Night was beginning to wrap Athens in black when Peridos arrived at the port of the Eastern Agora, one of the subsidiary ports visited only by local merchants. The place wasn't strategically important, but it was a transit point for goods from the Western Isles, where the poison that killed King Silius is said to have originated.
Peridos arrived incognito, wearing a gray cloak, moving among the shadows like a ghost. He had received a report from one of his undercover agents:
"There is strange movement in the port… crates arriving at night, unchecked, unregistered."
*
In a dark corner, Peridos watched a group of men moving wooden crates from a small ship into an abandoned warehouse. There were no visible emblems, but one of the crates bore a small, delicately engraved French seal.
"France? In this port?" Peridos whispered to himself.
He moved closer and overheard a conversation between two of the carriers:
"He ordered us to unload the cargo here, away from the guards."
"But why not transport it to the main port?"
"Because the Marshal doesn't want anyone to know what's inside… yet."
*
Perdus froze. He hadn't expected De Maurier to be involved in secret operations inside Athens.
He waited until the men left, then sneaked into the storeroom. He opened one of the crates, finding strange instruments inside:
- Small glass vials, some containing clear liquids.
- Cryptograms, written in an old French nautical language.
- A sea chart showing unknown passages near Athens.
*
"This isn't just commercial support… This is a naval incursion," Perdus said in a low voice.
*
The next morning, Perdus returned to the palace and entered Melos directly.
He said sharply, "Sir, I found French crates being secretly unloaded in the port of the Eastern Agora. They contain nautical equipment, maps, and suspicious liquids. This is not support... This is a prelude to control."
Melos froze, then said, "Are you sure?"
Perdus replied, "I saw the French seal myself. The men who transported the crates said they were working on the orders of the Marshal."
*
Mados, the advisor, entered and said calmly,
- "Perhaps these are logistical supplies... France promised to protect the sea."
But Perdus interrupted him:
- "Protection doesn't come in the dark. What I saw is similar to what we saw before the king's assassination. Crates, liquids, maps... It was all part of the plot."
*
Silverus, the military commander, intervened and said angrily,
- "I told you from the beginning... De Moret cannot be trusted. He's not protecting Athens, he's encircling it."
*
Melos stood up and said firmly:
"I will summon de Mauret. I will not allow anyone to operate in our ports without our knowledge."
*
That night, Perdus sent his men to search more of the subsidiary ports. They began to discover a recurring pattern:
- Small ships arriving at night.
- Cargoes not registered.
- Men speaking not Greek, but maritime French.
*
Perdus whispered to himself as he reviewed the reports:
- "De Mauret isn't just negotiating… he's putting down roots."
*
The next day, an official summons arrived for de Mauret. He sat before Melos in the courtroom, smiling as usual, wearing his red and gold coat, his golden cane in hand.
"Mr. Marshal," Melos said sternly, "there are French cargoes being secretly unloaded in our ports. Do you have an explanation?"
De Mauret smiled and said calmly, "Some logistical preparations, nothing more. I wanted to expedite your naval support without burdening the main port."
Perdus intervened:
"And do these preparations include unknown liquids, secret maps, and men who don't speak our language?"
De Mauret looked at him, then said with a cold smile, "You're a brilliant detective, Perdus... but you see the conspiracy in every shadow. France doesn't plot, France protects."
*
But Melos wasn't convinced. He told him,
"From now on, no cargo will be unloaded except under the direct supervision of the Athenian Guard. Athens will no longer be an open field."
De Mauret bowed and said,
"As you wish, sir... but remember, the sea waits for no one who hesitates."
*
After he left, Perdus looked at Melos and said,
"This man is fearless... because he knows he's planting something bigger than just boxes."
"Then we have to be faster than him… before the sea closes in on us," Milos replied in a low voice.