1444, Byzantium Resurrects

The Kruje Mountains and the Fortress of Sventigrad.

Situated in a mountain pass, the fortress firmly guards the eastern road leading to Kruje Castle.

The red-and-black eagle flag of the Castriota family flutters above the fortress, indicating its allegiance to the Albanian League.

The besieging forces opposite them were clearly outnumbered, flying green flags bearing three crescents. Their ranks were disciplined, and their encampments stretched across the mountains.

These were the armies of the Ottoman Empire.

Among the green flags with three crescents of the Ottoman army, there were also a few special flags.

One depicted a lifelike claw: The First Legion of the Janissary Guard, "The Sultan's Claw".

A golden throne: The Second Legion of the Janissary Guard, "The Golden Throne".

A giant wolf howling at the sky: The Fifth Legion of the Janissary Guard, "The Grey Wolf of Konya".

A pair of sharp eyes: The Tenth Legion of the Janissary Guard: "The Eye of Fatima".

A bloodstained sickle: The Fifteenth Legion of the Janissary Guard, "Bayezid's Sickle".

These elite legions stood at the center, surrounding the golden and red tent like stars around the moon and guarding the central structure.

This was the residence of the Sultan of the Empire, Murad II.

In a slightly smaller camp next to the golden red tent, a young nobleman sat quietly reading a book.

He was Murad II's only son, the Empire's sole legitimate heir and governor of Manisa: Mehmed.

Compared to a few years ago, the former Sultan had become more reserved and quiet, hiding his proud gaze and replacing it with a gentle expression.

He had been betrayed by the elders of the Janissaries a few years ago and forced to relinquish the throne.

He was then caught off guard by Isaac, which greatly weakened his faction.

Over the past few years, Mehmed had calmed down. Apart from accompanying his father into battle, he remained in his fiefdom of Manisa, devoting himself to studying various subjects and no longer taking part in factional struggles.

Murad II had never liked him, and Mehmed was well aware of this.

Was it because of his humble origins and mixed heritage?

Or was it because Murad II had showered all his fatherly love on his two older brothers?

If they were still alive, Mehmed would never have become Sultan. Mehmed smiled wryly.

Dong, dong, dong! "Come in."

Zagan Pasha gently pushed open the tent, afraid of disturbing his master.

"Your Highness, I have collected the information you requested."

Mehmed put down the book.

It was a hardback edition of The Life of Alexius.

Zagan Pasha glanced at the double-headed eagle emblem on the cover and frowned.

However, he carefully hid his thoughts, opened the book and began to explain.

"Ten days ago, Grand Duke Isaac Palaiologo of Sult led his army across the sea, occupying the town of Ougay and capturing the port of Breiga in the process. This cut off Yusuf's route back to Bilinchi."

"Count Tristan Mikhail led another part of the army back to Surt and repelled Yusuf's final, desperate attack."

The news that the retreat route had been cut off reached the besieging army and it collapsed and fled in all directions.

Yusuf, escorted by a small group of elite guards, fled south in a panic and returned to Bilinchi.

There is now serious infighting in Bilinchi, and Yusuf has lost his army and the trust of the tribal sheikhs.

It is estimated that Bilinchi will not be able to pose a threat to Sirte for a long time.

Considering Yusuf's poor relationship with Cairo, it is highly unlikely that the Mamluk central government will help him.

Zagan Pasha closed the report and looked at Mehmed, who was listening intently.

"Are there any specific details of the battle?"

"We don't have many informants in North Africa. They are mainly concentrated in Tunis, Cairo and Fez, so we don't have any further reports for the time being."

Zagan Pasha explained awkwardly.

"Didn't I ask you last time to suggest to my father that he invest more resources?"

"Your Highness, I regret to inform you that His Majesty and the ministers have no intention of investing heavily in North Africa."

"They would rather use all their spies to monitor the emirs in the country than waste them in a place we can't reach."

Mehmed shook his head regretfully.

"I really don't understand this, Isaac."

Sometimes he's very cautious and other times he's reckless.

"If Yusuf succeeds in capturing the port of Sirte, won't all his efforts be wasted?"

