"Yawn~" A soldier patrolling the inner wall stopped, leaning on his spear as he let out a long yawn.
"Hey, wake up. If the higher-ups see you, you'll get a whipping," the veteran behind him said irritably, giving him a shove.
"Alright, alright. Why do we have to start patrols so early? We're the earliest ones up," the freckled soldier grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "We spent all of yesterday fixing the wall in that thick fog. If it weren't for Joel, I would've run the cart straight into the wall. Speaking of which, Old Vasily, I've lived here for so long and never seen such dense fog at night. Last night, I could barely see my own hand in front of me."
"Yeah, Paris." Old Vasily paused, tucking his spear under his arm and rubbing his hands together uneasily. "I've fought with Emperor Constantine for years, and I've never seen fog like that anywhere, especially not at night. I've lived a long time, and I've never seen fog that thick at night. It's truly eerie."
"Who knows what's up with that fog. Let's keep moving and talk while we walk. Hey, the fog's clearing up," Paris remarked to Old Vasily as he resumed walking, spear in hand. But soon, he realized the veteran wasn't following.
"Old Vasily, what's wrong? Why are you just standing there?" The young soldier looked back, confused, at the older man staring out beyond the wall. "What's so interesting about the Turk camp? We've been staring at it for days."
Paris's words trailed off as he, too, saw what Vasily was looking at.
As the fog lifted, what lay before them was an endless expanse of green plains. The sprawling Ottoman camp had vanished without a trace, and the horizon, once lined with mountains, was now a forested landscape. This was nothing like the Thracian plain they knew.
"This... what is this?" The young soldier stared in shock at the unfamiliar scene, looking to the seasoned Vasily for answers.
"I... I don't know," the old veteran replied, unable to offer the clarity the young man sought. "In any case, we need to report this immediately."
By evening, in the Blachernae Palace.
After receiving the sentries' report, the officer on duty dismissed their claims, accusing them of drunkenness or madness, and warned them not to disturb him with such nonsense—until they dragged him up to the wall to see for himself.
The news spread quickly, causing an uproar throughout the city. Waves of cavalry were dispatched from the city, and ships sailed out from the port, all seeking information and answers. Upon their return, a meeting was convened in Blachernae Palace.
The meeting was attended by the empire's key officials, generals, and foreign ambassadors. The once grand but now dilapidated main hall of the palace was packed. Had it not been for the signs of decay and the shabby decor, one might have thought the palace had regained its former glory.
"The cavalry we dispatched has returned in part. They discovered Serrabia Fortress and Studia Fortress, engaged in communication with the garrisons, and brought back their letters. Furthermore, we made contact with some never-before-seen creatures." John Kantakuzenus, the Army Commander and Quartermaster (honorary title), spoke as he held up a report, causing murmurs among those present. These fortresses couldn't possibly be so close to Constantinople, yet the facts presented compelled them to accept it. However, the mention of the creatures went undiscussed.
"Silence! John, hand me the letters," Emperor Constantine shouted loudly at the murmuring crowd, taking the report from the Army Commander's hands. The hall fell silent immediately after the Emperor's shout.
"John, tell me, what is this?" The Emperor glanced briefly at the letters before handing them over to an attending aide.
"Your Majesty, you'd better see for yourself," the Army Commander said, clapping his hands. A foul stench wafted in as soldiers carried in several small humanoid corpses, emitting the odor. These creatures were shorter than humans, with prominent noses, deep-set eyes, sharp teeth, and long pointed ears. Their crude animal-hide clothing barely covered their modesty.
The sight of these unheard-of creatures astonished the assembly. Many crossed themselves repeatedly, while others covered their mouths and noses due to the stench. After studying the corpses for a moment, Emperor Constantine looked at John Kantakuzenus with skepticism. "What are these?"
"Your Majesty, our cavalry encountered them. They immediately attacked our men with crude weapons, but our young soldiers easily defeated them and brought back several bodies."
"Very well, I understand." The Emperor waved his hand. "Get rid of these bodies, they stink."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The soldiers promptly dragged the foul-smelling corpses away.
"Well, well, the young ones have brought back something interesting indeed. Lucas, any discoveries at sea?" Despite the removal of the bodies, the assembly continued to murmur about what they had just witnessed, while Constantine temporarily ignored them, turning his attention to the Naval Commander.
Grand Duke Lucas Notaras stood and bowed to Emperor Constantine. "Your Majesty, I dispatched our fastest ships to search far and wide. They reported discovering the Princes' Islands and Limnos Island within a three-hour sail from Constantinople, where they met with locals. Furthermore, ships scouting north along the Golden Horn reported sighting the outline of an unknown large city from afar. Due to uncertainty, they did not approach but captured a few fishermen, discovering their language surprisingly similar to that of the Anglo-Saxons."
