Bruno's first meeting with the patriarch of Constantinople was held a week before the Christmas mass.
He and Heidi arrived at the Hagia Sophia at the behest of the Patriarch, where they sat before him in his office and spoke on a personal level.
The Patriarch did not immediately speak; he was clearly examining Bruno's worth. Not as a mortal man, but as a soul.
And with a heavy sigh, he eventually shook his head.
"You have borne a weight that no mortal man reasonably should. For that, you have my sympathy. I owe you a great deal of debt; the Orthodox Church owes you a great deal of debt. A debt I fear we may never be able to repay."
Bruno chuckled at the response. He wasn't expecting the man to see through him so thoroughly upon first glance.
You have no need to repay me. I was simply doing my duty. To Kaiser, Fatherland, and God. The Ottomans were our enemies, and I did what was needed of me to win the war. That is all there is to it."