"Perhaps he didn't think that far ahead?"

Zagan speculated.

"Zagan, you need to think more about tactics and strategy, and less about political maneuvering."

"Your Highness, this is something you should do as a monarch."

As for me, my duty is to stand behind you and block all the hidden arrows."

Zagan Pasha replied, speaking with righteous indignation.

Mehmed did not seem angry, but laughed heartily instead.

"Zagan, what do you think Duke Isaac, who defeated us, should do next?"

"He'll probably rest and recuperate, or maybe send troops to teach the Hafs a lesson."

Before Mehmed could respond, Zagan continued.

"Your Highness, I don't think you should pay too much attention to North Africa. It's the Sultan of Egypt's territory. Our focus should always be on the Balkans."

"Even the current rebellion in Albania hasn't received much of your attention!"

Mehmed shrugged indifferently.

"All right, all right, dear Zagan."

"You're starting to sound more and more like my father."

"Enough. You're one of the generals. Go back to work."

Mehmed snatched the report from Zagan's hands and wrote the number 7 on the cover.

Zagan sighed and bowed before leaving.

Mehmed pulled out the other six reports and studied them intently.

"Establish a chamber of commerce and explore West Africa" — No. 1.

"Form a fleet and fight the Battle of Corinth" — No. 2; ...

"The Albanian War" — No. 5;

"The War of the Milanese Succession" — No. 6;

"The Defense of Surt" — No. 7.

These were the actions taken by Isaac over the years.

Meanwhile, Mehmed spread out a map of North Africa and searched for something.

"Misurata... Hmm..."

Mehmed's eyes flashed with disdain.

"The Hafsid dynasty is nothing but lambs waiting to be slaughtered. There is no need to worry about them."

His gaze shifted to the other side.

Bilinchi...

"Your Highness, I think we should capture Bilinchi first!"

Isaac's new advisor, Yumir, stood up and said forcefully.

As soon as he said this, the generals at the table glared at him angrily.

This was the second meeting convened by Isaac and attended by all military personnel to discuss the next course of action.

Almost all the military commanders believed that the duchy should take action against Misurata and destroy the bandits' lair.

"Your Highness, I believe this man from Bahri is a Mamluk spy. I suggest you arrest him."

Mikhail stood up immediately, his words revealing his distrust of Yumir.

There was a low murmur of laughter from the audience.

Isaac stared at the map without looking up.

"Yumir, explain your reasoning."

Caught between a rock and a hard place, the advisors looked at Isaac gratefully.

"Firstly, from a strategic point of view, we are at a complete disadvantage against the Mamluk Sultanate.

From Sirte to the mouth of the Nile, there are vast expanses of desert. Only the Cyrenaica region has a suitable climate and a large population that can supply a large army."

"Geographically, the Cyrenaica region is protected by the Green Mountains, which give it strategic high ground. To the east and west, the terrain is flat with no natural defenses."

"If the Mamluks control Cyrenaica, they will have absolute strategic initiative."

They can march from Cairo with a large army to Bilinchi without worrying about supplies.

"I can say with certainty that if the Emir of Bilinchi were not a remnant of the previous dynasty and if the political struggle in Cairo were not so fierce, then we might be facing an army of 50,000, including 5,000 royal Mamluks."

then we might be facing an army of 50,000, including 5,000 royal Mamluks."

"The religious atmosphere in Cairo is extremely fervent, and those rulers who claim to be the guardians of the three holy sites will never allow a Christian country to rise up near them."

It can be said that, as long as Cyrenaica is in the hands of the Mamluks, we are like meat on a chopping board.

The reason we are not attacking now is that our master is ill and cannot wield his sword.

Once the Mamluks show the slightest sign of weakness, they will crush us into dust.

When Yumir had finished speaking, he looked around at the others, who had fallen silent.

Even the most optimistic generals did not believe that they had the strength to fight the Mamluk Sultan at the height of his power.

After all, Cairo alone had a population of around 200,000, far exceeding that of the Grand Duchy of Sult as a whole.

"If we conquer the Hafs dynasty and take the Tunis region, will that make the Mamluks hesitate?"

