It was Hegaik who brandished a dagger at Serenus.
He had pinpointed that Serenus was likely only wearing a silk outer garment, with no armor, and his guards were mostly absent. The Bosporus soldiers from outside the border wouldn't have time to enter, and the surrounding Circassian populace couldn't react in time. He thrust an unexpected blow at Serenus's vital spot.
If Serenus were to be stabbed to death, the soldiers still outside would certainly not stand idly by; they would forcefully break in and retaliate on a large scale. This would inevitably force the Circassians of Adyghe to resist, and the conflict between Bosporus and Adyghe would surely intensify. If Hegaik were to be killed by Serenus or his arriving guards, his death as an Elder would undoubtedly alarm those within the Principality who opposed foreign intervention.
However, he miscalculated one thing: the Greek man in front of him was not as defenseless as he appeared, nor was he as powerless as he seemed, nor was he someone controlled by emotions.
Facing Hegaik's sudden attack, Serenus instinctively recoiled, parrying the blow while doing his best to protect his vital areas. Then, he deliberately exposed an opening, subtly luring Hegaik to shift his target to his side abdomen.
Hegaik, with little combat experience, was indeed enticed and subconsciously redirected his second stab to Serenus's side abdomen. This was exactly what Serenus had intended. As Hegaik was excited that the left blade of his dagger had struck its target, the one who was stabbed suddenly twisted his body. Caught off guard, Hegaik was immediately pressed to the ground by Serenus. From the first stab until Hegaik was subdued, the entire process took less than 15 seconds.
Only then did he look closely in horror, realizing that beneath Serenus's torn outer garment was a thin but sturdy layer of armor. The spot he had just stabbed only showed red marks from a graze, without even a drop of blood.
"You were wearing armor under your clothes!" Hegaik cried out in astonishment.
"That's right, after all, I have to guard against scoundrels like you," Serenus mocked, pressing him down firmly.
"Then kill me, you Greek dog!" Seeing the assassination had failed and with no way out, Hegaik gnashed his teeth and cursed, trying to provoke Serenus into killing him.
"How could I let you have your way?" Serenus, roughly guessing his intention, responded coldly, simultaneously increasing the pressure on him.
"This is a military threat, diplomatic blackmail!" Hegaik, completely defeated, roared at him.
Serenus merely responded with a sneer: "No, this is just a special military operation beneficial to both sides."
Due to the suddenness of the incident, those around them had no time to react. It wasn't until Serenus had subdued Hegaik that his guards rushed to his side, helping the Adyghe militiamen restrain Hegaik and stuffing a rag into his mouth.
At this moment, Posadas, still outside Adyghe, also recovered from his shock and was furious, "Damn it, do they think we're fake?!" In a fit of rage, he intended to have his taxi-soldiers charge in directly to punish the main culprit, but he was stopped by a gesture from Serenus.
Serenus knew that although this young Elder's actions were reckless and extreme, his assassination attempt was certainly meant to stir up the anger and dissatisfaction of the silent opposition within the Principality, using it as an opportunity to obstruct Bosporus's special operation. Although his clever handling had turned this indescribable assassination into a farce, the potential threat had not been entirely eliminated.
But this was a matter for Manuel and the army to consider. As a civilian diplomat, he only needed to find a way for the army to be stationed within Adyghe under a reasonable pretext. Thinking this, Serenus stood quietly and relaxed in place, guarded by his soldiers, awaiting Adyghe's response.
As expected, Hegaik's assassination attempt immediately alarmed the Adyghe Council of Elders, and Chief Abaza even personally rushed over to apologize to Serenus. Serenus seized this opportunity, arranging for the 500 soldiers led by Posadas to be stationed within Adyghe by dusk that day, and a written treaty confirming the validity of this action was signed on the spot. After Serenus himself spent a night hosted by the Adyghe Circassians, this special military operation targeting Adyghe concluded perfectly.
The good news of the successful special military operation reached Manuel, who was then in Phanagoria, that same evening. Upon learning of it, he joyfully opened a bottle of fine aged Machim sweet wine for Serenus and the others, and instructed the relevant officials in Phanagoria to prepare a banquet to welcome them upon their return.
After drinking three glasses of wine consecutively, a nearly half-drunk Manuel recalled a confidential conversation with Serenus a few days prior—
"Very well done, Serenus. The administrative articles you helped compile really saved a lot of time for this legal code revision, and that report you submitted earlier about Pontus and Caucasus also..." After meeting, Manuel first fully affirmed his achievements and knowledge.
"I wouldn't dare, Your Majesty," Serenus felt a bit embarrassed by Manuel's flattering praise. However, he had a feeling of foreboding.
"Oh, right, Serenus, I remember you saying you were quite skilled in foreign affairs, didn't you?" At the end of his sentence, Manuel changed the subject, smiling as he looked directly into Serenus's eyes.
I knew it. Serenus felt a desire to flee back to Peloponnese. Although he concealed this thought very well, Manuel, standing opposite him, still vaguely sensed it. "It's like this: when Bosporus was still Theodoro, we signed a secret treaty with the Adyghe Principality across the sea. Now I intend to put it into practice, so I need someone skilled in diplomatic affairs." With that, Manuel looked earnestly at Serenus, then observed his hair standing on end.
Just as Serenus was about to speak, Manuel, who had already planned ahead, brought up a matter that struck him deeply, "Speaking of which, the Autocratic State's cabinet is currently lacking an all-rounder to serve as Chief Secretary, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs."
"Your Majesty's will is my command." As soon as he finished speaking, Serenus joyfully agreed.
"Good, then I will discuss the key points of this operation with you in detail..."
Recalling this, Manuel came back to his senses, "Phew, now it's time for me to fulfill my promise." As he spoke, he absently stroked his chin, but only felt air.
"Ah, I almost forgot, due to habits from my previous life, I haven't grown a beard since birth," he chuckled somewhat drunkenly, "Should I start growing a beard like people in this era?"