Izmit, which the Greeks called Nicomedia, briefly served as the Eastern capital of the Roman Empire during the Tetrarchy before the capital was moved to Constantinople, not far across the strait.
Therefore, it can be said that this was one of the most important cities in northern Asia Minor.
This was once an important transit point for Western armies during the First and Second Crusades, and after the Fourth Crusade, it was ruled by the Latin Empire for over thirty years until it was occupied by the Nicaea Empire.
In the last century, the Ottomans twice besieged this city and successfully captured it after a seven-year siege, completely expelling the Eastern Roman Empire from the Anatolia region.
In the early part of this century, taking advantage of Timur's God-given opportunity to completely crush the Ottoman Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire briefly recaptured this important Sea of Marmara port city, but the Ottomans quickly reclaimed it after their civil war ended.
More than forty years later, the armies of Christendom once again visited this prosperous and wealthy city.
"Nicomedia, all roads from the East to Constantinople eventually converge here.
Due to the city's important strategic position, it not only developed into a prosperous trading port but also a heavily fortified military stronghold.
From the time of the East Roman Emperor Alexios I, this place has always been a focal point of contention between the East Romans and the Turks, as well as an important forward base.
If we can capture this city, then the safety of Constantinople will be assured, and we can also gain a foothold in Asia Minor to continue our confrontation with the Ottomans."
In the Crusader siege camp outside Izmit, Laszlo was introducing the city they were about to besiege to the generals gathered in the tent.
The generals were not particularly interested in the historical origins of the city, but they quickly noticed that Izmit, as described by the Emperor, was a prosperous and wealthy city, located at a crucial node of the East-West land trade routes.
In Constantinople, they had not been able to extract much wealth from the impoverished citizens, who were too poor to squeeze any oil from; now that they were in Asia Minor, their biggest goal was to make money, and incidentally, defeat the Ottomans to defend a frontier of faith that no longer really needed defending.
After all, the frontier of roman catholicism was constantly expanding eastward, already on the verge of spreading into Asian lands, and there was no sign of it being threatened at all—unless the Pope or the Emperor suffered from persecution delusions.
Upon hearing that taking Izmit might offer a chance to make a large profit, everyone's spirits lifted.
"Your Majesty, and gentlemen, according to intelligence provided by Genoa, the Ottoman Sultan has been continuously strengthening the defenses of various cities in western Asia Minor during the several months we besieged Constantinople, and Izmit is one of the most important strategic locations for the Ottomans.
It is important to know that this was formerly a core military fortress of the Eastern Roman Empire, and with that foundation, coupled with the Ottomans' recent continuous strengthening of defenses and increased garrisons, we will certainly not be able to take this city easily."
Marquis William of Montferrat warned everyone.
The current Crusaders were not like those who besieged Constantinople, who had an almost inexhaustible supply of cannon fodder that could be replenished at any time.
The streamlined Crusaders were entirely composed of the core forces under the various kings and lords participating in the Crusade; excessive losses might lead to unexpected situations, so the previous large-scale siege warfare was not the most suitable option.
King of Naples Ferdinando, standing beside Laszlo, was dismissive of William's words.
"No matter how strong this city is, can it compare to Constantinople? We overcame such difficult circumstances; will we be tripped by a small stone here?"
He, like many participants in the Crusade, had fallen into a blind self-confidence, believing that the current Ottoman Empire had become so weak that it was powerless to stop the Crusaders' advance.
This King of Naples, who only fought favorable battles, had not truly experienced the threat posed by the Ottomans; if the enemy were France, Laszlo was certain he would never dare to speak so arrogantly.
However, judging by the reactions of the other generals present, they also seemed to agree with Ferdinando's statement; after all, they had just recently captured what they considered the most strongly fortified city.
"I am glad to see that everyone has finally overcome their fear of the Ottomans, but a truly wise commander should face his enemy squarely.
Mehmed II, for various reasons, did not use his most elite Janissaries to defend Constantinople, so he still has at least one powerful Imperial Guard unit at his disposal.
At the same time, we must not underestimate the religious fervor of the Infidels; perhaps they will reassemble an army under the call of a holy war to block our advance.
Before the final decisive battle with Mehmed II, I do not wish the Crusaders to suffer too many losses.
