Capítulo 6: In Needs of Answers
[John VIII's Office, Blachernae, Constantinople]
John's office within the Blachernae was a reflection of the empire itself—a blend of faded grandeur and the bittersweet echoes of a glorious past.
Situated on one of the upper floors, the room offered a commanding view of Constantinople. Through the large arched windows, sunlight streamed in, illuminating the city below, its beauty marred by the creeping rot of neglect.
The warm rays danced on the marble floor, but the light also revealed the thin layer of dust clinging to forgotten corners, and cobwebs spun delicately in shadowed crevices—a quiet reminder of the palace's slow decline during years of upheaval.
The walls were lined with intricate mosaics depicting triumphs of Byzantine history—Justinian's codification of Roman law, Constantine's founding of the city, and Basil II's military victories.
Yet these once-vivid depictions were now cracked and faded, missing tiles leaving the scenes incomplete. The heroic past felt like a distant dream.
Frayed and moth-eaten tapestries hung limply along the walls. Once vibrant with depictions of saints, emperors, and mythic beasts, they had been reduced to muted relics of the splendor they once proclaimed.
At the center of the room stood a grand oak desk, its surface cluttered with scrolls, maps, and treatises. Among the piles were John's plans for the empire's resurgence, scattered across the desk like pieces of a complex puzzle.
The chair behind it, carved with intricate patterns and worn smooth by centuries of use, seemed to whisper of the countless rulers who had sat upon it, bearing the weight of a failing empire.
A tall bookshelf lined one wall, filled with ancient texts and manuscripts. Leather bindings cracked with age and gold-lettered spines dulled with wear, the books stood as fragile witnesses to Byzantium's once-unparalleled intellectual tradition.
Some were treasures—manuals of statecraft, military treatises, and religious commentaries—while others were worn and tattered, their pages dog-eared by generations of imperial hands.
By the window, a small table displayed artifacts of Byzantium's long, interconnected history.
Among them were a silver chalice from a distant Frankish kingdom, a ceremonial dagger from the Bulgars, and a delicately carved ivory figurine from the farthest reaches of the Silk Road.
These were gifts from foreign dignitaries—tokens of alliances and trade relationships that now felt more symbolic than substantive.
Though the office bore the trappings of faded glory, there was an air of quiet defiance within its walls. It was as if the space itself awaited renewal, daring John to bring the empire back from the brink. Surrounded by the legacies of his ancestors, he felt the full weight of history pressing upon him. He was not merely a co-emperor; he was a steward of their unfinished work. And as daunting as the responsibility felt, it also filled him with purpose.
Within this solemn space, John sat across from Pavlos, his personal advisor. The old monk, now his most trusted confidant, sat with scrolls spread before him, a flicker of excitement in his weary eyes.
"Perhaps," Pavlos mused, rubbing his chin, "we should look beyond the usual pool of candidates for someone to manage the empire's finances. Fresh talent, young despot. Sometimes, the sharpest minds are found in unexpected places."
He leaned forward, examining one of John's reform proposals with a critical eye. Pavlos had been skeptical at first when John presented his vision for the empire's revival, but the depth of thought in these plans had won him over. The sheer ambition of the young co-emperor left him both impressed and cautious.
This wasn't the mind of a mere idealist or an impulsive youth. It was the mind of a visionary, tempered by realism and the weight of responsibility.
Pavlos glanced at John, a faint smile tugging at his lips. How did such a mind come from this boy? he wondered. The young man before him had transformed from a mischievous student into a leader who might actually achieve what so many others had failed to do.
"It was the right decision to serve you," Pavlos muttered under his breath.
John, who had been poring over his plans, glanced up. "Did you say something, Pavlos?"
"Hmm? Oh, nothing," Pavlos replied with a small chuckle. "Just thinking out loud."
John returned his attention to the scrolls before him. Though he often chafed at Pavlos's candid criticisms, he trusted the old monk's judgment implicitly.
When Pavlos had previously suggested serving the co-emperor, it had been met with disbelief.
Even when the emperor himself had asked, Pavlos often rejected the offer with excuses about his old age, much to the emperor's annoyance.
Now, however, this stubborn old man was offering himself not to the emperor but to his son, the co-emperor—a shocking turn of events. The old man's will was unmatched in the empire, yet his willingness to set aside that stubbornness was unprecedented.
"The port might be a good place to begin," Pavlos suggested, leaning back in his chair. "It's the heart of the city's trade, after all. If you're looking for talent, you might find it there. Traders and merchants see more of the world than most, and they're often sharper for it."
