After hearing everyone promise not to leak the secret, Falero presented his strategy: "Even if we can't get the Venetian navy for now, we're not entirely helpless. The Principality has already purchased some warships from Venice, and with our existing stock and the ships captured from Kaffa, we don't have to just sit and wait for death. After all, our opponent this time is only the remaining part of the Kaffa Consul's territory. Besides," Falero said with a confident smile, "as a rigorously trained Venetian citizen, my ability as a naval commander is no worse than those Genoese."
His insights and proposed strategy helped everyone present recover from their anger and unease over the betrayal, regaining some confidence to continue discussing specific countermeasures.
During the rest of the meeting, Manuel also actively put forward his ideas and opinions, fulfilling his duties, but he seemed lost in thought.
After the meeting concluded and everyone departed, Alexius called out to Manuel before he could rush back to Kaffa.
"My child, there's something I feel I must tell you now," Alexius said gravely.
"What is it, Father?"
"Your fiancée has been missing from Constantinople for about two months. John VIII and his people are practically frantic searching for her, and they even sent someone specifically to ask if we've seen her. Manuel, do you have any idea?"
"I don't know," Manuel's skill at feigning ignorance was first-rate.
"Alright then," Alexius was not surprised by this. "If she has truly vanished, I'll have to arrange another marriage alliance for you."
"Father, I will send people to search diligently in the Kaffa area," Manuel said with a sincere expression. However, he planned to find a suitable time to tell his father the truth.
"Ah, that's good too."
After their conversation, Manuel, accompanied by a contingent of soldiers, swiftly returned to Kaffa. By the time he arrived, it was half a day after the meeting had ended, and night had fallen. After settling the soldiers with the accompanying officers, he returned to the temporary palace to rest.
The next morning, he quickly sent people to arrange a meeting with the city's key officials in the inner city wall area to discuss specific city defense matters and military deployments.
To get results promptly, it was about half an hour after Manuel arrived at the agreed-upon location at the appointed time that all the expected people finally gathered.
"It's already more than half an hour past our agreed time, isn't it?" Manuel asked in a normal tone, suppressing his displeasure.
"Indeed, the time of defending against the enemy is of great importance, and everyone should prioritize it," Michael Arno, who had arrived on time, echoed.
"Oh, Your Highness, we also have our own habits and businesses to manage, and didn't we discuss the preparations for defending against the enemy a few days ago? Today's detailed discussion is just to supplement details and confirm some matters, so it's fine if we are a little late, right?" A new nobleman, promoted from a local shipowner, spoke on behalf of the latecomers.
Manuel felt his blood pressure soaring. Although he tried his best to maintain a calm expression on his face, he was already cursing inwardly: "A bunch of insects, the first thing I'll do after the reforms is kick you all out!"
Just as he was about to speak, Isaac Arno, as if foreseeing something, angrily rebuked these "insects": "With a great enemy at our doorstep, you're still thinking about your small businesses? Do you think you'll fare well when the Genoese come in? Everyone here, think about it: we all took the place of those Ligurian people to be in these positions. Do you think the Genoese will let you off? If it weren't for His Highness and His Majesty, would we have the power we have today? Think about it!"
Manuel found this remark somewhat gratifying. "Although Isaac's words are too blunt, the general meaning is correct. With a great enemy before us, I ask everyone to prioritize the bigger picture."
Those who had been reprimanded then vaguely realized the grave mistake they had made and quickly offered their apologies. Manuel, to avoid any further issues, merely gave them a gentle reminder. Afterward, they began inspecting and arranging the city's defenses.
Looking at the towering and sturdy fortresses before him, Manuel couldn't help but marvel at Genoa's emphasis on Kaffa. These fortresses were strategically located at key points in the city, forming a pseudo-pattern that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. If one attempted to capture the city without sufficient troops, they would easily be caught in a pincer attack. Even with troops and artillery, if these clusters of fortresses were not conquered simultaneously, it would be easy to fall into a situation of strategic counterattack.
And these city walls, all solidly compacted with sturdy and durable concrete, with tightly fitted stone bricks that were extremely difficult to penetrate. Coupled with the Genoese's good maintenance, the entire city wall would be extremely difficult to breach unless from the inside.
Although Manuel had previously inspected the city's walls and fortresses, when he carefully examined them this time, he was still grateful that they had captured it from the inside rather than by direct assault from the outside.
"If the Genoese hadn't discriminated against the Eastern Orthodox in the city, we probably would never have gotten Kaffa in our lifetime," Manuel thought with a bitter smile.
Finally, based on their detailed on-site inspection and precise deployment, Manuel decided to assign 2000 militiamen to defend the city, while the remaining troops would serve as a mobile force for flexible scheduling.
"It still doesn't feel safe enough. Never mind, I'll just write a letter and ask Father to change the Philaka Legion's garrison to Kaffa," Manuel eventually thought.
In fact, he was completely overthinking it; the remaining forces of the Kaffa Consul were simply not enough to besiege the city. Here, Manuel was a bit too strict in his assessment of the enemy.
After they had made detailed arrangements, Manuel finally returned to the temporary palace, exhausted, ready to rest. Just then, Barbara had finished her morning bath and risen. Because she had sprinkled rose petals in her bath, there was a faint fragrance about her. Seeing his fatigue, she approached him with a touch of worry and asked,
"Manuel, you seem to be… Oh, Holy Mother above, you look so… When did you get up today?"
Manuel forced a gentle smile. "Probably before 7 o'clock; the monastery clock hadn't rung when I got up."
"You really should pay more attention to your health," Barbara said worriedly.
"It's fine, at most I'll just die from overwork," he replied indifferently, then turned to continue his work for the day.
"Death is a very serious matter; don't joke about it so casually."
"Alright, alright, but death is a very normal thing. For example, if a person is killed, he will die," Manuel responded helplessly.
"But you shouldn't keep talking about it! What if 'black death and powerful fate catch up to you'?" Barbara approached him, clearly displeased, leaning towards him.
"Then I suppose I'll go to the fields of Purgatory, 'where countless souls reside, the shades of the departed,'" Manuel quickly changed the subject. "Ah, Barbara, speaking of which, you seem to have a fragrance about you today."
"Ah, that's because I sprinkled some rose petals in my bath this morning. Hey, how did you smell it? Logically, at this distance…" It was then that Barbara realized that due to her initiative, the distance between their bodies was now closer than her little finger.
"Ah… oh!" Barbara quickly jumped back after realizing this, her face flushing. "That… that was… an accident," she explained, blushing.
"It's okay, you know, the distance between us will be negative in the future," Manuel said with a mischievous grin upon seeing her reaction.
"Pervert!"