1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 226 Gypsies
Varna city on the west coast of the Black Sea.

The siege of Varna had lasted for nearly half a year. During this period, six Spartan heavy artillery and hundreds of various artillery pieces fired thousands of heavy lead and stone bullets at the city of Varna, creating one stone pit after another on the solid city walls.

During these six months, legions of the Eastern Roman Empire rushed towards the city walls with the determination to win, climbed up the walls using ladders and siege towers, and engaged in brutal battles with the Bulgarian defenders, exchanging wounds for wounds and blood for blood.

In a battle to defend a city, the defender has an absolute advantage. As long as the attacker fails to break through the city wall in a short period of time, the war will shift into a protracted war and a war of attrition. The two sides will continue to fight on the city wall, competing in strength and will.

On December 1464, 12, the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone onto the earth. On the dilapidated walls of Varna, the scattered defenders stood up again, picked up their weapons, and prepared to meet the artillery bombardment and subsequent siege.

They had been fighting tenaciously for nearly half a year despite being at a disadvantage in terms of manpower. Several weapon workshops in the city were working at full capacity to produce and repair weapons, but there were still big holes in the defenders' weapons and equipment. When the iron arrows were exhausted, they had to use wooden arrows. When the swords were blunt, they had to use forks. When the armor was damaged, they had to fight shirtless.

Simeon, the Lord of Varna, was indeed foresighted. Before the war, he summoned the lords of all sizes in Eastern Bulgaria, and used threats and inducements, taking advantage of their deep-seated rejection and fear of the Eastern Roman Empire, to gather their elite private armies, weapons and equipment, food and ammunition, and summoned them all to Varna for refuge to jointly deal with the powerful attack of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The Bulgarian lords were not fools. They knew very well that the Eastern Roman Empire might be able to accept the lower-class Orthodox people and might be able to tolerate the Orthodox Church's usual acts of usurpation, but it would never allow them to continue their former extravagant life and would never recognize their special status.

A war is a major reshuffle. The emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire was clearly preparing to completely incorporate Bulgaria into the core rule. Their existence was really too redundant.

The actions of the Eastern Roman Empire in the occupied areas indeed confirmed their conjectures: the people obtained land and were mobilized, while the priests retained most of their interests and were absorbed into the ruling class.

As for some Bulgarian lords who insisted on staying where they were, either their entire families were slaughtered or exiled to the frontier. The best outcome was that they took a small portion of their property and went to Constantinople to live a middle-class life.

The lords of Eastern Bulgaria knew that they could not resist the army of the Eastern Roman Empire alone, but they did not want to completely lose their original interests. After much deliberation, they decided to hide in the most solid city of Varna in order to buy a chance of survival.

However, as the siege continued and the northern hemisphere entered a cold winter, serious problems continued to arise in Varna.

There are still more than 3,000 defenders left, but they have long lost the enthusiasm they had at the beginning of the war and can only continue to wield their weapons based on numb memories.

There was still a lot of food, but there was a serious shortage of warm clothes and the firewood for making fire was almost exhausted. The door panels were burned and the wooden houses were demolished. In order to keep warm, some soldiers even threw their spears into the fire.

Varna's sturdy city walls were riddled with holes, with only a few of the outermost towers still holding out. Large and small holes appeared in various parts of the walls. Every time the walls were damaged, the defenders had to pay a huge price in casualties to fill the gaps, using their flesh and blood to block the fierce enemy and buy time for the civilians to repair the holes.

As for other advanced weapons, crossbows and muskets were rare to begin with and had long been consumed in the war. The crossbows and cannons were severely damaged, with only a few scattered ones still lying on the tower's turrets.

On the other hand, the Eastern Roman siege army, thanks to the advantage of sea transportation, had military supplies and weapons and equipment from North Africa and the Balkans continuously transported from Constantinople and Burgas Port to the Varna camp, so their morale was not low due to objective conditions.

Every evening, after a day of bloody fighting, the Varna soldiers would stand guard on the city wall, chewing dry, cold bread and meat while looking at the siege camp with bonfires with envy, where they had plenty of food and clothing and the aroma of delicious meals.

The city of Varna is now in a desperate situation. The morale of the military and civilians is low, and it may fall at any time.

