Legends Never Die: Plans of the Future (ch. 56) (Patreon)

Learning how to read was a frustrating endeavor, and not only because Greek was very different from both Latin and Norse. It was frustrating because I was surrounded on all sides by scrolls and texts that I either couldn't read or I had to pretend that I couldn't since I wanted the fact that I could both speak and read Latin a secret. And in the few weeks that I had been inside the University, I got a taste of what the books offered.

In my hands was a scroll detailing a first hand report from one of Alexander the Great's cavalry commanders -- Philotas, on one of their many victories. I knew of the man's ending already. He was executed for being privy to a plot to overthrow Alexander, but doing nothing about it one way or the other. A cowardly move from an otherwise bold man. Added to the fact that it was not the first time such accusations had been made against him, Alexander's mercy paid with indifference and inaction, his execution was warranted.

It was fascinating. Alexander was fascinating. Before the Romans, there was Alexander the Great, and his empire that stretched across the world. A son of a God named Zeus, a mighty conqueror, a magnificent leader. Alexios was right on the mark when he first pointed me in the direction of the texts about one of the greatest conquerors the world has ever known. The moment that I learned of the scope of his achievements, I couldn't get enough.

The very worst part of it all was the fact that most of the texts about him were in Latin. The scroll that I currently read was a copy of the original, and it was in Greek. Polyglot aided me in learning how to read, but it was much slower than learning how to speak languages. It took me a week to speak Greek reasonably well and another week to be fluent. I had been learning Greek letters for three weeks now, and I was just now getting to a point that I no longer required Alexios hovering nearby to ask what a word meant.

"I arrived at the same conclusion," I muttered to myself, reading the account of a battle. I felt proud of myself, though I'm not sure I had reason to be. It was just a feeling of… validation, I suppose. Aside from being a guileless politician, Philotas was also an excellent commander and a fine story teller. I could almost see the battle he described, even with my limited vocabulary -- the dusty sand, the harsh sun overhead, the stench of horses, sweat, and blood in the air…

"In what?" Alexios questioned, a scroll in his hands. He was my favorite teacher of them all at the university. Partly by default, but even if I was well liked, Alexios would still have been my favorite teacher. He understood my hunger for knowledge, and he happily fed me texts, tales, and his own theories to sate that hunger.

"Timing," I answered. "More than numbers or equipment, timing is the most important aspect of a cavalry charge. Too early and the impact is muted, too late and the infantry suffers unnecessary losses. There is a right moment to strike, and it is when the enemy is committed and shaken." I muttered, reaching out to dip my quill into an ink pot to make a note on a piece of parchment. I wrote the note in Norse runes, then on another I made the same note in Greek.

It was a way for Alexios to check my progress in writing, and he had expressed some interest in learning my peoples written runes. He, unfortunately, had far less success learning my written language than I did his.

"I was unaware that your people used cavalry," Alexios remarked, sounding interested.

"I'm among the few that do. I learned the value of cavalry in Francia. From both ends of a charge," I admitted absentmindedly, finishing the note. I was not yet good with a quill, so the fresh ink stain joined several others on my fingers. I minded little. Alexios made a noise of understanding. It was validating to see that I had ended up mimicking Alexander the Great, even before I knew who he was. My companion cavalry was a much lesser version of his, but the core idea was still there.

I continued to read the scroll, but out of the corner of my expanded vision, I saw a gaggle of students that were looking at me. They talked amongst themselves in low tones, and the only snatch of the conversation I managed to overhear was 'The Pagan.' It seemed my name was too complicated for my fellow students, so they resorted to giving me a moniker. An unflattering one in their estimation.

Artemisia had been spot on. I was not liked within the school, and I did have to pay truly ludicrous bribes to receive the education that I wanted. Enough so that I had earned some remarks from Jill for how much I was spending on the university from tutors, to copies of texts, to general supplies such as ink, parchment, and quills. However, there were precious few that dared to approach me. For the most part, they left me alone and I preferred it that way. The most they did was gawk at my appearance and speak when they thought I couldn't hear.

"I hope what you gleam from these will serve you well come spring," Alexios continued. "You are being sent to Anatolia, yes?"

I hummed a confirmation, reaching the end of the scroll. Another victory for Alexander. "I will. As a fleet," I added. I expected to be used against the Bulgarians. Actually, I rather hoped that would be the case. It meant I would still be somewhat close to the university and Constantinople. Instead, I was being sent to Anatolia with my fleet. My given task was to hunt pirates and raid Muslim merchant ships, which seemed a fine deal to me. Even if it would take me away from university. "I will be back every other month. At least initially. Part of my contract is year round service with the exclusion of winter."

