Years later, Manuel, who was not yet an Emperor at the time, delivered an inspiring speech at his coronation ceremony in Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, which is still recounted throughout the Caucasus, Pontus, and the eastern parts of the Empire—
"Since the thirteenth century, over two hundred years ago, the Iberian people of the Caucasus have not been what they once were. Under the iron hooves of the Mongols, the sabers of the Tatars, the sharp blades of Timur, and the scimitars of the Turkmen, the glorious have been covered in dust, and the great have bowed their heads…
"But all will end at this moment… and I will lead you, all the Georgians, back with full glory to the land that David once trod. In the Caucasus Mountains, eagles will soar and spread their wings, and Georgia's white flag with five red crosses will once again be planted in the land of Caucasus Albania.
"At that time, glory will follow my footsteps, covering the road from Iberia to Thrace like the sacred Cherokee Rose, and I will smash all the shackles that the Turks, who do not belong to our homeland, have imposed upon us over these hundreds of years.
"For all of us, the Promised Land!"
Thus, from this moment on, Manuel's title became a long string: "By the Grace of God, the Glorious Autocrat, Caesar of Bosporus, Lord of all Tauris, Autocrat of Chersonese, Basileus of Trabzon, Lord of all Pontus, King of Armenia, King of Georgia, King of Kings of all the peoples of the Caucasus, the Hereditary and Indefeasible Heir, Monarch, and Lord of all lands North, South, East, and West. The Shield of the Messiah, Protector of all Eastern Orthodox and Romans on both shores of the Black Sea."
As the Caesar's profound speech, which seemed capable of piercing through an entire mountain range, concluded, the Georgians in Tbilisi were all incited by his words and cheered for him. Coupled with his recent successful repulsion of the invading Black Sheep Turkmen, his prestige instantly soared to another peak in their eyes, and the fact that Georgia was actually conquered by him seemed less important than before.
Watching Manuel, resplendent in the Georgian crown and enjoying boundless prestige, several Bagration Royal Family members present felt a sense of bewilderment. Prince George of Kakheti, for instance, gestured to his elder brother and whispered in a voice completely inaudible to others, "Brother, are we really going to accept the rule of this outsider?"
"Let's bear with it for now," Vakhtang sighed, then tried his best to appease him, "It's alright. Judging by the situation, even if he can rule Georgia for his entire life, he won't be able to pass this crown to his descendants. Moreover, the lifespans of Roman monarchs are quite peculiar; generally, those with great ambition and talent are very likely not to live past 50, whereas incompetent good-for-nothings or capable traitors can often live beyond seventy.
"So, until then, let's just accept it for now."
While the Bagration family was secretly making such unsubstantiated calculations, Manuel, after concluding the coronation ceremony, had similar thoughts.
"These little Bagration rascals probably don't know that even if I do nothing, I won't live much longer," the Caesar chuckled inwardly as he prepared to rest. "Especially you, Vakhtang, after your father dies in a few years, you will soon follow him." His inner thoughts were not without basis, because in official history, Vakhtang died prematurely in 1446, the fourth year after Alexander I's death, exacerbating Georgia's disintegration.
After the coronation, Manuel would also soon leave Tbilisi to return to his directly governed territories to manage specific affairs. Therefore, before leaving, he "thoughtfully," following Roman tradition, appointed a feudal lord in Georgia as a nominal co-ruler to assist in managing Georgia's vassals, while also psychologically weakening the resistance of stubborn forces.
After careful consideration, the Caesar, as if fanning the flames, bestowed the position of Georgian co-ruler upon Atabeg Ivan II of Samtskhe Principality, an old Georgian noble lord. After all, his entry into Tbilisi was largely due to this Atabeg, who ranked first among all Georgians in merit. Coupled with the suitable size of Samtskhe Principality, which could effectively suppress the Bagration family's power, this position was perfectly suited for him. In any case, the co-ruler's position was not hereditary, and Ivan II would also die in another six or seven years, making it convenient for Manuel to adjust the situation later as needed.
Thus, the Georgian War ended, and this reshuffle in the Caucasus concluded. Before Manuel returned to Trabzon, news of this conflict quickly spread along the Black Sea coast and the Caucasus region, and even across much of Eastern Europe.
In the Palace of Edirne—
"Damned Bosporus Romans!" Ottoman Sultan Murad II exclaimed, smashing the porcelain wine cup in his hand to the floor after receiving and confirming the news. He had completely underestimated that in the short time he had diverted his attention, the young Bosphorus Caesar had managed to control another large expanse of land.
This was simply a dud that could explode on him at any moment, Murad thought in frustration. Even though he couldn't spare the time right now, to prevent this momentum from continuing, he once again dispatched envoys to Trabzon, preparing to issue another warning to those Black Sea Romans.
Meanwhile, in Constantinople—
"Georgia has submitted to Bosporus," John VIII discussed the matter with a serious expression at the Imperial Council, "Tell me, is my Brother-in-law truly a strong and reliable foreign aid?"
At the same time, in the Sarai Khanate Palace—
Upon hearing the news, Golden Horde Khan Muhammad Khan unhappily tapped the stone armrest in front of him, "Bosporus… Alas, these Goths are becoming increasingly difficult to control. What exactly is happening…?"
And in Tabriz, Jahan Shah, who had just executed a tribal chieftain plotting rebellion, merely sighed upon learning of the matter and did not inquire further. It was as if he had long known this would happen but lacked the persistence to pursue it.
While other factions reacted to the dramatic changes in Georgia, in the city of Kazan within the Golden Horde Khanate, a Tatar prince dressed in a Tatar noble-style leather robe, along with his children and attendants, was warmly stopped by locals and welcomed into the city, where they were treated to generous hospitality.
Facing the warm reception from the citizens of Kazan, the Tatar noble was somewhat puzzled. It wasn't until the leader of the group stepped forward and proposed to him, "Your Majesty Ulugh Muhammad, could we ask you for an unwelcome favor?"
"Speak, I will do my utmost," Although he had lost his old homeland around Crimea, Ulugh still possessed the cultivation expected of a Tatar noble.
"Please, become our Khan, the Khan of all Volga Bulgaria."