraid of struggle or war. In their minds, going south meant more cattle and sheep, and more property.

The transportation of goods and prisoners of war was proceeding in an orderly manner. A large group of citizens gathered around the port. Some citizens had already started bargaining with the Cossacks for the goods, while more citizens just stood there with envy on their faces.

"Whenever Justinian returned victorious, the citizens were always overjoyed, and goods that were usually expensive were always much cheaper at this time."

Seeing Charlotte's eyes full of surprise, Zoe whispered in her ear.

"There are also many brave citizens who don't want to farm anymore and want to become Cossacks. Justinian accepts them all."

"The prince's success is largely due to the conflict between Haji Gelai and Ahama. It will be difficult to find such a good opportunity again."

Charlotte shook her head.

"His tribe is expanding too fast. If there were no lucrative profits from robbery, I'm afraid it would soon become chaotic."

Zoe nodded as well.

"That's why he's in a hurry to go south. War can not only consume some of the herdsmen who exceed the carrying capacity of the grassland, but also make the originally loose tribes more compact."

Justinian waved to the crowd and came up to the three people with an attendant.

"Let's go, let's talk about it when we get back!"

Under the protection of the guards, they returned to the Prince's Palace. Justinian sat back in his seat, picked up the pastry in front of him and started eating.

"Homemade food is still the best. You don't know that I can't even get a hot bite of food outside. I eat smoked meat and pork floss all day long. Now I want to vomit when I smell this."

Justinian sighed contentedly and half-lying down on the plush-covered armchair.

"Eat more if you like, I made it myself."

Zoe looked at him with a smile.

"I know. Others won't add more raisins just to satisfy my taste."

Justinian muttered, picking up another piece.

"By the way, we finally get together today, I'll treat you to something good to drink."

Justinian clapped his hands, and the servants brought in an oak barrel and placed four glasses on it.

The servant opened the oak barrel and filled four glasses with golden wine.

"This time I reached as far as the outskirts of Zaporizhia, recruited several hundred Zaporizhia Cossacks, and defeated three small tribes on the east bank of the Dnieper River. I gained a lot."

Justinian raised his glass and looked at the faces of the three people through the amber liquid.

"This is good stuff, white wine from the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. The Tatars stole it from a caravan, and it finally became a bargain for us."

The three of them also felt it was very novel. They put the wine glasses to their lips, took a sip, and savored the refreshing sweetness and fragrance.

"It's really delicious, worthy of being the monastery's fine brew."

Alexander praised.

"Of course, the Russians are very good at studying wine."

"However, my biggest gain this time is more than that."

Justinian signaled with his eyes, the guard nodded, turned and left, and then brought in a middle-aged priest in a robe.

Justinian stood up and solemnly introduced the three people.

"This is Pavel from Kiev, a pious and talented priest. He was originally a strong candidate for the next Metropolitan of Kiev, but due to political struggles, he was expelled to the south, wandered around, and fell into the hands of the Tatars."

"I plan to make him the Bishop of Yalta, responsible for managing the religious affairs of the Cossack tribes and handling government affairs."

"Thank you for your rescue, Your Highness. I will repay you with all my life's knowledge."

Pavel bowed slightly to them with a serious expression.

"If you have nothing else to do, please allow me to leave here and go to the church in the city to sort out the abandoned affairs and preach the Gospel of Our Lord to the citizens and pastors."

"Go ahead. I won't keep you."

Pavel nodded, pulled away and left.

"He appears to be like this on the surface, but he is actually very passionate inside."

Justinian explained.

"By the way, why isn't Andreas here?"

Justinian turned to Zoe.

"His vacation is over, and the royal tutor Basilius calls him back."

Zoe said.

"Humph, that old guy really cares too much!"

Justinian was very angry when he heard this.

"He somehow got the position of Minister of Carthage and changed my original policies. He imposed restrictions on my taverns and even set a daily sales quota."

"It's really rebellious. I must write a letter to Alexios and ask him to take care of things himself and not be led by that old man!"

"Okay, okay, I'm doing this for the sake of the country. It's not right to keep drinking."

Zoe soothed, snatching Justinian's third glass of wine.

"Why did you let Andreas go? Why not just follow me?"

Justinian was still furious.

"What can you learn from him? Nothing but a bunch of big principles, empty rules and laws." "In front of horses and swords, all principles are pale and powerless!"

"Does Constantine the Great need to be reasoned with? Does Basil II need to be reasoned with?"

"They can use force and be unreasonable, but that's because their subordinates help them formulate laws, improve regulations, and stabilize society, which gives them enough space to display their talents and realize their ambitions."

Zoe continued to persuade.

"You actually understand all these principles. Isn't Pavel from Kiev a character like this?"

"Don't just dismiss a minister who dares to take on a task because of your own prejudice."

Zoe took a sip of the wine and sighed softly, a slight blush appearing on her pale cheeks.

