Trapezounta Siege (2)
An official letter arrived before me. It was full of florid rhetoric, but the content was simple: a declaration of war. Since a declaration of war wasn't something sent before preparations for battle, the enemy forces were likely already fully mobilized by the time it reached us.
"Good thing we've prepared for war in advance."
Andronikos's remark. Trapezounta had always been under constant threat, so Trabzon Kalesi maintained a perpetual state of alert. That allowed them to respond swiftly to rapidly changing circumstances like these.
"What's the strength of Trabzon Kalesi's forces?"
"We can muster up to 300 men."
A small number for reinforcements from the catapanate. But Trabzon Kalesi was a fortress city to begin with, so its population was limited—there was no helping it.
The quick-witted Andronikos seemed to read my mind and spoke cautiously. "If we conscript the peasants as well, we could probably reach 500."
Conscripting peasants—Andronikos's proposal. Given that the fate of Trabzon Kalesi hung in the balance, it was a natural decision in the context of the era.
But I opposed it. "There's no need to call up the peasants. Even if we win the war that way, it would hinder our expansion."
Trapezounta was merely a stepping stone on my path to unifying the empire. I had no intention of pouring everything into capturing Chaldia.
"But if the enemy is targeting Lazica, wouldn't it be better to mobilize our full strength…?"
"I've already dispatched 1,000 of my own troops to defend Lazica."
Half of my forces. I'd sent so many not just to protect Lazica, but also to preserve our strength. Deploying a massive army of 2,000 would consume vast amounts of food and resources, as a matter of course. That was why I'd deliberately assigned most of the infantry to guard Lazica and positioned the cavalry here.
Andronikos wore a worried expression. He'd guessed my intentions when I said I'd sent half my forces, and now he feared we were being used as a breakwater or sacrificial pawns.
"I don't believe Your Majesty said that with any such intent. But… from Trabzon Kalesi's perspective, sending half your army to Lazica…"
"I see it worries you."
Andronikos neither affirmed nor denied it. He'd joined my camp to survive, only to be thrown into the role of cannon fodder right away—that was enough to provoke anyone's rage.
To dispel the misunderstanding, I revealed my plan plainly. "I am not so petty as to use those who follow me as mere shields."
As my words ended, Halvar approached my side. I donned the weapon he handed me and fixed my gaze on Andronikos.
"I will remain here and take Trapezounta alongside you."
* * *
Serdios finished all preparations for battle. He marched out of Trapezounta toward Trabzon Kalesi with his soldiers.
A massive force of roughly 3,000. He'd been able to assemble so many in such a short time thanks to Trapezounta's wealth.
The hub of Black Sea coastal trade. They could buy leather and furs cheaply from nomads and sell them at a premium to merchants traveling to and from the Middle East. Intermediary trade was hugely profitable on its own, but then a boon arrived: the chaos in Constantinople.
With the nobles seizing the capital, merchant traffic had plummeted. Constantinople had been a key hub for the leather and fur trade—one of Trapezounta's competitors. Now that it was out of the picture, Trapezounta could claim all those profits.
The moment he heard the nobles had taken the capital, Serdios had foreseen the turmoil and poured his stockpiled capital into bolstering his military. This was the result.
"A magnificent host, my lord."
Serdios nodded at his adjutant's admiration. In truth, he hadn't wanted to reveal his full strength. His plan had been to hide his power, let the other duces wear each other down in their rivalries, and then crush them in one stroke with his amassed forces.
But Trabzon Kalesi had ruined that scheme. He couldn't help feeling irritated.
Still, with the army already assembled, regrets were pointless. Serdios took a long breath, steadied his mind, and issued the order to advance.
"All forces! Forward march!"
Thus, thousands of soldiers marched on. The well-disciplined troops of his house advanced bravely at the fore. Lightly armed mercenaries trailed behind. Some kept formation, but most ignored it, shambling after the vanguard in loose order.
A slovenly display by any measure. Serdios shot a glance at the adjutant in charge of recruitment.
"My apologies, Excellency. In our haste to gather as many as possible…"
"Does that excuse hiring such undisciplined mercenaries?"
"We sought the best available. But the good ones were already affiliated with guilds… hiring them proved impossible."
"Mercenaries have guilds?"
A foreign concept—mercenary guilds. He'd heard of merchant guilds often enough, but this was new.
