Outside the city of Rusnina, on the rugged mountains, among the fortresses, a monastery stood quietly here. It was a cage, and no one who came here could leave. Even if the eagle licked its wounds stretched out its wings angrily, it could not break free from the yoke, let alone return to the sky where it soared.

Little John, who had not yet grown up, tried to tiptoe towards the canyon below the pass, staring at the height that could break his bones. Since escaping from Constantinople, Little John defected to his uncle Himion, now fifteen years old, so his uncle entrusted his relationship in the army to help Little John get a helping agent in this pass. However, in addition to the bare stone walls, there are soldiers with cold faces, which are extremely dull and depressing. Life after changing the guard is also bad, every night

He served the arrogant veterans like a slave, and was beaten and scolded at any time. Now he can guarantee that he has no expression when he is beaten, so that the veterans will not be interested in whipping an unresponsive dull guy. Sometimes little John couldn't help but want to be with the elder brother named Justinian, maybe he could smash all these annoying things, this dead pass, this rugged rocky deserted ridge... and the gloomy and cold monastery behind him.

No one knew what was locked up there. Every evening, a man's deep singing sound came from there, but little John found that others except him had no reaction to it. I don't know if he didn't hear it or was used to it.

"The long night enveloped your life. You can't hurt me or anyone who can see the sun."

"You will not be defeated in my hands. Apollo has the power and he will accomplish this."

Only a sound of chanting an ancient opera surrounds the monastery. The sound seemed to come from a mad chanter who regarded the monastery as his one-man show and showed the gods his unparalleled talent.

In the dark monastery, there was nothing at this time, and only two men in purple robes were left looking at each other silently - but one of them had his eyes empty now.

Emperor Mikhail did not rest in Rusnina's palace, but was interested in coming to this monument with a decadent atmosphere from the inside out. However, he did not seek to admire the mottled holy images here, but to the blind man in front of him - the nominal Roman orthodox emperor in Epirus, Alexe V.

"Is it King Opdis?"

"It's King Opdis."

"I miss you so much. The last time I heard it was when Constantinople was not in the fall of."

Mikhail Ducas stood up and said softly, picking up a holy grail beside the shrine behind him, rubbing the edge of the cup, strolling in the garden at Muzfius in front of him, as if he had known for many years.

But obviously, Alexe V would not think so. This was the third year he had been under house arrest here. He understood that his name would not be mentioned in public in Epirus and would be forgotten in the near future. Every appearance of this man means that the existence of Emperor Alexe V would be reduced by one point. Mikhail, the emperor of Komuningdukas, had many reasons for coming here, but it could never be for the purpose of reminiscing about the past.

"It's just a boring pastime. Now I'm just remembering these few words." Emperor Muzfius said.

"No, this is already very rare." Mikhail shook his head, put the cup in his hand back in the distance, staring at Alexe V's face, slowly leaning down. The two men approached each other, and their faces were almost closed together. Neither of the two men spoke. Mikhail felt the other's breathing and the changes in every muscle on his face, and it took him a long time to speak.

"Even if you are plagued by the long dark night, you still have not surrendered. Even if you are blind, you have not accepted exile like Opdis. You are indeed worthy of my admiration. Even if the true king is merciless by Moira's spinning thread, he will follow the thread and stab the sword in his hand into the goddess' heart. And you are exactly such a person, your respected Majesty."

"I think you came here specifically. The purpose of finding me is not to compliment me, right?" Muzfius said coldly because of the other party's words.

Mikhail also expected the other party to react like this, and was not angry. Instead, his tone changed and shook his head with regret: "But it's a pity that the most tenacious eagle will one day break its wings in the fight with the storm, and one day it will die in its journey and become a stolen leftover of jackals and vultures."

"This is exactly the difference between an eagle and a jackal vulture. If you just want to come and sarcastically mock me, please come back, the co-governor Emperor Mikhail! I will not agree to your request - I will never abdicate!" The blind emperor's voice was like a bronze bell roaring in the monastery, and his answer also angered Mikhail Dukas, who had originally wanted to be free.

"You'd better understand your own situation, Your Majesty Muzfius!" The man's voice also raised a few volumes, and was full of ruthlessness and sinisterness, resounding throughout the hall, alarming the guards guarding around him.

Mikhail sneered and said, "Do you think the young boy you are counting on can really save you? Don't joke, even if he can do it, the final treatment of you will not be different from mine. What's more, he thinks that if he colludes with my stupid brother, he can compete with me. He thinks that he can sit down with Macedonia and Molia with your wife and daughter, but all the things he relies on can be easily destroyed in my eyes."

"What do you mean?" He was not interested in the first half of Mikhail's words, but when the other party mentioned his wife and daughter, Muzfius showed an uneasy mood swing for the first time. This was the first time he had heard about them in such a long time.

But Mikhail Ducas didn't care much and said to himself: "As an illegitimate son, I was destined to be short of Theodor and Manuel, but I was unwilling to accept it because I knew that my talents were far better than them, so I made a decision for my confused father. I devoured my brother and sister, so that Theodor thought it was Manuel. After Manuel was killed by the angry Theodor, I stood up and reported him. Thanks to this, I later went to Constantine.

The fort was able to make a name for himself and completely suppressed my stupid brother Theodor. But what made me most proud was that Agelena actually gave birth to a boy that day, and Theodor actually raised him by his side. Maybe he had some apology to Manuel, who knew! However, this extra ridiculous and ridiculous emotion finally sent him on the road to the underworld. I think that soon, the farce in Agrenion will be completely over. Without the last support, what else can the boy named Justinian cause?"

Mikhail said while his face was unconcealed. Even if Emperor Muzfius could not see it, he could feel it from the tone of the other party's speech. This was not like a bluff, unless the other party was a genius performer, and as far as he knew, Mikhail should not have this talent.

But compared to these Muzfius, who was more worried about his wife and daughter at this time, and tried to calm down, Alexei V tentatively said: "Even so, Justinian still controls Thessalonika and Molia and the new army with thousands of troops. Do you think I will surrender to you like this?"
Chapter completed!