Chapter 705: Difference Between Blades
But of course, the above information was all opaque to the young prince. As he rushed day and night to Thessaloniki, he had only one clear piece of information in his head: the emperor, his father, was there to rally a fleet to stabilise the situation in Albania. This meant another round of war, which was the very last thing Leo wanted to see, especially after his brief tour around the region.
Instead of seeing a mighty navy and marines being rallied in the city, the young prince saw nothing. Upon arrival, there was no sign of military preparations.
All that awaited him was a slim old man in a wheelchair, with the seemingly equally old Cerberus standing behind him, staring into the fading sun on the horizon. Beneath them, the harbor was as bustling as ever, perhaps even more prosperous than the last time Leo had seen it, with merchants of various tongues arguing and bargaining with one another, and audit officials calculating and collecting taxes on every single transaction.
It seemed like just another day in Thessaloniki.
Totally different from what Leo had imagined along the way.
He walked steadily towards his old father, seated there, basking in the sun. Cerberus saw him first and bowed. The prince nodded before approaching the emperor and whispering gently in his ear, "Father, I am back."
"Where is your brother Giovanni?"
Giovanni Junior, who was still behind, hesitating whether to greet the emperor as "father" or "your majesty," hurriedly approached upon hearing this and bowed. "Fat...Father."
"I heard of what you did, my child," Antonius waved towards Giovanni. "Come here and sit down. No, no, do not be afraid. Khalid praised you a lot for your performance in his army, saying that when the time comes, you shall definitely be mature enough to lead an army of your own."
"Thank you, father," Giovanni responded, with his head lowered.
"I heard that you are in a rush," Antonius turned to Leo this time around. "Why the rush?"
"Because...because I heard from the news that you might be planning on starting another expedition for Albania based on the situation I received along the way."
"And why are you here in such a rush? Are you here to join the expedition? I know you have been in the army for quite a while now... Seeking a chance to prove yourself on the battlefield or to learn more about commanding an army?"
"No, father," Leo gulped down a large bowl of water before continuing. "I am here to stop you."
Both Cerberus and Antonius were startled, while Giovanni Junior lowered his head, hiding his emotions.
"You must have a very good set of reasons then." Antonius nodded. "You are almost an adult now with your own thoughts and mind. Tell me, my son, why are you here to stop me from this expedition? If it is my health you’re concerned about, there is no need to worry. I am fully able-bodied, just like before."
"That is part of the reason, of course, father, but there are other important reasons as well."
"You have my ears."
"I have only been around the countryside for a little more than two weeks, father, but during that time, I visited several different villages, including those of the veterans," Leo said, his tone becoming faster and more intense as he stared into the ground. "The empire, as it is, can no longer sustain another extended battlefield. The barns I visited are mostly empty, incapable of supporting another massive expedition. The veterans are left scattered all over, trying to feed themselves instead of receiving the welfare and treatment that the state promised them. Meanwhile, the ordinary peasants are utterly frustrated from having to support the ongoing campaigns in Bulgaria for almost five years. Every household I visited had no new cloth, poorly maintained infrastructure, and lacked almost everything, with tiredness evident on every single face."
The emperor sat there without saying a word.
"Please, father, our empire cannot sustain long-term warfare! The country and its people need to take a proper rest before embarking on another venture. Many men are conscripted as soon as they reach adulthood at sixteen and only return to their hometowns in their forties. Father, you have fought for this country your entire life, and now, look at your condition. I think it is best for our family and the entire country that you stay here and rest alongside the country and its people."
The emperor stayed silent.
"Are you done with your words?"
"Yes, father."
Antonius lifted his head, looked at the darkening skies, and sighed deeply.
"Well, you saw it, Cerberus, youngsters nowadays have their own thoughts, unlike us."
"Indeed, your majesty."
"What do you think, Giovanni?" the emperor turned to his adopted son.
"I...I..." Giovanni Junior, out of nervousness, gulped and tried to speak but got caught up in his words. Finally, he bit his lip and replied, "I have no feeling about this, father. I am a soldier. A soldier only does what he is ordered. If my superiors order me to fight, then I will march on with my soldiers. But if I am told to stay in my camp, then I would continue to train with my comrades, waiting for the day to be called upon again."
"I see," the emperor nodded, a sign of satisfaction in his eyes.
The wind howled, but no one on the stage made a sound as the two boys stood side by side, waiting for their father’s reprimand.
Instead, the old emperor just closed his eyes, despite his inner turmoil.
"First things first, the Despote of Sicily (Naples) sent his ambassadors here just days ago, and he is here to make friends instead of forging a new hostility, so there is nothing to be worried about. But secondly..."
"Leo, I want a rest. Cerberus wants a rest, obviously, for he has been standing here the entire day..."
"I am fine, your Majesty," Cerberus hurriedly bowed, but the emperor simply waved his hand for the man to rise.
"We all want rest. Whether it was when I was younger or now, we have spent our entire lives fighting here, fighting there, either at the tables, on the seas, or on the ground. Do I want to rest and enjoy some peaceful occasions with your mother? Yes, of course! But why have I not done it?"
"I...I..." Leo was at a loss for words.
"You have studied history," Antonius continued sternly. "Our country sits in a geographically crucial location. We have rivals from every single corner. If you are not strong enough, no, even if you are strong enough, there will always be troubles seeking you out. Can you see that? From the North, South, East, and West, if you do not extend your borders as deep as possible inland, they will reach your heartlands one day. Do you understand that, my son?"
"Yes...Yes, father," Leo replied softly. Then, realising something with determination, he suddenly looked up with determination, biting his lip as he met his father’s eyes.
Meeting his son’s eyes, the old emperor sighed. "Fine then."
He turned back. "Cerberus, pass me that blade, that we have brought from the palace of Thessaloniki?"
"That cutlass blade, your Majesty?"
"Yes."
Cerberus went to the back and brought the cutlass of the emperor back.
The emperor grabbed the blade, and plucked it out of the scabbard, creating a long, ear-thrilling noise hurting people’s ears in the process. The emperor took a look at the blade, it is that old blade that used to accompany him all the way, when he was still that captain of the Formidata, roaming the East Aegean seas as a merchant pirate. The blade has witnessed through countless combats throughout the years before it is finally laid to rest after the conquest of Thessaloniki and left there in the palace ever since as a monument.
"Look at this blade, and draw out your blade, Leo."
"Draw out my blade?" Leo is frightened.
"Yes, draw your blade."
The prince did just like ordered, drawing out the blade in an easy manner without any of those disturbing noises, in a careful manner of course, and had it laid on his two hand palms, before passing it to his father.
"Do you see any difference between the two blades?"
"Father’s blade is full of curves, dents, from all those years of combats, while mine is just like as if it is freshly out of the workshop."
"Yes... Yes... My son, there is no need for you to see combat throughout the years." The emperor sighed as he slowly leaned back on his wheelchair against the rising moon light. "Different from me, you are born in a peaceful environment, while I had to feed myself scavenging in the port of Genoa, you are raised in a peaceful environment, while I had to board the ships when I was just eight, you have no need to kill even a chicken till now, while I changed my career to being a pirate when I were just twelve..."
The prince could no longer bare this, as he kneeled on the ground.