Therefore, all of you should lead your armies to prepare for a long siege, and the naval blockade by the Crusader Fleet must not be relaxed in any way."
Laszlo quickly made a decision, and at his reminder, everyone realized that Mehmed II still had a trick up his sleeve.
If the Crusaders rushed forward recklessly along the way, regardless of casualties, they might lose a large amount of their effective strength, and morale would continuously decline with increasing casualties.
At that point, Mehmed II would only need to wait for them to tire out and could then decisively repel the Crusaders.
They now held the advantage, and there was no doubt that the Emperor's preferred method of fighting, advancing step by step and steadily, was the most effective at present.
Those who were still willing to follow the Emperor into Asia Minor basically had no worries.
Through years of effort, the Emperor had brought widespread peace to the entire Balkans, Hungary, the Empire, and Italy.
At the same time, France, the greatest challenger to the European order, was now restrained by the Duke of Burgundy and unable to cause trouble everywhere, so the Crusader commanders basically did not need to worry about the situation in their rear.
Thus, time was on their side, because the Ottoman Empire was now facing more than just the Crusaders.
After the commanders each received their orders and departed, Laszlo immediately began preparing his other plan.
Just as he had used a stratagem under the walls of Constantinople more than a decade ago, this time he also intended to use diplomatic means to put Mehmed in a dilemma.
Soon after, two messengers departed from the Emperor's camp; one took a fast ship to Lesbos Island to contact the Genoese, and the other returned to Constantinople to deliver a secret letter to Patriarch Bessarion, who was overseeing the conversion of the city's mosques.
Having done all this, Laszlo then devoted his energy to military operations.
At his request, the Crusader siege camp was reinforced daily, not only to contain the city's defenders but also to guard against attacks from external Ottoman reinforcements.
If it weren't for the enormous amount of work involved, Laszlo would have even wanted the Crusaders to build a wall outside the city to completely cut off Izmit's communication with the outside world.
According to the intelligence he received, Mehmed II had ordered nearly two thousand reinforcements to garrison the city before the Crusaders arrived, and the size of the city's defenders was likely around three thousand.
With such a defending force, coupled with parts of the city walls that had recently been reinforced and thickened, forcibly taking the city would undoubtedly come at a heavy cost.
Therefore, Laszlo was not in a hurry to capture the place; he intended to lure Mehmed II here and see if the ambitious Sultan would lose his composure and lead his army to a decisive battle with him.
Under normal circumstances, a cautious man like Mehmed would never fight a battle without absolute certainty; even a balanced war would make him hesitate for a long time, let alone now when the Crusaders' strength was somewhat superior to his.
However, Laszlo had already made arrangements, and soon Mehmed II would have reasons to make aggressive decisions.
In central Anatolia, near the city of Konya on the front line between the Ottoman Empire and the Karaman Beylik, in the Karaman camp, some soldiers were gathered around the quartermaster, waiting to receive newly arrived military supplies.
After the quartermaster inspected the quantity and condition of the military supplies, he promptly handed a large sum of money to the pot-bellied merchant standing nearby.
As the two sides had been cooperating for several years, these procedures were already familiar, and only the new recruits gathered nearby curiously observed the merchant, whose attire and appearance were quite peculiar.
Even the most inexperienced Karaman soldier knew that this man was clearly a Christian who believed in God.
Because Armenians constituted a relatively high proportion of the Karaman army, especially Bilal Ahmed's Imperial Guard, which was almost entirely composed of Armenians, they did not reject Christians as much as many people imagined.
Especially when these new recruits learned from the veterans that these Christians from Genoa and Austria had been supplying them with weapons to fight the Ottomans for the past two years, their gaze towards the Christian merchant no longer held hostility.
After the handover of military supplies was completed, Benedetto, the Genoese merchant responsible for this matter, quickly left the messy quartermaster's office; he disliked the feeling of being watched like a monkey by so many people.
Prince Kasim, who had been waiting nearby for him, immediately greeted him warmly as soon as he came out.
"Thank you again for your help, my dear friend. You like to say that on your side, don't you?"
The young Prince Kasim, beaming, teased Benedetto.
This made Benedetto feel a bit emotional; a few years ago, when he first met the prince, his face had always been gloomy, looking deeply resentful.