My mercenary band would need to maintain a presence at sea, but that didn't mean I constantly had to be out. I was hoping to strike a balance between my time at sea and in Constantinople. To that end, I was looking for someone to command my ships while I was here.

There were a few names that I was looking at, but the one at the top of the list was Hoffer. He had experience being a captain at sea, he was the brother to my wife, and while he was a fine fighter, I didn't need him as a commander of a division of men. I did, however, need a ship captain.

"It sounds fascinating! To sail on the Mediterranean Sea, fighting pirates and taking plunder." He sighed, "If only I were forty years younger. No, thirty!" He corrected, making me blink at him.

I felt compelled to ask, "How old are you then?" I questioned, thinking that he was in his fifties at the latest.

Alexios aimed a sly smile at me, "I turn eighty-three this spring!" He informed with delight, laughing at my stunned expression.

I… didn't know people could live to be that old. My own grandparents committed Asteuupe when they were in their late fifties because by that time, they were so worn down that they put the rest of the family at risk.

It was another thing that I noticed. This land was so very different from my home. Denmark had harsh winners, yet here, in the middle of winter, I stepped outside wearing nothing more than a tunic and some trousers. It was almost as if the season didn't exist. Or, at least, not as I knew it. Now I discover the greybeards of this nation lived almost twice as long as the greybeards of my home. I knew that it very well had something to do with the fact that Alexios spent his years in a library. But it didn't lessen the blow because my people didn't even know what a library was.

"I'm sure that your teachers will have other materials for you -- and I hear that Chares will be going with you," he began. My mathematics teacher, who had accepted my bribe of his weight in gold. A sum that would be paid out to him over the course of my time at this university. He didn't care for me, but he was an eager teacher if it meant being paid well. I had even noticed him fattening himself up so the bribe would be larger. "But I have prepared a list of historical figures that I believe you would be interested in. It's early, but it will take time to scribe the scrolls for you to read on your journey."

Alexios slid me the parchment that he had been marking and I saw a list of names.

Socrates

Agapius of Athens - Philosopher

Agrippa the Skeptic - Philosopher

Augustus- Ruler

Aurelian - Ruler

Aristarchus of Samos - Philosopher

Aristotle - Philosopher

Ashoka the Great - Ruler

Cicero - Rhetoric

Cyrus the Great - Ruler

Diogenes - Philosopher

Hadrian - Ruler

Heraclitus - Philosopher

Hannibal - General

Julius Caesar - Ruler

Marcus Aurelius - Ruler

Trajan - Ruler

There were a great many names, and outside of a handful of them, none of them stood out to me. The only thing that really differentiated them was a marking noting why they were on the list, but not why they were chosen from others. However, one name did draw my attention above the others. "Who is Ashoka the Great?" I questioned, curious as to what he did to earn the same title as Alexander the Great. How would he stand in comparison? I was hungry to know.

Alexios did seem vaguely surprised that I asked about Ashoka, but he had an answer ready. "A ruler in a land called the Magadha Empire, beyond the lands that now belong to the Abbasids. He was a wise emperor -- once, he was a young man that was hungry for glory and prestige, enough so that he usurped the throne. However, in the aftermath of a terrible battle, Ashoka decided that he had no taste for war. Instead of conquering lands, he instead dedicated himself to improving what he already possessed." Akexios explained, making my brow furrow.

That… sounded like a coward. To see one battle and decide that you would never wield a blade again? That was… not what I expected. Actually, it was the exact opposite of Alexander the Great. I couldn't help but think that this Ashoka didn't deserve the same title.

"Hm. If you say he is worth learning about…" I replied, holding more than a little doubt. Instead, I turned my attention to the handful of names that I did recognize, such as Marcus Aurelius. He was a figure that I wished to learn more about. Julius Caesar as well. Above all the others, however, the name Augustus drew my attention. I knew little about him in particular, only that the Romans held him in near equal regard as they did Julius Caesar.

I was trying to branch out, but it couldn't be denied that I was drawn to historical generals and leaders. The Charlemagnes of their day. Simply because they were remembered so fondly for their successes, and I was eager to learn why they were so successful where all others around them failed. Could Julius Caesar have been like me? Chosen by his gods? I found the entire idea fascinating. Far more than I did philosophy.

"Look it over. Find the ones that appeal to you, my student, and I shall see to it that you learn all that we can teach about them." Alexios said, standing up. "Unfortunately, this is where I depart. Just where things got interesting in the Second Punic War. Alas, I do have a class to teach," he said, bidding me farewell. I watched him leave, tempted to sit in on the class. But, it was better this way.

