1444, Byzantium Resurrects

On 2 September 1447, Skanderbeg led his army out of the Krujë Valley. They briefly rested in the city of Ishmi before launching a surprise attack on the Venetian mercenary troops stationed along the coast.

The two thousand mercenaries recently dispatched by Venice had not yet joined the main force. During the chaotic battle, the mercenaries suffered heavy casualties, and the survivors fled to the fortress of Drago.

Skanderbeg pursued them to the foot of the fortress, found it to be well-fortified, left a small scouting party to monitor it, and then led his troops away.

On the banks of the Mat River, near the village of Zern,

After completing the first round of surprise attacks on the Venetian army, Skanderbeg came here to set up camp.

The camp was heavily guarded, with watchtowers and mounted scouts everywhere.

Some of the soldiers were scared, while others were in mourning.

They had just experienced a war. Although they were victorious, they had paid a heavy price.

The veterans were indifferent, drinking the fine wine they had seized from the Venetians and shouting at the new recruits to help them put on the captured armor.

Gradually, the new recruits were maturing from their initial inexperience. After a few more battles, they would become as indifferent as the veterans.

Meanwhile, Skanderbeg sat in the camp, staring blankly at the list of casualties in his hands.

Relying on his excellent military skills, Skanderbeg had caught the enemy off guard with his superior forces, but the casualties were high.

The enemy had excellent horses, muskets, and iron armor.

Our army had nothing but enthusiasm and familiarity with the terrain.

Even if he could defeat the enemy in an open battle, it would be impossible to drive the Venetians out of their coastal fortress without the corresponding artillery and siege weapons.

If the battle could not be finished quickly, might the Ottomans on the eastern border take advantage of the situation?

"Commander! Baron Maruna requests an audience!"

"Let him in."

The tent flap opened, and Maruna entered.

"Commander, I am glad to hear that you have won another victory."

"Thanks to your intelligence."

Maruna smiled indifferently.

"This is our sincerity. Are you willing to continue the negotiations?"

"What do you want from me?"

Maruna opened the map, found the Albanian League, and pointed to a city in the southwestern corner.

Skanderbeg leaned in to take a closer look.

The city of Oron.

"We want to obtain suzerainty over this city and the surrounding area."

Maruna drew a circle around Oron and the nearby peninsula.

"That's impossible."

Skanderbeg said bluntly.

Albania was an alliance formed by Skanderbeg and various city lords and princes to protect the country's independence.

If he so easily ceded a port city to others, his righteous cause would be lost. Even if he could temporarily suppress opposition with his prestige, his position would inevitably be challenged.

"How are you any different from the Venetians?"

"The difference is that the Venetians are powerful, and once they take one city, they will want another."

"We don't have that kind of power. All we need is a port on the Adriatic Sea to facilitate trade between Italy and the Balkans."

Skanderbeg sneered and said nothing.

Maruna shook his head regretfully.

"Then our deal is off."

Then, as if he had just remembered something, he slapped his forehead.

"Oh, right,"

Maruna said, smiling, as he handed a letter to Skanderbeg.

"This is information I obtained through my old connections in northern Italy. I think you should take a look."

Skanderbeg took the letter, and his expression immediately turned grim.

It was a long letter, but the main point was clear: The Doge of Venice, Foscari, was very dissatisfied with his previous defeat and had sent someone to contact the Ottomans, inviting them to join forces and divide Albania between them.

Skanderbeg knew this was highly likely to be true, given that the Venetians were capable of anything.

Moreover, even if the Venetians did not invite them, the ruthless Ottomans would throw themselves into battle at the critical moment and reap the benefits.

"My army and people will defend their homeland; you don't need to worry about it!"

"Then I'm sorry, but I've heard that the Doge of Venice is recruiting mercenaries and is even offering land as payment. Maybe I should go there and try my luck."

Bang!

Skanderbeg slammed his fist on the table, knocking over several cups.

He glared at Maruna, his eyes seeming to shoot flames that wanted to consume him.

Maruna casually straightened the cups and poured himself and Skanderbeg a glass of wine.

"Take it easy, my dear lord."

Maruna took a sip of wine and smacked his lips.