At that time, the Ottomans had just overrun half of the Karaman Beylik, and it seemed they were about to annihilate the Karaman people.
This extraordinarily brave prince, when his elder brother Bilal Ahmed's army retreated in defeat, single-handedly organized a considerable resistance force in the occupied territory to harass the Ottoman rear, and even launched a desperate raid on Ankara.
That raid was eventually easily crushed by the Ottomans, and Prince Kasim returned to his brother's side, shrouded in the gloom of hatred day after day.
Now, more than half of the lost Karaman territory has been recovered, and Prince Kasim's burden has finally been lifted; the only regret is that Konya, the important northern stronghold of Karaman, remains under Ottoman control.
Before the Crusade was launched, the Emperor had specifically sent an envoy to inform Bilal Ahmed, who immediately gathered his army to besiege Konya.
Unfortunately, the Karaman forces were still insufficient to defeat the Ottoman Empire's eastern army, and even with Constantinople already fallen, Konya's defenses remained impregnable.
Mehmed II's favorite second son, Prince Mustafa, was garrisoned in Konya, preventing the Karaman army from advancing another step northward.
Just as the stalemate continued, the Genoese delivered another batch of military supplies, allowing Karaman to arm more soldiers for the war, which delighted Kasim.
"The Emperor once said that the enemy of our enemy is our friend. Providing you with assistance is not a bad thing for us either."
Benedetto replied with a smile.
They walked and talked, and soon arrived at Bilal Ahmed's main camp.
"I have read the Emperor's letter you brought. I will send an envoy to persuade Uzun Hasan, Khan of the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty to attack the Ottomans, but I cannot guarantee that my persuasion will be effective."
Bilal Ahmed said, throwing the secret letter he held into a nearby brazier.
"The Emperor will remember your help. He asked me to convey his good wishes to you, hoping that you can restore the glory of your ancestors soon."
Benedetto, seeing the matter easily settled, felt very pleased and added a few more flattering words.
"Restoring the glory of my ancestors..." Bilal Ahmed, the Karaman Bey, who was a few years younger than Laszlo, was very happy with such a blessing, and his mind even began to recall, "My grandfather once followed Timur the Great and broke through Bursa, almost leveling that city, but now my treacherous and cruel uncle, Mehmed II, has moved his capital to that dilapidated old capital.
My father once led an army to break through Ankara and Kütahya, causing the Ottomans great suffering.
I did not realize the evil of the Ottomans before, and almost caused a great disaster; now it is time for these shameless aggressors to pay the price."
Seeing Bilal Ahmed's high morale, Benedetto, though secretly grumbling, remained very respectful on the surface.
Look at the past achievements of the Karaman Beys—stabbing the Ottomans in the back when they were fighting the Balkan Christians, being annihilated by the Ottomans, then restoring their nation with the help of Timur the Great, and taking advantage of the Ottoman Empire's disintegration to seize a third of Anatolia, being established as the suzerain of Asia Minor, and inflicting cruel revenge on the Ottomans.
And what was the result? Once the Ottoman civil war ended and they reunited, Karaman was immediately beaten like a child, constantly losing territory, and utterly helpless in war.
The few rare counterattacks were also launched by ambushing the Ottoman Empire's empty rear while the main Ottoman forces were engaged in fierce battles with Christians in Europe.
It's no wonder the Ottomans hated Karaman so much; after capturing Konya, they directly massacred tens of thousands of Karaman people and enslaved the remaining few thousand residents.
To any normal person, Karaman was like a repeatedly pardoned clown, destined to be crushed sooner or later.
However, Karaman could not be crushed now, as it was an important ally of the Emperor against the Ottomans.
Therefore, Benedetto could only humor Bilal Ahmed, encouraging this young monarch to continue challenging the Ottomans, thereby tying up their forces.
Judging from the task the Emperor assigned this time, Bilal Ahmed's usefulness was probably coming to an end, as the Emperor was trying to use him to connect with the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty further to the east.
Once Uzun Hasan, Khan of the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty, who was rumored to be invincible and had defeated the Ottomans five years ago, entered the fray, the role of the Karaman people would become less important.
After leaving the Karaman camp, the merchant and envoy immediately rushed to Lesbos Island overnight, intending to bring the Karaman Bey's reply back to the Emperor.
