"Impossible."
Aig muttered.
He stared at the scene before him.
Baldwin stood alone on the forecastle deck.
He continued issuing instructions to the helmsman without pause.
"Directly ahead, a large reef. Once past that…"
Each time the helmsman turned the rudder, a reef narrowly brushed along the ship's side.
Once, a reef scraped the hull with a harsh screech.
Aig stared blankly at the sight.
The other sailors were the same.
Even the Vikings of the Order and the Guardians.
All stood transfixed.
It was the same reaction as when he had pulled a drowning sailor from the sea.
"The Lord watches over us…"
"To the Blessed Virgin Mary, ever-virgin…"
Prayers rose from all sides.
"Astonishing, every time."
Garnier muttered.
He stood beside Aig and continued.
"First he sensed the sea tribes. Then the raid on Eilat. In Constantinople, he even perceived the Emperor's assassination attempt."
"And now he avoids reefs. In fog where one cannot see a single inch… how in God's name…?"
Aig crossed himself as he spoke.
Those nearby hurriedly did the same.
Garnier planted his sword upright against the deck.
He too fell silent, watching the Prince.
Then the sailors shouted.
They called out to the ships following behind.
"Follow our ship closely! Stay as tight as you can!"
"Understood, you madmen!"
Aig turned to look behind.
Three ships in total were infiltrating Cyprus.
Two clung closely behind.
If they struck a reef, all three would sink.
Prince Baldwin remained busy directing the helmsman.
Time stretched like eternity.
At last, the reefs disappeared.
And through the fog, land came into view.
"Land!"
"The Archangel is with us!"
The knights and members of the Holy Sepulchre shouted.
But at Ruaak and Hugh's sharp looks, they fell silent.
"Quiet, you fools!"
Aig looked at Prince Baldwin.
His face was wet.
Sweat? Or fog?
He approached with his usual smile.
"Is there a problem, Aig?"
"No, Your Highness."
Aig answered with a grin.
The Prince was always like this.
"I knew you would succeed. What you do, Your Highness…"
Aig added,
"…is what God wills. (DEUS VULT)."
"If I ever do something like that again…"
I sat down on the sand and came to that conclusion.
An entire hour of that.
I nearly died from the tension.
I wiped the sweat from my face.
It was fortunate I had not soiled myself midway.
Armor in this era did not include anything like a diaper.
If one made a mistake, there would be no hiding it.
"There's no one around. With this fog, no one would have seen us."
Hugh said.
He and the scouting party had searched the shoreline.
As Marco had reported, this side was empty.
Hugh coughed.
"It would be best to move before the fog lifts."
"Then we proceed as planned."
I said.
One hundred fifty warriors had come with me.
We left twenty along the shore and began marching.
Northern Limassol was mountainous terrain.
There was little human presence.
I took the lead and changed direction whenever I sensed human emotions.
Thanks to that, we reached the rendezvous point undetected.
But Marco was nowhere in sight.
Aig muttered anxiously,
"If Marco was captured and spilled everything…"
"They would have ambushed us already. Let's wait a little longer."
I replied.
Then a rustling sound came.
"Who goes there?!"
"I-it's me! Your Highness!"
A man burst from the brush.
A protruding belly and long hair.
Marco.
Unlike usual, he wore tattered clothes.
Upon seeing us, he spread his arms and shouted,
"I swear before the Lord! I kept fearing you might not come!"
He was breathing heavily.
"With this cursed fog, I thought you would abandon the landing."
"We nearly did. Let us say we barely arrived."
I replied with a smile.
"Were you late because you thought we would not come?"
"It took time to shake off the watchers Admiral Kontostephanos assigned to me."
He shook his head.
"When I sent the signal the other night, I had to get them drunk…"
"Enough chatter. Give us the information. Has anything changed since you sent the letter?"
Hugh said.
"Well…"
Marco began explaining.
The location of the citadel and troop deployments.
Patrol times and precise numbers of guards.
Far more detailed than what he had sent via signal.
"So we enter the citadel as planned. Using ropes…"
"There will be no need."
Marco grinned.
