1885, I came to save Greece

Constantine did not answer.

He stood there quietly, his gaze calmly fixed on the scholar who had completely lost his composure.

Sometimes, silence carries more weight than any words.

It silently proclaims: Yes, I wrote it, so what?

Andreas's psychological defenses completely collapsed at this moment.

He stopped looking at Constantine and held the document tightly in his hands as if it were a priceless treasure.

He turned around abruptly and paced anxiously back and forth in the narrow, dirty stairwell, which was barely wide enough for one person to pass through.

The footsteps sounded particularly jarring in the deathly silent stairwell, sometimes as rapid as a downpour, and sometimes as slow as a dying person.

He uttered indistinct, meaningless syllables, as if chanting some ancient incantation.

"Severance...yes, we must sever ties! Sever all ties with those rotting vampires!"

"Credit! Credit is the key! What an idiot I am! How could I have remained stuck in the quagmire of the gold standard!"

"My God... this interest rate transmission model... how can it be so perfect? ​​It's simply art!"

He was completely hooked.

In his world, all that remained was the grand blueprint constructed by the words on this document.

He completely forgot about the dimly lit stairwell, the dirty walls, and even the Crown Prince standing at the door.

He would sometimes wave his arms excitedly, his fingers tracing complex paths in the air, as if directing a financial revolution that would sweep across the entire country.

He would suddenly stop, then stretch out his fingers and quickly trace patterns on the dusty wall, muttering to himself as if he were conducting an extremely tense calculation.

Alexandros and the two guards standing at the door were so shocked their jaws almost dropped.

Alexandros quietly moved a step closer to Constantine and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, with great concern, "Your Highness, is this man... insane?"

Just a moment ago, this guy was a prickly, foul-mouthed drunkard.

The next moment, he transformed into a hysterical, frenzied man, gesticulating wildly.

Only Constantine remained calm.

He knew this wasn't madness.

This is a soul that has been suppressed for too long, finally seeing the light shining down from the water's surface before drowning.

Suddenly!

Andreas stopped all movement.

He stood motionless in the middle of the corridor, like a statue that had been petrified in an instant, even his breathing had stopped.

In the hallway, only his heavy breathing remained.

Then, he slowly, extremely slowly, turned around.

Once again, facing Constantine.

The madness on his face vanished, replaced by an almost religious devotion and fanaticism.

Under Alexandros's horrified gaze.

This was a scholar who, throughout his life, was proud and unyielding, preferring to live in poverty in his attic rather than bow to any powerful or influential person.

This "madman" who just pointed at the Crown Prince's nose and started cursing.

Both knees buckled.

"thump--!"

A dull, loud bang.

He knelt down straight down!

The hard kneecap slammed heavily onto the cold, dirty stone pavement, making Alexandros's heart clench.

Immediately afterwards, without any hesitation, he pressed his forehead deeply into the ground.

It pressed against the dust mixed with sewage and filth.

"Waaah..."

An uncontrollable sob, a mixture of immense pain and overwhelming ecstasy, escaped from the deepest part of his throat.

Scalding tears burst forth instantly, mingling with the dust on the ground, washing two dark lines down his pale, haggard face.

He roared in a heart-wrenching, trembling voice:

"Your Highness...please forgive my previous rudeness and offense! I...I, Andreas Kofinas...was blind! Utterly foolish!"

His body trembled violently, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his soul.

"I would offer my decaying life for you... I would offer all my insignificant knowledge for you!"

He suddenly raised his head, his face covered in tears and mud, but his eyes shone like two blazing flames as he stared intently at Constantine.

"I ask for nothing more! I only ask that you... I only ask that you turn this great idea into reality! Let Greece, this country that is rotten to the core, be reborn!"

Alexandros was completely dumbfounded. His mouth was agape, and he felt as if his worldview was being repeatedly rubbed into the ground.

He even had an absurd thought—could His Highness be some kind of legendary deity, possessing the power to bewitch people?

As if trying to etch Constantine's image into his soul, Andreas used his last strength to utter that earth-shattering shout, which echoed throughout the slums for a long time.

"You are not a prince!"

"You are...you are the god sent by God to save us! You are Greece's...only hope!"