"Yes, Your Highness!" Badars hesitated for half a second before firmly agreeing to the matter.
Then, he sighed, wondering how his job had turned out this way.
He knew that when his father used family connections to get this position, it was initially just to gain benefits for their branch and live a leisurely life.
However, under Manuel's subtle influence, it had become a peculiar and demanding task.
Regardless, life and plans must continue.
In mid-September, the thousand Rus Heavy Axemen specially dispatched by Vytautas, Duke of Lithuania, were about to arrive at Afrita Port.
Upon learning this, the Theodore high-ranking officials set the meeting point at the military port.
Their official meeting was at noon.
Mikhail Semyonovich Olgierdovich, the head of the Rus special forces, a sturdy young man with yellow hair and beard, over 20 years old, enthusiastically embraced the people who came to greet them with the old Rus custom, with Manuel receiving the most enthusiastic embrace.
"Olgierdovich? May I ask what relation Semyon Olgierdovich is to you?" After being heartily embraced and hearing him introduce himself with his surname, Manuel asked curiously.
"Semyon Olgierdovich is indeed my father," Mikhail replied with pride.
"My apologies for the oversight.
So, your father is the brave warrior who led the Smolensk Hussars to valiantly resist the Teutonic army during the Battle of Grunwald①."
"You flatter me," Mikhail said, a mix of shyness, pride, and surprise.
He was proud of his father, who had turned the tide, and also surprised that someone in such a remote Principality knew about that battle.
"Your Excellency, so young yet so knowledgeable and talented, you must be Manuel Gavras, the Crown Prince of the Principality, I presume?" Mikhail chuckled.
Manuel nodded noncommittally to confirm.
"Indeed, just as His Highness the Duke said," Mikhail praised with a smile.
"Your Excellency Mikhail, may I ask what instructions His Highness the Duke has for your visit?" Alexius, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but ask.
Mikhail's enthusiastic attitude was clearly directed at Manuel, even treating Alexius, a Prince, somewhat coldly.
"His Highness the Prince, His Highness the Duke's instructions are not many, but he specifically stated one point: my army is here to have something to do," Mikhail said, not even turning his head when Alexius spoke.
"Alright, now let me also introduce these fine lads of our axemen," Mikhail suddenly changed the subject directly.
"First, let me introduce my adjutants.
This is Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov," Mikhail said, pointing to a rugged-looking middle-aged man.
Manuel silently noted him as "Ivan X3" in his mind.
"This is Pyotr Petrovich Petrov," Mikhail then said, pointing to a younger man with a more youthful face.
Manuel silently noted him as "Pyotr X3" in his mind.
Subsequently, Mikhail briefly introduced several other officers, and finally, he introduced an officer whose age was similar to Manuel's.
"This is Dmitry Ivanovich Tukharovsky, about a year older than His Highness Manuel.
I believe he will excel wherever he goes." At this, Mikhail's eyes lit up as he patted the young man's back, almost knocking him to the ground due to a momentary excess of force.
As everyone laughed at this slightly comical scene, only Manuel pondered curiously:
"He's only a year older than me, so why is he an officer in the army, and his rank doesn't seem low.
He must have some extraordinary qualities.
I need to observe him carefully.
If possible, I should also try to win him over and see if I can bring him to my side."
And that young man, Tukharovsky, seemed to have noticed Manuel's peculiarity.
His deep green pupils looked at his peer with some anticipation.
Upon sensing this, Manuel gave him a friendly look.
After their enthusiastic meeting, the Theodore side led them to a welcoming banquet, where they feasted and exchanged their respective bottom lines.
Afterward, the Rus army was led to their pre-arranged resting place, while the Principality's high-ranking officials went to the Prince's palace to debate various issues.
By evening, their arguments finally yielded a result.
Key officials, led by Patniko, left with some dissatisfaction, with Patniko himself slamming the door shut; Alexius and the others mostly shrugged helplessly.
Then, the Prince and his son dismissed the remaining irrelevant personnel.
Once they confirmed that only the father and son were left in the room, they first fell into an awkward silence, then Alexius spoke with some anxiety:
"Manuel, do you feel it? This army sent by Lithuania definitely has some ulterior motive."
"Father is absolutely right," Manuel began to feign ignorance.
"From the moment they met, they have been intentionally and unintentionally creating rifts between us, but deliberately avoiding major issues.
What kind of behavior is this?"
"They do have divisive tactics, but they are too clumsy.
Such methods are really nothing to us Romans," Manuel said, a hint of a forced smile on his face.
"Indeed, but my child, you must have already made some deals with them, otherwise, why would they insist that the sole holder of command authority can only be you?" Alexius suddenly changed the subject, asking the question that concerned him most.
"Then, Father, you persuade them to give you the command authority, after all, such things are not important to me," Manuel said quite frankly.
"I'm not saying the problem is with you... I'm asking what exactly do they mean?"
"To make us side with Lithuania, it's obvious."
"My child, then how do you think we should respond?"
"As they wish, but in our own way." At this, the cunning that shouldn't belong to his age reappeared in Manuel's eyes.
"To be fair, that's exactly right," Alexius mused for a moment, then also showed a sly fox-like smile.
① In the Battle of Grunwald on July 15, 1410, the Lithuanian army, agitated by artillery fire, launched two counterattacks from the right flank and were routed, and the infantry responsible for covering them also retreated, unable to withstand the knights' fierce charge.
Duke Semyon Lingwenovich Olgierdovich led three Smolensk Hussar regiments to save the critical situation.
They did not leave the battlefield but bravely resisted, tying up some of the Teutonic Knights' forces.