Episode 100
Spring, 1197.
In an effort to bolster the waning power of the papacy, Pope Celestine III dispatched an envoy to the Byzantine Empire.
“Marshal! Marshal! Marshal!”
“The Prophet and the Princess have returned!”
Their return was much sooner than expected.
The citizens of Byzantium greeted their princess and her husband with fervent cheers as they arrived home.
“Now, our Rome will put an end to its long-standing conflicts and build friendships with Catholic nations. Rome will once again reclaim its former glory! My citizens, carry on with your lives without worry!”
Alexios III declared confidently, but the path to restoring Byzantium’s former strength was fraught with challenges.
Though the Orthodox Church had agreed to end its rivalry with the Catholics and foster camaraderie, this did not mean the two religions would merge.
They had temporarily joined hands before the council, but to maintain this relationship, a clear understanding was necessary.
Ideally, both sides would move towards a completely equal relationship, but is that even possible?
In this world, a perfectly equal relationship is a myth.
Just as the sun and moon wax and wane, so too do nations and religions rise and fall over time.
The status of the Orthodox Church was closely tied to the power of Byzantium, leading to significant fluctuations.
Even if Byzantium managed to establish an equal relationship with the Catholics, the moment its power waned, the balance would inevitably crack.
Moreover, Alexios III was considering seeking help from Europe, making it even harder to find a balance.
No European nation would aid Byzantium for free unless they had lost their minds.
The Pope’s envoy was sent with the hidden agenda of gaining an upper hand over the Orthodox Church.
Of course, I had subtly encouraged such thoughts.
Yet, outwardly, no one showed any sign of this.
“Come here, my daughter. You look well. I suppose the climate and food in Europe suited you.”
“Isn’t it a bit late to ask, considering how worried you were?”
“Haha… I’m sorry. As I mentioned in my letters, I had so many matters to attend to that I couldn’t focus on anything else.”
No matter how old a father gets, he always softens for his daughter.
Alexios III, trying to appease his pouting daughter, subtly shifted the conversation towards me.
“So, is there still no news of a child between you two?”
“Just a little more patience, and we’ll bring you good news.”
“Yes, yes. Please do. Some are anxious that our family still lacks a male heir. We need you to do your part.”
At Alexios III’s meaningful words, Anna narrowed her eyes.
“Father, you’re not suggesting that if we have a son, we should send him to Constantinople, are you?”
“Well… not necessarily. Anyway, since there’s no child yet, let’s discuss that later.”
Though he changed the subject, the emperor’s intentions were clear.
If Alexios III could hold onto the throne until his grandson came of age, it was a plausible scenario.
A child of Anna and me would carry the blood of the Byzantine royal family, ensuring legitimacy.
Moreover, if the child were raised in Byzantium from a young age, the citizens would likely accept him as emperor without much resistance.
Considering my presence, it was the perfect card to maintain friendly relations with Europe.
Such a cunning fox.
My judgment was correct.
Alexios III was a far more capable figure than his brother, who embodied incompetence.
Precisely because of this, the emperor’s vigilance against the Khwarazmian threat was intensifying.
“Shall we discuss more practical matters, as Your Majesty wishes? What is the current situation with Khwarazm? From your letters, it seemed more than just a baseless worry…”
“Indeed. To be honest, I didn’t expect the papacy to send such a grand envoy. Did you have a hand in this?”
“I merely conveyed the facts to His Holiness. If Khwarazm advances north and swallows Anatolia, Christianity will struggle to expand into Asia again.”
“That’s true. It’s fortunate the Pope recognized this… You seem to know what proposal they might bring. Am I wrong?”
Of course.
I wondered why I was invited to a casual chat with his daughter. It was to extract some information.
“I have a rough idea, but it’s nothing Your Majesty couldn’t deduce.”
“Is that so… Well, nothing in this world is free, so it’s only natural they would demand something in return. I don’t blame them for that.”
“However, the papacy still doesn’t fully grasp the situation here. We need to ensure they understand the reality before any discussions can proceed.”
“Well… to be honest, nothing significant has happened yet. Just some ominous signs becoming more apparent.”
The calm before the storm, perhaps?
According to Heinrich’s law, minor signals always precede major events.
“Could you share some examples?”
“Recently, Sultan Tekish of Khwarazm sent an official notice to the remnants of the Seljuks. He claimed to be a sultan recognized by the Caliph and demanded they cede their territories and submit to him.”