Maybe tomorrow morning, maybe today.

The siege camp was very quiet today. The sun had risen high in the sky, but there was no movement.

Just as the soldiers defending the city were feeling puzzled, a cannon shot was heard from the sea in the distance, followed by a series of cannon shots that shook the earth and awe-inspiring people.

A fleet appeared in front of the defenders, with the double-headed eagle flag flying high in the sun.

The soldiers in the siege camp also saw the emperor's flag and burst into warm cheers, forming a huge wave of sound that pressed towards the broken city walls.

The fleet circled the city, passed right under the noses of the Varna soldiers in a show of force, and arrived at the temporary transport port set up by the soldiers besieging the city.

Under the burning gazes of all the soldiers, Isaac walked down the deck with his second son Alexius and waved to the soldiers.

"Long live my emperor!"

The thunderous cheers hit Isaac's eardrums. Alexius followed Isaac closely with a joyful smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, Prince, how are you?"

Conte, fully armed, was waiting on the temporary dock and bowed to Isaac and Alexios.

"All is well, my dear Conte."

Isaac nodded at him.

"I came here with the transport fleet to entertain the troops, and I want to take Alexius to broaden his horizons."

When Alexius saw Conte, a smile appeared on his face and he walked up to help him up.

"Long time no see, Uncle Conti, glad to see you are still safe and sound."

Conte touched Alexius' head and looked at Isaac with a smile.

"Your Majesty, shall we return to the camp and discuss this in detail?"

"it is good."

The guards brought their mounts, and Isaac and his two companions rode on the tall horses and, surrounded by the onlookers, walked towards the camp step by step.

Isaac looked around and saw that each legion still maintained its complete organization and high morale, with complete weapons and equipment.

The only difference is that after experiencing a bloody battle, the soldiers' temperament is completely different from before the war, and there is a strong smell of blood in their every move.

Half a year of hard fighting is enough to turn a new recruit who knows nothing into a veteran who can remain calm in the face of adversity, and enough for a young boy who is still wet behind the ears to grow into a skilled and brave warrior.

"Let's go to other military camps first. I need to check the logistics situation."

Isaac said this and turned his horse's head.

Conte nodded and followed Isaac.

He knew clearly that what the emperor valued most was logistical supplies. The Eastern Roman Empire was located in a place surrounded by enemies, and no matter how poor it was, it could not neglect the army, and no matter how hard it was, it could not make the soldiers suffer.

Isaac randomly chose a tent and walked into the soldiers' barracks first.

Above the barracks hung the Occitania Cross, evidently belonging to the Seventh Legion of the Guards, the Oak Legion.

This legion was originally formed by strong refugees from southern France recruited by Isaac. It has a military service of nearly 20 years and was led by a group of French knights including Conti.

In the siege of Soult long ago, the Orc Legion was almost wiped out, and the subsequent soldiers were no longer mainly French. A large number of Greeks and Berbers joined the legion. After Conti stepped down, Liard took over as legion commander and continued to lead them to fight for the empire.

Isaac walked into the barracks, turned over the bedding that the soldiers used to sleep on at night, felt the quality and warmth of the bedding, and nodded slightly.

In the Guards system, six soldiers lived in the same tent. Isaac glanced at the things each soldier had placed in the tent, automatically ignoring their personal belongings and looking for what he wanted to see.

A few sugar cubes, a stack of mint leaves wrapped in paper, two bottles of vodka that had not been finished, and half a bag of dried dates that had not been eaten...

In addition to the necessary food, Isaac would also provide soldiers with this kind of common supplies to replenish energy, relieve stress and increase morale.

Walking out of the tent, Isaac came to the center of the camp. The cooks were preparing lunch. Over the blazing campfire, the food was bubbling in the stew pot.

"What are we eating today?"

Isaac patted the cook who was busy cooking and asked softly.

"Your Majesty, it's still the same old mess."

The cook with a gray and dark face raised his head and said with a smile.

"Meat, sea fish, flour, cabbage, dates, and some radishes."

"Since you are here today, General Conte has allowed us to have more fresh meat. Normally we mainly eat bacon and pork floss."

The cook scratched his head.

"Usually, the soldiers would sometimes bring in some game they had hunted, mostly rabbits, which tasted much better when roasted. But it was winter after all, so stewing would warm people up faster."

