Chapter 224: Big Bucks

"Man is an animal that makes bargains: no other animal does this - no dog exchanges bones with another."

-        Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations

By the delegate's basic understanding of the Latin language, he is at least able to understand the title of the letter. "Forsit ex commune forum on insulis nuntiabunt", and immediately he understood the admiral's difficulties with an idea blinking up into his mind. With no hesitation smiles occupied his entire face as he looks up towards the admiral asking. "My lord, may I know if you are having any doubts and concerns about the economic stability of your realm?"

Antonius is startled, then realised that this man saw the letter, he silently folded the letter into half preventing the man from reading it and asked. "Why? You understand Latin?" 

"Yes, I do know a little bit of Latin, my lord. You know, I am a small merchant running my business along the Aegean Sea, it is crucial for me to learn some level of Latin over here in order to be able to sell my stuff to those Italian convoys." 

"I see." Antonius nodded folding his arms as he leans on the wooden plank. "You said that you know some knowledge of trade? But if that is the case, why would you join me?"

Antonius looked upwards sneering at himself. "A pirate, a mercenary from a foreign place appointed here to rule, running the lordship on a few puny islands with a population adding up not more than thirty thousand people. I know that your merchants do things on a principle of getting benefits before doing any thing, so your actions now only makes you suspicious, you know?" 

"Indeed, my lord." The delegate hurriedly explained. "You are right, my lord, and the reason why I wanted to join you is because I believe that it will be an incredible worthy investment which benefits not only you, but also me. I believe, no offense my lord, that now is your lowest point of your career, thus I can invest into you at the minimal cost, and I see that potential in you from your compassionate towards the commoners, respect towards every being of God, strength and resilience you portray. I see your future of becoming the dominant figure of the East Mediterranean one day which being your first investor and your stake holder, I shall be able to expand my trade net work with each step you expand." 

"Interesting." Antonius began to think touching his chins. "I accept your allegiance, but first may I know your name and what can you provide me with?" 

"My name is Alexios, from the family of Asanes, I may not look like it but I have trade net works all over the Sea of Euxine, Propontis, Aegean and Adriatic sea, excelled in the art of trade and commerce, and I have some money, some ships and sailors that can be put under your disposal." The delegate, called Alexios stood firm and introduced himself with pride. 

Light appeared in Antonius' eyes as he recalled Anjelo complaining to him about the difficulties of setting up the market with no assistance of a professional who understands economy and his attitude towards this man before him changed by a hundred and eighty degrees, instantly going forward giving Alexios a tight hug that almost suffocated him stinking him with the salty of the sea chortling right beside his ear. "Hahaha… I knew that I am going to gain some luck this time round coming to this city! Welcome aboard! My brother Alexios! Now I appoint you as my lord of treasury, help me build my treasury and economy from scratch." 

Alexios tried to cover his nose and resist himself from coughing and replied in a whispering tone. "I am honoured to join the big family, my lord." 

…

The fleet left the city of Darıca after the officials sent by Sultan Orhan arrives four days later, bringing him the word that the Sultan shall give him the promised jewels and coins after he help the Sultan take the port of Gölcük. The fate of Darıca is almost determined with the city's influential figures being short sighted not following Antonius' advice, the appointed Ottoman official, upon arrival, immediately hosted a grand feast ordering all the rich and influential to come. 

The moment they arrived, the Ottoman official sealed off the entire premise with the soldiers he brought holding their Kilij blade, then announced his first order upon his arrival of increasing taxes and asking these rich locals to 'donate' a total of twenty thousand coins to collaborate with the Sultan's effort of war. This caused an uproar of course among the crowd, but the Ottoman official simply saying with a wicked smile on his face that no one is allowed unless their closely related family member brings the 'donation' to this place. And after the family member arrived, they are taken as hostages as well. 

It is only now that these men started to remember the admiral's words realizing how important it is to have some level of protection against the Ottoman invaders, but it is already too late. 

Of course, all of these got nothing to do with our Antonius, for he has already set off long time ago to his next target to get his bounty in the port of Gölcük. 

The new Ottoman Kapudan Pasha has left this unstable area long ago with the chaotic situation of Anatolia. The new Ferik (vice admiral) of this port managed to do an outstanding job managing to rebuild some of Gölcük's fleet, buildings and infrastructures. He also learnt the lesson of the previous Kapudan Pasha adding in lots of measures such as digging more wells and preparing more damp cow hides to prevent the spread of fire and constructing two towers armed with bombard mortars shooting rock boulder shells made around a hundred years ago. 

But all of these hard efforts made again proved to be more like futile efforts in front of the superb fire power of Antonius' brand new artilleries. The fleet arrived on the fifteenth of September, took around three hours pouring shells onto the two towers to demolish it, then instead of copying the tactic of fire last time they simply tilted the cannon barrels and poured wave after wave of shells with various sizes onto the port totally destructing any attempts to put up a defence by the new Ottoman ferik who is standing down there against the shower of bombarding shells waving his Kilij blade yelling at his soldiers to stop running and come up, until he is finally silenced by a shell right through his abdomen tearing his entire body into two separated parts. 

With the ferik down even those Ottoman soldiers who stayed just now dispersed running away from this cursed port for their lives, with this the port of Gölcük fell again to Antonius and his fleet once again after only a little more than a year. 

A lot of memories rushed back into Antonius' head as he walks the familiar sands after one whole year, recalling his first grand victory in his life, thinking about his glorious past, thinking of the pals he has lost along the way, and the elementary level poem he made on this spot. 

The port of Gölcük, the place where it truly transformed Antonius and his men from a bunch of rogues and pirates ravaging the Mediterranean into a bunch of qualified naval combatants, burning the old shadows of them away with the flames, giving them a new identity. Thinking about this Antonius decided to stay here for one more day before informing Sultan Orhan about his victory, not only to solidify this area preventing the non existent enemy reinforcement from coming, and also he needs the time to pray for the deceased pals. 

Fisnik and Helio worked together to erect a wooden monument on the beach of Gölcük commemorating the death of the varangian Harrald, and the boy Francesco together with the hundreds of deceased nameless pals, praying for the well beings of them in heaven walking with Christ, compensating them with a formal burial although their deceased bodies are never found. 

The Ottoman official arrived much quicker this time as Izmit is merely just a strait away, bringing in the appreciations from the Sultan consisting of chests after chests of thrilling pure golden ducat coins, boxes of jewels and on land arrives an entire herd of horses all just like what the Sultan has promised Antonius in the deal, and finally a letter complimenting Antonius on his awesome speed, adding a few lines in the end of the letter urging him to come faster to join him on the siege because he have news that Zaganos Pasha have already cleared the situation in Epirus. 

But before listening to the Sultan's urgent words, first Antonius needs to think of one thing, where to keep these horses, and how to spend the magnificent amount of golden coin he has just received.