Chapter 237: Nobody Likes This Man

"The Aegean sea washes Greece on two sides: first, the side that faces towards the east and stretches from Sunium, towards the north as far as the Thermaean Gulf and Thessaloniceia, a Macedonian city...; and secondly, the side that faces towards the south, I mean the Macedonian country, extending from Thessaloniceia as far as the Strymon."

-        Strabos, Introduction of Thessaloniki's location in 'Geography'

"The city has a matured defensive system since almost ten centuries ago getting renovated and renewed every decade until now, having a similar structure of walls just like the Theodosian walls of Constantinople, stretching for seven Roman miles with a height of around ten to twelve meters…" Nikolas pinpointed at the outlines of the walls of Thessaloniki knowing well about every single minutiae of the city.

"Admiral, do you think your army can penetrate through the walls similar to that of Constantinople?" 

Antonius replied without promptly. "My boys will spill all of their blood under these walls." 

"Admiral, do you think your armies can fully encircle the city with a circumference of approximately fifteen Roman miles, with out having any enemy reinforcement breaking through?" 

Antonius replied without hesitation. "My encirclement on land will be like a funnel with all the enemies sipping in." 

"Admiral, do you think the Grand vizier of the Ottomans will watch you take the largest city in Rumelia taking no actions or counter measures?"

Antonius sighed and answered instantly. "That grand vizier will fight a major battle throwing in tens of thousands of men for this city." 

"That is it." Nikolas concludes with his chest and head facing up in pride. "The time for you to take the city by yourself have not come yet, and in fact even with the help of this map it is still filled with uncertainties whether your siege will be successful." 

Helios by the side stepped out asking in a demanding way. "Then? What are you trying to say? Are you trying to dissuade us from attempting to take the city?" 

"Of course, not… I am just trying to say that admiral, you, and all of you here, needs my help if you want to take the city." Nikolas glanced through every one in the cabin. "And thus, you shall listen to every thing I say." 

"You little…" Yuri stormed towards Nikolas. 

"Stop, Yuri." Antonius stopped his faithful Varangian in time before he reach his gigantic hand out crushing the man's skull. "He is right, we must listen to him, not only because we have no choice but also, he is our honored guest." 

Yuri gave the man a stare and backed off.

"Nordic Barbarian." Nikolas murmured behind Yuri's back. 

"What the hell did you say?!" 

"Yuri!" Antonius slammed the tables clenching his fist warning Yuri, who is filled with rage and arrogance enduring this man's nonsensical and disrespectful words since just now, to back down. 

"…Yes, admiral." 

… The cabin fell back in to a dead silence.

"The plan goes like this, I shall lead my trade convoy consisting of five brigs in to the city loaded with season fruits, hay stacks, and cloth, with some of your men hiding within these stocks in the third and fourth ship of the convoy, because the Ottoman guards in the port will not bother checking on all the ships most likely only the head and the tail of the convoy, I will personally give these Ottoman port side custom officers a bribe they simply cannot reject so that they shall have some leniencies on us, I personally knows that custom officer and have managed to form a 'trusted' bond between him through out the years of gifts…" 

Nikolas shifted his hand to the righter section of the Port of Constantin beside the maritime rampart of approximately four Roman miles in length. "I shall dock my ships at this location, which I know there is a small gate connecting the ware houses to the dock side for the convenience of moving stocks renting local transport carts with some special associations, though this time they will carry wagons of not only wares but people right in to the city under the watch of the Ottomans." 

Nikolas turned the map side ways concentrating the attentions of every one on to the bezesten in the central of the city, or simply called as the market. "After that I shall host a grand feast inviting all the important figures in the city, with wines from…" 

"These infidels do not drink wine." Yuri interrupted. 

"Does Tartars in the Kazar steppe drink wine?" Nikolas laughed and asked back.

"Emmm yes…"

"Read more books big man, or else that space inside your head shall stay hollow for life." Nikolas flamed Yuri again in his usual sarcastic tone and carried on with his presentation before Yuri could throw his temper. "I shall host a massive feast with all the ruling class of the city making them unable to interfere with our plans, make them drunk if possible. Then I will use all of my network and connections inside the city to start a city wide revolt by the local population, cease control of all the gates, control all the Ottoman officers, get the admiral in to the city with your army."

"Will the plan work?" 

"Not all plans will work fluently as how it is planned, but still plans are never executed with out some unexpected things in between, so I would like to have a reliable and trust worthy man with me in this operation." 

"Sure." Nodded Antonius. "I shall send Anjelo for your aid, he is the most reliable man with years of experience knowledgeable in…." 

Nikolas gave Anjelo a thorough examination and replied with a sneer on his face. "I don't need an old man." 

"Then how about Helios? A bright handsome native…" 

"Huh? But he was a traitor, right? What if he turns on me and gets me killed instead?" 

Antonius dont know what to say about this man literally offending every one on the spot. "…Fisnik?" 

"Too young, way too young, looks like still a teenager, can he even lift?" 

"Fine, I shall go with you personally." Antonius stood up twitching his lips with a dark face. 

"No, no, hell no, admiral, you will be more of a burden instead of a help over there." 

"…"

In the end it is always busy man Julian who went with Nikolas to Thessaloniki. 

The convoy fleet of Nikolas set off carrying a load of wagon like he is really going there for trade, but within the wagon hides a special task force of sixty people personally hand picked by Antonius for this operation. Meanwhile for Antonius he followed another advice by Abdullah sending a battle fleet towards Kavala providing a false intel for the Ottomans that they are going to attack Kavala, letting their guard down. Honestly speaking, no one with the right mind would expect Antonius, who just entered the Aegean waters with a relatively weak force to try his luck on the largest and most well defended city in the region, as they are all speculating that Antonius would follow his path in the sea of Marmara taking down one after islands getting in to conflict with the Venetians, Genoese and Hospitallers, leaving the Ottomans aside.

But Antonius is no ordinary commander. 

The main battle fleet set off a few hours after the convoys of Nikolas towards the city of Kavala first exposing its whereabouts to the Ottoman scout ships in the region and let these ships go back reporting on the situation with out disturbing them. It is only after the fleet reached the monastic holy site of Mount Athos, that Antonius ordered a U turn following the change of the wind direction towards the South with his sailors showing an incredible naval navigation skill without any ships getting in to accident. 

The fleet sailed downwards passing by Mount Athos, organising a short mass session on all ships praying for the task force's well beings and the mission's success, hoping the saints and patriarchs on the mountain hear their prayers. They then sailed across the Kuzey Anadolu Fay Hattı and the Bank of Venus in discrete, this time dispatching near a hundred fast ships out in the main fleet's surroundings destroying any single ship flying the flags of Ottoman colours, and taking captive of the civilian ships making them sail with the main fleet for the time being. 

Taking cover of the darkening evening skies, the fleet stayed a distance away from the shores eluding the towns seating in the swampy land of Potieae entering the Gulf of Salonika, to this point they are only around less than twenty Roman miles from entering the seas of Thessaloniki without getting much attention, which is considered a great achievement considering the massive size of the fleet. By now there are no longer any needs to remain in stealth, and Antonius ordered the entire fleet to lower down its sails sailing upwards towards the city against the wind. 

…

While for Julian and Nikolas, the most adventurous part of their mission has just began.