"So, Amasya was given up in the end after all." After listening to Grand Vizier Nizamettin Pasha's personal report, Murad II stared at his subordinate with a somewhat somber expression.
Although this was within his acceptable range, he had, after all, served as the local Governor of Amasya, and Nizamettin Pasha of the Bey Halil family had also risen to prominence in Amasya.
Although nearly 70% of Amasya remained under Ottoman rule, its central city was ultimately ceded to the Bosporus Romans.
Moreover, the geographical location of Amasya was quite crucial…
"Sultan, how about we reclaim the area immediately after the war with Karaman ends?" Nizamettin Pasha's suggestion interrupted Murad's thoughts.
In response, Murad, after careful consideration, gave an ambiguous reply.
The war between Bosporus and Ottoman thus came to an end.
After concluding this war and personally overseeing the defense and reconstruction of the fortress, Manuel eagerly disbanded the ducat-consuming mercenaries and most of the conscripted militia in the following month, early February, retaining only enough troops to defend against enemies.
Currently, the total number of troops that Bosporus can flexibly call upon, including those still entrenched in Tauris, has sharply decreased to less than seven thousand.
In other words, this is Bosporus's weakest moment.
However, with Venice re-affirming the validity of their joint defense treaty and Lithuania as its still powerful de facto suzerain, the Autocratic State did not need to worry about other powers declaring war opportunistically.
Given this, upon returning to Trabzon, Manuel immediately began preparations to lead his troops back to the Tauris Peninsula to suppress the rebellion.
However, advice from his wife and collaborator, David Komnenos, forced him to postpone this trip.
"Do I need a coronation ceremony to signify that I have truly inherited the throne of Trabzon, to solidify my rule in Pontus?" In the Trabzon palace, Manuel suddenly recalled something upon hearing his wife's advice.
Indeed, upon reflection, ever since he led his army into Asia Minor, he had been overwhelmed by the constant warfare.
Aside from a brief interlude after the war with the White Sheep Dynasty, he had entrusted the economic and political affairs of Pontus to his subordinates and local officials.
If he were to immediately lead his army back to the Tauris Peninsula again, it would be difficult to say whether the locals in Trabzon would view him as a ruler or a conqueror.
Therefore, after careful consideration, he finally nodded prudently to his wife's suggestion, deciding to hold a simple yet solemn coronation ceremony.
After clarifying these matters, he looked at his wife, who had traveled from her homeland in Eastern Europe last autumn to be with him, and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion as he stood up and gently stroked her black hair.
"Thank you for handling the state affairs for me in Tauris all those years; it must have been tough." At this moment, Caesar, revered by thousands, let down his guard, and his voice became incredibly gentle.
Barbara was first startled by this, then smiled, her face slightly flushed, "I was going to say 'it was nothing,' but… well, never mind, at least by the grace of the Holy Mother, we made it through this difficult period."
Looking at his beloved's expression, Manuel couldn't help but feel a sense of daze, recalling their heart-to-heart conversation that night—
"Manuel, everything you just said, you were lying, weren't you?" At that time, facing her husband who was desperately hiding his true emotions, Barbara sighed softly and embraced him, "Because your eyes kept avoiding mine."
"Why are you so sharp about this, even though you're already a mother?" After his wife saw through his futile lies, the Manuel of that time finally dropped all his defenses in front of her, smiling helplessly, and then tightly clasped her hands.
"Isn't it normal to become sharper after becoming a mother?" Barbara whispered, teasing him.
"That's true," he, still troubled by the war, seemed to have found a confidant, and couldn't help but softly vent his true feelings to her, "To be honest, I'm quite afraid of the Ottoman.
It sounds a bit funny, but even though it's my first time facing the Ottoman head-on, I fear the Ottoman iron hooves just like you, who experienced the Siege of Constantinople in 1428.
It's still the same now; I fear defeat, I fear failure, afraid that all my efforts in Asia Minor will be like being thrown into the Black Sea and turning into a string of bubbles.
If only I were a fool who thought I could take on a hundred enemies, then I wouldn't despair from clearly knowing the difference between us and the enemy."
After saying all this incoherently, he couldn't help but hold his head and avert his gaze, "Ugh, I said it, and in front of my wife, no less.
It's over, I feel incredibly embarrassed right now…"
Before he could finish, he was tightly embraced by Barbara, "That's not true.
Willing to act for your ideals, willing to pay the price for them, willing to face an overwhelmingly powerful enemy.
Could anyone else in your position do the same!?
And also, I'm no longer immersed in those Frank knight novels from before.
Do you know why? Because in my heart, no matter who the protagonist is in those novels, they can't compare to you!"
