Fatis is an Albanian, but like those children who were selected from the "blood tribute" into the Janissary Legion, he has long forgotten his parents and faith, although he is still an Albanian on the outside, in fact he has long been a true "slave of the true god and the Sultan", he has been fortunate to spend twenty years in the Janissary Legion, although he is missing a hand, an eye, but he still left the legion with a generous salary - but even with such a net worth, It is almost impossible to open such an inn near the Grand Bazaar.

The inn, named Marmara, was a two-storey building surrounded by a square courtyard with fountains, a tall wall arched by an incomparably ornate archway, twenty rooms on the first floor and thirty rooms on the second floor, each with a fireplace.

Not only that, but there are also two large hammams, three warehouses and four shops.

The rooms on the second floor are more extravagant and elaborate than the first, and it must be said that even the mansions of the "agha" (low-ranking officials and low-ranking officers) are not much different, with delicate and delicate paintings of flowers, wild beasts and birds painted on the top, heavy bronze lampstands hanging above people's heads, each of which can hold sixty candles, the window lattices and door frames covered with gold leaf, the walls hung with tapestries showing the great exploits of Mehmed II, and the drape hanging everywhere resembled the waist of a dancing girl. Gently and slowly swaying in the hot evening breeze of Istanbul.

Because of its proximity to the bazaar, the constant noise of the tide crashing against the embankment of the Sea of Marmara can be said to be day and night, and some people may find it noisy, others only feel glory - for this is Istanbul, the new Rome, the city of the seven hills, or the queen of the cities, although it has changed more than one owner, but her charm has always increased.

But if you are willing to close the wooden window, the sound will be muffled and indistinct, and it will become a good helper of hypnosis—the bed with its dome, columns and ottomans is quietly waiting for the guests, the bed and pillows are all jacquard silk, and the pillows are filled with clean goose down and cotton, but more precious than them are the cashmere sheets—but Duarte only smiled when he pinched it, it was just a thin blanket of fine wool and silk threads, but since Florentine cashmere prevailed throughout Obarro, it was similar, Even just the imposter products are endless, and these thin blankets are quite sincere compared to those fabrics made of sheep wool and coarse goat.

The innkeeper, Fatis, when he saw that they had come from Siena, wisely avoided mentioning the so-called cashmere sheets, but praised their large baths, and invited Duarte to join him in the service of bath slaves every day, and this day was no exception.

"Why, my good friend, are you leaving?" As they lay naked and sweaty on the hot stone platform, the innkeeper asked, half regretful, half surprised.

"We've sold out of goods and we've bought them all." In the bathroom, Duarte took off his mask, but fortunately the mist was steaming, the light was dim, and the hideous scar was much softer: "You know, we exchanged a lot of pepper, and the weather is hot these days, the air is dry, and it is a good time to go home, so as not to have to delay the return trip in the heavy rain." ”

"Having said that," said Fatis enthusiastically, "I am reluctant to you, God is above, I have never seen such a generous and forgiving Christian as you, what a wonderful man you are, and you are like a brother to me, and when I see you, I cannot help but feel a great affection." ”

"It wasn't me who gave you a lot of affection at the sight of it, it was my golden florin," Duarte scoffed, "and it was my master who was generous and forgiving, not me, Fatis, and if he hadn't insisted, I wouldn't have lived in your room, which cost ten golden florins a day because of an extra 'cashmere' sheet." ”

"Hey, we're all businessmen, so don't mention it, but when it comes to leaving, is your good host willing?"

"Is there anything else in Istanbul that attracts him?" "He has walked every street of the Grand Bazaar with his companions, tasted all the treats he thought were novel, bought all the things he thought were valuable, seen all the sights he had not been able to see, his family was waiting for him, and I did not want to deliver pepper in the bitter winter rains, it was time to go back," Duarte said. ”

"If you want to talk about all the scenery, that's not necessarily." Said the owner of the hostel.

