It was only mid-October when Manuel led his army to Cherkassk.
Having previously learned that the Golden Horde's numerous sieges had all ended in failure, Manuel, out of caution, brought several large-caliber cannons this time, intending to forcibly blast open the fortress with the power of firearms.
But when he personally led his army there, he was greatly disappointed: the enemy-controlled city fortress had fewer than a hundred defenders, and its defensive works were all made of wood or stone, with only arrows as a means of counterattack.
Aside from the peculiar terrain, everything else seemed completely vulnerable in his eyes.
"No, I cannot underestimate the enemy."
Even with this first impression, Manuel forced himself to remain vigilant.
To avoid any potential surprises, he still meticulously ordered the entire army to form ranks, then had the artillery continuously fire towards Cherkassk from a safe distance.
After about half a day of continuous bombardment of the target fortress, the Crimean defenders, who had intended to resist stubbornly, finally could not hold on and hastily surrendered.
"It was taken just like that?"
Looking at the Tatar soldiers kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy, Manuel felt an emptiness in his heart.
"It's like using a cannon to kill a mosquito, beautiful in its overkill.
"So what was the Golden Horde doing, failing to capture this dilapidated fortress city for one or two months?"
In truth, the Golden Horde cannot be entirely blamed, as the most crucial reason they had not yet captured the fortress was Cherkassk's terrain.
And because the Golden Horde army's understanding of firearms mostly remained half a century or even a century prior, they did not prioritize the use of cannons, making the capture of Cherkassk a strenuous task for them.
Furthermore, with the Crimean Khanate's defeat already certain, allowing the Cherkassk defenders to temporarily hold out there was not unacceptable; after all, the most troublesome and important task was still to capture or kill Haji Giray.
As for capturing Cherkassk, a comparatively less important matter, it naturally wasn't worth their effort.
However, it was also true that the Golden Horde's several sieges failed to take Cherkassk.
These reports, exaggerated through word of mouth, reached Theodoro, making Manuel believe the place was extremely important and difficult to conquer.
The result, under Theodoro's skilled use of artillery, was the somewhat absurd and comical scene unfolding now.
Regardless, Cherkassk, the Crimean Khanate's last stronghold in Theodoro, was thus captured.
Shortly after Theodoro took Cherkassk, roughly towards the end of the month, Falero suddenly sent someone to Manuel, informing him of a major discovery by the Principality's navy: the navy had captured several remnants of soldiers, suspected to be Haji Giray's, along the Kuba coast.
"Is the intelligence reliable?"
Hearing this, Manuel asked with a mixture of doubt and belief.
"Reporting to Your Highness, all the captured Tatars confessed everything they knew after questioning, including Giray's whereabouts.
Here is a summary of the interrogation report, please review it, Your Highness."
Upon saying this, the soldier quickly handed Manuel the report letter personally compiled by Falero.
Manuel skeptically took it, immediately opened it, and read through it.
After comparing it multiple times in his mind with the intelligence previously provided by the Dark Division, he confirmed the report's authenticity.
"Giray wants to escape to the Circassia mountains? He is truly persistent, but I will not let him get away."
Having made this resolution, Manuel immediately grew serious.
After commending the navy, he first sent messengers to the Golden Horde Khanate, the Adyghe Principality, and his brother Isaac, informing them of the matter and urging them to pay close attention to Giray's movements.
Then, he personally led his army on a forced march towards the remaining Kuba region of the Crimean Khanate.
Victory was within reach!