"Yes. It originated in Constantinople—a sort of syndicate for mercenaries. Most of the skilled ones belong to it."
"Then hire through the guild. Don't tell me we lacked the funds?"
"Absolutely not. The guild refused our contract outright."
Serdios's face twisted in disbelief. A mere guild daring to reject a contract from a noble and dux like him? Absurd.
"Those lowly scum… Do they know who I am…? What were you waiting for? A chance to teach them a lesson?"
"I intended to punish their insolence myself. But the guild belongs to the Uranos house, so I held back."
The Uranos house. At the familiar name, Serdios scowled.
"Rogerius must have pulled some strings."
Rogerius Uranos. Originally a Varangian, but adopted into the Uranos family after catching the eye of Lord Nikephoros. Unfortunately, Nikephoros had died in the Basil II assassination plot. Yet his son Rogerius had relocated to Lazica, saving the Uranos house from destruction.
And now, the man influencing Trabzon Kalesi was none other than Rogerius. Feeling his ankles constantly hobbled by him, Serdios made no effort to hide his displeasure.
"I'll kill Rogerius if it's the last thing I do."
"But he's known as the War Terminator. If we meet him on the field…"
"I know the tales of War Terminator Rogerius. I've heard how he stormed the Georgian palace with a handful of men and took their king prisoner."
The adjutant bowed his head at Serdios's words. The dux continued, eyeing him.
"Battlefield legends are always exaggerated. To begin with, no human could breach Georgia's sacred gates—made from the wood of divine trees—with sheer force. The claim that he shattered them with a single kick proves the rumors are inflated."
Georgia's sacred gates, said to be crafted from god's own tree. Toppling them with one kick was preposterous. That was why Serdios believed Rogerius's reputation was overhyped.
"Even if not, it matters little. We'll meet him soon enough, and then we'll know the truth."
As they spoke, Serdios's army reached the outskirts of Trabzon Kalesi. Seeing this, the adjutant drew a flute from his sleeve and blew a long, resounding note.
Piiiiiiii.
The soldiers halted at the signal. Soon, they formed a tight square—the basic infantry formation of the close-order phalanx. The mercenaries took positions behind, sloppy but approximating an anti-cavalry square.
With battle lines fully arrayed, Serdios beckoned his squire. The youth approached bearing the house banner and handed it to the adjutant, who took it reverently and stood behind Serdios.
A short time later, a man appeared from the opposite side. Tall and lean, he wore an exotic helmet rare in the East Roman Empire. A purple cloak—the privilege of emperors—draped his shoulders, and behind him fluttered a banner on a staff emblazoned with Rome's eagle.
Serdios instinctively knew this was Rogerius. He advanced to the plain's center with his adjutant; Rogerius did the same with a young commander who looked like Andronikos.
The two met in the middle. Without a word, Rogerius and Serdios sized each other up—a probing standoff. The silence was broken by Andronikos.
"Lord Serdios. You stand before nobility and act with discourtesy."
"Nobility? Since when were Varangians noble?"
Serdios's insulting retort. Andronikos opened his mouth to reply, but Serdios cut him off.
"Adopted into the Uranos house or not, he's still a Varangian at heart. A baseborn wretch daring to don the imperial regalia—it's laughable."
A blatant provocation. Andronikos moved to respond, but Rogerius raised a hand to silence him. He tugged the reins and approached Serdios slowly.
An overwhelming presence. Though close enough for a sword stroke to take his head, Serdios and his adjutant froze under the indescribable pressure.
"I am the consort of Empress Zoi and autokrator, the legitimate ruler of the Roman Empire. You commit insolence before such a one."
Zoi. At the name of the porphyrogenita, Serdios's eyes changed. The purple bloodlines had vanished after the assassination. Zoi and Theodora's whereabouts were unknown, but one was in Lazica. Defeat Rogerius here, and Zoi was his.
Secure the purple blood, and his imperial dreams were within reach. With that realization, Serdios stared at Rogerius and murmured lowly.
"So the filthy Varangian has been holding Empress Zoi captive. As a loyal servant of Rome, I will punish you and free Her Majesty."
Rogerius smiled, his eyes seeming to pierce Serdios's ambitions.
"Arrogant fool. Your greed will cost you your life."
With that, he wheeled his horse and returned to his lines.