Konya, the ancient capital of the Rum Sultanate and the most prosperous city in Asia Minor, now lay in ruins.
The Ottoman army, under the command of Mehmed II, Prince Mustafa, and Gedik Ahmed Pasha, fought a bloody battle with the main Karaman army, successfully crushing the resistance of Karaman Bey Pir Ahmed.
Subsequently, the citizens of Konya spontaneously mounted a fierce resistance, but ultimately succumbed to the violent assault of the Ottomans, leading to the city's fall.
Half of its inhabitants were massacred, and the other half were enslaved by the Ottomans.
More than a month had passed since that battle, and the Ottomans army remained stationed in Konya, not advancing.
It wasn't that Mehmed didn't want to, but that he couldn't.
Pir Ahmed, that sly fox, had detached a unit of routed soldiers to his brother, Prince Kasim, before retreating to the Karaman capital.
Kasim was now leading this force in a relentless harassment campaign against the Ottoman army's rear.
Recent battle reports indicated that the seventeen-year-old Kasim was leading an increasingly large guerrilla force into Ottoman territory, with his forces pointed directly at Ankara.
Due to the excessive losses suffered by the Ottoman army in the Battle of Konya and the Siege of Konya, he now had only a little over twenty thousand usable troops.
He reluctantly detached a portion of his army, ordering Gedik Ahmed Pasha to lead them to stop the audacious Kasim.
He himself, with his beloved second son, Prince Mustafa, who was also the new Governor of Konya, remained in Konya to guard against a Karaman counterattack.
It was at this critical juncture that he received a messenger sent by his eldest son, Prince Bayezid, who had remained in Constantinople.
The messenger, trembling, came before the visibly annoyed Sultan and reported news to Mehmed II that made him see red.
"Sultan, according to the intelligence we've received, the Austrian fleet has entered the military port of Morea, and troops in the Rumelia region are also gathering.
Now... now there is a lot of intelligence indicating that the Austrian monarch is planning a new Crusade, and Prince Bayezid requests that you immediately make peace with theaman."
Mehmed II slammed his fist on the table in anger, furious both at Laszlo's machinations behind his back and at Bayezid's attitude.
The tone was as if the Ottoman Empire would fall if he didn't listen to him.
Although a calm Mehmed II knew that Bayezid's suggestion was undoubtedly correct, this did not prevent him from feeling displeased and disgusted with his eldest son.
The messenger was now trembling uncontrollably.
Although he was a confidant of Prince Bayezid, every Ottomans knew that the Sultan favored Prince Mustafa and had a troubled relationship with Prince Bayezid.
When he spoke these words on behalf of Prince Bayezid, he had already prepared himself for execution by the Sultan.
"Father, please calm your anger.
My elder brother is also thinking about the future of our Ottoman Empire.
Our country has been engaged in continuous warfare for years, and both the people and the army are already exhausted.
Capturing Konya and taking half of Karaman is already a great victory for us.
Further ahead are the mountains of Karaman.
According to scout intelligence, Pir Ahmed has hidden his family and treasures in a secret and strong fortress deep in the mountains, and he is personally leading his remaining army, vowing to fight us to the death.
Father, making peace now, while he is still unaware of the changes in the West, will allow us to maximize our gains."
Prince Mustafa, standing beside Mehmed II, advised him in a gentle tone.
Facing his most beloved child, Mehmed II's expression softened, and he said with a hint of regret, "How could I not understand this principle?
It's rare for the White Sheep Dynasty and the Black Sheep Dynasty to be at war, and the Mamluk Sultanate is in turmoil, unable to pay attention to Karaman.
If we miss this opportunity, I'm afraid in the future..."
"Father, we must secure our current gains to be qualified to talk about the future!"
Mustafa's words finally persuaded Mehmed II.
"Go back and convey my orders to Bayezid.
Tell him to gather the fleet and ensure the free passage of the straits at all costs.
Strengthen the defenses of Constantinople to guard against enemy attacks."
"Yes, Sultan."
The messenger, as if granted a great pardon, quickly fled the tent, not lingering for a moment.
He mounted his swift horse and galloped towards Constantinople.
After that, Mehmed II summoned the generals of the Ottoman army and announced his decision to seek peace with the Karaman Beylik.
