Dragon-Slaying Crossbow

Dusk gradually fell, the moon shone bright, and the stars were few.

Having crossed the river of time from Prague, the Candle Knight walked alone through dark, dilapidated streets.

Constantinople was far from peaceful at night.

News of the Ottoman army gathering in Adrianople could not be concealed from Constantinople, which held the straits. Their vast transport fleet and disciplined Janissary Guard inspired dread.

The Empire's subjects, the last Romans, passed each household with hearts full of gloom, hearing pious prayers from within.

"Our Lord Jesus Christ, I call upon Your mercy."

"Hallelujah! O glory of the Heavenly Father, please descend upon the world!"

Compared to the bleak, ruined Constantinople, which resembled nothing more than a vast countryside,

the Venetian quarter, just beyond a single wall, was brilliantly lit and bustling with voices. Some grand ceremony seemed to be underway, making every Greek who heard it frown deeply.

Even though they had no choice but to reconcile with the Venetians temporarily in the face of a common enemy, the seeds of hatred between Greeks and Latins had long taken root, and their conflict of interests had become irreconcilable.

So many privileges made people wonder at times: did the Empire belong to the Romans, or to the Latins?

Vivianna passed broken walls and ruined remnants, toppled statues, churches left decrepit and abandoned for lack of repairs. The beautiful gardens and nurseries recorded in old texts had been replaced by vegetable plots and farmland.

Before the shrines of certain churches, commoners still lingered after a day of farmwork, seeking comfort for their souls.

Some monks preached loudly:

"This is the Lord's punishment upon mankind. We must face it calmly."

"Even bowing and scraping before the Latins cannot change the overall situation."

"Must we sacrifice our faith and stain our souls merely to