“There is no longer any meaning in holding the fortress.”
It was the first thing the prince said as soon as he gathered his ministers after barely regaining his composure. Even if they did not fully grasp his intentions, the fact remained—so long as the enemy had cannons, his words carried weight. The ministers nodded in agreement. The nature of warfare had changed, and fortress walls were no longer a reliable defense. Knowing this, a retreat to Corinth had to be executed.
But before continuing, the prince turned his gaze toward a man standing in the corner.
Adrianos.
The longest-serving minister, who had followed him under the orders of Emperor Manuel II and handled countless affairs. If they were to retreat to Corinth, Adrianos had to die. And he surely knew that as well. Yet, Adrianos merely stared at the prince with a calm, unwavering gaze.
In the end, the prince whispered, too softly for anyone else to hear—
“I’m sorry.”
Clenching his fists tightly, he turned back to the gathered ministers and continued.
“Even as Murad bombards the walls with his cannons, he has yet to launch a full-scale assault for one reason alone.”
“He’s trying to force a field battle.”
Francisco had guessed correctly. Murad had an extreme distaste to prolonged sieges and attritional warfare. A more conventional commander would have reluctantly continued the blockade, but Murad was different. He would do whatever it took to draw the defenders out. Given the way he had been led by Murad’s strategy thus far, the prince had naturally recognized the enemy’s intent.
“Once we step outside the walls, he will leave no room for retreat. He may have planted sympathizers inside Athens, or perhaps he plans to use his Sipahis to disrupt our rear.”
“Which direction do you plan to retreat?”
“The north.”
“Why?”
Francisco was not the only one seeking an explanation. Adrianos and Ivania remained silent, but their eyes were fixed on the prince, awaiting his answer. The prince slowly closed his eyes, envisioning Murad’s encirclement of Athens.
Apart from the heavily fortified northern gate, the surrounding siege lines were alarmingly thin. Why had Murad formed such an unbalanced encirclement?
A memory surfaced—the sight of Murad during a previous skirmish. The way he had met the sudden assault without a trace of panic, his cold, calculating resolve amidst the chaos. Many would have simply deemed him ruthless, but the prince had seen deeper—the restrained fury concealed within those eyes.
That, at last, revealed the answer.
What was there to hesitate over?
The prince responded.
“I must avoid Murad’s suspicion.”
“What suspicion?”
“Your Highness, why do you continue to keep your intentions hidden from us? Have our years of service still not earned your trust?”
Ivania’s voice carried an unmistakable note of hurt, but the prince’s resolve did not waver.
Who knew where Murad’s spies lurked? The Sultan had already detected Venetian intelligence efforts. If given even the slightest pretext, what was the worst that could happen?
Caution was unavoidable.
Yet deceiving those who had followed him loyally was not easy. After much deliberation, the prince chose to reveal only a fragment of the truth.
“I need to reinforce Murad’s belief that Epirus will not intervene in this war.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I don’t know exactly what Epirus’s inaction will mean or how Murad will interpret it. But what matters is that Murad’s primary target must be us, not Epirus. To ensure that, he must be convinced that Epirus will remain uninvolved. If he saw them as a threat, he would have gone after them first.”
Epirus had to serve as a bridgehead for an alliance with the West. If Murad’s invasion had become imminent before that, would Genoa have so readily formed an alliance? Perhaps, upon seeing Epirus in the midst of war preparations, they might have instead sought to eliminate the Empire’s influence there entirely. To counter such a move, a two-front strategy was essential. In the end, even if Morea was reluctant, it would have to march north to hold back Murad’s forces.
At first glance, it seemed as though this strategy favoured the Empire. But there was a fatal flaw.
To inflict real damage on Murad, Epirus would have to be sacrificed. They had to wait and observe until Murad advanced deep enough, as he might decide to turn back at any moment. However, if they rushed north too soon out of concern for Epirus, Murad would indeed retreat—just as he wanted.
“What does that have to do with heading north?”
“It will give Murad the impression that we are cornered and preparing for a final showdown.”
“…Your Highness? You’re not planning to take the battlefield yourself again, are you?”
“No.”
The prince bit his lower lip hard. A little more pressure, and the fragile flesh would burst.
Before stepping onto the battlefield in the past, he had reminded himself over and over—endure. He had even laughed. Smile while you can, because you won’t have the chance to later. It had been the right decision.
“…Only by making it seem like we are preparing for a decisive battle will Murad refrain from attacking before we can form our lines. What Murad must achieve in this war is a victory that demonstrates an overwhelming difference in martial prowess. His authority has already been shaken considerably—his only way to restore it is through an absolute triumph in open battle.”
Then, once more, the prince murmured to himself—
I’m sorry.
“—I will now explain the battle formation. Adrianos will command the center and the right flank. The rest will be positioned on the left flank. The right flank and center will each have 300 and 1,000 men, respectively. The left flank will place its cavalry forces at the forefront, forcing Murad to station infantry in anticipation of an assault on his right.”
Endure.
“The right flank has only one purpose—to hold back the Sipahis attempting to flank us. Their task is to tie down the charge that will inevitably target the center, even if only once.”
I must endure.
“In the meantime, the left flank will be divided into two units—one primarily infantry, the other cavalry. My cousin will lead the cavalry and attempt to maneuver around the enemy’s flank. Ivania, you will command the infantry. Pull back and maintain formation in the rear, making the enemy believe you are functioning as a reserve force while the cavalry, center, and right flank draw their attention.”
I must endure.
“And finally, when the center engages the enemy, Adrianos’ banner will fall. In case it is not clearly seen, a horn will also be sounded as a signal…”
To protect, one must abandon.
Feeling the weight of those words once again, the prince was forced to give the order he never wanted to utter.
“…All forces except the center and right flank will commence retreat.”
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