Isaac smiled slightly, raised the wooden spoon, brought it to his lips and took a bite.

It's salty, sweet, and sticky, and tastes weird, but it must have been made with a lot of salt and sugar.

"Not bad, at least it's not lacking in weight."

Isaac nodded, put down the wooden spoon, nodded to the cook, walked out of the barracks, turned a corner and came to the granary.

The situation in the granary was also satisfactory. Conti was a knight by birth and his military discipline was strict. Every shipment of food was recorded. In order to prevent rat infestation, the soldiers also raised a few cats, which lay in the corner of the granary and slept soundly.

"Your Majesty, there is still enough food. Together with the food you brought this time, it can last for three months."

"There are many forests near Varna, so the firewood problem is easy to solve."

"In the winter, we don't have to worry about rot or blight, which is one of the few benefits."

Conte laughed.

"Good, we have seen what we need to see, let's go back to camp."

The chef had already prepared the banquet, and the group returned to the main camp and took their seats one by one.

Isaac breathed a sigh of relief after taking a sip of the hot wine.

"Conte, I took a quick look when I came here and saw that the first batch of winter clothing had already been distributed. You did a great job."

"It's my duty, no need for reward."

Conte swallowed the bread in his mouth and nodded.

"However, the quality of this batch of cotton-padded clothes is really good, much better than the sweaters and leather clothes of previous years."

"Not only is it excellent at keeping warm, it's also very comfortable. It should be worth a lot of money, right?"

"Fortunately, after the industry took shape, cotton textiles are actually much cheaper than fur textiles. After all, the output of cotton is much higher than that of fur."

Isaac smiled.

"Alas, you have spent too much money on the army. The soldiers often say that if they don't fight well, they will be completely unworthy of your Majesty's kindness."

Conte drank the wine and stuck out his tongue.

“This isn’t just for the military.”

Isaac smiled and shook his head.

"Supplying the army is a huge project involving a lot of things. The money earned from overseas trade first flows through the army into various arsenals, textile factories and food processing plants, and then flows along the industrial chain into mines, pastures, farmlands and plantations, which feeds a large number of industries and a large number of people at once."

"The money earned from overseas trade is too easy, and it will continue to grow. If it remains in the hands of the monarch, he will inevitably develop bad habits of extravagance and debauchery."

"That's the nature of monarchs and nobles. If they are asked to spend money to improve people's livelihood, they will feel very painful, but if they use it for war, they will be much more accepting."

"During wartime, if the money allocated by the government is used for military supplies, 90% of it should be used for practical purposes. If it is used in peacetime to build livelihood projects, it would be good if half of it can be used for practical purposes."

Isaac smiled and sighed.

"When I am called by God to ascend to heaven, I hope my successors will also have this enterprising spirit."

"Your Majesty, you are now in your prime. As long as you are still here, the empire's prosperity and rejuvenation will not stop. Why do you say this?"

Conte quickly comforted.

"Okay, let's not talk about this. What's the military situation?"

Isaac asked.

"According to your request, we deliberately slowed down the pace of the attack, dragging legions onto the battlefield one by one, letting them experience the baptism of blood and fire."

"Since we have the advantage in numbers and are in complete control, we can withdraw troops with low morale at any time according to the situation and replace them with another well-rested army."

"In the past six months, the combat effectiveness of each legion has made great progress. The number of people may have decreased, but the spirit is very different from before."

"Several troops that were expanded before the war have basically laid a solid foundation. Veterans lead new recruits, and after fighting a few battles, the new recruits also become veterans who can be used."

Conte paused.

"Furthermore, I also follow your wishes and intend to let the Berber vassal army take the lead and gradually wear down their strength in the war."

"Well done. I can see that you really put in a lot of effort."

Isaac praised.

In recent years, Isaac's army has expanded greatly, and many new recruits have not received sufficient experience and are in urgent need of a baptism of blood and fire.

How can we build a strong army while keeping objective conditions unchanged?
Just keep fighting.

Soldiers who have never seen blood are no match for veteran soldiers, no matter how loud their slogans are, how good their equipment is, or how strict their discipline is.

Of course, the prerequisite for battlefield training is that you have to ensure that every troop gets enough rest and the commander knows how to rotate.

