Chapter 517: I am trying everyone to please
A new regime is established in the city and the surrounding area in just three days under the help of the pre existing government, almost nothing is changed with the city due to the severe shortage of experienced officials in his government. The city is handed back into the hands of the inter war committee led by Torhan, the only things that probably did change after the change of ownership is the flags hanging over the city walls, and maybe also the sense of belongingness in the hearts of the people of Kastoria, many rejoice over the change, while some wept over it. But that is perfectly fine, they will get used to it in the time being.
Ever since the devastation of the Sanjek’s army, the gateway to the inner lands of Epirus has been wide open to the armies of Antonius. The three separate armies of Antonius marched swiftly across the mountainous trails of Epirus facing the Adriatic winds with little to almost no resistance at all, the castles, villages and cities along the way have either been seized by the local communities or surrender themselves willingly giving the keys to their city either with or without terms.
It has become apparent that the Albanons have slowed down or even halted in their progress to eat up more land in Epirus as they started laying siege to the former Ottoman city of Korce with a force of around four thousand men and ten thousand plus people providing logistics support, probably the most amount of manpower the Dominus Albaniae can mobilise in such a short period of time without harming the fragile agricultural foundation of his state. It is becoming clearer and clearer to Skanderbeg that his country is far too small to gulp up a huge chunk of land and population at once.
This is the hard reality for the smaller states in the world limited by their own size and capacity creating a huge limit in their possible path of expansion taking them a longer time and effort than anyone else when they eat up a new piece of land. Of course, they can be like Alexander in the past, or Antonius in the present conquering a huge empire through force through the capabilities of the military leader and the advanced military organisation and tactics, but once the capable military leader dies his empire shall soon scatter into pieces from the vast difference in culture, governance and belief. That is not what Skanderbeg wants, for he is already becoming older and more fragile as each day goes by.
The Albanons did not even manage to eat up the coastal region of Avlonya, as Venetian ships have been spotted near the region. Neither did he venture any point southwards, for he knows that if he do so it would break the trust and alliance between him and Thessaloniki.
The turn for Skanderbeg is now over, and it is the time for Antonius to perform.
The army that went northwards commanded by Helio marched speedily to match the speed of Skanderbeg carving out the future borderline between the two states. He started by capturing the fortress of Bilisht twenty miles in the North of Kastoria that can be used as a frontier defence base or a supply base in the future if there is going to be a major military operation against the Albanons, just in case. Then he led his troops towards the left hastily conquering the village of Selenica in the attempt to stop any possible Albanon troop going southwards. After that Helio continued marching in the mountainous roads capturing the fortress of Leskovik, Permet, Kelcyre, Tepelene, Kote, until he reached his final destination, the city that was once saved by Antonius, Avlonya.
The Venetians already have their eyes on the city even before the collapse of the Sanjek, and by the time Helio’s troops arrived, the Venetians have already been engaged in three rounds of talks with the temporary city mayor and elder of Avlonya proposing them to join the Serene republic and become a free trade city, with a Venetian war fleet being anchored right outside the city port showing a stance that everyone knows – either you submit to us with extra perks and benefits, or we take you down by force, but either ways, we are determined to take you.
The city is terrorised for a minute first when they heard that a troop of four thousand men is approaching the city, and the panic increased to a peak when the troops of Helio showed themselves before the city gates as it recalls the tragic encounter the citizens had ten years ago in the massacre during the night of the bloody moon. Not every citizen here recognises the personnel flag of Antonius, as he certainly did not have one when he came here to save the citizens ten years ago, and after receiving the update from the messengers regarding the recent incident the Caesar had with the legate from Constantinople, Helio stopped flying the flag of the double headed eagle too, resulting the force becoming a true unidentifiable ’army without a nation’.
Fortunately speaking the merchants of Avlonya who frequently ran trade between the Adriatic sea and the Aegean sea still managed to recognise the flag of the white lion and informed the governors that this army belongs to Antonius of Thessaloniki. Upon hearing and verifying this piece of vital information, the city dwellers immediately threw the Venetian delegates back onto their boats ordering them to get out of their city, then they announced this piece of news to the citizens outside the city hall who are worried about the impending Venetian intrusion, and instantly the worriedness disappeared within the minds of the citizens.
It started with just a few people rushing towards the gates, then the news began spreading to more and more people, with one after another crowd joining them on the run across the streets making some start developing the wrong idea that the Venetians have already entered the city, and the thing that happened ten years ago is about to happen again. This almost created a huge stampede inside the city until the words of the news started reaching into their ears, then did the entire thing ceased to a stop but only to erupt into another wave of emotions, the emotions of joy this time of course.
A nanny almost fell to the ground as she is pushed by the crowd, though fortunately for her a firm hand came to the rescue giving her a lift up preventing her from being stepped over by others in time. The firm hand belonged to a middle aged man who is actually one of the respected senator in charge of the city’s defence. But the granny is in no mood of greeting the senator unlike the usual as she anxiously grabbed him by the arm and asked.
"Are the soldiers of Antonius here to save us again?"
The man halted in his path and laughed. "Yes, honourable elder, it is our troops! Our troops have come here to protect us!"
"Our troops?
"Our troops!"
The middle aged man then broke off with the granny and continued running towards the gate. The granny seems to be caught in the words as she tried her best to recall the definition of ’our troops’. Then after a while she sighed and went back to her makeshift house, shut the wooden gate to evade the dangerous tide of human wave rushing outside her house.
Helio is still trying his best to organise his language to write a letter for the city, when he saw the city gates coming to a gradual open. He knows about how heroic his liege was once in this city, but that is already over ten years ago and he would definitely not anticipate the citizens to give up their city so willingly, but the citizens of Avlonya proved him to be wrong teaching Helio this simple principle that people do really stay gratitude for you if you do them things good, especially when you saved their life once, they shall become your immediate and most stable supporter for their entire life.
Helio is still caught in a state of amusement and startlement when he is being welcomed into the city with cheers. Upon entering the city, he is immediately greeted by a middle aged man who seems to be the senator of the city.
"Greetings, your highness, the citizens of Avlonya are all here to welcome you and your army into the city... May I know where is his royal highness?"
"O, the Caesar, he is not here this time round." Helio replied. "Greetings your excellency, I am Helio, the commanding officer of the Northern infantry regiment."
"I see." The senator seems to be disappointed. "We have intended to offer our city and our services to the honourable Caesar ever since years ago. We have even erected a statue in the city square for the Caesar, what a pity that he is not here to have a look at it."