"The safety of the entire alliance rests on your shoulders. If you're not here, this fragile alliance will be nothing more than meat in the Ottomans' bowl."

After a moment, Skanderbeg regained his serious expression, transforming from an angry middle-aged man back into a cunning politician.

"That's not enough."

"What do you think would be enough?"

"Help me recapture Duras, and Oron will be yours."

Duras was the largest seaport city of the Venetian Republic in Albania, as well as its center of power.

Maruna shook his head.

"I'm not here to help you dream."

"I can guarantee to help you recapture Dania, however, and assist you in resisting the Ottoman invasion."

"That is our bottom line."

Maruna put on his hat, picked up his sword, and prepared to leave.

"Stop."

"I don't have much control over the cities in the south. You'll have to convince the lord of Oron yourself."

Behind him, Skanderbeg raised his head and said slowly,

"I'm curious. Why are you so confident?"

"I'm not sure I can withstand the attacks of the Ottomans and the Venetians while also trying to recapture Dania."

You know Dania is difficult to recapture even without mentioning Duras.

Maruna did not answer and walked out of the tent.

He looked at the gloomy sky in the northwest.

Why is he so confident?

Italy is about to fall into chaos.

...

"Italy is about to fall into chaos."

In the castle of Barletta, Marquis John IV of Montferrat muttered to himself.

In August 1447, Duke Filippo Maria Visconti of Milan died without leaving any legitimate heirs, bringing an end to the Visconti family's rule over Milan.

His only illegitimate daughter had married the mercenary leader Sforza, who seized the opportunity to claim the Duchy of Milan for himself.

However, the forces within Milan did not recognize Sforza's claim and instead established the Ambrosian Republic. Sforza allied himself with Milan's arch-enemy, Venice, and declared war on the newly formed republic, inviting various Italian feudal lords to join him in fighting for his rightful place on the throne.

John IV looked at the letter in his hand.

There are currently four major powers in Italy:

The Pope, the Venetian Republic, the Duchy of Milan, and the emerging Duchy of Savoy.

The Kingdom of Naples, located in the south, is still under Aragonese control and is not currently included.

Each of the four powers had its own advantages. The Duchy of Milan's advantage was purely its fertile land.

The Po River plain was extremely fertile, and its abundant water resources and favorable climate made it the breadbasket of Italy.

With a large grain output and a large population, commerce was even more prosperous thanks to the well-developed infrastructure.

If they could take Milan, would Monferrato's plight be alleviated?

John recalled what Isaac had said before he left:

"Let's do it!"

He made up his mind.

Surrounded by powerful enemies, the old adage goes, "If you are not the hunter, you are the prey." The declining Pisa was the best example of this.

"Prince John,"

John turned around and saw his butler.

"Grand Duke Isaac is back."

"Quick, follow me to greet him!"

On 4 September 1447, Isaac finished his tour of the overseas territories and returned to Montserrat.

As soon as he arrived at Genoa port, he could sense the clouds of war gathering over northern Italy.

In the taverns, mercenaries were laughing boisterously and loudly discussing the war in Milan.

In the market, the price of armor and weapons had increased to varying degrees, and the blacksmiths in the district were working around the clock to produce the deadly weapons the mercenaries needed.

After speaking with John, Isaac immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

He would now have to face two wars simultaneously.

This would be a severe challenge for him and the Grand Duchy of Surt.

However, if both wars achieved the desired results, his power would increase significantly.

One war was for a port on the Adriatic coast surrounded by mountains and rivers with a large population, which would be easy to defend.

The other was an ally with some influence in northern Italy that could provide a stable source of food and, if necessary, reinforcements.

"The Duchy of Montferrat has just gained independence, so its potential for war is limited."

"With the taxes from our territories and the dividends from our trading companies, we can barely muster an army of 6,000 men, 4,000 of whom are conscripted farmers."

"My knights can form an elite cavalry regiment of around 100 men, and their servants can form a cavalry squad of around 300 men."

With the addition of a small number of troops from our vassals, the total number of troops in the country will not exceed 8,000.

"Of these 8,000 men, we still have to leave some behind to guard the passes and castles against surprise attacks from Savoy."