Otherwise, a bloody battle that empties the organization will only backfire.

The battlefield is the best training ground, and a strong enemy is the best teacher.

When this group of new recruits grow up to become veterans and the original veterans retire to the second line, they will go to the grassroots to serve as militia captains, sheriffs and tribunes, bringing this strong militarized atmosphere from the army to the civilian population.

"Are there any other difficulties in the military?"

Isaac groaned.

"Of course there are. Language is a more prominent issue."

Conte said.

"There are now twelve languages ​​popular in our Northeastern Front Army, including Greek, Arabic, Turkic, Armenian, Berber, Albanian, French, Bulgarian, Serbian, Vulgar Latin, East Slavic, and Circassian."

"If you add the black West Africans who were recruited into the Shooting Army, the language would be even more complicated."

Conte spread his hands helplessly.

"Of the twelve languages, Greek is the most widely spoken, followed by Arabic and Armenian. Berber and Turkic are also spoken by a considerable number of soldiers."

"In recent years, with the prosperity of the Black Sea white slave trade, the number of soldiers speaking East Slavic and Circassian languages ​​has increased sharply, with Russian being the majority."

"This has caused great trouble for our work and we have to spend a lot of effort on the selection of officers."

"What's the big deal? I understand eight of these twelve languages ​​and can converse freely in five!"

Alexius interrupted.

Isaac glanced at him and didn't bother to say anything more.

"Your Highness, but not everyone has your talent for languages."

Conte said with a smile.

Isaac thought for a moment and then asked.

"So what did you do to deal with it?"

Conte thought about it.

"We have been promoting Greek in the army for a long time. All correspondence is written in Greek. In order to let the soldiers learn Greek as quickly as possible, we mainly adopted two methods."

"First, the clergy are required to teach in the military. Although our languages ​​are diverse, our religion is relatively unified. Orthodox Christians are the majority, and Coptic Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox are also among the acceptable denominations."

"Secondly, we use a reward system. Soldiers who learn Greek can get some rewards, such as strong liquor and fine food. They also have certain advantages in promotion and advancement."

"It was more popular among East Slavic-speaking soldiers, and some Rus soldiers worked very hard to learn Greek in order to get more liquor."

"Of course, the language problem is far more than that. Even if many soldiers have learned Greek, they still mainly use their original language in their daily lives."

Upon hearing this, Isaac could only nod slightly.

Linguistic assimilation is much more difficult than religious assimilation. As Conte said, even if an ordinary person learns a foreign language, he or she may not be able to apply it in daily life, and the gap still exists.

Of course, these problems can be alleviated with the passage of time. As long as the monarchs maintain their original intention to promote Greek, the number of Greek-speaking people will increase over the next few generations.

"Once this war is over, I will issue a regulation to formally regulate the empire's language and writing system."

“How to regulate it?”

Conte asked.

"The empire has two official languages, Greek and Latin, and the common language can be increased, tentatively Arabic, Turkic, Russian, Armenian and Bulgarian."

Isaac said, feeling a headache.

"All official correspondence must be written in Greek. If you want to be a senior military officer, a big businessman, a priest or an administrative bureaucrat, Greek is a required course."

"Furthermore, the assimilation of languages ​​and characters can also be divided into primary and secondary. The Coptic alphabet used by Coptic priests is basically completely derived from the Greek alphabet. The Cyrillic alphabet used by the Russians, Serbs and Bulgarians was also originally improved from the Greek alphabet."

“Armenian is the most unique and its own language, but it also has some similarities with Greek.”

"Furthermore, traditional Orthodox peoples have certain advantages in learning Greek. Their priests all know Greek, and they cannot avoid using Greek when preaching."

"As for Arabic, Turkic and other completely unrelated languages, they can only be put at the end. We can try to mix some Arabic and Turkic words into the Greek we teach them to form a unique dialect."

Isaac held his chin and continued.

"You can make the Slavs, who are mainly Russians, the first target of language assimilation. They believe in Orthodox Christianity and are far from developing a mature civilization. They have a natural affinity for our culture."

"Arabic is probably the most difficult. They are also a brilliant civilization, and Arabic is an important carrier of this civilization. But if it is handled properly, in another hundred years, perhaps a new language that combines the characteristics of the two language families will emerge. By then, there should be no problem in communicating with each other."