In a confident tone, he continued,
"I have already taken care of the gatekeepers. The north and east gates will remain open today."
"Wait."
A laugh escaped me.
He had bribed the gatekeepers?
"You gathered intelligence and arranged that as well?"
"With gold, even the world can be moved. That is what we Venetians say."
Marco nodded.
"The Cypriots resent the Admiral for sharply raising taxes. I was able to bribe a few at a modest price."
Choosing Marco had been the right decision.
He was not a named character for nothing.
Come to think of it, Antioch had fallen in much the same way.
During the First Crusade, the seemingly impregnable Antioch was taken by a single traitor.
Strictly speaking, there were many fortresses that fell due to betrayal from within.
Constantinople itself had once faced such danger.
"The defending forces are mostly sailors who usually serve aboard ships and peasants conscripted from the island."
"Then their morale will not be very high."
I said.
"You have done remarkable work, Marco."
"How could I fail in the task entrusted by Archangel Michael?"
Instead of answering, I nodded.
Still, it would be wise to confirm he had not betrayed us.
I examined his emotions.
I felt little of concern.
Sincerity. Joy. Relief.
His words were genuine.
"When this is over, you will receive appropriate compensation."
A simple gift would not suffice.
Perhaps a regular contract for elixir shipments?
"We split and enter through the north and east gates. We take the citadel before they regain their senses and secure the Admiral."
Ruaak said.
Hugh nodded.
"Your Guardians take the north gate. We will take the east, where security is tighter. The Prince shall—"
"What are you saying? Our warriors are the elite of the elite—"
"Again with your nonsense. Stop being stubborn—"
Ruaak and Hugh glared at each other.
Garnier sighed at the sight.
Aig shook his head as if they were hopeless.
"If you continue arguing, I will exclude you both from the battle. This is your final warning."
I said.
"The knights take the north gate. The Guardians take the east. We must secure the citadel and the Admiral as quickly as possible."
"Whichever way we go, we will arrive first."
"Then shall we wager? On which side captures the Admiral first?"
Ruaak snorted.
"Unless you are frightened now…"
"Fine! A wager it is!"
Hugh burst into laughter.
"Let's wager who arrives first. We should stake something. How about eating only oat porridge for a month?"
"Are you sure? For a leper, that would be rather harsh."
I cleared my throat, and both men fell silent.
"If you are both finished, let us move."
I picked up my crossbow.
Even with the gates open, battle would be unavoidable.
Turning back, I saw the knights and Guardians.
Massive warriors who had known nothing but battle their entire lives.
To think that I was leading such men.
If my classmates from the academy heard this, how would they react?
"They would call it nonsense."
I smiled and stepped forward.
Thus began the operation to reclaim Cyprus.
"Where did the gatekeeper go?"
"I don't know. Said he had something to attend to."
Two guards chatted.
Because of the thick fog, even the watchtower before the gate was barely visible.
"Is it fine to leave the gate open this long?"
"They said supplies are coming soon."
"Supplies? What supplies?"
"How would I know? I hope it's elixir. After drinking that once, I can't touch cheap wine anymore. So…"
A sharp sound cut through the air.
A whistling hiss.
Then something fell with a thud.
"Did you hear that?"
"Sounded like it came from the watchtower."
The two guards looked at each other.
Then a sharp projectile rushed toward them.
A bolt struck one guard in the neck. He collapsed, choking.
His companion opened his mouth.
"E-enemy—!"
That was as far as he got.
A bolt pierced through the fog and through his throat.
"Fire in the harbor? What does that mean?!"
"They set ships ablaze and attacked the harbor. All ships have already set sail…"
The adjutant answered, flinching.
"We are searching for their main force. We should repel them before sunset."
"With this damned fog, nothing can be seen properly."
Kontostephanos muttered as he approached the window.
Humid air flowed in through the open frame.
"To think they believed a few fire ships could drive off my fleet. Mere children…"
His expression hardened.
"They attack just as our strike fleet has departed. Is that not strange? Information has clearly leaked. How many patrol ships remain?"
