Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War

Despite his preparations, he was still undecided and still struggling with his thoughts. He had not made a final decision.

In theory, he had enough power to compete for the emperor's qualifications, but he could not just say that he would become emperor. There were many things to consider.

For decades since he entered the political arena, Vespa had always been a cautious and steady person who did not like taking risks, and was therefore well-received. Proclaiming himself emperor could be said to be the most daring move. Now he was really hesitant and did not know whether he should do it.

So far, he has been prepared for both situations and was ready to deal with emergencies at any time.

——

Since they had a clear goal and the situation was urgent, the group galloped day and night to Egypt.

It took them more than a week to get from Palestine to Cyprus, but it took them three days to get from Cyprus to Alexandria, the most prosperous port in Egypt.

Alexandria is undoubtedly one of the most prosperous ports in the Mediterranean world. It is the intersection of the Eastern and Western worlds and has been extremely prosperous since ancient times.

Orville and his companions arrived at night. The lights of the port were bright, and the ships docked were endless, with no end in sight.

He raised his head, stood on the side of the ship and looked into the distance, shocked by the super-large lighthouse that was a hundred meters high.

He always doubted whether the ancient times more than 2,000 years ago could build a super-large lighthouse that was 120 meters high. Let’s not talk about the problems in the previous life. The Alexandria Lighthouse in this world is indeed so amazingly high under the protection of magic and various supernatural powers.

Tiya and Berenice were also surprised by the prosperity and wealth of Alexandria at first, but they soon came to their senses.

Berenice was out of the royal family’s cultivation and the requirement to remain calm in the face of danger, and Tiya was purely on guard.

She slightly arched her body, with a cold light flashing in her eyes, looking at the city as if facing a great enemy.

Orville joked, "What's wrong? Brave general, you are not so nervous in the face of thousands of bandits. Is this city so alarming to you?"

Tia nodded seriously, "Let alone thousands or tens of thousands, even fifty thousand or a hundred thousand elite soldiers are not as terrifying as this city. Luxury and corruption are the ultimate enemies of mankind. A strong warrior can defeat a thousand people's pursuit and interception, but he may also be defeated by a pot of wine from the East. I have seen many such cases in Rome. So I have to remind myself that I must be cautious in the face of this city. The Ptolemy family is the best example."

The ancient Mediterranean world was not as rich as the Eastern world. Egypt was rich in precious luxury goods such as gold, fine wine, textiles, etc., and most of the luxury goods from India flowed into Rome through Alexandria. This commodity distribution center in the Mediterranean world was the richest place, and it was also one of the most corrupt and decadent places. At present, it is even worse than Rome in this regard.

Ancient Egypt has long been destroyed, and now it is ruled by the Greeks under Alexander the Great.

Ptolemy I, the founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, was a general under Alexander. He was said to be the illegitimate son of Alexander's father and Alexander's half-brother.

He and several subsequent successors were emperors with great talents and strategies, but the subsequent heirs were not. The keywords surrounding this family were often "corruption", "degeneration", "arrogance and debauchery", "sensuality" and other bad words. Although the future Romans might also be infected with these habits, the Romans who had just conquered the Mediterranean world had not fallen into the abyss so quickly, and still emphasized simplicity and virtue.

People of this era had such ideas. It was not bad to have such moral values, at least better than having no morals at all. Orville believed that many rulers of this dynasty were actually remarkable outside of their private lives, but he would not argue with Tia, but just nodded to show understanding and recognition.

The flag of the Roman army was hung on the ship, and it was not blocked or harassed. After telling the guards their purpose, the group was incredibly smooth. That night, the governor of Egypt placed them in a suitable residence and formally received them the next day.

——

The news of Emperor Galba's death was also circulating in Egypt, and the Governor of Egypt was also prepared for Tiya's arrival, so the next day he called most of his capable men to hold a formal meeting with Tiya to discuss issues related to this aspect.

Egypt was also waiting for a price, and whether Egypt could be persuaded depended on the situation, but Tiya should be the first to come, and the German Legion and Emperor Otto were too late to come. When they arrived, Tiya had already finished discussing the matter.

Orville had no reason to attend such a meeting, so he did not attend. Berenice knew that it was useless to be a mascot in such an occasion, and it would only make people look down on Vespa's authority, so she did not follow. Now Tiya was explaining various issues to them by herself, and she was full of confidence, so Orville was not too worried.

Alexandria is a prosperous city. He brought enough money before he came out, which allowed him to buy a lot of interesting things. Since he had this opportunity, he must have a good look around.

Of course, he did not forget his personal protection work - he called a dozen Roman soldiers to follow him as his guards, and promised to reward them later.

He already had a good relationship with these sailors, so this little favor was no problem after Tia agreed.

It was not for showing off, it was like writing a few big words on his face, "I am a Roman". Less than a year ago, a massacre against the Parfi people broke out here.

Alexandria is one of the Palphi settlements, but it is obvious that the rulers here are Greeks, and there are many Greek immigrants. The Palphi people had a conflict with the Greeks at that time, and there were some bloody massacres between them. When the news of the Palphi rebellion reached Alexandria, another tragedy occurred here. It is said that the river water was dyed red. Considering the tens of thousands of deaths, this should be true.

Although Orville has a mixed-race appearance, it doesn't hurt to be careful. It would be interesting to die in the gutter.

Under the protection of the soldiers, he was excited to start from the prosperous area of ​​the Town Hall Square, but found that it was crowded with people inside and outside, as if they were watching some ceremony.

It is almost human nature to join in the fun, but Orville is a person who doesn't like to join in the fun and hates crowds. He doesn't plan to join in the fun and just wants to buy what he needs.

But the Egyptians and Greeks around saw that they were all wearing very conspicuous armor, and one of the centurions was following Orville, so they thought Orville was a supervisory official sent by the Romans.