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A great deal of work followed the news, though I did sleep well that night, knowing that at last I could take my family far away from the Bulgarians, removing them from the constant danger of raids.
But then the real labor began: dismantling my smithy and moving everything south. The workshop was coming with me, of course, since this land would likely be assigned to some new soldier of the thema, and I had no intention of leaving behind the forges or the tools used to work steel.
So, with the help of all my workers, we began taking apart everything we had built, preparing it for transport. For the moment, this was not a problem: I had several horses captured from the Bulgarians, many carts, and plenty of people willing to carry loads for me.
Even though we worked as quickly as possible, my retinue—which must already have numbered around three thousand five hundred people—began to grow at an alarming rate within just a few hours.
The first to join were the workers from my smithy. Once they learned that I was leaving, all of them decided to follow me. Otherwise, they would have had to look for new work, and although they had the skills to survive on their own, keeping a secure position was the better option.
Their families came with them, since I paid well and, in many cases, the workers had become the main providers for their households, which meant everyone had to come along.
Then came the families of my mercenaries. By contract, they could not refuse, so they had no choice but to follow me as well, along with their wives and children, trying to sell their property in Adrianople as quickly as possible or, more commonly, to end their leases before departing.
Before starting the journey, I began hiring masons and carpenters, as well as purchasing large quantities of construction materials. And in every village where we stopped, I repeated the process, while the retinue following me only continued to grow. Smiths, carpenters, laborers—whenever I had the chance, I took them all, until the group reached nearly five thousand people moving along the roads toward Ainos.
The hardest part was feeding them. Feeding five thousand mouths was no simple task, but with the livestock we had captured, we could sustain ourselves: pork, cow's milk, chicken eggs, and large reserves of barley taken from the Bulgarians. With that, we should be able to endure several months without serious trouble.
It took several days, but we finally reached the hectares of land that had been promised to me. It was a vast plain where the Evros could be seen dividing into small streams before reaching the sea. There were several small lakes, all surrounded by lush greenery—ideal for large fields of cultivation and perfect for any architect seeking a blank canvas for his ideas.
I was not an architect. At most, I had been tasked with erecting warehouses and simple structures, so I understood the basics, but not enough to design a city from nothing.
Even so, an idea began to take shape.
As soon as we arrived, the first thing I did was use the land titles to clearly mark the boundaries of the property, avoiding future disputes should we ever have neighbors—though I doubted that would happen. These lands were uninhabited precisely because other areas were more favorable for agriculture… but that was not what had brought us here.
Without wasting time, we set up camp near one of the southern lakes. We raised a large encampment of tents where everyone would sleep for quite some time.
The main problem was that autumn was already approaching, and with it, winter. That could bring complications. Although it would likely not be as harsh as the winters in Bulgarian territory, the elements could not be underestimated. Many of my comrades in the army had done so in the past, and their subordinates ended up buried by snowstorms—and later they themselves were tried for manslaughter.
So I did not delay in beginning to plan a simple city. I needed to create 715 houses as quickly as possible—far easier said than done. Fortunately, I had more than six thousand gold coins, though not in hand, since much of my wealth was still in silver ingots that would need to be exchanged for goods. Even so, I had ample reserves to invest.
One of the first steps was to purchase bricks, limestone, and volcanic ash. Using seawater, we began preparing the basics of Roman cement. Its rediscovery had been of great importance when it occurred, and we needed a material that would last for centuries, not merely five decades like the cement we had been using.
Without steel beams, I could not build very high, but I could erect two- or three-story buildings. What mattered most was assigning roughly eighty square meters to each house. I had to improvise to reach the closest possible measurement using Roman feet, finding a way to approximate a meter and begin dividing the plots accordingly.
All of this happened on the very first day of our arrival, as we used ropes and stakes to organize the site with the aim of building a massive blacksmithing workshop. Now that I was far from danger, I might never need to take up arms again and could devote myself solely to forging large quantities of equipment. If I could supply the Empire with enough high-quality arms and armor, perhaps a collapse against Bulgaria could be avoided. And in the worst case, I could always use my mercenaries to take my family to Anatolia and leave the problems of this region behind.
August arrived quickly, and the sea of tents continued to grow, though many were temporary. Merchants stopped here, trying to sell their goods, though with little success. Only a limited portion of the population had the means to buy anything, since most of the former slaves owned nothing but the clothes they wore and their tents, and depended entirely on the food I provided to survive.
But it seemed my presence did not go unnoticed, for a group of people arrived—and they were not there to trade.
