So Alexios, on his way to the march, prayed to the Lord, to the Ancestors, and to St. Theodore, and sent letters to Venice and Zatar like snowflakes, asking Feller and Berdin to send troops as soon as possible, to stop Gawain in Rasnia, and to trap the rampaging brown bear, even if they could not destroy the Red Hand.

But the development of events has exceeded the emperor's foresight and control.

On May 11, in the synagogue of the Venetian consuls, Feleille, wearing a golden hoop hat, stood on a podium made of Dalmatian pines, and in front of him stood the councillors and representatives of the public of the city-state, "What if Venice loses the Adriatic? ”

There was a loud ** sound below, indicating that everyone was unacceptable to this result.

"Yes, we cannot tolerate sharing this beautiful blue ocean with other maritime states, so after urgent consultation with the Advisory Group, I have decided to work with the Governor of Bari City, Grand Duke Stephen. Gawain joined forces and dispatched seventy galleys, and needed a commission to hire a smug land company to besiege the city of Za'tar with Gawain. This will be a crucial step for the state to dominate the Adriatic Sea, and we must distinguish between our allies and our enemies. After Feller had finished the resolution succinctly, he slammed the hammer on the podium.

The following quickly became a sensation, and the majority of the councillors agreed with the consul's plan, and they were discussing and voting among themselves on which company to hire to go to Za'tar, because most of the merchants hated Za'tar in their hearts, and its location was too close to the gates of Venice, and its prince Constantine. Berdin's ambitions were also too great, and the rivalry between the two city-states in commerce was also the main color.

Some lawmakers also expressed dissatisfaction. They shouted to the consul, "Why can't Venice stay out of it at this moment?" Why can't we use merchant ships for greater good? ”

"Honorable ladies and gentlemen. No copper plate is born out of thin air in the world, you have one more. The other side will have one less, so there will always be more enemies than friends. My move, so to speak, laid the foundation for the prosperity of Venice for the next thirty years, and Za'tar must be destroyed. If you still have any doubts, then I can tell you that I am the commander of this expeditionary force, and I personally went to command the battle under the city of Za'tar. Félaier replied ambitiously and sophisticatedly.

Eventually, the Grand Senate approved the plan, and the "Razor Company," with 500 hoplites and 700 crossbowmen, was chosen. Its commander is called Gonletto. Salgimons's old and spicy adventurer, who and his company of mercenaries have been working for various employers in Pavia and Flailai, and whose contract with Henry IV has only recently expired, is also a distinguished feature for never keeping a prisoner after victory.

"Then, hoist the St. Mark's Lion Banner on the mast of my flagship, and prepare to go on the march!" Fellaier waved his hand and commanded.

Borage on both sides of the mountain. The Redhand Company and the Za'tar army were still facing off, and Gawain extorted 3,000 small silver coins minted in Venice as money for the redemption of the corpse by the Berding side, and then Gawain held a "small reward party" in the camp. The money was given to the soldiers as a prize, and after the company of craftsmen arrived, the fortified camp on the slopes of the Stoned Valley began to be erected (and not on the ground). Fearing the plague in the muddy fields of the estuary), the servants also began to fence off the cattle that provided meat and milk in the stormy open at the mouth of the valley. And walk the horse with a rope and release the eagle.

Gawain was completely calm, and Berding was only then able to judge accurately: the supplies of the Red Hand Brigade were very sufficient. And there are still goods from the sea.

But he couldn't retreat, because he was afraid that the elite cavalry in Gawain's hands would pursue and seize his military baggage.

Until an urgent letter arrives from the city of Zata: the cunning Venetians have sent troops!

"Bastard, appeal to Emperor Komnenos, strip the Dalmatian nobility of Fleeyer of his title, and tell the Emperor's soldiers and horses to come in as soon as possible - no, no, Alexios sees me like a thorn in his side." Burdin was so agitated that he was incoherent.

If the Emperor's army entered Rassnia and Zahrunia, it would be even more difficult to send them away - Bertin had been able to maintain his independence for twenty years thanks to the Kormnenian whip, and if he had now come face to face with Komnenia, the Roman Emperor would not hesitate to defeat him, chaining him to a dog and humiliating him in front of the Grand Palace in Constantinople.

"First take your army back to Puskoje, the place of our foundation, where Your Highness and your father were crowned. The fortress was close to the gathering place of the various tribes, and was surrounded by mountains and rivers, and its walls were strong, and it would not be long before Gawain and the Venetians left. Chancellor Radomir suggested.

