Chapter 459 - Look Up, Fisnik

After spitting out all of these information that has been lying deep inside his heart for months, Antonius did not feel like he is relaxed. Instead he felt that he is tired from dealing with all the craps, rumors and problems revolving around him all the time . He looked around at the other people in the tent still kneeling for Fisnik and ordered. "Please, lads, stand up. Trust me I wanted to sweep this matter under the carpet just like what we have done last time. But he has done way too many mistakes and have gone way too far on the wrong path for me to guide him back, and if I am to let him continue behaving like this freely, only God knows that when shall he cross the borders next time and what kind of negative impact shall he continue to bring to our force."

The people kneeling down scattered back to their original positions, while Helio remained there for a few more seconds, giving Fisnik a troubled look leaving nothing but a heavy sigh, knowing that whatever he does today is far from rescuing his friend. The fate of his friend is already sealed, by his own deeds and action in the past.

"Fisnik, come, get up." Antonius pulled the man who is already powerless on his limbs up and got him seated down on a chair. "We have been through countless life and death situation together for almost a decade, I know what kind of person you are, and I am pretty sure that you understand me as well. You know that I am not a stingy person, I am always willing to share my gains and fourtunes with my friends who have followed me this far, especially for you, having followed my banner for almost a decade. Do not worry my old friend, I shall reward you with sum that is larger than any prizes I have granted you in the past, to show to the others as well that I am far more generous than that emperor in Constantinople."

Fisnik never blinks an eye or twitches a muscle when he is facing the constant threat of death on the battlefield, but today in this tent he could hardly spit a word out of his mouth despite the admiral speaking to him in a relatively gentle tone all the time.

He is still reluctant despite in facing the already known destiny ahead of him today.

"You, Fisnik, have became a faithful fighter and commander under my flag ever since that night of bloodshed in Avlonya, after that you have fought your way through the ranks engaging the Ottomans for multiple times in Constantinople, in the Aegean sea, under the walls of Thessaloniki, and here in Epirus. You and your troops have at least slain thousands of Ottomans for me, giving me the keys for at least five cities and towns, conquered multiple isles in the Aegean and went head first during the operation to accept the Peninsula of Pendek."

Antonius' voice turned more and more stern as he speaks, he tries his best to resist that fury within his mind of feeling betrayed by grappling onto the handle of his cutlass and finally, hr could resist it no more and bellowed. "You have followed me since the start! Fisnik! You have gained countless benefits from me and yet why, why are you still not satisfied? You already got multiple acres of lands, two manors under your name with more than fifty servants which definitely cannot be gained through your regular salaries, and what more do you want?"

Fisnik could hardly say anything.

"How many coins and gold do we have here in the camp?"

"We have around one hundred Grzywna of silver, thirty bags of silver Akce, twenty bags of silver ducats, three hundred and eighty bags of bronze ducats with a hundred coins in each bag, here in our camp."

"Bring them all here for me please." Antonius commanded in a firm tone. These money are almost equivalent to an entire year of taxation collected in the port and customs of Thessaloniki with the purchasing power to build a battalion of army. Antonius brought this large sum of money with him planning to use it to reward his troops after a victory to soothe their greed and put a restraint to their eagerness to plunder and ransack local communities, especially for the foreign legions.

Though it seems like these money now have got another use.

It took a team of more than a hundred men to transfer all of these money over here at once dumping them in the open space before the tent, which almost formed an entire hill. Such a breath-taking sum of money inevitably attracted an even larger group of people coming over to gather around and watch what is going on.

"Fisnik! Look up!" Antonius cried out beside Fisnik's ears. "Is this enough for you?"

Fisnik simply kept sobbing, totally unable to answer anymore question.

"Tell me, Fisnik, have I ever discriminated or disrespected you under any circumstances in public, even after you have made all those mistakes?"

Fisnik stopped weeping and shook his head difficultly.

"Have I ever done something that betrayed you for the past decade, have I placed you in a kind of dangerous situation to deliberately get you killed?"

"No…No, admiral" the burly man fully grown with moustache on his face began weeping even louder like a child.

"How have I treated you in the past?"

"G…Good! Admiral." Fisnik suddenly leaned forward and hugged Antonius on his waist.

"Then back to the question, Fisnik, is these rewards enough for you?" Antonius' voice turned softer and softer with each question, he dragged Fisnik to the pile of coin bags, opened one and showed the glistering coins under the sunlight to Fisnik.

"M…More than enough, admiral!" Fisnik slowly stopped weeping, unknown whether is it because of the light radiated by the coins under the sunlight or is it because he has finally made it through his thoughts after almost thirty plus minutes.