"So, what about the time of the surprise attack?" Alexius asked.
Manuel fell silent, as he hadn't considered that question.
At this moment, Olgierdovich of the Rus Heavy Axemen recommended someone to them. "Your Majesty, perhaps my adjutant, Dmitri Tukharovsky, has some useful ideas. When we were in Lithuania, he devised a plan to take down a large Tatar stronghold within our territory. It was for this achievement that he became my adjutant."
"Then, please, let him try."
Soon after, Tukharovsky, who was only a year older than Manuel, entered the camp. After saluting, he proposed to the high-ranking officials:
"Your Majesty, this question is simple. We first observe their routines, then launch a surprise attack when their guards are changing shifts," he said with a serious expression.
After a moment of thought, everyone nodded in agreement.
The next day, Melo informed the high-ranking officials in the city hall with a worried expression: "The Theodoro Army shows no signs of retreating, and the number of troops blocking us has increased."
Grimaldi pulled out a few white hairs that had just grown out yesterday with his left hand and asked, "Is there any difference in the strength of their encirclement?"
"According to the observations of the city guards, the forces in the south currently appear to be far superior to those in other areas."
Grimaldi hesitated for a long time before making his countermeasure. "Concentrate our forces to defend the south, and add more troops to defend the coastline. They are very likely to land, just like us."
"Yes, Your Excellency," Melo replied, then turned to arrange the coastal defenses.
"Your Excellency, regarding communication with the mainland…" Asereto asked.
"We can't get out. Our coastline is blockaded. Matrega and Tana don't seem to have reacted yet," Grimaldi said with a bitter, pale smile. "However, once they do react, they will definitely ask the mainland for help. As long as the mainland sends troops to aid us, we will be safe, and this month's nightmare will be over…"
Everyone was silent, but what Grimaldi said was exactly what they were thinking: at this point, they only had one thought in their minds: "hold on."
It was with this thought that these Ligurian people began to defend the city with their backs against the wall. However, the Eastern Orthodox people in the city had the opposite idea: what do the lives of you Catholics have to do with us Eastern Orthodox? But under the enemy's swords, any thoughts could only be suppressed.
By the afternoon, everyone in the city felt exhausted, because Theodoro's attacks were, or rather, completely deliberate: low-intensity but high-frequency sieges. Although the casualties on both sides were not high, the defending side was already extremely tired. Theodoro could rotate fresh troops for a wheel battle, but out of caution towards the Eastern Orthodox people in the city, the Kaffa Consul and his men dared not entrust the arduous task of defending the city to the locally conscripted soldiers, only daring to use the soldiers from Liguria. This meant that guards who had just finished their shift had to return to defending the city shortly after.
"If this continues, it will mostly consume Catholic soldiers," Melo said with a worried frown, stroking his somewhat disheveled goatee. "Fortunately, Theodoro's army is currently concentrated in the south," he thought with some relief. "It seems they are still wary of Tatar raids and have not risked attacking the more sparsely defended northern line."
Unfortunately, what you don't want often comes to pass.
Just as dusk approached that day, the guards in the north, seeing their next shift approaching the city wall, subconsciously relaxed.
"It's still easy in the north. Almost a whole day has passed, and there's no sign of enemy troops," a yellow-haired soldier said with a laugh to a soldier coming to relieve him.
"Yes, just hold on for a few more days, and the mainland's reinforcements should be…" The relief soldier's words were cut short by a loud explosion, knocking down some who were still peering over the city wall.
"What's going on?"
"It's an enemy attack, quickly call the General!" A soldier who realized the situation reacted by shouting.
"But the General is eating in the city right now."
Thus, in a state of chaos, accompanied by the sounds of siege cannons and trebuchets, a large breach appeared in the already fragile north wall. Theodoro's siege forces surged in, cutting down and wounding the soldiers who did not surrender.
After the Theodoro Army entered the city, the local Eastern Orthodox people, who were already dissatisfied with the Ligurian upper class, were initially fearful, but under the enemy's friendly attitude, they immediately defected, guiding them: "Sir, take the city hall first, and these heretics will be powerless. The city hall's location? Sir, this way."
Bad news always travels fast. Within half an hour, Melo learned of the matter and rushed to the city hall where the high-ranking officials were to inform them. But when he arrived, he found that they had already packed their bags—in the matter of escape, the high-ranking officials led by the Kaffa Consul always had an extraordinary talent.
Melo sighed inwardly and immediately joined their group. As for the remaining defenses? Don't be ridiculous, the northern defense line had been breached, was there any need to hold out elsewhere?
Even the General had abandoned the defense line, so there was no hope for the middle and lower-ranking officers. After learning that the northern city wall had been breached and the General had seemingly disappeared, the southern defense line also collapsed, leaving only the coastal defense line that the high-ranking officials had specially prepared beforehand, still barely holding on.
After the Philaka Legion under Manuel entered the city, they began to maintain basic order, preventing other soldiers from looting the Eastern Orthodox people, and deliberately slowing down the search for the Kaffa Consul and his party.
The reason, according to intelligence provided by Guney, who had been an undercover agent in Kaffa for many years, was that the current Kaffa Consul, Paolo Grimaldi, was not only a crony but also an incompetent good-for-nothing. This inspired them: why not keep this useless person to cause trouble for Genoa? After all, you don't fear an opponent like a god, but an ally like a pig. This enemy's pig-like ally's current actions were completely helping Theodoro.
It was also under this tacit understanding that Falero's navy, upon discovering a small boat full of guards, only offered a superficial obstruction before letting them go. This boat indeed carried the Kaffa high-ranking officials led by Grimaldi, who were still celebrating their astonishing good luck. It was already evening by this time.
In the evening, the Theodoro Army finally successfully stormed the city hall. The high-ranking officials who did not manage to escape, led by Alessandro Asereto, were imprisoned if they had some status. Those of lower status and poor reputation were dragged to the central square, their crimes were read aloud, and they were executed on the spot to appease the common people.
The next morning, the flag of the Theodoro Principality was raised over Cheleki City, marking the complete loss of Genoa's strongholds on the Crimean Peninsula.
This day was February 24, 1428, less than a month after the Kaffa civil unrest.