After ten minutes of staring at the knight with the hooded helmet in the pouring rain, John closed the curtains of the car rather boredly. The golden silk swayed a graceful sound like a wind chime, but Kalujie's face was still not so good-looking.

Frederick III very generously fulfilled his promise by putting up a convoy of knights to send John to the border. But the actual intention is well known, just to prevent the empire from having other connections with traitors out of his sight.

"Your Majesty, did we really come to Vienna to plan an assassination?" Kalujie said with her head half-bowed.

John didn't know what kind of affection she had for Frederick, a theoretical blood relative, but John was certain that Carrouette didn't care about the Habsburg name. Even if she was a royal nobleman, I am afraid that in her eyes, Frederick was just a sinner who had caused her displacement.

"We need time to assess what we can do by getting involved." John made a very official statement.

Carujie was silent for a moment, and then suddenly changed her words: "Austria is not a safe place now. I think the worst-case scenario...... If the War of Succession breaks out, it will not be a good thing for the Empire. According to the character of that guy, Frederick would definitely try to avoid the outbreak of all-out war...... When the time comes, even if he kills you and Sophia in the Hofburg Imperial Palace, as long as he can preserve the Habsburg crown, he will definitely do it. ”

Carrouette's meaning is also very clear, cutting off Laszló V's support by any means is what Frederick has to do. At that time, even if Austria were to go to war with the Reich, it would be better than plunging the entire German Reich into chaos.

"Sister Kalujie, first of all, we must determine one thing. I am the princess of the Roman Empire, and second, Sophia Valleologo. ”

Kalujie looked at Sophia's unfluctuating pupils, and said with some doubts: "Your Royal Highness Princess, what does this mean......"

"I am willing to make all possible sacrifices for the sake of the Empire, even if it is my life. As long as all sacrifices can be exchanged for equivalent benefits. Sophia said indifferently, "I think, whether it is my father or His Majesty Constantine, they are the same. There is only one more city in Rome, and there is only one one man in Palaioria. ”

John looked at Sophia in a slightly shocked light. When I first met this girl, the lazy and indisputable attitude in the Slou garden was completely different from the one in front of her. He didn't know if the mood of the Roman citizens who were still in Constantinople had changed in the first place, but at least the Empire, with a hand stretched out from the coffin board, was now trying to kick the lid that pressed on it.

……

The battle on the Black Sea also took a dramatic turn at this time.

The Fourth Fleet's wall of fire at sea, built with Greek fire fuel, allowed the Ottoman fleet to retract its sails and rudders hundreds of meters away. It was only then that the Ottoman admirals remembered the weakness of the Greek fire range.

Apparently, Muhammad, having suffered numerous losses in the Aegean, also discovered the importance of artillery. When the Ottoman ship sideways the hull, Livia Scheer immediately changed tactics.

Although the Ottomans were still in the exploration stage for the development of naval artillery, and there was no talent like Urban, the solid projectiles smashed onto the deck, causing real damage.

The Fourth Fleet again dispersed. At this time, the number of ships on both sides was barely equal, but neither dared to make the first round of sideside salvos at such a delicate distance. After all, the interval between loading shells is enough to be beaten into a sieve by itself.

"Trabzon is still under siege pressure, and we need to solve these problems as soon as possible." Ossini said with some irritation.

After all, it had been a few days since the Komnenos brought the news, and in front of the Ottomans who had mastered the art of artillery, how long could they resist without any support for the Pontus Mountains and the walls of Trabzon?

"If the Ottomans don't take the initiative...... There is a good chance that we will be in a stalemate for quite some time. Their idea is probably to completely block the reinforcements at sea. "Livia's grip on the mast erupted, but he couldn't come up with a perfect way to destroy the Ottoman navy without sacrificing the fleet.

"And what about walking support near the shore?"

"We will be covered by indiscriminate Ottoman fire at the time of landing, and the transports will not have any maneuverability when unloading!"

It was close to noon, and the impenetrable wall was now wearing down the patience of Livia and Orsini.

"To stay like this is to watch Trabzon fall...... We need to make some trade-offs. ”

"As long as you can get the things on the transport ship onto the land of Pontus, it's worth the sacrifice!" Ossini jumped to his feet and said, "There is not much time! ”

"Raise the sail...... Full rudder leaned over. ”

"Leaning in?" Ossini looked at Livia incredulously, "Their guns are right on our men. ”

"I know. Suppress their decks with rockets. We'll have to make a gamble that their stone cannons won't sink us before we reach the range of Greek fire. ”

"What about the odds of winning?"

"Half ......"

Livia gave the order and prepared to get into the cabin without looking back. After all, the firepower configuration of the Fourth Fleet is not as good as that of the Phoenix Fleet, and it is impossible to use a small number of artillery to open up a position against the Ottoman ships, and the key to breaking the situation lies only in the ability of the sailors to control the ship under their feet.

"Wait...... Livia! What is that! ”

At noon, on the calm sea, it is easy to see the shadows approaching rapidly in the distance. If this is reinforcements for the Ottoman fleet...... Then the outcome of this naval battle has also been finalized.

"Lower the sails...... Even if Trabzon fell, the entire fleet and the soldiers on board could not go up to the burial. ”

"Lord Admiral! They are shooting at the Ottomans! The sailors on the observation deck shouted, "That's not the Ottomans, it's Nikephoros's ship!" ”

Trabzon certainly has its own fleet, but most of them are merchant ships and transport ships, and the combat power that can be formed is extremely limited.

The only old Clark oared battleship, which did not even have guns, is a fairly old ship type. Attacks can only be launched with arrows and ramming horns, as well as ship-borne catapults. But the fleet, which was freed from the shackles of the port of Trabzon, undoubtedly put the Ottoman navy in an extremely embarrassing situation at this time.

Enemy on the belly and back!

If the army can still form a two-sided formation in the face of such a situation, and the navy has finished firing on both sides, it will be no different from a lamb to the slaughter.

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