While Manuel was attempting to consolidate his forces with his subordinates, the Serbian Despotate, located on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea across the Sea of Marmara, enjoyed a rare period of tranquility, unlike other Christian nations battling the Ottoman Sultanate.
And George Branković, the Despot of Serbia, stayed in the palace of Serbia's current capital, Antivari (historically Bar, Montenegro), peacefully enjoying this calm.
Regarding his father's current comfortable and detached demeanor, his third son, Lazar Branković, could only express confusion, "Father, now all the nations of Eastern Europe are fighting the infidel Ottoman, and even the Bosporus Romans, who have always been spectators, have boldly intervened in Anatolia.
The war is far from over, so why are we still here pretending to be observers? The Ottoman is not only their enemy but also ours.
If we don't eliminate such a formidable enemy now, are we to repeat the predicament our country faced a few years ago?"
After Murad II captured his two elder brothers and blinded them in 1441, Lazar, being unmaimed, became the sole heir of Serbia.
Therefore, to groom his third son, Branković did not conceal the answer to his son's confusion; instead, he casually chuckled and laid out his plan.
"It's a simple matter, my child; you wouldn't think that such a vast empire as the Ottoman would have no reserves and be dragged to its demise by a single war, would you?
I have been to Edirne and seen the Ottoman Army and its granaries; I know what a terrifying enemy this truly is.
So, I can even swear before the Holy Father that...
"Moreover, if the Ottoman truly collapses, which country will then try to control our destiny? That's right, it's the answer you're thinking of: Hungary.
Although I have cooperated with the Magyars out of necessity, without the Turks, they are our greatest enemy.
"So, what we in Serbia truly need to do now is maintain neutrality.
If necessary, we might even have to turn around and help the Turks." As he finished speaking, a glint of shrewdness and cunning flashed in the eyes of the 67-year-old Slavic monarch.
As George explained the reasons for his actions and secretly planned his next move, in the palace of Edirne, the Ottoman Prince Muhammad was listening with drooping eyelids to the teachings of his mentor, Aksham-Sadin.
This jurist, also known as Gourani Molla, had gained the Sultan's esteem after recommending a physician who cured the Sultan's eldest and beloved sons of typhoid fever, and his already outstanding virtue and knowledge also garnered attention.
The scholar seized the opportunity to request to become the mentor of several princes, and the monarch granted his request.
However, since Prince Ahmed and Sultan Aladdin Ali were entrusted with important responsibilities by their father to govern local regions, Prince Muhammad was the only one truly receiving education from the jurist.
"Your Highness, please take these holy words seriously and put away these infidel books you are holding." The "holy words" he referred to naturally meant the scriptures and Hadith.
Aksham-Sadin was quite strict and earnest in educating his student.
It was only with great sadness that he found Prince Muhammad clearly preferred storybooks about ancient monarchs to the holy words.
"Teacher, just a little longer, just a little bit longer.
As soon as I finish this page, I'll put away Herodotus's 'Histories' and read the scriptures." Little Muhammad, who was reading about the combined forces of the Peloponnese states uniting against the Persians, immediately adopted a pleading expression.
Given Gourani Molla's character, he should have strictly forbidden the prince from slacking off.
But after interacting with the child and understanding his background, the scholar found it difficult to force himself to order around a young man whose life seemed to have been set in stone.
"Don't let it happen again." This was the final response given by the Ulema, who considered himself unfeeling.
While the student cheered at his mentor's concession, Aksham-Sadin looked out the window, lamenting another matter: with the arrival of the autumn harvest season, the holy fire disease in the Ottoman Sultanate showed no signs of improvement; instead, it deepened and worsened.
Although the Sultan alleviated the food and fodder problem by using the state treasury's savings to purchase grain from the Latins, thus mitigating its impact on the army's combat strength, the common people of the Sultanate were inevitably sliding into misery.
Thinking of the farmers and herdsmen he could see even in Edirne, dying in agony from the gangrene caused by the holy fire disease, the jurist could only sigh, sincerely praying to Allah that all this would end soon…
A few days later, with Dungar completing the consolidation of the remaining peasant army legions with Caesar, Manuel began his next advance plan.
After the first batch of conscripted militiamen arrived for service and were integrated into the army, he, having already planned for this, summoned his General, Staurakios Posadas—a robust and formidable warrior whose physique resembled a black tower—to his presence in the central army camp in the evening, entrusting him with a matter of utmost importance face-to-face.
"...In short, I will transfer you to become the General of the Fourth Pontus Legion.
Your task, Posadas, is to lead the Fourth Legion and the first batch of conscripts into the rear of the Ottoman Sultanate in Anatolia, doing your utmost to sow panic and disrupt their production there.
In other words, do what you like best.
"Do not worry too much about Ottoman encirclement.
Asia Minor is currently severely afflicted by the holy fire disease, and a large number of troops have been drawn by their Sultan to the Aemos Peninsula.
The Ottoman Army is already at its limit just maintaining its combat strength.
Even if our army cannot conquer the important towns to the south, these Turks will not have the power to stop your plundering and slaughter in the rural areas.
"To prevent accidents, let's lay down three rules in advance here—" At this point, Caesar's gaze became solemn and profound,
"Romans, do not kill;
"Christians, do not kill;
"Those who surrender, do not kill;
"Everyone else, kill without mercy."
"Understood, Your Majesty." The Greek man, who had followed him for a long time, straightened his back upon hearing this and returned the salute with equally solemn eyes, "Loyalty!"
And his Caesar responded with a hearty, satisfied laugh:
"Posadas, go forth and do it!"
Over the next week or so, the main force of the Bosporus Army traversed most of the Kandar Beylik from Sinop to Kastamonu and relevant parts of Ottoman territory.
During this period, Manuel finally revealed his fangs, ordering that every Turk settlement that refused to surrender be massacred upon passage, and he repeatedly set fire to their pastures and wheat fields.
As for his loyal General Posadas, he led nearly three thousand men deep into Anatolia, avoiding the main Ottoman forces, and focused on burning and looting the Sultanate's settlements and villages in the heart of Asia Minor.
Compared to this bloodthirsty General, his monarch was practically a benevolent leader.
In less than a week, countless Turk heads fell.
Amidst the ravages of the holy fire disease, famished and powerless to resist the enemy, they either lost their heads or tragically fled to the barren but potentially life-saving mountains.
In the eyes of others, wherever Posadas's scimitar reached, Muslim monuments of skulls proliferated.
Because of this, the Fourth Legion led by Posadas began to be given the nickname "Azrael" by the Ottoman.
Caesar, far from being offended, formally issued an edict that weekend, officially naming the Fourth Legion the "Death Announcement Legion."
And Caesar's own prestige, due to his and his subordinates' atrocities, gradually spread among the terrified Turkmen infidels, with many infidels even beginning to derisively call him the legendary Grim Reaper or the Angel of Death.
Because Manuel always wore a black cloak, coupled with his extraordinarily cruel actions towards the Turks, after some time, a nickname, whether of renown or infamy, would become widely known among them:
"The Black Grim Reaper of the Turks."