Besides the Karaman line, Laszlo had a backup plan to try and connect with Uzun Hasan, Khan of the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty.
This second line was Bessarion, the Patriarch of Constantinople.
He had resided in Rome for many years, a distinguished guest of the Pope, and had also studied in Greece for years, providing services to the Eastern Roman imperial family.
However, before all that, he was first and foremost a native of Trebizond.
The Empire of Trebizond was one of the many fragments of the Eastern Roman Empire that emerged after the Fourth Crusade, founded by the renowned Komnenos family, and had in the past claimed to be the legitimate successor of Rome.
Later, when the Palaiologos family restored the Eastern Roman Empire, the rulers of Trebizond, knowing their own weakness, abandoned the title of "Roman Emperor" and changed it to "Emperor of the East."
However, despite the grand title, the actual territory controlled by this so-called empire was pitifully small, holding only some coastal territories in northern Anatolia, on the southern shore of the Black Sea.
Despite the natural protection of the Anatolian mountains, this weak "empire" was finally destroyed by the Ottoman Empire a few years prior, and most of its imperial family members were arrested and executed.
However, the resistance of the Komnenos family did not end there.
On the northern shore of the Black Sea, the Principality of Theodoro in Crimea, which had once acknowledged Trebizond's suzerainty, was now regarded as a remnant force of the empire, struggling for survival under the constant pressure of the Tatars and Genoese.
In the court of Uzun Hasan, Khan of the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty, there was also a member of the Komnenos royal family: his beloved wife, Theodora Megale Komnene.
This princess of the Empire of Trebizond had always been renowned for her beauty; a Venetian merchant even praised her as "the most beautiful woman in all of Persia" after seeing her.
Uzun Hasan cherished her so deeply that her words could, to some extent, sway his decisions.
Almost everyone knew how profound Theodora's resentment towards Mehmed II was; the destruction of her country and the slaughter of her relatives by Mehmed II had broken her heart, and she swore to personally cut off Mehmed II's head to avenge her family who died at the hands of the Ottomans.
Coincidentally, Laszlo also learned of this from various intelligence reports, so he instructed Bessarion to write a letter to Theodora, as a Trebizond native, to stir her emotions and convince her that now was the perfect time for revenge.
If she could persuade Uzun Hasan to send troops to the eastern Ottoman Empire, combined with the invitation from the Karaman Bey, the plan would likely succeed.
Unfortunately, despite all of Laszlo's calculations, he ultimately failed to account for how comfortable Uzun Hasan's current situation was, which rendered his meticulously planned strategy ineffective.
Just the year before, the remaining forces of the Qara Qoyunlu Dynasty were completely annihilated by Uzun Hasan.
To retaliate against the Timurid Empire, which had sent troops to aid the Qara Qoyunlu, and also to replace Timur as the former suzerain's dominant position in Central Asia, Uzun Hasan had already led his army eastward.
In a recent battle, he personally killed Abu Sa'id Mirza, the ruler of the Timurid Empire, and completely wiped out the main Timurid forces.
The most fertile part of the Iranian plateau now lay before Uzun Hasan like unguarded prime meat.
Across the vast lands from Iraq to India, the fame of a newly risen Persian hegemon was spreading far and wide, almost to the point of being universally known.
Carrying such immense prestige, Uzun Hasan led his army into the heartland of the already disintegrated Timurid Empire, even pushing as far as the Khorasan region.
Most of Persia, except for Khorasan, was almost entirely swallowed by this ambitious ruler in one go. Coupled with the Iraq region, which the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty had long controlled, a new Persian dynasty seemed on the verge of birth.
Just as Uzun Hasan was at the peak of his life, news arrived from the west: his arch-enemy Mehmed II had lost Constantinople, the "City Desired by the World," which he had so painstakingly captured. Now, the Crusaders had even invaded Anatolia, and the situation was extremely critical for him.
Uzun Hasan, however, felt a bittersweet dilemma regarding this heaven-sent opportunity.
Inside the Aq Qoyunlu army camp in the Khorasan region, Uzun Hasan was holding a routine military council with his three sons who had accompanied him on the campaign, when a messenger brought him a letter from his beloved wife.
"Father, what did Lady Komnene write in her letter?"
