Normally, Imperial soldiers on duty at Paril Pass would rush to the tavern in a nearby town as soon as they changed the guard. After the Imperial Army crossed the Strait of Marmara, an abandoned shack was transformed into this look. Under an old oak tree lay long tables where a few part-time bathhouse workers would wait to see which warrior would be favored.

"What's that sound?" The drunken woman burped and barely stood up, "Those Greeks haven't been here for a few days, could it be that there is a big movement today?" ”

"They never come on horseback when they drink...... It's even more unlikely that she is still wearing a turtleshell-like full-body armor......" A young girl with slightly better eyes had already stood up.

The sound of horses' hooves is getting closer and closer, and the earth is trembling under the moon. This must have been an extremely large army, and their goal was self-evident - the Paril Pass was only a few dozen miles away from Fort Cutthroat. The perimeter of defense, which had been penetrated to the ground, had never had much hope in itself.

"Wait...... Wait a minute...... Orfina! Come on! Come on! It's the cavalry of the Ottomans! ”

As the bonfire in the courtyard was doused with blood spurting from the throats of the nightingales, the prelude to the war was officially opened.

……

"Just one night?"

"Your Majesty, it should even be just a staggered between. A patrol of more than a dozen people organized by the townspeople is probably not enough for an Ottoman regiment of this size. ”

It was only when the cold sunlight pierced the darkness through the Anatolian mountains that Ossini received the first report of the loss of the Paril Pass, and by this time, the Sipahi cavalry, who had arrived in the twilight, had already confronted the guards defending the city for several hours. Although the guards had already lit the beacon smoke, everyone understood that the Cut Throat Fort was now an isolated city.

This dark wolf smoke is probably just a message to the transport fleets on the Marmara Sea - to prepare to withdraw their troops and try to preserve the vitality of the empire.

"Brother, it shouldn't make much sense to cause casualties of any level here. From the beginning of the Ottoman build-up, it should only be a matter of time before the Cut Throat Forts change hands. ”

As far as the eye can see, the lineup released by the Ottomans is not unluxurious. Not just the regular mixed light infantry, the Janissaries were clearly recognizable in the crowd. Even、Perhaps, to prevent the Imperial Legion from raiding outwards or launching a counter-charge, a large number of Sipahi Knights. These cavalrymen were better equipped and better trained. Although the Empire's reconquest of the Balkans reduced the number of these non-hereditary petty nobles sharply, the number of soldiers they paid tribute to Mehmed II remained at a staggering order of magnitude.

"I'm not worried about whose belly this chicken rib ends up in the end, my dear Sophia......" John propped his hands on the inner edge of the wall, his expression indifferent.

Since the Ottomans were so determined to drive the Empire's troops out of Anatolia, it was only natural for the Empire to back down a little. It's just that the way to back down needs to be planned separately.

"Since Sipahi is coming on a hurried march, the slow-moving artillery and large siege equipment should still be on the way. Your Majesty, I believe that if the assault is unfavorable, Muhammad will absolutely destroy this fortress directly by all means. They are not as thriving as we think, and they are also unable to sustain the constant number of casualties. Osini estimated that the Ottomans did not have a strong desire to attack at the moment. They only broke through the outer defenses of the empire as fast as they could, and at this time, their actions were still to cut down the trees and then build the barracks.

To others, this was a clear signal for siege warfare.

"It's hard to say."

"Can't say?"

"Osini, you are the commander of the defense of Trabzon, and you should know best what the Ottomans' elite legions suffered in that fire. Whether it is the Janissaries or the Sipahi, the training cycle they need is not comparable to that of an ordinary peasant soldier. Today's Ottomans are no longer the huge empire that is thriving. The barren lands of the Anatolian plateau could not have given them a constant supply of high-quality soldiers. ”

The pagans' every move can be seen clearly from the city walls. Although they camped far beyond the range of bows and arrows, for the cavalry, it was a great way to launch a surprise attack at this distance and rush into the camp.

"Your Majesty, it is true that the Ottoman army has lost most of its strength at Trabzon, but it is entirely possible that they will mobilize other elites from the east and even the southern frontier to participate in this war. Mehmed II had the courage to rely solely on Ottoman prestige to intimidate the frontier. Orsini was clearly still a little worried. It may not sound good to say that you are fleeing from the battle, but it is even more unacceptable to consume precious soldiers in vain because you are waiting for reinforcements.

John rubbed his eyebrows and said helplessly: "It is precisely because Muhammad is too clever and bold that I feel that something is wrong. The storming of the Cut Throat Fort itself would not have taken much time for the well-prepared Ottomans, but the number of men transferred by Muhammad was not up to the limit...... In terms of assault, it is certainly not enough to climb the city wall, but if we take the initiative to break through, we will definitely be forced to retreat. It's more like a ...... than an attack on a Cutthroat Fort Trapping us in Cutthroat Fort, we are in a dilemma. ”

"This ......," Ossini snapped his head and woke up, "yes, we can't send out support, and we can't evacuate by boat, otherwise the Ottomans will be able to get a fortress with the ability to limit the sea." If we mobilize legions to support Cutthroat, they can redeploy their forces and drain our supplies...... Muhammad's tactics were, on the contrary, drawing our own ground. ”

"And that's not the most important thing." Sophia said with a solemn expression, "Since the troops deployed by Muhammad in the Cut Throat Fort are not at all broken, it means that on the coast of Asia Minor, they can have more sufficient troops to deploy defense, and the attack of the Imperial Legion may be difficult." ”

"Your Majesty...... Are we going to withdraw our troops? Even if the Cut Throat Fortress misses, we must not allow other legions to suffer unnecessary losses. Give up the attack, His Majesty Basilius should be able to understand......"

"Osini, at this time, we should believe the coyote's nose, not to mention, at this time, the smell of blood may have already dispersed." John was still somewhat serious, but it was clear that Muhammad's response had not yet left him at a loss.

"The Knights, the Egyptians, the Jihanger of Aries, and the grandson of the Emir of Kara...... I'm afraid no one can stand this loneliness. Dying beast, who wouldn't want to take a bite of sweet meat on it? ”

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