"Fewer than ten, excluding those headed to Tripoli. But with fog this thick…"
"Sailing in such weather is suicide. Yet they attacked the harbor. Unless they discovered something in the meantime…"
The Admiral shouted.
"Venice! That Venetian must have leaked the information."
"But his ship is still tied in the harbor. The soldiers assigned to watch him…"
"That cunning bastard must have found a way. However he did it, he sent the information out."
He continued,
"Recall all the men assigned to watch him. I will interrogate him personally."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"And when the fleet returns, increase patrols at once—"
Shouts erupted outside.
The bell rang a beat later.
"Attack!"
"The enemy has infiltrated the citadel—!"
The cry was cut short by a slicing sound.
The sound of soldiers shouting and running followed.
Admiral Kontostephanos leaned out the window.
Figures moved within the fog.
A group of shadows surged through the gate.
"If you value your lives, stand aside!"
Harshly accented Greek.
Massive axes in their hands.
Kontostephanos gasped.
"The Varangian Guard! They have come! The Guard—!"
He waved frantically.
"Stop them! Do not let them into the citadel!"
"Y-Yes!"
Spearmen rushed forward.
But the enemy had already breached the walls.
With the fog, visibility was almost nonexistent.
Sailors and conscripted peasants fell like grass cut by a sickle.
"Who's next?!"
Terrified defenders began turning and fleeing.
"Demons! Demons have come! Run!"
"Hold your positions!"
Before the towering warriors, the defenders were no match.
Each movement of the men felled three or four.
The battle reached the heart of the citadel in moments.
"Block the corridor! Stack tables and chairs!"
"Kontostephanos! Where is the traitor?!"
The Admiral faltered without realizing it.
He had seen a similar sight before.
Berserkers.
Northern warriors who fell into madness in battle.
They were famed for charging heedless of injury.
A chainmail-clad man burst into the office.
"There you are, you filthy traitor!"
"P-protect the Admiral!"
The massive man swung his axe.
The adjutant and captains fell within two or three exchanges.
Severed heads and limbs scattered across the floor.
Kontostephanos drew his sword, but that was all.
Struck by the haft of an axe, he fell to the ground groaning.
"How is it? Coming to your senses now?"
"You barbarian who licks the backsides of Latins—how dare you face the Imperial Navy—"
"Still lively."
"That is enough, Ruaak."
A young boy entered the room.
A white cloak and blue surcoat.
On the surcoat, one large cross and four smaller ones.
The symbol of the Royal House of Jerusalem.
"It appears the Guardians of the Holy Sepulchre have won the wager."
"It was inevitable, my Prince."
"So you are the famed Baldwin."
Kontostephanos spat.
Bloody spittle struck the boy's foot.
"You bewitched the Emperor and turned the great Roman Empire into a whore for the Latins—"
"It is not your place to speak of such things, when you tried to seat someone like Andronikos upon the throne."
The boy smiled faintly.
His tone was calm, as if offering a morning greeting.
Kontostephanos swallowed.
"I came here at the Emperor's request to suppress rebellion."
"Even if you capture me, you cannot force my fleet to kneel. I do not know how many soldiers you brought, but—"
"Now that you are captured, they will not hold long. No soldier risks his life for a cause without legitimacy. Your fleet was held together by you alone."
The boy said,
"You have two choices. Continue resisting and drag the entire fleet to hell with you…"
"Or?"
The Admiral bit his lip.
"Or issue a surrender order now and save the remaining fleet. Which do you choose?"
"A foolish proposal. If I am to die anyway, better to struggle to the end."
"I understand the fleet you command was built over generations by the Roman Empire."
The boy crossed his arms.
"If it is annihilated, the Empire will not be able to face Venice for decades. Is that truly the outcome you desire?"
"..."
"His Majesty has promised lenient treatment for the captains and sailors. Your life may also be spared."
"If you think I would fall for such lies—"
"You know better than anyone that the contest is already decided."
Kontostephanos looked at the boy before him.
Eyes that seemed to see straight through his thoughts.
Under that gaze, the Admiral trembled.
Silence followed.
"My life is of no concern. If you guarantee the safety of the captains and sailors…"
He spoke as if exhaling,
"I will issue the order myself."