It was early afternoon when Manuel concluded his private conversation with John VIII.
Since it was still early for rest, Manuel settled his two children and then accompanied his wife to Hagia Sophia, preparing to visit the long-renowned cathedral he had not yet seen in person.
Although Blachernae Palace was some distance from Hagia Sophia, located within the Byzantine walls, the ancient city's internal transportation was quite developed.
Therefore, about half an hour later, Manuel and his wife arrived at the cathedral's entrance.
Before them now stood the cathedral's towering dome and wide arches.
At the eastern and western ends of the cathedral, arched openings extended from semi-domes, forming semi-circular apses that protected the main body beneath them; externally, simple plaster walls highlighted the arches and dome, and upon closer inspection, one could still discern traces of the pale yellow paint applied in the past, though unfortunately, these coatings had not received proper restoration since 1204.
Stepping inside the church, they were greeted by magnificent and intricate mosaic frescoes.
On the first level beneath the galleries, there were first the columns on either side of the main entrance, next to which were two large marble lustral urns; further to the left, one could see a miraculous column known as the'Sweating Column,' whose surface, due to its structure, perpetually accumulated moisture, a phenomenon that even Manuel, as a transmigrator, found astonishing.
Looking up again, past the depictions of angels and several renowned saints, one could clearly see mosaic portraits of the Holy Father, the Son, and successive Basileus on the dome.
Behind them were solid halos symbolizing divinity, declaring to the world that they were the thirteenth apostles of the world.
Unfortunately, in modern historical accounts, these paintings were covered by Ottoman golden medallions inscribed with the names of the Prophet, the four great Caliphs, and several distinguished Sultans, making it difficult to find traces of the former empire.
Speaking of which, the fact that Hagia Sophia could still serve as Constantinople's most grand and magnificent building was largely thanks to Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos.
This Basileus, nicknamed 'the Elder,' devoted his life to art and literature, and the funds for the renovation of Hagia Sophia came from his wife's dowry.
But at that time, the Roman Empire did not need an artist, but a statesman like his father, Michael VIII.
If he had not sat on the throne for so many years, Asia Minor would not have been so thoroughly encroached upon by the Turks.
Although he had seen various saint churches in his old home of Tauris, as well as Hagia Sophia in Trabzon and Sumela Monastery, at this moment, Manuel inside the church was still awestruck by the grandeur of the cathedral before him.
He felt as if his body and mind were deeply moved by the ancient and perfect structure of the cathedral.
And just as he was thinking, the church bells outside rang, striking four times—the time for mass had arrived.
"Although I have an appointment, since I've come all the way to Hagia Sophia, it would be a bit of a pity not to attend mass here."
With this thought, he adopted a pious posture and followed the church priests in a mass.
Just after he finished the mass, an elderly priest quietly approached Manuel and softly asked, "Is this Bosporus Caesar Manuel?"
To the man's question, the young Caesar merely nodded gently, smiling in affirmation.
Upon receiving this reply and confirming that the person indeed matched the portrait, the priest's expression immediately became quite deferential and respectful, "Please follow me, Caesar."
Manuel then subtly signaled his wife to help shake off some unsettling gazes.
After eluding them, he, accompanied only by Badars, followed the old priest's guidance out of the cathedral.
After taking a detour and arriving inside the Church of Saint Irene, he clearly saw an elderly high-ranking priest bathed in the afternoon sun within the church, quietly awaiting his arrival.
"Greetings, may the Holy Father bless you."
Seeing the promising young monarch arrive as promised, the old priest, dressed simply yet with dignity and possessing a gentle demeanor, humbly performed an orthodox bow to Manuel, "Manuel."
"Greetings," Manuel returned an orthodox bow, "May the Holy Father bless you too, Mark."
This old priest was indeed Archbishop Mark Eugenicus of Ephesus (Mark Eugenicus / Μάρκος ό Εφέσιος), the actual leader of the Hesychast faction within the Eastern Roman Empire at present, and also the teacher of Gennadius II, who would later become the first Ecumenical Patriarch under Ottoman rule in official history.
The priest who brought Manuel was his younger brother, John Eugenicus, currently the Nomophylax (νομοφύλαξ) of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Hesychasm was one of the most influential orthodox factions in the late Eastern Roman Empire.
Despite being consistently suppressed by successive Basileus of the Palaiologos Dynasty due to their explicit opposition to any religious cooperation with the Catholic Church, the immense impact of 1204 and its aftermath, coupled with Latin merchants continuously draining the empire's lifeblood, meant that the Hesychasts, with the support of anti-Latin forces across all social strata, could never be completely eradicated.
Incidentally, due to political realities, Mark was unable to travel to Ephesus to assume his post and, like many colleagues in similar situations, remained in Constantinople.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries and introductions, they quickly got down to business.
"So, Manuel, why have you, on your journey through New Rome, sought a meeting with an unpopular old man like me?" Mark asked with a benevolent smile, expressing his doubts about the matter.
"While I am not politically opposed to church unity, I also do not particularly like it.
Although I personally will not explicitly oppose matters led by my Brother-in-law, I still hope that the Hesychasts will not harbor misunderstandings and prejudices because of this." Manuel concluded these smooth words, smiling as he accepted the wine offered by Nomophylax John, and drank it in one gulp.
"Your Majesty, do you intend to enter Constantinople as the husband of Princess Barbara?" At this point, Mark's gaze became exceptionally sharp.
Although he disliked the church unity constantly promoted by the Palaiologos emperors, their relationship had not soured to the point of instigating...
Upon hearing this, Manuel nearly spit out the wine in his mouth: Although I do have ideas, today I'm just here to state my true religious stance and make friends with you Hesychasts. What the hell do you mean by immediately sliding into rebellion!?
"No, no, no," Caesar said with a hint of panic, indicating that he had no such intentions, "I am only here to discuss religion, Mark, what are you trying to do!?
Realizing that he had overreached and misspoken, Mark was also unexpectedly stunned for a few seconds.
After both parties realized they had almost caused a misunderstanding, they tacitly avoided related political topics and simply discussed religious matters.
John Eugenicus then promptly excused himself to attend to his own affairs.
"That's why Latin Catholic is an irreverent thing; how can the Holy Spirit proceed from the Holy Father and the Son? If the Son..."
As Manuel listened intently to Archbishop Mark expounding on theological views concerning the Filioque clause, the church bells rang again, striking five times.
Realizing it was five in the afternoon, they knew it was time to bid farewell.
So Manuel rose, bowed to the old man before him, and departed, concluding his quiet visit for the day.
Although this clandestine visit ultimately only served to make Manuel, who was effectively an external force, familiar with the Hesychasts and leave a good first impression, it was already sufficient for him.
Before the collapse of Ottoman hegemony, he intended to maintain this level of good private relations and proceed cautiously.
However, the day wasn't over yet; thinking this, he continued to walk towards a certain part of the city.
"Let's go, Badars.
There's still some time before nightfall; accompany me to meet the head of our main Gavras Family branch."