However, Theodoro was not without losses.
During the Crimean Khanate's massive daytime assault on the first day, Giray clearly saw how the taxi soldiers on the city walls visibly dwindled, which reignited his confidence.
"Although the stone walls are still the same, even so, Theodoro won't last much longer.
If we disregard casualties, I am confident I can end the siege within a week," he thought confidently, stroking his beard that night.
But when he received the casualty report from his officer, he was troubled.
"Nearly five hundred casualties, this... sigh, never mind, perhaps it's better to use more cautious siege methods?
Forget it, I shouldn't let the soldiers act on my impulse."
Just as Giray was rethinking his siege tactics, in Theodoro's camp that evening, precisely as he had surmised, Manuel, while tallying the losses within the city, clenched his jaw and cursed upon learning that his side had lost over two hundred elite soldiers: "Damn Haji Giray, is he mad?
Does he want to drag me down with him even if all his men die?!"
He immediately shook his head, "I'm not in the mood to fight such a head-on battle with him; if that guy uses this tactic again, then I'll find a good day to retreat back to the peninsula."
Fortunately, Giray, out of consideration for his soldiers, ultimately abandoned the strong assault tactics of the first day.
Later generations once believed that if Giray had continued to use such a no-holds-barred siege tactic, Theodoro's rise might have been suppressed.
But this view was quickly refuted.
Because, judging by the situation at the time, if Giray had continued his strong assault, he could indeed have successfully forced the Theodoro Army, temporarily occupying the city, to retreat, but this victory would only have been temporary.
This is because Theodoro had already requested aid from Golden Horde, and Crimea, on the verge of defeat, could not afford too many casualties.
Giray's decision to abandon the strong assault was actually more advantageous for him; unfortunately, circumstances were stronger than will, and the Crimean Khanate, facing inevitable defeat, was already beyond redemption.
Meanwhile, in Kuba, Klier, who was about to lead his army to Kuba, rode his warhorse, pondering countermeasures based on the newly acquired information about the local situation.
According to the intelligence he had just received and confirmed, the Theodoro detachment he was meant to confront had actually broken through the Akhtar-Bakhtar fortress and was heading towards Taganrog Bay, which surprised him.
He had initially thought it was merely a detachment for harassment, yet these slightly over a thousand men managed to breach the Akhtar-Bakhtar fortress area, guarded by over a hundred soldiers.
Although Klier was confident he could lead his thousand soldiers to crush the enemy, just as he had done in Keziyar, he had been ordered by the old Chandler Pasha to support the Crimean Khanate.
However, with the Khanate now in a clear decline, he needed to find a fallback plan.
Seriously, why should he and his Janissaries die for these Tatars?
Thinking this, Klier suddenly had a bold idea.
"This might be worth a try."
As he thought this, he subtly glanced at the Tatar soldiers he led, and the corners of his mouth imperceptibly curled upwards.
While Klier secretly began to put his plan into motion, Giray led his taxi soldiers in the second day's, and second wave's, assault on Adamakha's stone walls.
This time, he did not continue yesterday's strong assault tactics but slowed down, adopting a siege tactic that was more acceptable to his Tatar soldiers.
Upon realizing that the Crimean siege method had indeed changed, Manuel on the city walls breathed a sigh of relief, because this method of siege was considerably more regular than before, which meant that with the current strength of the Theodoro Army, they could hold out until the Golden Horde army's reinforcements arrived.
"It seems Haji Giray's nickname 'Angel' isn't just for show after all," Manuel thought, much more relaxed, as he looked towards the Crimean central army during a temporary lull in the afternoon.
"It's a pity, 'Angel' or not, it would be better for him to fall with broken wings."
For the next three days, both sides remained in a semi-stalemate.
During this period, Giray did not launch another strong assault like on the first day; firstly, because based on previous experience, he was confident that the Golden Horde army would not march south so early, giving him enough time to use this time difference to force Theodoro into Adamakha; secondly, because he noticed that the military strength on the city walls was slowly being withdrawn, which made him confident that Theodoro was secretly withdrawing troops, and he was close to victory.
However, regrettably, these withdrawn troops were not sent back to the peninsula by transport ships but were concentrated within the city by Manuel, carefully cared for, in preparation for receiving potential reinforcements.
Because, according to his prediction, the Golden Horde's reinforcements should arrive within the next few days.
What if the reinforcements were delayed?
Manuel's response to this was simple: retreat.
Anyway, as of now, the total casualties of the entire Theodoro Army were less than 500, so preserving their fighting strength and retreating was still a very worthwhile option for him.
Just as he had anticipated, on the fourth day of Adamakha's siege by Crimea, Manuel successfully met Aidian and his party returning from the sea.
"You mean, tomorrow the Golden Horde's ten-thousand-strong army will arrive at Adamakha?"
Manuel was overjoyed upon receiving the confirmed news.
"Yes, Your Highness," Aidian bowed.
"Good, very good, it seems I haven't waited in vain during this time!"
Manuel excitedly clasped his hands, trying to suppress his excitement.
"Tomorrow, this foolish stalemate, and even this war, should end."
The next day, which was the fifth day of the Crimean Khanate's attempt to retake Adamakha, Giray led his entire army in an assault early in the morning, just as in previous days.
At this time, he did not yet know that everything that was about to happen today would completely shatter all his ambitions and aspirations since he first raised his army.
After the archers had routinely unleashed wave after wave of arrow rain, Giray's general, Ali Muzar Darhkan, the chief of the Muzars Tribe, suddenly came to the central army camp to request an audience with him.
Seeing this, Giray waved his hand, allowing him to enter.
Speaking of which, it was precisely because he did not trust a wavering person like Muzar that Giray deliberately kept him by his side.
"It must be another complaint about supplies or something," Giray thought, because Theodoro's scorched-earth policy in the Adamakha area had significantly increased the difficulty for the Crimean Army to maintain its supply lines, so complaints from his subordinates were a common occurrence.
However, Muzar did not bring news of dwindling supplies but a battle report that made Giray unable to sit still.
"Reporting to Khan, according to the scouts' reconnaissance, it seems, it seems, that Golden Horde's troops have appeared to the north!"
"Huh?!"