But Berdeen was not reconciled: Za'tar is the best harbor in the whole kingdom, and the foundation of money, if we discard it, if we give it to Gawain, the other party will loot at most, and then leave; But it would be troublesome for the Venetians to take possession of Za'tar, to crush this 'beautiful girl' of the Adriatic Sea and to rape her, to establish a colony on it, and to garrison an army, and then it would be even more difficult to take it back.

"After leaving behind the palace of the prince's guard, I will take the rest of the troops and quickly withdraw to Za'a City to set up defenses! Rest assured, this harbor city is so strong that this prince will not give it up to the lagoon robbers easily. ”

On the second day, Gawain yawned and stretched out of his tent, and Sabina and Quicksilver both ran over to flatter him, Gawain patted this and touched that, and soothed both of them, and saw that on the other side of the valley, Za'tar's army began to retreat down the street, and the prince's guard of Yishui, with its conspicuous armor, stood in front of Gaofu in a strict formation.

Anderodat held on to the pen and paper, and half-knelt before him, asking for orders from the Grand Duke.

"Our army pulled out the camp and followed behind the Za'tars, and the whole army guaranteed good food, and then the archers turned forward, and the cavalry followed behind, and continued to advance towards the city of Za'tar." Gawain laughed, unconcerned.

In the coastal passage to Za'tar City, the Prince's Guard retreated about eight guli a day, and Gawain's Red Hand Dalian advanced six guli, and then there were sporadic and low-intensity bow battles between the two sides.

A few days later, the Red Hand Brigade arrived in front of the city of Za'tar, and were greeted by a ring of hills to the east of the city, on which stood four huge fortresses, connected by walls, each with gates and moats, and steep and narrow mountain paths leading below.

The Red Hand Brigade was in formation in the plains under the mountains, and when Gawain saw this formation, he knew that it was impossible to take the harbor city from this side, but now the military situation was that the whole of Venice had sent almost all the elite, seventy galleys, ten thousand sailors, and an elite company of mercenaries, even the Doge Consul himself in command.

"We, the Dalian team, are bound to join forces with Fellaiyah to take this city, because by taking the city of Za'tar, the Dalian team will be developed, and after that, there will be no big battle against the Slavs in the entire Rassnia and Sava River area." In the tent of the Grand Duke's camp, Gawain finished his order, shook the scepter of the horse's head, and said to the brotherhood and the generals, and then he saw that everyone looked strange, and then he suddenly remembered in his heart, so he added a tail, "The supplies of the city of Bari will also be sent smoothly by sea, and the road to the Lord of Hajj can be opened up again." Now he was relieved to see the members of the brotherhood: after all, we are a pilgrimage, not out to fight the autumn wind.

"No, no, no, it's going to be hard to take down Za'tar, and as a sailor, I'm very familiar with the terrain." Now, Andreev. Yergo got up and said, and then he made an analogy with his finger on the sand table, "It is not enough to take these four fortresses and climb over the mountains." At the headland where Za''tar was connected to the land, a trench was dug and cut cross-cut, and the sea poured into it, and there was a wall on it, so that even if we had ships, we would not be able to take it, because it was so narrow that even the people of Za'tar himself had to cross the bridge above when they came out to land. ”

"Then you can talk about it again, the lesson of the enemy is at hand, Bohemond has attacked Amalfi City for several months, and he has not been able to take it down." Gawain's mood was also heavy at the moment, and what he said just now was not so much a strategy as it was just a morale boost.

In this era, Gawain is eager to master a few technologies in his own world, if there is a heavy artillery or something like that, the fortress of Zata City will be overturned in a few shots, and then the army will wave its battle flags and swarm in, and Berdin in the city will bend his knees to negotiate peace. But he understands better that now these are all delusions.

"Not a big man, Amalfi and Za'tar are different." Andreev's words suddenly aroused Gawain's entry point, so the Grand Duke touched his chin and looked carefully at the sand table model of Za'tar City in front of him, this was made by Giovanni, which was obviously inferior to Diognis's in terms of fineness, but it was also useful, while trying to recall the appearance of Amalfi City.

"The city of Amalfi itself is surrounded by a headland and mountains, and the headland over there also provides him with the equivalent of a city wall, so the fleet of the Pisan people is only reaching the headland, and cannot directly attack the city, and Bohemond on land gnaws at the mountain fortress, so he has only been besieging for a few months and still failed to get it" Gawain thought secretly, "And the city of Za'ta, its narrow headland, is much smaller than Amalfi's, connected to the land, more like a trail than a natural sea barrier. In addition, on the island where the city of Za'tar is located, there is a long U-shaped harbor between it and the mainland."

As he spoke, Gawain's fingers twisted around a few times, and his eyes began to burn, "Brothers, we will have something to do soon!" As he spoke, he couldn't help but snap his fingers, stunned Giovanni, who was standing next to him. (To be continued.) )