"In fact, the number of troops that can actually be deployed on the battlefield is far from enough to sustain a protracted war."

John carefully calculated his strength and became increasingly discouraged as he spoke.

"So we..."

"We cannot make seizing the title of Duke of Milan our goal from the outset."

Isaac interrupted him.

"Our primary goal this time is to recapture the Montferrat territory that Milan occupied before."

"Avoid all large cities. Border towns and small castles can be our targets."

After occupying them, we must assimilate them quickly and strengthen our forces before making other plans.

As for the title of duke and a few large cities, let Venice and the Sforza fight over them.

In the afternoon, John invited Isaac to inspect the knights of Montferrat and the new troops.

The knights were well-trained and loyal to the Balestrieri family, though their equipment was somewhat worn.

John's vassals also responded and sent their knights and conscripts to the court of Montferrat.

John's usual benevolence came in handy at this moment.

Had he been an incompetent lord, the vassals and knights would not have paid him any attention.

While it was their duty to defend their land, it was not the responsibility of the vassals to participate in their lord's military campaigns.

For a time, the court was filled with a dazzling array of colors, coats of arms, and banners.

Next, John showed Isaac his newly trained army.

Recruited a few years earlier on Isaac's advice, this was a new type of infantry consisting of strong farmers and dispossessed knights. They were clad in armor and armed with long weapons, and some were even equipped with muskets.

There were 500 of them in total, and they had been specially trained to deal with the cavalry favored by the surrounding forces.

John named them the "Grand Marquis Guard" in memory of the ancestor who had once brought glory to Montferrat.

For several days, the vassals gathered, hunting by day and feasting by night.

This was a common occurrence, and since everyone had gathered, it was only natural that they should strengthen their bonds.

As shareholders of the Montferrat Trading Company, they had made a lot of money in recent years and were therefore very kind to Isaac, accepting him as one of their own.

On 10 September 1447, John IV, Marquis of Montferrat, demanded that the Republic of Ambrosia return the territories occupied by the Visconti family during their rule of Montferrat. However, his demand was rejected.

On 12 September, John IV led the Montferrat army across the Po River into the Lomellina region.

On 18 September, he occupied two small border towns, defeated the local garrison, and advanced directly to Pavia.

Reinforcements from Milan arrived in time and faced off against the Montferrat army.

On 21 September, John IV successfully persuaded two mercenary captains from Milan to defect. This enabled him to repel the enemy forces at the gates of Pavia and force them to retreat behind the city walls, where they dared not emerge.

Subsequently, acting on Isaac's advice, John IV retreated to the Lomellina region, where he constructed a castle on a strategic road and established roadblocks.

At the same time, he sent out raiders to sweep the surrounding area, plundering merchant caravans, conscripting laborers, and looting grain.

Seeing that John IV had gained a foothold on the same day, Isaac immediately sent a letter to the port of Sult.

"Appoint Baron Maruna of Cherle as commander-in-chief in Albania, responsible for all military affairs and negotiations. Lord Albert, the chief spy, and Foreign Minister Anderson will be responsible for sending people to assist in the negotiations."

"The war in Albania must be fought quickly. The Venetians' attention is now largely focused on the Milan succession war, which presents the perfect opportunity for a counterattack."

Inform Baron Maruna that he may purchase cannons from Hungary to capture the coastal fortresses.

"Keep a close eye on the Ottomans' movements and try to force a quick peace with Venice, so that we can concentrate our efforts on stopping Murad II."

Isaac dipped his pen in ink and continued writing on the letter.

"In Milan, Marquis John has resolved matters with the Genoese, who have agreed to allow our troops to pass through their territory."

"Order the First Legion of the Imperial Guard to cross the sea quickly and assist in the battle."

"Order Eldosh to lead part of the Slave Legion across the sea to carry out the order."

"Order the affiliated tribes and the Dobrogea to provide foot soldiers."

"Order the Second Legion of the Imperial Guard to head to North Africa and relieve the First Legion of their defensive duties."

Isaac paused for a moment before continuing.

"Send the first group of cadets from the Royal Knight Academy to Milan under the guidance of Instructor Dilin to observe in practice."

Bang!

Isaac slammed down the purple double-headed eagle seal.

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