Alexios had his own story to tell, but I caught glimpses of it already. He was the oldest and by far the longest serving teacher within the university, yet he was something of an outcast amongst the university. He hadn't said why, and he seemed perfectly content with the way things were, but I was curious. Especially, when it impacted his ability to teach, because his class was by far the least popular. Despite calling it a class, Alexios was more of a tutor of no more than a handful of students, myself among them.

Curious or not, I didn't feel the need to press him for answers. Instead, I rolled up the scroll and rebound it with a piece of twine. Just as I did so, I got a notification from the gods.

Quest: Read 100 texts in a single field of study

Math: 3/100

Science: 5/100

Literature: 1/100

History: 33/100

Philosophy: 5/100

Arts: 0/100

Reward: Trait - Bookworm

Bookworm: Memorization of everything that the user reads in addition to retroactively memorizing everything the user read before gaining the trait.

The trait was of interest to me. I only had the one, at the moment -- Sea Raider. It would also greatly help my efforts to read every single scroll and book in the library. However, the catch was that it wasn't enough to simply read a text. I had to understand it. Which is part of the reason I found myself drifting to war related texts because I found them far easier to understand than, say, science. To say nothing of art.

Satisfied with my progress, I grabbed the copies of scrolls and the list and shoved them in my bag before I departed the library. All the while, I heard whispers trailing after me. A few weeks was enough time to get acquainted with the layout, so I paid it no mind as I simply left the building. What I didn't expect was to see Astrid approaching with Thorkell to greet me. "Did something happen?" I asked, frowning as I approached. Astrid, despite being here, never seemed less stricken by the university.

"We got an answer from the eunuchs," Astrid answered. The eunuchs were an odd bunch, I was finding. They were a class of people that worked exclusively in administrative positions but for some reason, absolutely no one seemed to like them. Or they looked down on them… or were repulsed. Which seemed like a rather severe reaction to what amounted to a brow beaten bureaucrat.

Based on her expression, I could guess the answer. "We were refused?" I asked, stepping past them and they fell in step beside me.

"Yup. Someone got to them," Thorkell remarked, and my frown deepened.

I was attempting to purchase land within the Byzantine Empire. A small plot of it, enough to house my warriors and goods. And, partly, because I was eager to develop the land to increase my stewardship. It seemed like a simple affair at first. There was no law preventing me from owning property so long as I paid what was due and paid my taxes. The issue readily became apparent when I started approaching people to buy a plot of land.

No one wished to sell to a pagan, regardless of how much I offered. It was discrimination that I had learned to expect. However, when we did find someone that would sell us a plot of land, we found that they quickly changed their mind. Or that they increased their asking price to something so unfathomable that I refused to entertain the negotiation. With each failed attempt, I found myself searching for land further and further from Constantinople.

"Someone is interfering," I agreed. I had suspected it for some time now, and with this latest refusal, I was certain of it. It was a question of who, though? And, unfortunately, my list of enemies was long enough that I couldn't even guess at who might be behind it.

Astrid nodded, "It's someone that's keeping a close eye on us. And someone high enough that they can see our every legal offer." She stressed, and I swallowed a sigh. The laws here were not so different than in my home, even if there did seem to be more steps in between -- to purchase land, you needed permission from the owner and the permission from the local Jarl. Permission from the Jarl could be simple or complicated, as it all depended on if the Jarl wanted the property to change hands.

Her solution was a direct one. If the law was in the way, go around it.

"Seems likely," I agreed. "But I have thought of an alternative," I told her as we made our way down to the mercenary district. The dock was full of my ships, even though I had dozens coming and going now. With my merchant rights secured, I could trade freely throughout the Byzantine Empire. As such, I had used my fleet as a merchant fleet -- I spent the wealth from the wine and oil to purchase more goods, and I proceeded to trade. Not only was it a source of income, but it kept my men busy. They were already on the rotation that I intended -- a thousand of them sailing and a thousand of them in Constantinople.

"Finally going to put some of that knowledge to work?" Thorkell questioned as we headed inside to the war room. It had been furnished during my stay. The most important thing in the room, however, was a map of the Mediterranean Sea. It had fetched quite a price from the captain that I had purchased it from, but it was worth the cost several times over. The large map that covered a portion of the long table gave me information about the surrounding area and the scope of the Romans, Bulgarians, and these Abbasids.

Rome was more splintered than I had realized. In truth, they were squished between two other empires. Compared to the heights of the Roman Empire before, it was clear that the Romans were living in a shadow of their former glories. Still, as a shadow of themselves, they were vastly richer than the greatest of my people.

