Giovanni Giustiniani, a man dressed in full plate armor, draped with a white coverall emblazoned with a red cross, does not resemble a Latin noble, yet he is distinct from the coarse and mercenary-faced soldiers.
His stature is not impressive, but merely standing there, he gives an impression of an insurmountable fortress.
"May the Lord bless you, great Basileus."
The bearded man slightly bows; behind him is a contingent of seemingly elite Genoese soldiers, mainly crossbowmen carrying the iconic square shield, with a few lightly armored infantry.
As for the Latin emblematic knights, there is not a single one.
"May the Lord bless you, General Giovanni from Chios."
Chios, an island in the Aegean Sea, once imperial territory, now a Genoese colony.
The Genoese and Ottomans have never severed their ties; commercial city-states prioritize profits, and the Ottomans have granted them commercial privileges, leading many to lean towards abandoning Constantinople.