"But he—"

"Okay, Zoe has to go. I know you've been fighting on the battlefield for a long time and you're feeling emotional. I'll talk to you another day!"

Charlotte couldn't stand it anymore and slammed the table.

Justinian fell silent upon hearing this, staring at the dining table in blank silence.

"Let's eat. We'll talk about the future later."

Seeing that everyone was in a low mood, Zoe quickly laughed.

The dinner was spent in mixed emotions. Everyone forced themselves to smile, but everyone knew very well that the two years of getting along together were about to come to an end.

Later on, the smoke of war billowed and they were separated.

The summer nights in Yalta are very short. In a blink of an eye, the crescent moon hangs low, the stars go dim, and the sky becomes dark.

Zoe led Charlotte and Alexander to their bedroom, told the maid to clear the table, and went up the stairs to the rooftop of the Prince's Palace.

A cool breeze blew off the sea. Justinian stood on the rooftop, opened his chest, and felt the sea breeze to his heart's content.

"when are we leaving?"

Justinian heard Zoe's footsteps.

"Right away, the boat is ready."

"or--"

Zoe smiled and covered Justinian's mouth with her hand.

"Is this the first time you've said that?"

"The delegation can't wait any longer. I have to go."

"I really don't understand. What good is there in the bitter cold of the north?"

Justinian pulled Zoe's hand away and said irritably.

"Can't bear to leave me?"

"If I say yes, will you stay?"

"And you're still away at war all year round, leaving me alone in the Prince's Palace facing the palace wall?"

Zoe smiled and shook her head.

"You have your ambitions, and I have mine."

"Can't we leave later?"

"I'm already fifteen. If it's any later, I really won't be able to get married."

Zoe still shook her head, pulled Justinian's clothes and buttoned them for him.

"In the future, drink less, fight less, and if you really marry the princess of Castile, remember not to leave home all day."

"You...you know?"

Justinian was very surprised.

"How could I not know? Your correspondence was so ostentatious, with large family crests painted on the envelopes, as if you were afraid that others wouldn't notice it."

Zoe smiled and gently scratched Justinian's nose.

"Let's go, let's go, we have to leave eventually."

Justinian sighed and waved his hand.

"The ship has arrived, and I am leaving."

Zoe nodded and pulled away, but Justinian grabbed her arm.

"what happened?"

She looked back.

"If you... have children in the future, remember to let me be the godfather."

Zoe chuckled and nodded slightly.

"Also, I have had a lot of good stuff loaded onto the ship, including wine from Kiev and amber from the Baltic Sea."

"I know my father has his own plans. There will definitely be a lot of precious gifts, and I will have mine too."

"Remember, you are the princess of my great Rome. When you go to the barbarian land, you will shine. Don't let others look down on you."

"Then I would like to thank His Royal Highness on behalf of the Grand Duchy of Moscow."

Zoe lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed slightly.

"Thank you, too, Grand Duchess of Moscow."

Zoe nodded, stood on tiptoe, kissed Justinian gently on the forehead, and then walked away quickly without looking back.

Justinian watched the delegation's fleet disappear at the junction of the sea and the sky, then returned to the prince's palace. Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar plants and trees, he felt empty in his heart.

He called his servants, mounted his horse, and galloped towards his tent.

A banquet was being held outside the big tent. The Cossacks were singing and dancing around the fire. The men were boasting about their bravery, and the women were showing off their beautiful figures.

Justinian walked past the crowd, ignoring the cheers and invitations of his subordinates, and headed straight for the central camp.

Timur Tash was dealing with official documents. When he saw Justinian coming, he put down what he was doing.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?"

"There are some things I don't understand, so I came to ask you."

Justinian grabbed the bottle of wine on the table and was about to drink it, but after thinking for a moment, he put it aside.

Timur Tash smiled and shook his head.

"Your Highness, there are many things that we don't understand, so many that we can't understand them all."

"So what do you think we should do if we encounter something like this?"

"If you just want to forget your troubles, maybe have some wine."

"From now on, I won't drink unless it's necessary for socializing."

Timur Tash felt a little strange, but still smiled with relief.

"If you don't want to numb yourself with alcohol, then fight a few more battles, kill a few more enemies, and your troubles will naturally disappear."

Timurtash picked up the saber from the weapon rack and handed it to Justinian.

"Well said, Timur Tash, well said."

Justinian took the saber and murmured.

"Call all centurions, I need to arrange military affairs!"

Justinian said in a deep voice, pushing aside the curtain and coming to the fire.

"Everyone, I have something to say!"

The crowd immediately quieted down. They were all Justinian's direct subordinates and were the most loyal to him.

"You all know that in the past year or so, we have eliminated many enemies, conquered many pastures, and obtained a lot of wealth."

“It’s because of the victory outside that we can get together and enjoy such a great time with our family and friends!”

"But I want to ask you, if that's all, are you satisfied?"