"The Romans have difficulty exerting their influence in the surrounding area. This is Greece, and it was in open rebellion for years," I said, pointing to the landmass that was called Greece. Astrid's eyebrows shot up when she realized what she was looking at -- Greece was a stones throw away from Constantinople. More than that, knowing what I knew now, I saw how important Greece has been to the empire. It was a wealthy territory and a lot of the history of the Romans could find roots in that land. There was a reason why Greek was one of the most common tongues. "These territories belong to the Romans, but they do not control them. It happens to be on their borders with the Bulgarians and the Abbasids."

"So, we go to one of them and reconquer it and part of the price is land ownership," Astrid ventured, earning a nod. That was exactly what I intended. As far as the map was concerned, Greece was still part of the empire. "Where are you thinking?"

I answered by putting a finger on an island called Krete. "It's not as close to Constantinople as I would like, but otherwise it's perfect," I said. I had Michalis ask around for me and he was the one that gave me the name of the island. It was situated just off the coast of Anatolia, which made up the bulk of the empire. "It's centralized for trade, it's an island which will give us privacy and control over the waters with our fleet. And seeing as we will be sailing the Mediterranean, it's perfect for a base of operations."

Thorkell and Astrid looked at me like I grew a second head and I realized I was borrowing words from the scroll that I read. They would have to get used to them. Astrid recovered first, "Sounds… ideal. So, if the Romans don't control it, who does?"

To that, I smiled. "Pirates. Almost exclusively, as far as I have been told. Both Abbasid and Roman. The settlements are small, no more than a few thousand people in total, but a significant number of them are pirates that raid up and down the coast." Which made it perfect in my eyes. I was granted permission to prey on Abbasid merchant ships, but I understood what that permission entailed. I was a mercenary, not a Roman.

If the Abbasids demanded retribution from the Romans for their raided ships, I imagine that the Romans would be content to give me to them. They would toss me to the wolves.

I was their instrument to attack the Abbasids without actually attacking them. Just as I imagined the pirates in Krete were their way of attacking the Romans. Meaning that it was indirect enough that the Romans would wish to see it done.

"Sounds messy," Thorkell gave his opinion. "We won't be fighting a single army, but hundreds of small groups. They'll swarm around the island like a fly on shit."

I agreed. "We find a way to make them commit. It won't be easy, but so long as we handle the bulk of the pirates, it can work." I saw that Thorkell still had some doubts but he swallowed them until he had a plan. Before he could ask what that plan might be, there was a knock at the door. I looked up and my heart leapt to my throat when I saw a swish of black cloth, and I couldn't help my disappointment when I saw that it was Michalis being guided in by Jill.

It had been more than a month now and Morrigan was still avoiding me. I tried to give her space. I sent Jill to speak with her, and if those talks did any good, I certainly hadn't seen it. I wasn't so much running out of patience as I was growing concerned at what could be so horrible that Morrigan refused to so much as be in the same room as me.

I missed her. An odd thing considering that I spent months away from her during my time in Francia, but she had never avoided me like this before. She was there, just out of reach.

I kept the disappointment off of my face and nodded a greeting at Michalis, who seemed… pensive, for a lack of a better word. He gave a deep bow, "Greetings, Lord Siegfried. I come bearing an invitation."

That caught my attention, "Do I want to know to what?" I questioned with a cocked eyebrow. I wasn't expecting an invitation to anything. So far, my experience was nobles and people of importance avoiding me as if I had a pox. It was a rather stark difference in comparison to my time in Saxony.

Michalis offered a thin smile, "On behalf of my mentor Chares. He has arranged for a celebration for his nephew's first born son."

"I see. I wasn't aware that we were so well acquainted that he would wish me to celebrate his clan gaining a member," I remarked. I didn't at all care for Chares. I still planned my vengeance for his insults, but it had fallen to the wayside in favor of learning.

"It's merely an excuse to get together and make merry. And make deals," Michalis replied, and that was an odd difference from my home. Still, it made a great deal more sense than an invite out of a desire for me to be there.

Jill spoke up, "It is an opportunity. One of the few that have been presented to us. There will be a number of powerful merchants and minor nobility." I wasn't surprised that she wanted to go. Jill seemed to lust for diplomacy as much as Astrid did for battle in recent days.

"Would it be rude to refuse?" I asked and Jill gave me a cutting smile. So it would be very rude. And, as much as I would like to be rude to Chares, I could see that it wasn't wise at this time. "Very well then. We shall attend." Michalis seemed relieved and Jill was pleased.

What would a Roman party would like, I wondered?