Lucas's words provoked a greater reaction than John's earlier report. The hall erupted into a tumult, faces filled with anxiety and incredulity. People debated fervently, some even questioning the credibility of John and Lucas's reports. Soon, voices grew louder, escalating into heated arguments, as if volume alone could sway others. The hall was in turmoil, and the unrest only grew.
To restore order, a hundred soldiers were forced to pound their spears on the floor. Finally, Emperor Constantine spoke up. "Gentlemen, do not argue endlessly like commoners in the marketplace. Return to your positions immediately. Lucas, you've done well. Continue sending out ships to explore further."
Under the soldiers' intimidating presence and the Emperor's command, the previously unruly crowd finally quieted down.
"Though it's hard to believe," the Emperor addressed the audience below, "I can see that we seem to have departed from our original position."
"Your Majesty, what do you mean?" Girolamo Minotto, the Venetian ambassador, stood up, his face filled with disbelief, and addressed the Emperor.
"Just as simply as that, Mr. Ambassador, we have left our original position," the Emperor said, tapping the table absentmindedly and then gazing indifferently at the Venetian ambassador. "I understand your inner shock and disbelief, Mr. Ambassador. It's not your fault. Even I found it hard to believe after coming to this conclusion. But the intelligence we now possess tells me that we are in a region completely unknown to us, a region unrecorded in any of our books. I have no choice but to accept and believe it."
"This is God's gift of salvation to us!" Suddenly, a fervent voice rang out. It was Gregory, the Patriarch of Constantinople (note: in this altered historical timeline, Gregory did not leave Constantinople after falling out with the Emperor). He stood with his ornate staff, drawing everyone's attention. "The great Lord has shown His divine power, leading us away from the harm of the infidels and placing us in this unknown land of barbarians, to spread His glorious light! For the glory of the Lord!"
"For the glory of the Lord," the Venetian ambassador echoed, compelled by the Patriarch's words, and the others followed suit.
"Enough, Patriarch Gregory, cease your sermon. We are here for a meeting, not to attend your congregation. Speak as long as you wish after the session ends."
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I was merely moved by witnessing the miracle of the Lord. And Ambassador Girolamo, I apologize for my excitement." Gregory offered his apology to the Venetian ambassador, though his face showed no hint of shame, given his well-known disdain for Latin people. If not for the Western reinforcements, Gregory would never be so hypocritical.
"Ambassador Girolamo, do you have any further questions?" The Emperor inquired of the Venetian ambassador, who had been interrupted a moment ago.
"No, Your Majesty. Thank you for your response." The ambassador turned red with anger but finally only uttered this sentence and sat down. It was difficult to associate this person with the arrogant Venetian ambassador of yesterday.
"Very well." The Emperor put his hand to his face. "Metchet, my chief minister, do you have anything to report?"
Metchet immediately stood up. "Your Majesty, you should know that our food stocks will only last for three months. So I hope you can disband those peasants and let them return to agricultural production, farming outside the walls of Constantinople. At the same time, I hope you can send an envoy to the north along the Golden Horn to contact that unknown city. If you can trade with them, so much the better. Even if agricultural production is resumed immediately, our food will not last until the harvest."
"Uh... I can disband some of the men, and I'll send a fleet north along the Golden Horn to contact that unknown city. However, it is not a mission. We are not aware of the other party, it is not suitable for formal contact. George, Secretary of State, this task is yours. I recall you speak the language of the Anglo-Saxons."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I do speak the language of the Anglo-Saxons." Secretary of State George Franz bowed to the Emperor.
The Emperor looked at him. "Go to the docks in the Blachernae district and find Lucas's men. I have already given the instructions. Remember, your primary task is to ascertain the situation there. Is it a city-state or a city of a nation? What is their strength? These are the things you need to find out. Secondly, trade is an issue; find opportunities to buy large quantities of food, but without attracting too much attention. If the two goals conflict, prioritize the latter. Also, do not let them discover your true identity, and do not let them know of our presence here. George, do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." The Secretary of State bowed again. "Then, with your permission, I shall take my leave." With a gesture from the Emperor, the Secretary of State exited the palace through a side door, guided by soldiers.
"Next, generals, I demand you to increase vigilance. We cannot afford to relax our guard. We are completely ignorant of this place, as you have seen with those green skins. Danger lurks everywhere for us."
"Yes." The generals responded crisply.
"Patriarch Gregory, I hope you can hold a sermon to calm the frightened populace."
"Your Majesty, that is my duty." Gregory replied, one hand gripping his staff and the other stroking his beard, then humbly bowed to the Emperor.