Chapter 701: Why Not Commander
The soldier was immediately taken aback as he saw the passes, which clearly stated that these men were "Varangians, protecting the purple, with the right to enter any camp." Bowing quickly, the soldier rushed inside the camp, leaving the gate closed, to report to the higher-ups.
Now Giovanni Junior realised he had screwed up, watching the soldier run towards the commander’s quarters.
"I’m sorry, Leo, I think I’ve messed things up."
"It’s fine, brother," Leo sighed. "Well, if that’s the case, let’s see how the commander handles this."
A short time later, a man in battle robes came walking towards the gate at a fast pace. Upon seeing the young boy, he immediately bowed. "Your Highness! The camp of Prosotani and all of the second infantry regiment welcome your arrival!"
"Ease yourself, commander." Realising that his disguise had been revealed, Leo decided not to prolong the charade. He introduced himself, dismounting and approaching the commander. "I am sorry, commander, for interrupting your busy schedule by arriving without any form of consent."
"This camp and this regiment are more than delighted to welcome you, please, your highness," the commander said, opening his arms wide and gesturing for the prince to follow his lead. "I am commander Aurelian, the direct commander of this infantry regiment."
It was the first time Leo had ever seen a real army barracks. Everything felt so fresh and new to him. He observed soldiers marching in groups of five along the roads, others training as a unit in the courtyards, butchers preparing lambs in front of the tents, ironsmiths maintaining armour and blades in the distance, and archers standing guard on towers, watching everything from afar. Everything gave him a feeling that was vastly different from what he had seen before among the palace guards and Varangians. The entire camp was arranged in an orderly fashion, with everyone performing their respective roles, all woven into a giant web that made the entire army look unified and efficient.
While on the way, the commander introduced the various segments of the camp, recounting battles he had participated in and the honours he had acquired throughout the years. Finally, they reached the commander’s tent, where the commander formally welcomed the young prince. Throughout the journey, Giovanni Junior remained silent, observing how his younger brother interacted with others with the ease of a nobleman.
"Mentor," Giovanni Junior said, bowing slightly.
It was only then that Leo realised who his brother’s mentor was.
"I am guilty of breaching the camp rules..."
The commander did not soften his expression, even with the prince present. "Yes, you are indeed guilty, kid. Now, explain yourself, and go outside to receive your punishment."
"Yes, mentor... I wanted to bring my brother here to help him absorb more knowledge about the army, especially the lifestyle that our soldiers endure, and possibly some basic military training, to prepare him to be a more suitable ruler for our country, which is built on the foundation of armours and blades."
"You have the right intention, Giovanni," the commander nodded. "Fine, I will waive your punishment this time, but you must rewrite the rules of the army, and I want to see them before dinner."
"Yes, mentor." Giovanni Junior bowed hurriedly before backing out of the tent, leaving only Leo and his mentor Aurelian.
"Your Highness... How has His Majesty been? From what I last heard, His Majesty is already here in the province of Seres..."
Leo smiled. "Yes, you are right, Commander. My father is indeed in Seres right now, busy touring the various villages of the veterans, seeing a bunch of his old followers from years back. That’s exactly why he called my brother Giovanni to his side, asking me to spend one month with him while he guides me around this area."
"I see," the commander nodded. "As a fellow officer, I ought to pay my respects by visiting the emperor the moment he arrived here, but I understand that the emperor has expressed his desire not to be disturbed by any of his subjects on this trip. You know, we are all concerned about the emperor’s well-being."
Leo pondered for a moment before looking up with a grin. "If that is the case, I will gladly convey your message, and perhaps the emperor will summon you."
"You have my appreciation, Your Highness," the commander bowed slightly. "I am sorry if I seemed too harsh towards Lord Giovanni Junior, but you must understand that a military encampment is a special place. It can only function properly in times of war with one supreme command. Lord Giovanni is here as my apprentice to learn and follow my lead, so I must treat him equally and fairly like any other soldier."
"I understand, Commander," Leo replied earnestly. "If that is the case, then I am here to learn from you as well. Please, treat me equally and fairly, like the others."
Commander Aurelian halted, laughed, stood up, and kneeled on one knee before the prince. "You are my sovereign, Your Highness. It is my duty to serve, protect, and bleed for you. Please do not say this again."
Leo hurriedly nodded.
"Lord Giovanni Junior asked me to show you the way of a soldier, which is a good thing. But Your Highness, please listen to my word of advice. It is always beneficial to sympathise with and understand the difficulties of the soldiers, but you cannot live with them or be too close to them."
"Why not, Commander?"
"Because you are the king, you are going to become the next Basileus. You must bear the prestige and height of a supreme leader. If you become too close to the soldiers, they might begin to question if the decisions you make are correct or not. They might even go against your orders because they feel like they know you better due to the time spent together. They will think you are just a commoner, nothing special, and that can be devastating, not just on the battlefield."
Leo nodded, taking in the commander’s advice with a serious expression. The weight of leadership was beginning to settle on his young shoulders.Top of Form
Bottom of Form
"That is, at least, how I, and my mentor, Lord Julian, used to lead the army," the commander continued in front of the young prince. "We accept questions during conferences, but we never accept doubts during wartime."
"As a commander, you must maintain the image that you know what you are doing to give your soldiers confidence. Show that you are close to them to maintain bonds, and at the same time, enforce your set of rules to keep discipline."
The young prince’s eyes lit up, and he nodded for the third time.
"Commander, I understand that it is getting late, and the barracks have this rule that no overnight visitors are allowed, so should I..."
"Oh no, no, Your Highness," the commander explained once again. "This army is yours. It carries the blood and spirit of your father, our emperor. It is born to serve you, and thus you are free to stay as long as you wish."
"I see." The prince took a deep look at the commander. "Thank you then, honourable commander."
"It is indeed getting late today, Your Highness." The commander glanced outside the tent. "I shall provide you with a tent for your exclusive use, and the other four Varangians will have their own tent, so you can rest and wash away the tiredness of this trip, please, Your Highness."
After that, the commander stood up, gave a few orders to his subordinates, and led the way for the prince.
It didn’t take long before Giovanni Junior returned to check on his brother, with smudged ink still visible on the side of his hands.
"How did he treat you today?" Giovanni Junior asked hurriedly. "If he was too harsh, then please accept my apologies on his behalf. We all know he is just a straightforward man who has been in the army his entire life..."
Leo interrupted. "It is fine, my brother. We had a good conversation today."
The young prince glanced outside the tent, noting the shadows of the four Varangians standing guard, ensuring no one approached the isolated tent. "I feel, with my instinct, that this man is actually not as simple as you think. He is sensitive to the events happening around him in the region, and he is not ignorant about politics. He is indeed smart in his way of speech."
"Really?" Giovanni Junior was taken aback.
"Yes, my brother." Leo gripped his brother’s hand. "Trust me, I have seen a lot of these kinds of people in Constantinople. He gives me a similar feeling, in fact, instead of being a straight forward man like how you described him today, he was extraordinarily careful with his words today, whether be it asking questions about father, or telling me advice about military matters."
Giovanni scratched the back of his head. He had spent most of his time since he was young revolving around army matters and had never spent even one day involved in government affairs, unlike his brother.