Seeing his father's complex expression after reading the letter, Uzun Hasan's most trusted eldest son, Ugurlu Mehmed, asked with some curiosity.
"Do you remember the Roman Emperor from the distant West I mentioned to you?"
"The one who secretly cooperated with the Karaman people and is now fighting the Ottomans?"
"Yes, one of his senior officials from Trebizond wrote a letter to Theodora, imploring her to persuade me to turn back my army and take advantage of the Ottomans' critical situation to annex their eastern territories."
Uzun Hasan's tone carried a hint of helplessness.
"Why does that sound familiar?" Ugurlu asked, puzzled.
"Of course it sounds familiar, because the envoy sent by the Karaman people a few days ago said the exact same thing."
Uzun Hasan quickly understood the reason behind it.
"I think this is another scheme by that Roman Emperor, intending to stir up conflict between Allah's warriors so that those Infidels can reap the benefits. Hmph, a truly cunning plan."
"So you've decided to ignore these requests?" Uzun Hasan's second son, Khalil, asked with a frown.
He had always regarded the Ottoman Empire as their greatest enemy and did not want to miss such an excellent opportunity.
"What's the rush? That Infidel Emperor wants us to tie down the Ottomans' forces so he can defeat the Ottomans more easily.
However, the initiative is now in our hands. Let the Ottomans and the Infidels fight each other to a standstill first. We will use this time to quickly eliminate the remaining enemies before us.
When the time is ripe, we will return to Anatolia and deal with both the Ottomans and those cunning Infidels."
Jacob, the third son, was the sharpest among the brothers, and he immediately understood his father's intentions. Uzun Hasan also cast an appreciative glance at him.
Although Ugurlu was very brave in battle, he was not as capable in other aspects. In comparison, Uzun Hasan preferred Jacob to inherit his legacy.
"Exactly. Right now, the Ottomans still possess considerable strength, while the Timurid Empire we are facing has completely lost its power to resist.
It's not too late to return and deal with the Ottomans and the Infidels after we have devoured this rich prize before us.
By then, the followers of Allah will naturally understand who can truly protect their faith."
Uzun Hasan seemed to foresee his glorious future: dominating Persia, annexing the Ottoman Empire, leading an armed pilgrimage to Baghdad, and finally conquering Egypt. A confident smile appeared on his face, as if everything was within his grasp.
As a formidable ruler, Uzun Hasan was always very arrogant. He even proclaimed himself the most noble monarch in the Islamic world, the protector of the Caliph, and repeatedly publicly humiliated the Sultans of both the Ottoman and Mamluk Sultanate, demanding their submission.
However, in the past, the Aq Qoyunlu's power was the weakest among the three Islamic giants, and thus the Caliph, controlled by the Mamluks, had openly declared Uzun Hasan's status to be below that of the Mamluk Sultan and the Ottoman Sultan.
This was utterly unacceptable to the proud Uzun Hasan, and consequently, the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty often engaged in fierce border conflicts with both the Ottoman Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate while dealing with its eastern enemies.
Now, he led tens of thousands of troops on a campaign thousands of miles eastward, eliminating the greatest eastern threat, the Timurid Empire, and pushing the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty's sphere of influence to the shores of the Persian Gulf, even nearing the Afghanistan region.
Although large swathes of Timurid Empire territory were still occupied by remnants of the Timurid forces, they were constantly fighting among themselves and dared not provoke the rising Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty.
The Ottomans, too, had suffered repeated devastating defeats in wars with European nations, and their national strength had greatly declined. They now faced a colossal crisis that could lead to their downfall.
As for the Mamluk Sultanate, outwardly strong but inwardly weak and plagued by internal strife, Uzun Hasan had almost never taken this state, composed of warlords, seriously.
Looking at the situation this way, Uzun Hasan suddenly realized that he was only a stone's throw away from his lofty goal. All he needed to do next was proceed systematically: first eliminate the remaining Timurid forces in central Persia, then return to Anatolia to take advantage of the chaos and annex the Ottoman Empire. Everything would then be perfect.
His only concern was that formidable Roman Emperor. Rumors said he already controlled one-third of Europe and possessed immense power.
Fortunately, his Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty was still separated from Rome by the Ottoman Empire, which gave him a temporary sense of security.