He gestured toward a map of Constantinople spread across the desk. "While you're at it, you can assess the state of the port itself. With your authority, it would be wise to understand how trade flows into the city."
John considered the suggestion. "A fair point," he said, nodding. "The port is the city's lifeblood. If we're to revive the empire, we must ensure our trade routes are secure—and our trade overseen by capable hands."
He paused, looking at Pavlos with a spark of determination. "I'll make arrangements to visit the port and speak to those who run it. Perhaps I'll find someone there who can help us restore order to our finances."
Pavlos smiled approvingly. "A wise move. Seeing the city for yourself will give you insights that no report or advisor can provide."
The two continued their discussion, delving into the ambitious plans John had presented to his father the day before. Pavlos, much like Manuel II, had initially been skeptical of the proposals' scope.
"Ambitious," Pavlos remarked, his tone a mixture of approval and caution as he traced a finger across the parchment. "Perhaps too ambitious. But…" He looked up at John, his expression softening. "They might just be the remedy we've been waiting for."
"However," he added, his voice growing serious, "we must consider the state of our coffers. Many aspects of this plan will have to wait until we secure additional funds."
John had anticipated this reaction. "I understand," he said. "We'll prioritize. There are projects we can initiate immediately, ones that won't strain our resources."
Pavlos nodded, his eyes scanning the intricate details of the reforms. "Start small. Gain momentum. If the people see results, they'll rally to your cause. From there, we can build."
He shifted the scrolls and gestured to the military section. "Your ideas for reforming the military and navy are promising, but you'll need the backing of the Megas Domestikos. I suggest you bring these to him."
John agreed. "Gavriel will know how best to approach these changes. I'll arrange a meeting with him."
As John and Pavlos poured over the details, Demetrius stood watch in the corner, his expression a mixture of boredom and vigilance. The young hetaireia, who had grown up on tales of battle and glory, struggled to follow the intricacies of discussions about trade policy and bureaucratic reform.
"Reforms, policies, restructuring…" he muttered under his breath. "Just give me a sword and a battlefield."
Still, he remained at his post, loyal and attentive, even if his mind wandered. Occasionally, his eyes darted toward the window, yearning for a breath of fresh air and the simplicity of action.
The trio gathered in that one room, planning for the future with John at the forefront. It marked the beginning of their ambitious endeavor, and he needed to ensure everything went according to plan.
Swift changes might not come easily, but the very act of planning indicated how much the empire stood to benefit later on.
Previous emperors had often neglected their duty to plan for the empire's prosperity, instead allowing chaos to engulf it.
John finally rose from his chair after hours of discussion, stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders. "It's time," he said decisively. "If I'm to fix this empire, I need to see the state of things with my own eyes."
He turned to Demetrius. "Prepare for a tour of the city. I want to see everything—good, bad, and ugly."
Demetrius perked up, relief washing over his face. "At once, Your Highness."
Pavlos grinned. "A splendid idea. Theory is one thing, but nothing beats seeing the reality for yourself. It'll temper your plans—and perhaps inspire new ones."
John nodded. As they prepared to leave, he felt the weight of his duty pressing down on him, but he also felt something else—a flicker of hope.
For the first time, John was leaving the safety of faded marble halls to face the empire as it truly was—fractured, weary, but not yet lost. He would see its wounds and, if fortune allowed, find the tools to heal them.
-----------------------------------
[Constantinople, Eastern Roman Empire.]
John's first tour of Constantinople as co-emperor was far from the inspiring experience he had envisioned. As the carriage creaked its way through the city's winding streets, the stark contrast between his expectations and the grim reality began to sink in.
Constantinople, once a beacon of splendor and the pride of the Roman Empire, now bore the scars of centuries of struggle and decline. The city's famed Roman architecture, which had once symbolized strength and permanence, stood defaced by time and neglect.
Cracks spidered along marble columns, facades were chipped and weatherworn, and some once-proud buildings leaned precariously, as if struggling to bear the weight of their own history.
John gazed out of the carriage window, his expression darkening as the carriage jolted over uneven cobblestones. The roads, once hailed as marvels of Roman engineering, were pitted with potholes and worn down by decades of poor maintenance. Where the ancient streets had once gleamed with smooth stone, now they were a patchwork of dirt and rubble.
"Is this even worthy of being called the 'Mother of Cities'?" John muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with disappointment.
The carriage rumbled down the Mese, the city's main thoroughfare. Once a bustling artery of trade and culture, it was now a pale shadow of its former self. The great colonnades lining the road were chipped and stained, their grandeur diminished.