Previously in Konya, the Ottoman army had captured a large amount of spoils of war, and with the heavy casualties, many soldiers and even generals did not wish to continue fighting.
Further ahead lay difficult mountainous terrain.
Although the Karaman suffered a major defeat in Konya, they still had the strength to resist.
Continuing to fight under these circumstances was clearly not worthwhile.
Therefore, the generals all supported the peace talks and praised the Sultan's wisdom and foresight.
The Ottoman messenger soon departed from Konya for Karaman, the capital of the Karaman Beylik.
Meanwhile, in the city of Karaman, Karaman Bey Pir Ahmed was meeting with two guests who had traveled a long distance.
"I never thought that when I was in trouble, it would be infidels who were truly willing to offer me help."
Looking at the Austrian and Genoese envoys standing before him, the young Karaman Bey looked somewhat dejected.
He had once moved between the Ottoman, the White Sheep Dynasty, and the Mamluk Sultanate, hoping to contend for supreme power in Karaman with his six brothers, but ended up losing half of his territory.
He himself, with his remaining army, was holed up in the city of Karaman, barely surviving and living in constant fear.
The two black hands behind him—the White Sheep Dynasty and the Mamluks—were both unable to provide him with effective assistance due to their own troubles, causing him to suffer repeated defeats at the hands of the Ottomans on the battlefield.
He never expected that at such a difficult time, the Austrians from the distant West would be willing to extend a helping hand.
"Your Excellency Pir Ahmed, although our faiths are different, we share a common enemy.
The great Emperor and our Governor are unwilling to see the unbridled expansion of the Ottomans, and therefore have decided to offer you assistance."
The Genoese envoy, who had previously engaged in silk trade in Karaman, was responsible for presiding over this negotiation.
The Karaman Bey heard this and did not doubt him.
Karaman's situation could be described as precarious, and the Roman Emperor, far away in the heart of Europe, had no need to come all this way to play games with him.
"I am willing to accept the goodwill of the Western Emperor, but nothing in this world is free.
Let's discuss your demands."
"The Emperor's demands are not many.
He only requires you to pay for these military supplies.
Besides money, various other things can be used as compensation, such as treasures or silk.
If you truly cannot afford it, the Emperor accepts credit, but interest will be charged.
Our Governor, on the other hand, hopes to obtain the right to use the two ports you promised to the Venetians, as well as trade privileges for Genoese merchants in Karaman."
Hearing the conditions proposed by the other party, the Karaman Bey was somewhat surprised, not because they were too harsh, but because they were too lenient, almost like charity.
He worried that he was rejoicing prematurely, so he did not rashly agree, but instead pressed, "How many military supplies can your Emperor provide me?"
"That depends on how much you need."
The Genoese envoy relayed the Austrian envoy's words to the Karaman Bey.
With the production capacity and inventory of the Graz arsenal and the Milan arsenal, arming two legions in a short time was no problem.
"I need equipment for three thousand men, and it must include firearms.
If some cannons could be provided, that would be even better."
After careful consideration, the Karaman Bey tentatively stated this number.
"Wouldn't three thousand men be too few?"
Seeing the Austrian envoy on the side who had already begun to doubt Karaman's military strength, the Genoese envoy quickly asked.
"Not at all.
As long as you provide me with this equipment, I can defeat the Ottomans!"
Pir Ahmed knew that Mehmed II's Janissaries only had two battle groups left, and it was hard to say if they even numbered five thousand in total.
With this equipment, he could expand his Armenian Imperial Guard, and then lead a large number of cannon fodder to contend with the Ottomans.
The reason he didn't ask for more was that all this equipment had to be paid for.
If he truly didn't pay a single florin, they might break the agreement.
For the Austrians and Genoese, it might just be a lost business deal, but he could lose his life.
Moreover, Karaman's coast was still under blockade by the Venetians.
Although the blockade was not very strict, it could still prevent the promised Austrian aid from arriving smoothly.
For this, the Karaman Bey had no choice but to pray to Allah, hoping that God would bless the infidels' ships with a smooth journey at sea.
The Austrian envoy had already calculated the figures.
The total value of this transaction was approximately fifteen thousand florins.