However, if he ever truly had the opportunity to carve up the Ottoman Empire's territory with that Roman Emperor in the future, war would likely be unavoidable once the buffer was gone.
"Father, since we don't need to worry about the war between the Ottomans and the Infidels, let's discuss how to deal with the enemy before us now."
Ugurlu's words pulled Uzun Hasan's wandering thoughts back. He nodded and continued to discuss with his sons how to deal with the newly emerged power holders in the Khorasan region.
After the military council, he wrote a reply to Theodora, explaining the problems he currently faced and subtly rejecting his wife's proposal.
Although Theodora was very saddened by this, Uzun Hasan's decision would not be changed.
The nomadic army of the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty, numbering an alleged 120,000, under the leadership of their monarch, Uzun Hasan, was poised to launch a campaign further eastward.
Uzun Hasan set his ultimate goal on Herat, an important city in what would later become western Afghanistan.
As for the war in Anatolia, it was currently of no concern to him.
Some time later, Laszlo received intelligence about Uzun Hasan through various channels and learned of his final decision.
When Laszlo heard that Uzun Hasan had shattered the Timurid Empire and even pushed eastward to a region not far from India, he was not overly surprised.
The former Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty, sandwiched and trembling between the powerful Qara Qoyunlu Dynasty, the Ottoman Empire, and the Mamluk Sultanate, who would have thought that Uzun Hasan was so formidable?
In 1464, he defeated an Ottoman invasion. In 1467, he personally killed Jahan Shah, the ruler of the Qara Qoyunlu Dynasty. In 1469, he personally killed Abu Sa'id Mirza, the ruler of the Timurid Empire. In just five years, he expanded the territory of the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty by more than four times.
If he didn't know the true course of history, Laszlo would even suspect that this guy was also a transmigrator.
Uzun Hasan's almost cheat-like military achievements and speed of development, at first glance, indeed made one feel apprehensive.
However, a calm Laszlo quickly understood the key points.
The territories Uzun Hasan expanded primarily belonged to the Qara Qoyunlu Dynasty. Although Timur was also crushed by him, most regions of the fractured Timurid Empire were still controlled by remnant forces, forming a situation of warlordism.
The Aq Qoyunlu and Qara Qoyunlu, these states formed by alliances of Turkoman nomadic tribes, were quite different from typical feudal land-based states. The ruling methods of both states had distinct nomadic characteristics, which greatly facilitated Uzun Hasan's annexation of the Qara Qoyunlu Dynasty, whose territory far exceeded that of the Aq Qoyunlu, within two years.
Now, the Aq Qoyunlu had occupied most of Persia, rising from a feudal fragmented regime to a legitimate dynasty in Iranian history. In other words, this was a new "Persian Empire" that had yet to be renamed.
Considering the mobilization capabilities of the Turkoman nomadic tribes, it was probably not difficult for Uzun Hasan to field tens of thousands of cavalry.
If such a massive cavalry force attacked the Ottoman Empire from the east, Laszlo believed that Mehmed II would absolutely not be able to withstand the pressure.
Unfortunately, the timing Laszlo chose was not very suitable. Uzun Hasan was currently immersed in the joy of his eastern expedition, experiencing the immense pleasure of a bountiful harvest, constantly conquering cities, seizing territory, and acquiring wealth as easily as eating and drinking. He was not very concerned about the situation on the Ottoman side.
Laszlo felt very helpless about this. Since his external tactics were not working this time, he could only honestly wear down the Ottomans here.
This was a moment to test both sides' strategic resolve, to see who would lose patience first.
Thus, Laszlo and Mehmed II, by unspoken agreement, chose to engage in a war of attrition.
The spread of Jihad meant that Muslim warriors from the east continuously poured into Bursa to join the Sultan's army, while the Crusaders also saw holy war warriors, arriving late from various parts of Europe, joining the large army on the Anatolian expedition.
After the fall of Constantinople, a new wave of Crusader fervor swept across Europe. Large numbers of warriors who had missed the first eastern expedition traveled to the East at their own expense, following the Emperor's footsteps to continue striking at the Ottomans. Among them were even many knights from France and the Iberian Peninsula.
The previously intense battle situation suddenly fell into an eerie calm.