Broken merchant stalls littered the street corners, their vendors squabbling over scraps of business. Beggars crouched against walls, their hollow eyes watching the world pass by with silent pleas for mercy.
Every sight chipped away at John's confidence in the plans he had so carefully crafted. It's far worse than I had imagined, he thought grimly, his fingers tightening around the edge of his seat.
Demetrius guided the group toward the district surrounding the famed Golden Horn, the lifeblood of Constantinople's trade and commerce. Despite the city's overall decline, this area remained a hub of activity, its bustling streets filled with merchants, traders, and sailors from across the Mediterranean and beyond.
However, it was also a glaring reminder of how fragmented imperial control had become.
The Golden Horn, with its many foreign quarters, seemed like a city unto itself—autonomous and thriving in a way that the rest of Constantinople could only dream of.
Venetian and Genoese merchants had carved out their own spheres of influence here, their neighborhoods operating with impunity under privileges granted by the empire in exchange for their financial and naval support.
John's gaze swept over the quarters that stretched from the Heptaskalon to Zeugma and all the way to Perama. Unlike much of the city, these areas appeared orderly and prosperous.
The air was filled with the hum of commerce, the clamor of unloading ships, and the bartering of traders.
It was almost surreal—a sharp, painful contrast to the dilapidation John had witnessed elsewhere. For a moment, he felt as though he had stepped into a different city altogether.
To the north, overlooking the Bosporus, were the Neorion and Phosphorion Harbors, brimming with activity as countless ships came and went from the Black Sea and the wider Mediterranean.
Their docks bustled with workers hauling crates, sailors shouting orders, and merchants haggling over prices.
These harbors thrived not because of the empire's efforts, but because of foreign dominance. It was a humbling sight, showcasing just how little influence the imperial court held in this supposedly Roman city.
John's jaw tightened at the thought. For now, he mused silently. One day, this will change.
Demetrius steered the group away from the foreign-controlled harbors, wisely guiding them toward the imperial-controlled zones and the central arteries of the city.
John understood the reasoning—there was little point in lamenting what he could not yet influence.
The foreign enclaves of the Venetians and Genoese operated with near autonomy, their bustling quarters beyond the reach of imperial authority. For now, he needed to focus on the areas still under the empire's jurisdiction.
Their path led through the Platea, a once-bustling stretch between Constantinople's Third and Fourth Hills, where remnants of the city's middle class resided.
It was a district positioned conveniently near the foreign trade hubs and had once been a thriving residential area. But like much of Constantinople, it now bore the unmistakable scars of decline.
Even here, where the famous Valens Aqueduct once brought fresh water to the city's inhabitants, the signs of neglect were stark. The aqueduct, a marvel of Roman engineering, had long fallen into disuse, its stone arches now serving as a crumbling monument to past grandeur.
The waterways it once supported had dried up, leaving only stagnant puddles in its place, their sour stench wafting through the air like a grim reminder of the empire's lost sophistication.
The neighborhoods themselves were no better. Once-proud homes now leaned precariously, their roofs sagging and their walls streaked with grime. The streets were little more than dirt paths, riddled with potholes and pooling rainwater.
John wrinkled his nose as the pungent odor of waste reached him—a far cry from the renowned Roman sanitation systems he had read about in history texts in his previous life.
The empire's fabled infrastructure had clearly been abandoned to time and decay.
Yet even amidst the despair, John found moments of unexpected beauty. As the carriage rattled down a narrow, uneven street, he spotted a group of children playing in a dusty alley.
Their faces, smudged with dirt and framed by unruly hair, were alight with joy. They laughed as they kicked a makeshift ball, fashioned from bundled scraps of cloth, between one another.
The sight struck John deeply.
Their joy seemed almost defiant, a fragile flicker of light in the surrounding gloom. These children, untouched by the weight of imperial politics or the burdens of history, had found happiness in the simplest of things.
He turned his gaze to the adults, who displayed a quiet fortitude that was equally moving. Their faces were lined with the weariness of hard lives, their clothes patched and threadbare.
Yet they worked with a resolute determination—repairing stalls, carrying goods, sweeping the dirt from their modest shopfronts. Their actions spoke of a people who had weathered storms of hardship yet refused to crumble beneath them.
"They haven't given up," John murmured, his voice barely audible over the rattle of the carriage wheels.
Pavlos turned to him, curious. "What's that, Your Highness?"
John raised his voice slightly, gesturing toward the streets outside.
"They haven't given up, Pavlos. Despite everything, they still endure. That…" He paused, shaking his head in quiet admiration.