Since a considerable portion of the military supplies provided were second-hand, the value might even be lower.
In any case, they would quote a higher price, and even if these infidels in Asia Minor could determine the true value of the military supplies, they would not be able to raise objections.
The negotiations concluded successfully, and the envoys immediately set off back to Europe, promising to deliver this batch of military supplies to Karaman before the end of the year.
Upon receiving the news in Vienna and Genoa, Laszlo and the Genoese Governor immediately began to gather military supplies sufficient to arm three thousand men.
Spears, swords, and other weapons were the easiest to collect.
As for protective gear, most were leather armor or coat of plates.
Since most Karaman were cavalry, they might not be accustomed to wearing plate armor, which was a heavy piece of metal.
Moreover, plate armor was ridiculously expensive; three thousand sets of plate armor were almost a year's production for the Milan arsenal.
If there were truly that many sets, Laszlo would not bear to give them to infidels.
For the gunpowder weapons specifically requested by the Karaman Bey, Laszlo unearthed many old treasures left over from the First Hussite Wars.
Matchlock guns, serpentine cannons, and organ guns, all were arranged for the Karaman.
Although these old firearms were technologically backward, they were sufficient to deal with the Ottomans.
Large quantities of military supplies were transported in batches to Morea.
In the port of Morea, Laszlo's fleet had already rendezvoused with the reinforcement fleets sent by Genoa and Naples.
A total of over fifty warships would undertake escort missions.
The previously released news about a naval Crusade had also misled the Venetians, causing them to strengthen their naval defenses near the Adriatic Sea and the Bosphorus Strait, which greatly reduced obstacles for the combined fleet's covert operation.
On the other side, no sooner had the Austrian and Genoese envoys left than the Ottoman Empire's envoy arrived in Karaman.
The envoy came on behalf of the Sultan to conduct peace negotiations, and because the Ottoman had the upper hand in the war, he adopted an extremely arrogant posture.
According to his account, Mehmed II, out of consideration for his uncle-nephew relationship with Pir Ahmed, was willing to bestow the remaining territory of Karaman upon Pir Ahmed, provided that Pir Ahmed swore allegiance to Mehmed.
The Karaman territory already occupied by the Ottoman Empire had now become the Konya Governorship, controlled by the Sultan's son.
Upon hearing such a "victory declaration," Pir Ahmed, in a fit of rage, ordered the envoy's ears and nose to be cut off, sent him back, and declared that he would make the greedy Mehmed II pay the price.
His courage inspired the Karaman people, who resented the Ottomans, and the number of resistance fighters in the occupied territories grew, greatly vexing Mehmed II.
However, Kasim, who led his army to raid Ankara, ultimately failed.
The stubborn resistance of the defenders led to the Karaman guerrilla forces' unsuccessful siege, and Gedik Ahmed Pasha, who arrived later, led the Ottoman army to defeat them.
Kasim himself eventually fled with a small detachment of routed soldiers into the mountains of Karaman, continuing to resist the Ottomans invasion.
Thus, the Ottomans became increasingly mired in the quagmire of Karaman.
Meanwhile, in the Balkans, Laszlo's messenger carried an ultimatum to the court of the Despot of Epirus.
Before this, the powerful Bulgarian military and the Austrian fleet stationed in Morea had already encircled Epirus.
Moreover, the Tocco family's fleet had been completely annihilated in a battle by Constantine XI years ago and had not yet recovered, making them very fearful of naval blockades and harassment.
Despot Leonardo Tocco was reluctantly forced to turn to Italy for assistance.
However, the Venetians were now struggling themselves, constantly wary of the Emperor's actions, and the Kingdom of Naples, which was friendly with Epirus, did not hesitate for a moment and decisively sided with the Emperor.
Leonardo, with no other options, was forced to cede some fortresses in northern Epirus, swore allegiance to Laszlo, who was the Emperor of the East Roman Empire, promised annual tribute, and sent his brother Antonio and his two-year-old son Carlo as hostages to Vienna.
Thus, after Morea, Laszlo gained another fragment of the East Roman Empire.
The two Greek Despots, Laszlo would deal with them sooner or later, but not now.
At present, uniting all possible forces to strike a severe blow against the Ottoman and Venice, that was Laszlo's true goal.