"What? Can you take him to Topkapi Palace? ”

"Oh, my good man, be silent, in this case, can you say whatever you want?" Fatis propped himself up from the platform, but his expression was not as flustered as his tone, and he only waved his hand and motioned for the slaves serving them to stand back: "...... Topkapi Palace is impossible," he said, "but for a young man, there is a more worthwhile place than Topkapi Palace." ”

He puffed out his eyes to Duarte, summoned the slaves, and ordered them to rub their bodies for themselves and their guests, and when they were hot, then apply a bath of mutton fat and wood ash, rinse them off, and massage them with olive oil and milk, perhaps once or twice, depending on their preference.

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How many underground palaces are there in Istanbul? No one knows, but in the archives of the Holy See and in the Secrets of the Assasin Assassins, it is recorded that when Istanbul was still in Constantinople, the Basilica of St. Elena was connected to an underground palace - in fact, it should be said, with another church, but that church was later destroyed and under the ruins of the church, in 542 AD, during the Byzantine period, when Justinian the Great used 7,000 slaves to build this magnificent and unknown building - used as a weapon reserve and storage reservoir, At least that's what the literature says.

After Mehmed II captured Constantinople, many cathedrals were destroyed, but St. Elena's Cathedral was left behind because it was used to store armaments, and when Mehmed II began to build Topkapi Palace, he took advantage of the high walls of the original royal palace to include St. Elena's Cathedral, which is located in the corner of the first courtyard - just a stone's throw from the door of reverence that leads to the second courtyard.

However, it was not easy to find this underground palace, as it was not detailed in either the documents of the Holy See or the records of the Assassins; Second, Istanbul allows heretics to come and go at will, but the omnipresent eye keeps a close eye on anyone who behaves secretly, and it is full of believers in the true God, and no amount of money can shake their faith.

But if it doesn't involve faith, if it doesn't involve the Sultan, then they will be equally intimidated by the light of gold.

The owner of the inn, Fatis, was one of the four Devtda (treasurers) of Bayezid II, who was good at collecting money for the Sultan as well as for himself, and of course, the innkeeper was also one of the eyes of the White Eunuch Governor, so to speak, he was working for both of them—in that case, he could not have let go of this small but extremely wealthy caravan and its owner so easily.

He bribed the leader of the caravan, Duarte, with a sapphire worth a hundred gold florins, to persuade his little master to accede to his invitation—and beyond the Grand Bazaar there was another incomparably large but little-known bazaar, which was underground and only a few chosen people could be admitted.

What's inside? There's anything you can imagine and something you can't imagine.

The merchants of Istanbul made perfect use of every underground palace they found.

On the first night, under the guidance of Fathis, they saw a golden city hidden in the darkness - almost all of them were filled with precious metals, jewels, and utensils of unknown origin, and there were many holy objects that were difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake, including the robes worn by the Virgin Mary when she gave birth, the teeth of Jesus Christ, the feathers of the Holy Angel Gabriel, and so on.

On the second night, they saw a city of weapons, and the people here were like entering a dense forest of steel, like short knives, small swords, and daggers; It seems to be a shrub of rapiers, triangular swords, two-handed swords, and swords; Like a flower blooming are hand axes, throwing axes, and long-handled axes; Like tall trees are spears, halberds, and spears; And if it is really hanging in the middle is a dark and heavy flail, a stabbing ball hammer and a chain hammer; Wrapped around them like vines are crossbows and longbows.

They even saw the Hidden Blades and leather armor of the Assasin Assassins here—fortunately, they were only imitations, not non-existents; There is also the arquebus that Julio is most familiar with, or the new arquebus that he has modified.

The Golden City was almost entirely filled with merchants, and there were many people of unknown origin, as well as soldiers of the Janissary Legion, who were allowed to equip all kinds of weapons they liked or needed, and who were often allowed to plunder at will, and were not allowed to marry or return home, so they were the most popular patrons here.

A haughty officer wearing a tall white hat and a black mustache walked past them, and Duarte, although desperately controlled, couldn't help but tighten his body - he was not Duarte's former master, Duarte had been away from Istanbul for nearly twenty years, his master was forty years old at the time, and he couldn't still be so strong and young now, but he still couldn't help but tremble when he saw someone like him—half out of fear, half out of anger.

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