Chapter 699: Three Mails
The old emperor was exhausted.
"Help me write a letter, would you please? To Abdullah, tell him we shall stop preparing for the conquest of Cherson. Cease all operations. Tell him I now understand his concerns; this country needs to rest from all these activities."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Help me write another letter to Helios. Tell him about all the events and scenes that we have saw and observed for the past day, tell him the wishes of the veterans, and ask him to reply me with a better solution on how to properly handle the care of our old brothers, do not forget to write in the letter, that I am deeply saddened after seeing all of these with my own eyes."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Help me write a third letter to Apostolos, informing him that Julian has retired due to old age."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Help me write a fourth letter to Anna. Tell her that I love her and that if anything happens to me, she must keep Leo and Agatha safe."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
By the time the old emperor finished talking, Cerberus’ face was full of tears.
"Is that too much for you?" asked the emperor.
"No, Your Majesty." Cerberus shook his head vigorously. "Not at all!"
"Great, great, great..." Antonius closed his eyes and sighed. "I need to take a bit of rest now. If you can, guard by my side while I sleep."
Cerberus nodded heavily as he stood by the side. "Worry not, Your Majesty. The Varangians shall stay by your side, forever."
Antonius nodded in satisfaction as he saw the Varangians standing guard by the house and streets. Gradually, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber.
Meanwhile, outside on the streets, young Leo kept turning his head, worried about his father. The veterans sensed his anxiety and tried to comfort him. "Honorable Prince, do not worry about our emperor. He is the strongest man we have ever known in terms of courage and will. He will be fine."
However, in reality, even these veterans were unsure if their emperor was truly fine. All they knew was that their emperor had ordered them to stay with the prince, and they must follow that order, even if they were no longer in the army.
The veterans first led the young prince to the monument. "Your Highness, we do not have many fancy spots to show you, but this monument, built by craftsmen from Constantinople, is the best we have."
Leo raised his head and looked at the monument. It depicted a soldier bravely raising his blade against a sea serpent on the shores, dressed in the style of Ottoman Janissaries, presumably commemorating the battle of Constantinople where many of these veterans began their military careers. Beneath this engraved painting was a Chi Rho cross, the emblem of the emperor, and below that, a few hundred names spread over all sides of the wall.
The veteran explained, "This village was established to host and care for all the soldiers from the marine infantry regiment. These names are our comrades who lost their lives during our military careers up to the time the monument was built. In just about five years, we lost this many men from one infantry regiment. Many of their bones and bodies were never recovered, but at least we can still remember their names, from scratches."
The young prince gulped in shock once again.
One does not fully grasp the sheer number of fallen men and the spoils of war by looking at statistics on paper. But when these numbers are reflected as names on a monument, it is... appalling. The monument, almost reaching into the sky, seemed gigantic to young Leo. He imagined how many men these names represented if they were to come back to life and stand before him, and how many families were tied to each name.
It is true; far too many people have died in the wars of the past.
"Your Highness." Suddenly, a veteran kneeled on one knee in front of the prince, startling him. "Ever since the establishment of the marines regiment by Lord Abraham, may God bless his soul, we have never let the empire, God, the emperor, and the people down even once! We can live simple lives, but we hope for the children of our deceased comrades to have a much better life than we do! Instead of living in such... such..."
The veteran said no more as he pointed with a trembling hand towards the broken huts, but everyone knew what he meant.
Leo remained silent for a moment, then said, "Bring me to these children of the heroes."
It took them no time to reach what appeared to be a chapel, where herds of children, boys and girls, were playing and learning, led by an aged pastor. Upon noticing the veterans’ entrance, the children immediately gathered around the adults, obviously well-disciplined, and quietly waited for something. Usually, when the adults came, it was to bring gifts from Constantinople, by the emperor, whose tales they had heard but whom they had never seen in person.
The veteran chief cleared his throat and began the introduction. "Children, we are delighted to have Prince Leo, the heir to the empire, with us today!"
In an instant, all eyes turned to the prince. Leo, already accustomed to public attention, stood tall and bowed slightly before addressing the children. "I am Leo De’Ricci. I am here on behalf of the emperor, my father, to improve the living conditions for all of you, whose fathers have sacrificed for the state. Please, on behalf of my father, accept my gratitude for the sacrifices your families have made and the suffering you have endured!"
The boys and girls exchanged glances, some bowing back in response. It was clear that many of them did not fully understand the significance of a prince, as they had never encountered one before.
Leo turned to the veterans and asked, "Are all my brothers and sisters here educated? Equipped with the ability to read and write?"
The pastor nodded and replied, "Yes, your Highness. In accordance with national laws, all children here have learned to read and write, taught by me."
"Great, thank you, Pastor, for the amount of effort." Leo took a deep breath, as a thought came to his thirteen-year-old mind. He made another bow to the children and gradually stepped out of the chapel, followed by the veterans.
"Now, Chief." It seemed that young Leo had suddenly matured. He turned to the veteran village chief and continued his inquiry. "Where should we head to next?"
The veterans exchanged silent glances, unsure of what to say.
"I guess that’s all you have for this village, am I right?" Leo asked.
The veterans hurriedly nodded their heads.
"Tell me, sir, how many people currently reside in this village?"
"Around three hundred of us," the chief replied.
"Three hundred... I see." Leo nodded again. "Don’t worry, sir. Since I have come here today, I can guarantee you, on behalf of my dear father, that I shall grant you a better life."
Tears immediately welled up in the eyes of the veterans. "Your Highness! We do not want a better life! We want our old ways of living back! We want to return to the barracks, regain our prestige and honour, and continue serving the country!"
Leo nodded patiently, a smile on his face like a true king. "If that is what you desire, sir, then I shall see to it that you get it back, with honour and prestige. Now, please, guide me back to my father."
The veteran chief nodded hurriedly, tears still rolling down his cheeks.
It was already nightfall by the time Leo was led back to the room where the emperor was resting. The old emperor had awakened from his deep slumber and had recovered to some extent, though he was still far from calling himself healthy. He needed Cerberus’s support to stand up from the bed.
The emperor sat alone by the bed, waiting for his son’s return. He could feel instinctively that, after a day, the young boy had matured a bit.
Immediately after Leo entered the room, he went to his father’s side, his eyes full of concern. "Father! How have you been?"
"I am well, my child," Antonius said with a dry laugh, reaching out to place his hand on his son’s increasingly sturdy shoulder. "I am fine! I just need some time to rest."
"Father, my mother and sister are still waiting for you to come home, and this country still needs your guidance. This world, including me, cannot lose you! Without you, this world will collapse!"
Antonius suddenly turned serious, his face stern. "Listen here, my child. No one can claim to be that important. This world will continue to thrive, whether it is lacking you or lacking me!"
Leo gulped. "Yes, Father."
"I have a request for you, Father."