Justinian asked loudly.

"Are you satisfied?"

"No!"

The Cossacks roared collectively.

"Then let me tell you, we now have an opportunity to kill more enemies and rob more wealth, are you willing?"

"kill!"

The crowd was boiling with excitement, and the eyes of men, women, young and old were filled with enthusiasm.

"Very good, I, Justinian, was not wrong about you!"

Justinian mounted his horse and raised his saber.

"In that case, mount your horse and follow me south!"

……

The city of Burgas on the Black Sea.

Ever since the Bulgarian Bey Mahmud refused to withdraw from the inherent territory of the Eastern Roman Empire, Constantinople officially declared war on Sofia. The war machine of the Eastern Roman Empire roared again. Troops and food were transferred to Constantinople from all directions, and then transported from Constantinople to various supply points.

In the summer of 1464, various armies began to enter several cities in the north in an orderly manner. Due to its flat terrain and abundant water and grass, the city of Burgas naturally became the bridgehead for the Eastern Roman army to attack Bulgaria.

At present, 50,000 troops and 80,000 civilians have gathered around the city of Burgas. The various legions have set up camps on the plains outside the city of Burgas, with tents scattered all over the place and flags covering the sky.

This 50,000-man army brought together all the essence that Isaac had accumulated over the past 20 years, including the Armored Holy Cavalry, Spartan Heavy Artillery, Riorea Legion, Guards First Crown Lion Heavy Armored Legion, Shooting Corps, and the Great Square Phalanx...

In addition to these elite troops, the army also included a large number of miscellaneous soldiers, Berber servants, Slavic cavalry, vassal levies, border guards, and shooting troops...

The camps on land covered the earth, and the fleets on the sea were eyeing the enemy covetously, determined to continue the great achievements of Basil II and completely bury Bulgaria, the thorny threat to the empire.

In the camp in the center of the army, Isaac sat at the head, and below him, the senior officials sat in order.

The tent curtain of the camp opened, and Conte, the Grand Master of the Knights of Saint Simon, entered the camp with Alexius.

"Your Majesty, we are here."

The two bowed and saluted.

"Glad you're here. I've saved a seat for you."

Isaac looked at his brother-in-law and second son with a smile on his face.

"Alexius, come here! Let me take a good look!"

Isaac looked at his second son from top to bottom, here and there.

Alexius has been practicing martial arts for many years, and he has grown very fast, with some muscular outlines already showing on his body.

"You have grown a lot. It seems Conte is training you well."

Alexius also laughed when he saw Isaac, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

"Didn't I tell you to stay in Carthage? Why are you here?"

Isaac changed the subject and looked sternly at Alexius and then at Conte.

"Father, I insisted on coming here. It has nothing to do with my uncle."

Alexius said generously.

"Carthage is now under the care of its mother, and Basil and Thessalonica are also there, so it will be fine."

"Your mother gave you permission to run away?"

Isaac asked suspiciously.

"I took advantage of her being busy entertaining that group of noble ladies and ran away."

Alexius chuckled, but was slapped on the shoulder by Isaac.

"Since you're here, I won't chase you away. Go to the Quartermaster's Office and register."

Isaac sighed.

"Father, but I——"

"No buts! Either you stay in Burgas and take care of the military supplies, or I will send you back directly!"

Isaac said sternly.

"Okay...where's my brother?"

Alexius looked around.

"He sent a letter saying that he would not act with us and would observe from the bottom of the secret and wait for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack."

Isaac felt a headache and quickly ended the topic, asking Alexius to sit next to him.

Looking around, all the generals were wearing armor, holding their heads high, waiting for Isaac's orders.

Isaac stood up and looked at them too.

"Everyone, without further ado, we are gathering a large force this time to completely destroy Bulgaria and bring it completely under the control of the empire, so that the Bulgarians will never be able to stand up again!"

"Bulgaria today is very different from what it was hundreds of years ago. During the Ottoman period, a large number of Turkic tribes entered Bulgaria and lived together with the Bulgarians."

"They feared our rise and revival, so they banded together to elect the most powerful Mahmoud as their leader. He indeed caused us a lot of trouble."

"However, whether it is the Bulgarians or the Turks, they have been the empire's old enemies for hundreds of years, and their intention to destroy us has never died."

"They happened to occupy the northern part of the empire, the area where our defenses are most vulnerable."

"The Black Sea coast is flat, with no mountains or valleys, and no straits. If they still exist, we will never have true peace!"

"How can I allow others to snore under my bed?"

"We must fight this battle, and we must win!"

"Only by dealing with Bulgaria can we completely withdraw from the Balkans, recover the lost land, and restore the glory of Rome!"

"war!"

The generals shouted.

"The plan has already been negotiated and clarified, and everyone's tasks have been assigned and completed."

"Any questions you have?"

Isaac asked loudly.

"no!"

The generals responded.