“The Seljuks must have told him to get lost.”
“Naturally. In response, Khwarazm sent cavalry north to ravage the eastern Seljuk territories, and we seized the opportunity to mobilize our forces.”
In the 11th century, the declining Byzantium had lost most of Anatolia to the Seljuks, but the situation had changed.
Since the 12th century, the Byzantine emperors of the Komnenos dynasty had pushed back the Seljuks and reclaimed much of Anatolia.
Though the previous emperor, Isaac II, had lost some central Anatolian regions due to his blunders, Byzantium still had the strength to advance.
The Seljuk Sultanate was practically defeated, so even in a one-on-one confrontation, they were no match for Byzantium.
“I was already monitoring the situation to reclaim Anatolia, and recently I became certain. Khwarazm only sent a small number of cavalry to test the waters, yet the Seljuks couldn’t respond at all. I realized we couldn’t miss this opportunity, so we advanced our troops and have seen considerable success.”
Alexios III laid a map of Anatolia on the table, showing the power dynamics.
The Seljuks were so diminished that it wouldn’t be surprising if they were completely overrun, while Byzantium had reclaimed more than half of Anatolia.
“At this rate, there shouldn’t be any major issues. Are you worried that Khwarazm will continue north and share a border with us?”
“That was my concern until recently. But now, the fear has become a reality.”
With Khwarazm openly declaring their northward advance, they would inevitably share a border with Byzantium.
That was likely just a suspicion, but if there was evidence, did Khwarazm declare war?
Seeing my curiosity, Alexios III handed me a piece of parchment with an ornate seal.
“This is a letter from Sultan Tekish of Khwarazm. We haven’t announced it publicly yet, but it will be revealed in three days during negotiations with the Catholics, so there’s no harm in you seeing it.”
”…Anatolia was once Seljuk territory, and Khwarazm, recognized by the Abbasid Caliph, has a duty to restore its former glory. Therefore, we ask you to return our lands… Of course, this is not a demand, and we are open to negotiations. We hope for a positive response… They’re insane.”
What are these people thinking?
They’re practically inviting us to war.
But for them to be so bold suggests they have something solid to back their confidence.
If we had reacted rashly, we might have suffered significant losses.
No wonder they welcomed us so warmly; there was a hidden agenda.
I carefully folded Tekish’s letter and returned it to the emperor, continuing the conversation.
“This is an outrageous demand, and I’m sure they know it. As Your Majesty said, Khwarazm has finally revealed its ambition to dominate this land.”
“It’s utter nonsense. Technically, Anatolia was ours long before the Seljuks even existed. They’ve been occupying someone else’s land all this time, and now they spout such nonsense…”
“Exactly. Rome claimed Anatolia over a thousand years ago.”
Of course, Rome had conquered the local kingdoms to establish its provinces, but Islam didn’t even exist back then.
Khwarazm surely knows these basic facts, so this is a clear provocation.
“I believe this audacious letter shows they no longer feel the need to present a legitimate pretext…”
“They see it as proof that they have enough power.”
“I agree. Have you, Your Majesty, been able to assess exactly how strong Khwarezm is right now?”
“We’re scrambling to find out, but it’s not clear yet. What is certain is that they’re definitely stronger than us.”
Of course, that would be the case.
Even in the original history, Khwarezm was no match for the declining Byzantine Empire. And now, with the strength to conquer the east and push north, there’s no need to say more.
“Still, it’s a small blessing that the papal envoy has arrived. If we can leverage Europe’s strength, repelling Khwarezm’s attack shouldn’t be too difficult. Launching a counterattack might be a stretch, but the key is securing the Anatolian region.”
“That’s true, but knowing them, I can only imagine the excessive demands they’ll make once they know the situation. Honestly, if I were in their shoes, I’d see this as a golden opportunity to extract as much as possible.”
“We’ll have to make some concessions. But if we fully reclaim Anatolia, Rome could surpass the glory of the Komnenos dynasty and reach its peak again. A little generosity now won’t even be noticeable in the long run.”
“We can provide material support as much as needed. But if they demand we acknowledge Catholicism’s superiority over the Orthodox Church, that’s something we cannot accept.”
Naturally, the Orthodox Church would never accept such terms, even if the sky were to fall. They would rather decide to abandon Anatolia altogether.
And this entire conversation had been leading to this very reaction.
Sensing the moment was ripe, I offered a lifeline to the anxious Alexios III.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I have a plan.”