"Afenti…" said someone dressed far more extravagantly than I was used to seeing. "Stephanos. I am an architect. By recommendation of Strategos Leon Skleros, I was told that you might require the assistance of someone of my profession, and that my services would most likely be very well received by you," the architect said.
"We are certainly working on that…" I replied, observing that he had already brought his work crews fully prepared. Several carts were loaded with construction machinery, including Treadwheel Cranes—I could clearly see the hamster-wheel used to lift heavy loads to height.
"Precisely. Someone with your ability to acquire these lands must intend to build a proper estate or manor for his family, rather than sleeping in tents. I therefore assume you will want the best men devoted to the construction of your residence," the architect said, carefully choosing his words.
"Indeed. Straight to the point—good. I have the gold, and you have the knowledge. I need you to build 715 houses. We've already started on something—come," I said, motioning for him to follow.
I began showing him the plots we had marked out and the trenches we had dug for the foundations.
"Is this some kind of sewer system?" the architect asked, stroking his beard while examining the work.
"No. These are foundations. In this region it's common for… divine punishments to occur, and for everything to collapse. The buildings need stronger foundations," I said, alluding to the earthquakes for which this area was notorious.
"I see… look, I could recommend something—but I would need you to hire me for that first," the architect said thoughtfully.
"How much do you charge?" I asked, turning to face him.
"That depends on what you require. If you want a sewer system for the houses you mentioned… approximately one thousand nomismata," the architect replied.
"And does that include the nails used to crucify Our Lord?" I asked, folding my arms.
"Hah, hah… no. But between materials, labor, a cistern, a water filtration system, and ensuring proper flow into the river, it will be expensive—very expensive. For some reason, only a few houses have such systems. Wanting it for all of them is unusual, but you are the one willing to pay," the architect said.
"Do you know the filth that forms when people throw their waste outside their houses? I hope you've never had to stand beneath it," I said, shaking my head.
"I am aware of such practices. I'm from Constantinople—it's quite common in larger buildings, and the smell is barely tolerable. Only the finest perfumes can mask it," the architect said, pinching his nose.
"Good. Then you understand why I don't want that anywhere near my home. Here—take this. They aren't perfect, but do what you can with them. I'll give you two thousand nomismata. I need the houses, the sewer system, and that cistern you mentioned," I said, fixing him with a steady look as I handed him the plans I had drawn myself, showing the street layout and how the city would be organized like a military camp.
"Twenty-five hundred," the architect replied.
"Two thousand," I answered immediately.
"Eh… normally you say a middle number, then I lower mine a bit, and we settle," the architect said.
"Of course—I know how buying services works. But you're already here, with everything ready. And returning without work would be rather unpleasant… especially since I'm certain the strategos canceled your contract, didn't he?" I said with a smile.
I saw the architect press his lips together and stare at me. "I still… still have contracts in Adrianople, afenti…" he said nervously.
"I know the strategos had his funds cut and had to dismiss you among the first. That's why he sent you here. That's why you're standing in front of me. So don't be difficult and start working. Will you accept payment in silver ingots?" I asked, smiling faintly.
"Payment in advance… yes. For that, I can accept two thousand nomismata," the architect said, grimacing.
"Good. Come," I said, walking toward the cart where my personal treasure was stored, guarded by Lysander, who sat watching closely while three other mercenaries stood guard.
I opened the lock with a key and showed the silver ingots to the architect, whose face immediately lit up.
"Wait… this is real silver, yes? No lead inside?" the architect asked, squinting.
"I'm trustworthy, am I not? The strategos, remember? Besides, I drilled many of these myself to check that they were silver," I said, pointing to the holes bored into the ingots.
"Oh, I see… yes. If you pay in advance… then we can forget the rest. We'll begin work at once," the architect said.
I handed him twenty-four silver ingots, and he immediately began modifying my designs and directing his workers. He also authorized the use of any available labor free of charge to speed things along, granting access to all the materials I had stockpiled for building the small city.
As for me, I focused solely on erecting a massive forge and beginning large-scale steelmaking, as well as a vast smithy to train as many blacksmiths as possible. With a group of nearly a thousand people, we moved down to the river and began digging, leveling the ground, and preparing everything needed to build a proper workshop.
"I could buy a ship and dedicate myself to trade, just as I always wanted…" I said thoughtfully, watching as the furnaces began to rise and the tools were set in place. "I could even pass it off as cooperating in the defense against pirates, while doing exactly that…"
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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.
Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
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