Mehmed asked.

"If you want to conquer Misurata, then it's completely possible and you won't need to use all your strength."

"If we make progress, it is not impossible to take Tripoli."

However, the subsequent battles will be extremely difficult."

"Tunis, Kairouan and Sfax are all strong cities. Not to mention whether we can muster enough troops to besiege them, the local forces of the Hafs dynasty alone would give us a hard time."

"It's true that the Hafs dynasty is divided, but they're not stupid. When foreign invaders start seizing their core territories, they will unite against the enemy."

"Unless we have overwhelming military superiority, enough to make them unable to resist, there's no way we can win."

"If we only occupy Misurata and Tripoli, we won't be able to change our strategic disadvantage, and we'll still be crushed by the Mamluks once they've recovered."

At this, the soldiers fell silent, each lowering their heads in thought.

"Tell us your second reason."

Isaac spoke.

"Secondly, now is the best time to take Sirte. With the civil war in Linna and the tribal forces severely weakened, Yusuf will find it difficult to mobilize a powerful army quickly."

"If we miss this opportunity, either by allowing Yusuf to recover or by waiting until he is overthrown and a Cairo-friendly emir comes to power, we will never be able to capture this crucial location quickly."

"Thirdly, you have imprisoned many tribal sheikhs. Their tribes must have elected new sheikhs in their absence. We can release them to cause infighting within the tribes and further weaken Yusuf's power."

"Fourthly, Cyrenaica is very close to the Moroccan region. It only takes two days to get there by fast ship."

We can transport supplies by sea and bypass the vast desert."

Isaac looked at the map of Sirte and Cyrenaica.

The entire Cyrenaica region resembled a giant hammer hanging over Sirte.

"What should we do if we fail to capture Bilinchi in a short period of time and Mamluk reinforcements arrive?"

Isaac asked.

"That depends on your wishes."

"Yusuf won't want Cairo's forces in his territory, so he'll definitely try to resist alone."

When he realizes that he cannot resist, he will ask Cairo for help.

"The Mamluks will certainly send reinforcements, but I can assure you that they will be embroiled in this for a long time."

"How many troops will be dispatched? Who will lead them? Who will get the conquered land?"

"These issues will take time to negotiate."

"If you really can't capture Bilinchi before then, we'll have no choice but to withdraw."

"I am very familiar with the Cyrenaica region. If you entrust the army to me, I guarantee we'll capture Bilinchi before the Mamluk reinforcements arrive!"

Isaac looked at him.

What was he thinking? How could he hand over his army to him?

Military power had to remain firmly in his own hands.

He had to be wary of even his closest generals, let alone a newly appointed adviser.

Isaac did not answer, weighing up the pros and cons of advancing west or east.

The advantage of advancing west was that it posed no risk.

The disadvantage was that it would not alter the current unfavorable strategic situation and they would not be able to give their all, as a significant number of troops would have to be left behind to prevent a possible counterattack after Bilinchi.

Would the remaining troops be enough to capture large cities such as Tunis and Cairo?

In contrast to the western advance, the main disadvantage of advancing east was that it was riskier.

However, if Bilinchi was successfully captured, the Mamluks would have to cross a long stretch of desert to counterattack, which would delay their supply lines.

As the enemy's navy was not superior, they would not be able to commit all their forces at once.

At the same time, the Mamluks and his forces would be strategically balanced, making it difficult for either side to attack the other.

This would allow us to focus on gradually eliminating the Hafs dynasty.

Isaac stood up and looked at the crowd.

"The entire army will rest for two months to replenish personnel and equipment.

Prepare for a major offensive in the west to force the Hafsi to pay compensation and confuse our real enemy.

Send letters to Palma and Moria, asking them to send reinforcements.

Purchase grain, and buy large quantities of dried meat and dry rations to supply the army.

Purchase transport ships. The army will march to the coastal frontline of the Green Mountains, relying on the fleet for water supplies."

"Release captive tribal sheikhs in batches to disrupt Yusuf's conscription system."

"This time, we will eliminate the threat from the east once and for all!"

Isaac drew his dagger and plunged it into the map.

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