“Hehehe… Hehehe…”
A woman stood before him, blissfully smiling, unaware of the drool dripping from the corner of her mouth. Her shoulder-length, soft blonde hair was cut just enough to avoid hindrance in fierce battles.
Though her blue eyes had dulled, they still shone beautifully. With her mouth closed, she could have been a cool beauty exuding firm resolve.
Her name was Ivania.
Ivania, who always seemed a bit off-order, was even more so today. Her goofy, slackened smile was enough to cause unnecessary misunderstandings if noticed by others.
It made him wonder if rewarding her for her merits had been a mistake, though the reward itself was admittedly weird.
“To think I would see such an embarrassed expression, something I thought I’d never witness again…”
Ivania, unconsciously wiping the drool that had reached her chin, now bore eyes more dangerous and dazed than before, emanating a predatory gaze. He suddenly recalled a fact he’d tried to forget by avoiding her: Ivania was a better fighter than he was.
“Just one more time…♡”
“No! Once is enough.”
He sternly cut off her request in a firm tone, but it was futile. Ivania, having lost her reason, charged straight at him. Startled, he braced himself to push her away, but the sweet scent wafting to his nose stopped him.
He had expected the sharp smell of sweat from Ivania, who was devoted to martial arts, but what was this sweet fragrance?
Ivania’s scent was surprisingly pleasant…
Not that he planned to indulge her whims.
“Get off, now!”
“Oh… my lord…”
As he forcibly pushed her away, Ivania’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. However, there was no time to hesitate. There was no longer any reason to keep Ivania close. The reward for her merits had just been given.
After she got her reward, she returned to her usual composed demeanor, showing the bearing of a true warrior. A woman who knows when to retreat is always admirable.
“I will have your financial reward prepared soon. Until then, continue leading the mercenaries and guarding the palace as usual.”
“For more efficient protection, I believe the distance between us should be much closer than it is now.”
If only she wouldn’t say such absurd things with that cool expression, she would be a truly reliable subordinate. It seemed the gods never granted perfection to humans. As he sighed, looking up at the skylight, the doors of the audience chamber opened. Approaching him was the Bishop of Mistra, Nikephoros, with neatly groomed facial hair and perceptive eyes.
“I have come to speak with you, my lord. And I see the mercenary captain is as lively as ever.”
“It’s been a while, Bishop. What brings you here?”
Ignoring Ivania’s antics, the bishop, understanding his intent, quietly got to the point.
“It concerns the Latins. There is no one unaware that Athens has returned to the empire under your command. It is time to restore things to their original state.”
“That is… a sensitive issue. You are aware of that?”
“It is a time for your decision, my lord.”
A decision, a decision indeed. Though he wasn’t keen on it, if the usually moderate Bishop Nikephoros spoke in such a manner, it likely reflected the people’s sentiments as well. Just when he thought he could rest, the burdens of practical matters emerged again.
The cause of his distress lay in the establishment of the Latin Empire by the Fourth Crusade two centuries ago.
The Latin Empire, serving as a puppet for Venice to replenish the Crusaders’ war expenses, had fractured the empire, taking sixty years to reclaim the capital. Everyone knew the throne’s takeover during this period ultimately led to national division.
Despite this, the matter was often silenced because it was the greatest stain and original sin of the current Palaiologos dynasty.
The Palaiologos dynasty is a line of overthrowers.
At the time, the Orthodox Church condemned this overthrowing, and in response, Michael VIII, the founder of the Palaiologos dynasty, sought to establish a church favourable to him by directly dethroning the patriarch. This act led to a division within the church.
Although the church has since regained its form, it remains clear that the Palaiologos were responsible for the division between the empire and the church.
Therefore, firmly establishing Orthodox traditions in the territories reclaimed from the Latins is essential. Given the heightened resentment towards the Western Church in reaction to the Latins, gaining the people’s support makes this a necessary step.
However, doing so would result in completely severing support from the West.
Defying the Pope’s intent to unify the Eastern and Western churches would leave only permanent estrangement. Even if they were lucky enough to defeat the Ottomans, Western support would be indispensable for fully driving them out.
“…I apologize, Bishop, but His Majesty was just discussing the allocation of rewards. While the issue with the church is significant, stabilizing the situation through post-war measures should come first, don’t you think?”
Unexpectedly, it was Ivania who threw a lifeline into the discussion. Even Nikephoros seemed to agree with this view, nodding once before turning back to him.
“Unless the issue with the church is resolved, the empire’s reconstruction will be perpetually delayed. Only Your Majesty can mend the church’s division. Please consider this.”
As the bishop departed, leaving these words behind, a sigh escaped him. The thought of the cautious approach needed to appease the subjects when accommodating the Latins of Achaea made it all the more exhausting.
His true desire was to avoid harsh measures against the Western Church—Catholicism—since severing support from the West was not an option. Yet, the people longed to expel the influence of both the Latins and the Western Church completely.
“…Perhaps converting the Parthenon church back to Orthodox customs might suffice.”
Once a temple of prophecy, it had become a Christian church in the Middle Ages. Transforming this ancient temple, now a church dedicated to the Virgin, into an Orthodox one might quell some of the people’s anger. It was a temporary solution, of course. As he though this over, a peculiar sight caught his attention, diverting his thoughts. Naturally, the one blocking his view was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed mercenary captain—Ivania.
“Your Majesty, shouldn’t we finish discussing my reward first?”
“I’ll grant you an additional ten pounds of gold. Is that sufficient now?”
“…Tch.”
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