Zigavinos puts down the book he usually reads during the sessions, and turns to look at Methodios.


Are such killings pointless? The settlements and most of the people we take are enemies of the Empire, no matter what their former loyalties. Why should we endanger ourselves to show mercy to the great-grandsons of loyal subjects when the great-grandsons themselves are enemies of the Empire? Think on that for a moment.

However, the Caesar is right to focus on Anatolia. Not so long ago the Seljuks invaded us and shattered our eastern holdings. Generations later, we are striking back and taking what was once ours. However, this is not liberation, this is conquest. Call it reconquest if you like, but it is conquest none-the-less. The people in the settlements we take, Seljuk and other, do not throw open the gates in a joy and embrace the Empire again. They shoot arrows and fight us in the streets until the bitter end. They hate us! Yet some of you think that if we show mercy to the people, there will be no problems. Those of you who think that life in a dream-world. Even if we show mercy to all who oppose us and occupy every settlement, the hatred remains for decades. Every soldier who mans the gates and patrols the walls has to look inwards instead of outwards. Every time they walk down the street, the hatred might claim them at sword point. It is strength that awes people, not mercy. Hypatios and I have long campaigned in Anatolia, and time and time again we've seen the only way to defeat our enemy is to destroy our enemy. Exterminating every man, woman and child is not the way, but those who fight against us? Must mercy be shown to them?