"As for now, in order to ensure combat effectiveness, we still use the original method and lead the soldiers who do not speak the same language separately to avoid confusion."

Isaac downed the amber wine in his cup and smacked his lips.

"By the way, how many troops does the Northeast Front Army have now?"

"Not long ago, Constantinople sent us a group of new soldiers, who were added to the various legions by us."

"Including these people, there are about 24,000 people, and their combat effectiveness is well preserved." Conte replied.

"There are a total of 18,000 soldiers participating in the siege. I sent several thousand rangers to patrol the surrounding areas, and several elite troops did not participate in the siege."

"In addition to the soldiers, there are more than 10,000 civilians conscripted from around Varna, half of them are from the country and half from the local area."

“Although we have the advantage of sea transportation, necessary tactical support personnel are still indispensable.”

Isaac was quite satisfied with Conte's arrangement, but Mahmoud had not shown up yet, and his doubts were still unclear.

"Conte, the purpose of training the troops has basically been achieved. Now capture the city immediately. The siege cannot be dragged on for too long. We must strive to end this war before Christmas!"

As the two were talking, a guard opened the curtain.

"Your Majesty, Prince, General, there is an Akingano chief outside who claims to be able to help you. Would you like to meet him?"

Isaac and Conte looked at each other, both of them were very confused.

"Then meet him. Remember to search him."

Isaac said.

After a while, the guards led a middle-aged yellow man into the tent. He was dressed very strangely, with curly black hair, a strong body, and dark eyes that were bright and wise.

"Greetings, Respected Emperor Isaac III, Lord of Rome and the Romans, Protector of all Orthodox Christians."

The man knelt on one knee and spoke in fluent Greek.

"My name is Lao, and I am the chieftain elected by all the Roma in the Bulgarian region."

In fact, when Isaac first saw Rao, he had already recognized his identity through his unique appearance and very recognizable clothes.

Gypsies, the largest nomadic people in the world.

These people call themselves "Roma", which may have originated from India or Persia. They are given different names by local people in different places. "Gypsy" is the name used by the British.

These people began wandering several centuries ago, all the way from South Asia to West Asia, and then from West Asia to Europe.

The Gypsies entered the Balkan Peninsula a century ago and soon moved further into Europe, where they spread out and multiplied.

In Greek, they were called "Aginganoids".

Gypsies have no fixed residence. They use caravans as their homes and means of migration, wandering between cities. They generally do not engage in agricultural production, but occasionally raise some livestock. More people rely on the service industry to live on the edge of the city.

Gypsies value family and often form communities and tribes based on kinship. These communities or tribes often have their own values ​​and customs and play an important role in maintaining order.

The Balkans was the first stop for the Gypsies migrating westwards to Europe. There were also a large number of Gypsies in Isaac's territory, but they generally lived in camps on the outskirts of the city and were often ignored by the mainstream population.

"Lao, I heard you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Rao said.

"So, what do you want to tell me?"

"Your Majesty, before we start our formal conversation, could you please answer a question for me?"

Rao raised his head and looked directly at Isaac.

Isaac frowned slightly.

"Just ask."

"Are your previous decrees against the Bulgarians still in force?"

Rao asked.

"Anyone who believed in the Orthodox faith and could speak Greek could go directly to the nearest town, find the tribune, and register as a Roman citizen."

"That's right, that's right."

Isaac did not deny that he had issued such a decree in order to quickly stabilize Bulgaria, with the aim of establishing the status first.

You are already a Roman, so you should have no objection if I send you to other places to reclaim wasteland or to the battlefield, right?

What? Don't want to? Then you are not a Roman, you are a traitor and an exile.

"We also believe in the Orthodox Church and we can speak Greek. We hope that Your Majesty will accept us and make us a member of the Roman Empire."

Rao knelt down again and looked at Isaac firmly.

Alexius looked at Rao with interest, while Conte simply snorted.

Compared with another famous nomadic people in the world, the Gypsies are quite casual in religion. Each Gypsy tribe chooses its own religion according to its own scope of activities, and there is no unified belief.

