With this thought in mind, Manuel, accompanied by his wife Barbara, spent a day or two touring the main areas of Theodosia.
Initially, he had assumed that with the onset of war, the Principality would gradually fall into destitution. However, reports provided in recent days contradicted his preconceived notions: at least in Theodosia under his rule, most ordinary citizens were able to maintain their normal lives as before, farmers could plant with peace of mind, local lords could meticulously manage their industries, and even slave traders' businesses flourished due to the acquisition of many infidel captives during the war.
"It seems that after nurturing this city to such an extent, I can't possibly abandon it," Manuel thought with a bitter smile after personally visiting the city's guilds. Although he had suffered a crushing defeat in Keziyar this time, he still held a prominent position in Theodosia, a "Theodosia magnate" above all others. In other words, his position was still quite stable, without the slightest tremor.
Finally, after visiting one of the estates under his rule in the city's suburbs, and amidst the peaceful atmosphere along the way and his wife's subtle prompting, Manuel finally calmed down from his previous state of collapse. "Now is not the time to be mentally broken over a defeat. I need to regain my composure; this is my duty as a future monarch. After all, I am not alone behind me." On the way back to the palace, Manuel tried his best to soothe himself, thinking this.
What he did not know was that late that night, a galley rented from Venice appeared at Afrita Port in Mangup. This ship was structurally stable, with various arrangements inside the cabin, generally reserved for nobles.
And its passengers were indeed local gentry. The scheduled passengers, seeing the ship arrive, rushed aboard in a panic, moving quickly. Less than a quarter of an hour later, the galley carried them towards the Empire of Trebizond in the southeast.
The day after he returned to the palace, he tidied his attire and appearance, gathered all the members of his New Army Department, and planned to discuss with them how to deal with the current situation. Badars was late for a considerable time because he went to confirm the top-secret intelligence obtained from Thrace.
After nearly half an hour, once everyone had arrived, Manuel solemnly said, "Everyone is here. So, let's discuss what we should do next."
Tukharovsky was quite surprised to find that after three days, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had not only recovered his spirits but was also looking invigorated. He secretly poked Badars with his right arm and asked curiously, "Has His Highness recovered? But three days ago, he looked like he was about to collapse..."
"I suggest you get used to His Highness's behavior. I can tell you very clearly, Tukharovsky, one of His Highness's strengths is his ability to recover quickly. Although whether it's a genuine recovery or a forced one is open to interpretation. But," Badars intentionally lowered his voice when he said this, "if His Highness recovers too much, he easily starts to think, well, in His Highness's own words, it's 'the illusion that everything he does will succeed, so he easily ends up doing things he's not good at.'"
"His Highness's personality can be very fatal in a critical moment." Tukharovsky frowned, recalling the disastrous defeat at Keziyar this time and his three-week coma after the Kaffa breakout battle last time.
"Indeed, Mother of God above, I hope this time will make His Highness truly change his ways," Badars prayed.
Although their conversation was very private, Manuel still noticed the two men's small gestures. "What are you two talking about?"
"Ah, ah, ah, we were discussing whether the newly built earthen ramparts at the Isthmus could withstand the Crimean Khanate army," Tukharovsky replied, feigning an intelligent look.
"Uh, Your Highness, I was saying that the secret department did a great job this time," Badars said, trying to change the subject with a laugh.
"You must be badmouthing me." Manuel felt dark lines about to appear on his forehead. However, he had no time to delve into the matter now. Instead, he paused and continued discussing the upcoming military plans with the others.
"Before we officially begin our discussion, Holy Father witness, Aidian, Posadas, I must first apologize to you. If it weren't for my misjudgment in the Battle of Keziyar, we wouldn't have suffered such a tragic defeat and lost so many elites. I will certainly do my utmost to prevent such mistakes from recurring in the future.
"But now, in the New Army Department, only you two generals have actually fought against the Janissaries. This experience, whether in defeat or victory, is indispensable. So, Saint Michael bless, I hope you can recover as soon as possible," Manuel apologized and consoled them swiftly.
Since their Highness had said so, the two men also forced themselves to cheer up and seriously deal with the upcoming situation. However, Aidian, fueled by alcohol, specifically stood up and said, "Your Highness, I have only one request."
"Speak."
"Next time, please don't issue absurd orders like 'right-wing musketeers move 42 Greek feet to 11 o'clock.'" As soon as he finished speaking, sparse laughter erupted in the meeting.
Stop scolding, stop scolding. Manuel tried his best to maintain his expression and said seriously, "Don't worry, there will be no more such presumptive orders in the future."
"Cough, cough, alright, let's get back to the main topic." Manuel lightly coughed, forcefully steering the meeting atmosphere back on track. "The main problem now is defense.
"After the defeat at Keziyar, counting several generals, we lost 180 elite Filaka warriors and 190 city guards. Not a single militiaman survived. The enemy's casualties are unknown, but overall, we are at a disadvantage.
"And the enemy won, so they will certainly not let it go. They will undoubtedly try to regain Northern Crimea. And the strategic pass of Northern Crimea, the Tatar Isthmus, is directly controlled by my Theodosia taxi soldiers, which means we are directly responsible.
"If the enemy were only the Crimean Khanate, then with the Golden Horde army holding them back, our defensive pressure would actually not be that great. But now, with the possibility of Ottoman intervention, I have to consider seeking foreign aid, such as the Kingdom of Lithuania." Manuel hesitantly put forward his idea. "If necessary, I'd have to sell myself." Thinking of this, he couldn't help but nervously clench his palms.
However, just as he finished speaking, Badars stood up and cautiously said, "Your Highness, actually, it might not be necessary to go to such lengths."
"Ah?" Everyone exclaimed in unison.
"Your Highness, I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?" As Badars spoke, he took out two substantial reports from his Pregnant.
"Stop playing games, tell me the bad news first," Manuel frowned.
"The bad news is that Khan Haji Giray of the Crimean Khanate, upon learning of our rout at Keziyar, is personally leading an army of ten thousand to reclaim Northern Crimea first." As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's faces turned pale.
"Then, what about the good news?" After a long pause, Manuel forced himself to regain his composure and asked, holding his breath.
Badars chuckled, "The good news is that the Janissaries received by the Crimean Khanate were not reinforcements personally sent by the Ottoman Sultan, but rather were privately dispatched by the former Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire to curry favor. And the number of these Janissaries," he took a deep breath at this point, "is only 250."
Everyone fell silent. After a moment, Manuel, overwhelmed by the immense good news, laughed twistedly: "Hahaha, hey, hahaha..."
"I was wondering what kind of medicine the Ottoman Empire had taken to support the Crimean Khanate, whose stance is still unclear.
"I even thought that besides seeking foreign aid, there was no way to achieve final victory.
"So that's it, so that's it, hahaha, hahaha!" After a fierce outburst, the smile on his face turned somewhat sinister. "I originally thought that with Ottoman intervention, anything we did would be futile. Now it seems, that's not necessarily the case. Does Haji Giray think his victory is a foregone conclusion? But just as Solon answered Croesus back then, 'The gods often give humans a happy illusion, and then push them into the abyss of destruction.'"