After declaring this to her husband with such fervor, she couldn't help but hold her beloved in her arms even tighter.
It was only after a long while that she heard him say weakly, "Thank you, Barbara, but I'm suffocating…"
After she released him and he regained his composure, Manuel looked at his wife, who for some reason seemed distracted, and a hint of unintentional emotion showed in his eyes.
A moment later, he chuckled self-deprecatingly, "'Ideals'? That's more like ambition than ideals.
After all, who knows how many troublesome commoners on the Tauris Peninsula are cursing me right now."
"Peasants? That's completely irrelevant, isn't it?"
"No, no, no, at the very least, they have to honestly pay their taxes to me and not rebel, right?"
"That's true." Saying this, Barbara leaned closer to him again, then took the opportunity to move forward and kiss his lips.
She had wanted to do this ever since she had held him tightly earlier.
After a moment, when the kiss ended, Manuel was somewhat dazed, "I feel like my technique is rusty?"
"Of course," Barbara replied softly, "I haven't done anything like this, let alone more, since you left Tauris last year.
Rather, why would you comment like that? You haven't been indulging yourself every day in Asia Minor, have you?"
"How could I? I'm not a Muslim; how could I be so casual! And my standards aren't low; what kind of trash are those camp followers, what right do they have to be with me!?" When this topic came up, his incredibly thick skin, which had been tempered over time, finally flushed slightly.
"I feel like something's a bit off." Barbara thought for a moment, then decisively discarded those jumbled thoughts, "So, do you want to? Here."
Just as he was about to recall the taste of that night, he immediately, with some reluctance, cut off his memory and pulled his thoughts back to reality.
"Yes, everything has ended smoothly now.
At least for now." He smiled and held his wife even tighter, until he continued…
Half a month later, at noon, in the square of Trabzon—
"Finally, by the grace of God… I, Manuel Komnenos Gavras, Basileus of Trabzon, Lord of all Pontus, King of Armenian."
At this concise yet solemn coronation ceremony, Manuel finally proclaimed his absolute authority in Pontus to his Asia Minor subjects and allies, clarifying his titles on the southern coast of the Black Sea.
And during this ceremony, he also took the opportunity of being nominally the Basileus of Trabzon to elevate his self-address to "I" (royal 'I').
And Manuel Komnenos Gavras.
This was the new name Manuel adopted for himself after seeking his parents' opinions.
Though called a new name, it was actually just inserting his mother's surname, "Komnenos," between his given name "Manuel" and his surname "Gavras." This was a very common practice in that era.
For example, the Moria Despotate, whom he admired in his previous life and respected in this life, the future Constantine XI, had his mother's surname "Dragases" in his full name, "Constantine Dragases Palaiologos."
Just as Manuel was strengthening his authority through coronation in his Asia Minor territories, news of the Bosphorus Despotate's victory over the Ottoman gradually spread to other Christian countries.
"According to confirmed intelligence from the Black Sea consuls and merchants, our ally, Bosporus, has defeated the Ottoman.
Although there was an element of chance, we still hope that the Council of Ten can offer sufficiently wise insights and new perspectives for the Republic's commercial activities in the Black Sea." Inside the Venice Governors Office, the current Doge of Venice, Foscari, had convened the Council of Ten to discuss whether they should make some strategic adjustments.
Meanwhile, the two main rulers in Constantinople were discussing this privately, "An incredible victory.
Originally, we just wanted to huddle together for warmth.
Who would have thought, who would have thought, that our Brother-in-law truly has a knack.
Constantine, what do you think?" John VIII exclaimed with some surprise, posing the question to his most trusted brother.
To this, Moria Despotate Constantine remained silent.
After a while, he offered his thoughts, "Brother, we should try to strengthen our cooperation with them.
However, it seems we don't have much to offer, do we?"
On the other side, within the Kingdom of Hungary, in Transylvania across the Danube, a Hungarian noble of Wallachia descent today uncharacteristically wasn't inspecting his territory, honing his martial arts, or studying military tactics.
Instead, he was engrossed in studying the news of the Ottoman defeat and the Black Sea coastal Autocratic State, trying to extract key points from it.
"I truly want to quickly understand how these Bosporus Romans defeated those infidel Turks," Hunyadi János muttered, making notes that only he could understand.
Even in the heart of the Apennine Peninsula, in Rome, Pope Eugene IV had taken notice of this.
"Bosporus? They seem to be followers of the Greek Church, right?" The tall, thin Pope pondered in the Vatican Library, "Perhaps they can help with church reconciliation."
On the other hand, in the Kutahya area of Asia Minor, Murad II unexpectedly received new intelligence from captured Bosporus weapons, "New firearms different from the hand cannon? It seems worth studying thoroughly."