The Levantine Gypsies are Sunni, the Balkan Gypsies are Orthodox, and the Iberian Gypsies are Catholic.

As for language, this group of wanderers living on the edge of the city are unproductive, and almost everyone knows multiple languages, otherwise they would not be able to survive.

"Lao, from what I understand, you don't seem to like settled life or farming. Why do you want to join my empire?"

Isaac asked.

"Your Majesty, we do not like agricultural production, and we generally do not settle down, but our range of activities is not too large, and we just travel back and forth between major cities."

"How many of you are there now?"

Isaac asked.

"There are about a hundred thousand of us in the surrounding countries, and you probably have about thirty thousand in your territory."

Rao replied.

When Isaac heard this, he almost spit out his wine.

"Why so many?"

"We all moved around in small communities around towns, hiding in the woods on the outskirts of the city, with only a few members going to the town to make a living."

Rao spread his hands.

“People consciously ignore us, forget us, and naturally know very little about us.”

"Moreover, we were driven out of our homes by war. We yearn for a peaceful and stable country and love prosperous big cities."

"That is why many small tribes have come to your territory in recent years."

"As far as I know, there are more than 30 tribes operating near Constantinople and Thessalonica alone, with a total population of more than 4,000."

Isaac frowned after hearing this.

He knew that in the 21st century of the original time and space, the total number of Gypsies in the world exceeded 12 million, and the largest number of people was in the Balkan Peninsula.

In later times, Greece had a population of about 10 million, and there were nearly 350,000 Gypsies.

However, although the number of Gypsies is large, they do not have a central government and no main identity. This small community and tribal activity mode makes it difficult for them to achieve success and they can only live on the edge of the city.

There is communication and exchange among the various Gypsy tribes, and sometimes they elect respected people to serve as their chiefs, but almost no one has ever tried to integrate them, and almost no one is willing to unite and obtain their own land.

This is certainly a good thing for Isaac, whose core ruling area is in the Balkans.

"Do you want to join my city and officially change from wandering to settling down?"

Isaac asked doubtfully.

"Not at all, Your Majesty."

Rao shook his head.

"We are a natural nomadic people. After earning enough money by working in a city, we will leave immediately and head to the next city."

"We only hope that you and your officials will not regard us as a scourge and will not kill and expel us wantonly. We just want to pick up some scraps on the edge of your great city."

"We are good musicians, singers, dancers, and fortune tellers. If you allow us to set up camp on the outskirts of your city, we will tell your people stories from far away, sing praises of your kindness, bring joy to your people, and add glory to your city."

Rao paused.

"Furthermore, we have brought technology from the East. Many of us are qualified to be skilled workers. We will use our labor to earn a living and make your city more prosperous."

Isaac nodded casually, lost in thought.

By the late 15th century, Gypsy caravans had spread across Europe, with varying degrees of acceptance in different countries.

The Gypsies have very contradictory feelings towards the settlers. On the one hand, they do not engage in production and cannot live independently, so they must rely on the settlers in exchange for daily necessities.

On the other hand, they suffered discrimination in various European countries, were driven from city to city, and there was a deep distrust between them and the settlers.

They long to be accepted, but are unwilling to give up their wandering lives.

They have lived on the margins of human society for years, but have to go into cities to make a living, exposing themselves to the sight of those in power. Whether they are driven away or killed depends entirely on the likes and dislikes of those in power.

"Conte, what do you think?"

Isaac switched to Latin.

"Your Majesty, I advise you not to agree to their request. The Akinganos are thieves, liars, and prostitutes. They will only make your city a mess."

Conte glanced at Rao and said disdainfully.

"If I don't agree to their request, will they become gentle and frugal and stop doing these things?"

Isaac shook his head slightly.

"Your Majesty, you can forbid them from appearing on the edge of the city and order them to leave your territory."

Conte suggested.

When Isaac heard this, he could only smile bitterly.

Unlike another nomadic ethnic group, the Gypsies have always been close to and distant from the mainstream civilized world. They always like to drive their caravans to the intersection of civilization and barbarism, and immediately hide in the countryside at the slightest sign of trouble.

Many wise rulers and ministers have tried to solve the gypsy problem, but no one has achieved real success.

In the end, the rulers just let it go, since they posed no threat to their ruling position anyway.

"Your Majesty, General, we are also Orthodox Christians, and we have Orthodox values ​​of good and evil. If we can make a living through civilized means, we will never steal."

Rao spoke earnestly.

"Furthermore, people only believe what they want to believe. Many city residents steal and rob, but they accuse us of this crime."

"Over time, everyone started to think that we were supposed to be thieves and robbers."

Rao said in Latin.

This kid knows a lot!

Isaac's eyes rolled.

"Father?"

"Ok?"

Isaac looked at Alexios.

"I think that since they believe in the Orthodox faith and are willing to become one of us, we should accept them and influence them with our faith and kindness."

Alexius said righteously.

"God tells us that every lamb who believes in Christ is our compatriot and our brother or sister. We should accept them with a broad arms instead of rejecting them directly."

Lao was flattered and bowed deeply to Alexios.

"My little prince, thank you for your kindness. May the glory of the Holy Father always shine upon your chest, and may the will of the Holy Father always rest upon the tip of your sword."

Isaac ignored Lao's meaningless compliment and raised his eyes, staring at him closely.

"Lao, I can see that you are one of the more thoughtful people in your tribe. Most tribes would rather hide than think of finding the monarch and sitting down with them for a good talk."

"Your Majesty, in fact, there are. We are not fools and we know how to make changes. Some monarchs have agreed to turn a blind eye to us and no longer use an attitude of extermination against us."

Rao said.

"So, if I am willing to accept you and allow you to make a living on the edge of the city, what can you bring to me?"

Isaac asked.

"Taxes? Troops? Labor?"

Rao shook his head.

"Your Majesty, we have much more to offer you than these. With our help, you will have the upper hand in both domestic affairs and war."

"We can bring you intelligence."

"intelligence?"

Isaac stopped smiling and turned serious.

"Yes, intelligence."

Rao said.

"As far as I know, you have built a complete post station network for your two territories in more than ten years. The roads that extend in all directions connect various towns and villages, and information and wealth are also gathered along the roads to the center."

"Your intelligence apparatus at home is already very complete, but what about abroad?"

"You also know that intelligence work carried out by diplomats is inefficient and cannot reach the bottom, nor can it reach some things that are deliberately hidden."

Rao bowed slightly.

"But we are different. We can travel to various countries without restrictions. People are accustomed to our sudden appearance and disappearance. We lurk in the corners of the city, we move around in the mountains and villages, and we can get information that is difficult for ordinary people to access."

"Your intelligence network abroad is completely blank. I believe you have learned about this during this war. Otherwise, you wouldn't be in such a hurry to form mountain hunters and mobilize the Bulgarian people."

"Be bold!"

Conte scolded, looking towards Isaac.

“Your Majesty, I suggest you immediately drive this Akingano out of the barracks to avoid soiling your ears.”

"No, what he said was very interesting."

Isaac shook his head slowly.

"Rao, if you can really provide me with intelligence from all over the world, your suggestion is not out of the question."

"However, we still need to regulate your activities. Please let me think carefully about how and what to use to regulate them."

Seeing that Isaac had given in, Rao's eyes lit up and he nodded heavily.

Turning to leave, Lao reached the door, but turned back and looked at Isaac who was in deep thought.

"Your Majesty, you are the most tolerant monarch I have ever met. Many people in power simply don't want to talk to us because of our yellow skin."

Rao said with some emotion.

"We have had a pleasant conversation. In this case, on behalf of all Bulgarian Roma, I would like to give you a great gift. It can also be regarded as a greeting gift from our ethnic group to the emperor."

"Go ahead."

Isaac became interested and nodded.

"Have you been looking for traces of Mahmud's main army since the war began?"

"Yes."

"For this purpose, you dispersed the cavalry, sent the mountain chasseurs into the mountains, mobilized the Bulgarian civilians, and created a great momentum."

"However, even though the Bulgarian uprising was powerful and had even begun to enter the Sofia Basin, Mahmoud remained indifferent."

"what do you want to say in the end?"

Isaac frowned and asked.

"You searched all over Bulgaria, but still couldn't find Mahmud's army."

"So, is there a possibility?"

Rao raised his head and stared at Isaac with his deep black eyes.

"They are not even in Bulgaria?"

(End of this chapter)