Within two days, the demand for manpower in the village of Bijes was extremely scarce. Whether it is the reconstruction of the village center or the restoration of the port of Yaweil, it will need to be filled with a large number of young people. Because of the reward system, the motivation of citizens is relatively high.

John and Sophia's series of initiatives in the village of Bijes also attracted displaced people from the surrounding towns, military towns and villages. The village of Bijes has a large number of immigrants. Jeffrey Barnes doesn't have a particularly good way to deal with this group of refugees.

The reception of these displaced people will have a great impact on the new order that has just emerged in the village of Biyes, and the vast majority of them have no desire to participate in production, but prefer to enjoy the various benefits brought by the village of Biyes.

Even though there was a lot of food hoarded in the barn in the wilderness outside the village, John definitely didn't want to go from a co-emperor to a philanthropist.

If there were more soldiers, these displaced people would be easier to deal with. Directly send troops to set up resettlement sites and manage them in a unified manner, so that they can exchange their physical strength for food. But the problem is that counting the maids, eunuchs, and attendants, there are only more than 30 people around John and Sophia, and they can't cope with the current situation at all.

"Giovanni, Giovanni......"

……

"Publius, Constantinople will be handed over to you."

The Golden Horn is calm at this time. Because of the existence of the Phoenix fleet, the Ottoman fleet finally gave up the idea of blockading the Bosphorus and chose to cruise in the East Aegean Sea. I don't know how the Ottoman sailors who saw the Ebius Radiance on the shore of Varna described the ship in front of Muhammad, but by mistake, it really made the Imperial fleet raise their eyebrows.

Now, the main force of the Phoenix fleet has been redivided, and in order to continue to ensure the safety of the Bosphorus, Constantine XI left half of the galleys and three large galleons of the Clark for the First Fleet of the Empire. Admiral Francisco of the Phoenix fleet now controls only four galleys, two Clark galleons, three transports, and the symbolic flagship of Ebius Radiance.

The total number of the Phoenix Legion's army is now 5,000, and it needs to be transported in two batches if it is transported by the Phoenix fleet. Francisco's plan was to send all the soldiers to Athens on two short voyages, and finally to the port of Aweer by Athenian transports and the transports of the Phoenix fleet.

Such a choice can minimize the loss of Ebius-Brilliant. Because of the huge hull and the large number of advanced navigation equipment and weapons, the maintenance fee for the flagship every year will put a lot of pressure on the imperial finances.

"General Giovanni, how is His Highness doing in Epirus?"

"Your Highness's letter didn't explain the specific situation, but since it was urged, there should be a lot of pressure. I know Your Highness...... Although he would make the most rational judgment of the current situation, he did not like to ask for reinforcements from the Empire unless it was the last moment. Giovanni sat on a wooden chair in the center of the cabin.

Francisco was pretty good at getting by, and the flagship's admiral's room was filled with craft rum and red wine, which I don't know if it was "taken" from the court.

In addition to these ages, the other supplies on board the Ebius Radiance were also abundant, and although Ebius Radiance had not experienced a single real voyage since its launch, these supplies alone could feed the fleet for more than a month.

Francisco was about to pick out a bottle of wine to rinse his mouth, but the door of the cabin was pushed open by a sailor.

"Lord Admiral, the fleet is about twenty degrees south to west, and an unflagged fleet is approaching us!"

"Here...... You should be in Athens soon, right? Francisco glanced at the charts on the table and removed the captain's half-brimmed hat from the coat rack next to him, "How's the scale?" ”

"The distance is farther, but judging by the degree of density, it should be no smaller than our fleet."

"Did the Ottomans come to us to avenge the Gulf of Varna?" Giovanni uncorked the wood and poured himself a glass first.

He had never seen a supership like the Ebius Radiance in Genoa, and he was confident in how strong it was.

But Francisco did not let his guard down. Even the strongest deck would have been shattered, he thought, "If it were the Ottomans, they would have hoisted the crescent flag on their fleet." This is true for ships of any country...... Unless, they don't want us to know who they are. There is only one possible ...... such a person"

"Oh?"

Giovanni put down his glass and looked at Francisco with interest.

"Pirates from North Africa...... Most likely Tunisian. The raiding of the coast and passing merchant ships was a common occurrence for them, and the intricacies of power in the Aegean Sea, Venice, Genoa, the Empire, the Ottomans, the Knights, Cyprus, this chaotic situation provided them with ample protection for their raids. They also suffered from the Ottoman occupation of Greece before. Only now, it's the turn of the Empire. ”

"It seems that the reinforcement and expansion of the sea wall should also be on the agenda......"

"How's it going, General Giovanni? Go to the deck and have a look? Francisco snatched the glass from Giovanni's hand and drank the rest of the rum.

"Do you want to ...... Fight with them? ”

"No flags are hoisted, and they are treated as pirates. I think everyone's attitude towards pirates is the same. Besides, if they are going to settle Athens, then the Duke of Latius owes us a great favor. Francisco laughed, "Tell the lads, let the transport ship evade for the time being, and for the rest, the whole ship is full sails and full ammunition!" ”

The Ebius-Radiance was extremely fast at full sail with a tailwind, and the entire fleet had to adopt a diamond-shaped array due to the prominence of the flagship.

As the two fleets drew closer, Francisco on the deck was even more certain that the other was a pirate from Tunisia!

The Ottomans themselves were in the piracy business, with the Barbary pirates being notorious for their privateer fleets throughout the Mediterranean, while the Tunisian pirates, although relatively small, were generally less likely to engage in head-to-head exchanges at sea because their ships moved quickly.

Like today, pirates of the same size as the Phoenix fleet can be said to be the elite of the elite. Tunisians have been coveting the port of Piraeus in Athens for a long time.

"Get ready for battle! The broadside gun is in place! ”