"That kind of strength deserves better."
Pavlos regarded him silently for a moment, his eyes reflecting a mixture of approval and thoughtfulness.
"You are beginning to understand, Your Highness," he said at last.
"The empire's soul lies not in its palaces or its titles, but in its people."
The carriage continued its slow progress through the district. As it passed a row of crumbling houses, John's attention was drawn to a small girl standing by the roadside. She couldn't have been more than five or six years old.
Her clothes were in tatters, little more than rags clinging to her thin frame, and her face was streaked with dirt.
Yet it was her smile that struck him most—a radiant, unguarded expression that lit up her features with an almost otherworldly purity.
She waved at the carriage, her small hand rising tentatively, as though unsure whether her gesture would be acknowledged.
John felt an ache in his chest as he instinctively raised his hand to return the wave. But before he could, a woman—presumably the girl's mother—hurried out from a nearby doorway and gently pulled her away.
They disappeared into the shadows of an alley, leaving John staring after them, his hand still mid-air.
The encounter left him shaken. That brief smile—it had been so pure, so full of hope. How could a child living in such dire circumstances retain such unyielding optimism?
He sank back into his seat, silent, as the carriage trundled on. The girl's image lingered in his mind, searing itself into his memory. She deserves better, he thought, clenching his fists tightly. They all deserve better.
In that moment, something shifted within him. His resolve, which had already been growing, hardened into something immovable.
He had always known, intellectually, that the empire was in crisis.
But seeing the reality of it—feeling the resilience of the people and the hope they clung to despite everything—ignited a fire within him. He had spent too long focusing on plans and theories. Now, he understood the human cost of the empire's decline.
As the carriage jolted over the uneven streets, John's thoughts wandered briefly to his past life. He recalled a particular scene from The Lord of the Rings, a movie he had watched countless times in his old world.
Minas Tirith—the great city of Gondor—had always struck him as a reflection of Rome's decline.
Once a beacon of strength and civilization, Gondor had fallen into decay after the death of its kings. Civil wars, invasions, and isolation had reduced its people to shadows of their former glory.
Yet amidst the ruin, its people endured, much like the Romans he now saw before him.
He couldn't help but wonder if Tolkien had deliberately drawn inspiration from Rome's fall in crafting his fantastical world. The parallels were uncanny.
"These people," he thought, his gaze fixed on the streets outside. "The children, the laborers, the priests—they are the empire. Not the crumbling palaces or the fractured aristocracy. Them."
At last, the carriage rolled to a stop at the Harbor of Theodosius and the Harbor of Sophia, two of the city's imperial-controlled ports. These harbors were supposed to symbolize the empire's enduring authority over its maritime trade.
Instead, what greeted John was a scene of utter disrepair.
The docks were rotting, their wooden planks warped and splintered. Entire sections had collapsed into the water, leaving jagged remnants jutting out like the ribs of a shipwreck. The warehouses that had once stored the riches of the empire's trade now stood as hollow shells, their roofs caved in and their walls streaked with moss. Seagulls perched on the decaying structures, their cries echoing mournfully across the harbor.
John stepped out of the carriage, his boots crunching against the dirt-strewn ground. He stood still, taking it all in—the stagnant waters, the eerie silence, the overwhelming sense of abandonment.
Pavlos joined him, his expression grim. "It is worse than I feared," the old monk admitted, shaking his head.
Demetrius's jaw tightened as he surveyed the collapsed docks. "These docks once sent fleets to conquer Sicily," he muttered bitterly. "Now they can barely hold a fishing boat."
John's thoughts churned as he contemplated on Demetrius comments, which is true, from the way things look.
How could it have come to this? He had known, intellectually, that the empire was in decline, but seeing it firsthand was another matter entirely. The contrast with the foreign-controlled harbors at the Golden Horn was almost unbearable.
Yet even as frustration and despair threatened to overwhelm him, a spark of determination flared within him. The location of the harbors was still prime, their potential undeniable.
These ports could once again become the lifeblood of the empire's economy—if only they were rebuilt, revitalized, and properly managed.
"We'll turn this around," John finally said, his voice steady and firm. "Not just these harbors—all of it. The empire didn't fall in a day, and it won't rise in one either. But this…" He gestured toward the decaying docks. "This is where we begin."
Pavlos raised an eyebrow, skeptical but intrigued. "You truly think so?"
"Yes," John replied, his gaze never leaving the decrepit docks. "But first, we need to find out why it came to this. Someone is responsible for this mismanagement… and I intend to find out who."
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder