Chapter 223: The Delegates

The delegates are welcomed into the still building in process camp and led to camp in the center and checked by a tall man supposed from Rossija speaking a weird Greek dialect, after making they are clear of any trouble the delegates are invited into the tents of the great admiral. 

Honestly speaking to their surprise, the admiral completely does not look like any other military leaders they have ever met before being arrogant and bossy about every particular stuff, he is more like a regular teenager in his late twenties being young and intimate as they speak to them. 

"Admiral." The five delegates bowed to ninety degrees before the admiral with their hands on their chests showing obedience and respect. "We are the delegates send here by the citizens, may you allow us humble beings to pay you the highest respect we can offer and accept our miserable offerings." 

The admiral smiled warmly towards them raising his hands. "Come, have a seat, there are no need to feel so nervous in my place. Now tell me, misters, what brings you to my camp?" 

The delegates looked at each other with confusion in their eyes, their intention should be more than obvious. One delegate broke the silence replying the admiral. "My lord, we are here to offer gifts and supplies for the glorious and impregnable imperial army of the empire, and may we humbly request your approval of accepting this puny little city getting shielded under your broad and tough wings, blessing all of us humble beings with protection allowing us to have a decent night's sleep, my lord." 

A thousand thoughts runs through the mind of Antonius. Initially he thought of making a white lie to these delegates saying fake news like. 'Oh, we need to leave now, my land forces are still too weak to protect you, the Ottomans will crush my forces'. And later he went on thinking whether he can break the deal with Orhan, but this thought only appeared in his head for a short while as he knows that once he breaks his trust it will never be recovered back to what it is, and this city shall become a blood grinding battle field between him and Sultan Orhan which is entirely not worth it. 

Thus, he decided to be frank and just say the truth. 

"Honourable gentlemen." Antonius tried to sound as intimate as possible. "I am sorry, but I cannot accept your request." 

"…What?" 

"I cannot grant your enquiry." Antonius replied earnestly holding his hands on the wooden plank acting as a make shift table. "Let me be honest with you, I trust that honesty is an important value for every beginning of a successful negotiation. I have made a deal with the Ottoman Sultan about your city." 

The five delegates gaped unexpecting this sudden turn of event.

"I know it might be hard for you to accept the hard fact, but yes, the Sultan of Prusa is going to take over the city and be your over lord, while I am just merely helping him to take it in the process." 

Hearing this one delegate even collapsed onto the ground like he is stars twinkling around in his head making him breathless. Seeing this another quick minded delegate bite his lips coming up bowing to the admiral again and asked. "My lord, please have mercy, we just came out from the depressing claws of governance from one group of Ottoman invaders, and now you are going to put us under another bunch of Ottoman rebels, which according to our intel, is even more brutal than the governance of the Sultan in Edirne?" 

"Actually ummm… He is a qualified ruler, not exactly as what you have thought." Antonius' face blushed when he is bluntly making a lie as even he does not believe in his words. "Fine, but what has been agreed upon cannot be revoked, that is how we Genoese do things, we have a principle of trust, so I am sorry, I cannot break the contract with Sultan Orhan just for you, although…"

"…Although?" The delegate's eyes rolled as he catches a glimpse of hope. 

"I can give you some advice which might help you make you and your fellow citizen's lives easier. Form a team of volunteer corps of the city, arm them with weapons, do not be stingy about this money it is a life saving fund. Then, when the Sultan's men arrive to take the city, join the Sultan's forces as elite volunteer corps becoming a 'stake holder' of the Sultan instead of a simple subject, and with an army your city can request to have the special statues of a free city, I am sure that he will understand based on my understandings of his care free personalities." 

The five delegates hurriedly nodded saying that they have taken the admiral's words into their mind. 

"Thank you for your visit gentle men." Antonius stood up giving the five delegates each a hand shake. "You can take your things back with you… I know your merchants, you brought your gifts here wishing to exchange for a deal, strike a contract. If you never achieve your goals you will have negative thoughts and say bad things about me when you go back, so just take your stuff when you leave my camp." 

The five delegates looked at each other and the admiral with pairs of dodgy eyes and bowed for the last time of today. "Thank you, admiral." 

…

The five delegates left the admiral's tent all wandering about the future of them and the city, most of them still worrying about whether the Ottoman new owners shall strip them of their wealth, merchandise and properties once they enter the city. What about the admiral's words just now of forming an elite corp for self defence and having a greater stake in the Sultan's army? They have forgot about it sadly, in their traditional Mediterranean minor merchant's minds fighting and weapons are for those soldiers and mercenaries, it is simply not a task set for them.

No wonder they lost to the Italian republics in the centuries of trade conflict.

But enough said even if the city is going to form a standing army, the council cannot use their money, they must use some one else's money. THe delegates, before they left the camp, ordered their workers to carry back the gifts they brought with them back to the city. Only one delegate rolled his eyes looking at this and when the rest of the delegates went back into the city, he made an excuse saying that he has a sudden stomachache and stayed outside, then stride back into the Roman camp. 

Antonius is still inside his tent frowning as he reads a freshly generated report sent by Anjelo on the various difficulties he encountered in building a market on the islands, trying to scrutinise the meaning of these weird Latin alphabets that looks at a crowd of ants crawling as Yuri came inside again reporting. "Admiral, one of thos' crackin' stingy man came back again, he says he wants o see you!" 

Antonius frowned continued looking at the report and waved his hands. "Let him wait for a while outside!" 

Yuri came back once more. "Admiral! This twit says that he've got som' important business to inform you personally." 

Antonius is indeed irritated but persisted and still called him in. 

The delegate entered the tent, with smiles filled his face as he greets the admiral repeatedly, but after seeing the irritated face on the admiral he immediately stopped and turned into a serious face explaining the purpose of him coming back. "My lord, although I represent the interest of the city, but I do very understand you about your decision, though I would like to have a personal request to you." 

"Speak." 

"I would like to join your fleet, my lord." The delegate proposed briskly with an excited but nervous tone. "I would like to give up all my career and roots in this city, and join you, my lord, in your force. I shall contribute my tiny strength in helping you to rebuild the empire making Nova Roma great again! Long live the empire!"

Antonius is startled by the man's words, similarly, goes to Yuri standing by his side. It took him a while before Antonius came up patting him on his shoulder resisting the temptation to laugh. "I thank you on behalf of Con… the emperor, but are you sure that you want to abandon every thing here and join me on my islands? I must warn you, that first, the situation is still pretty tough there on the islands, with out so many fancy stuff here in the city. And second, I accept no useless man who will eat the food produced by my toilsome subjects, what talent can you bring me?" 

The delegate rolled his eyes and glanced around the tent thinking of an answer, when he suddenly caught sight of that letter not far away from him lying on the wooden plank, and by his basic knowledge of Latin he is able to understand the title of the letter.