Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 143

Becoming the Sultan of the Ottomans – 143

Waking Up from Sleep (2)

The atmosphere in Rhodes, a strategic point connecting Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, had been tense recently.

As the Ottoman Empire’s power grew, the Knights of Rhodes’ activities in the Mediterranean were inevitably shrinking.

The Knights’ primary mission—seizing ships of non-believers [infidels]—had diminished, leading to financial strain and discontent among the Knights.

That’s why permission for a voyage was granted after a long interval.

“Your Excellency! Disaster! The departing ships are returning, and they’re in terrible condition.”

Upon hearing the Knight’s report, Grand Master Fabrizio del Carretto shot out of his seat.

The fact that problems were apparent even before the ships entered the port indicated a grave situation, prompting him to rush to the harbor.

Arriving there, Carretto felt a sense of foreboding as he watched the ships limp into the port.

“Oh, Lord.”

Only five ships had set out on this voyage.

Considering that the Knights of Rhodes possessed a total of seven ships, it was as if they had deployed every seaworthy vessel they had.

The whereabouts of two ships were unknown, and on a ship listing about 30 degrees and in a half-destroyed state, frantic shouts accompanied the urgent unloading of supplies and personnel.

As Carretto appeared, the galley admiral, swathed in bandages, lowered his head.

“What on earth happened!”

“…I have no excuse, Your Excellency.”

“I don’t want excuses. Tell me in detail what occurred!”

At Carretto’s insistence, the galley admiral, second-in-command of the navy, spoke with a resentful expression.

“There were three ships. As Your Excellency knows, these days, ships of non-believers often sail together, correct?”

“Yes, I’m well aware. That’s why five ships were dispatched.”

Due to increased trade and as a defense against Rhodes, the Ottomans encouraged merchant ships to travel in groups.

It was common for two or three ships to travel together, and while it was slightly unusual that the ships were larger than typical merchant vessels, they reasoned that there would be more to gain upon capture.

The Knights, confident in their numerical advantage, approached to seize the ships, but only upon closing in did they realize their mistake.

“Those weren’t merchant ships. They were heavily armed with cannons, and the number of sailors on board was also substantial.”

“So, they were warships, not merchant vessels.”

Carretto narrowed his eyes.

The subsequent events were predictable. Even after being struck by cannon fire and realizing they weren’t facing merchant ships, they wouldn’t have retreated.

As Knights, known for their aggression towards non-believers and possessing numerical superiority, they would have engaged in naval combat.

“The enemy, what happened to the enemy?”

“I regret to inform you that one ship sank, and another was severely damaged, but ultimately, they escaped.”

Although he said they escaped, it was more likely that both sides disengaged due to the extensive damage sustained, as further fighting would have resulted in mutual destruction.

Regardless, Carretto, facing a greater loss than anticipated, sighed in frustration and inquired:

“Where is the admiral? I need to hear more details about the situation from him.”

“…The admiral.”

Carretto’s eyes widened as he followed the galley admiral’s gaze.

He saw a place where some figures were covered with cloths and motionless, unlike the wounded soldiers groaning in pain.

As Carretto approached, the Knights lowered their heads somberly. Upon reaching the admiral’s body, Carretto clenched his fist.

“The admiral’s head… Why is the admiral’s head missing!”

“The… the one who appeared to be the enemy commander came with enemy soldiers, killed the admiral, and took his head.”

“Why couldn’t you stop him!”

At Carretto’s outburst, the Knights and soldiers fell silent.

The enemy commander, who appeared young, was a monster. He effortlessly cut down the Knights in his path and returned to his ship with the admiral’s head.

Recalling the scene where soldiers with strong physiques were easily tossed aside, the surviving Knight said in a trembling voice:

“Y-Your Excellency, there’s something else you need to know.”

“What is it?”

“The enemy soldiers shouted ‘Sultan’ towards the enemy commander.”

“…Sultan?”

Even the Knights who didn’t know the language of the non-believers understood the meaning of Sultan.

It was a title usually referring to the ruler of a country, like the Mamluk dynasty, but in the Ottoman Empire, where the emperor was called Padishah, those called Sultan held a different significance.

“It seems the enemy commander is a prince of the non-believer empire.”

Carretto, a 60-year-old man, nearly lost his composure and let out a hollow laugh.

“Hahaha, not only did we lose two ships and an admiral, but the ship we attacked happened to be carrying a prince?”

“…That’s correct.”

Carretto didn’t even know where to begin to address this situation.

As Carretto struggled to process this, a scream pierced the air.

Crack!

“T-The ship is sinking!”

The half-destroyed ship, as if expending its last breath, broke in two with a loud crack and sank into the sea.

Watching people and objects being swept away by the waves caused by the sinking, Carretto once again appealed to God.

***

“Those reckless bastards attacked the ship with the Prince and Hatice [a concubine] on board.”

Enraged, Yusuf slammed the gun he was holding onto the floor, and the urgently summoned ministers held their breath.

Even in the dark of night, where visibility was limited without torches and moonlight, Yusuf’s anger burned even deeper and darker.

Since the Prince’s departure was conducted in utmost secrecy for safety, the Knights of Rhodes couldn’t have known that the ship carried the Prince and a concubine when they attacked.

In any case, these are the ones who often engage in unpleasant kidnappings while pirating, even in the historical records.

The Siege of Candia, fought between the Ottoman Empire, Venice, the Knights of Malta, and the Kingdom of France in the 17th century, also occurred because the Knights of Malta, formerly the Knights of Rhodes, kidnapped women from the harem returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca.

This attack must have been accidental.

“They must be punished. This is absolutely unacceptable!”

“Even if the Prince and Hatun [lady] are safe, we cannot let this pass!”

Yusuf nodded at the ministers’ cries.

“I agree.”

As the sea area under their control expanded, there was little capacity to spare for operating ships, and he didn’t expect the recently quiet Knights to attack with as many as three ships.

The Knights probably didn’t know that important figures of the empire were on that ship.

Misfortune, coincidence, reasons—none of that matters. Only the result remains.

“Let the world know. The empire’s anger is justified, and their sins will be paid in blood.”

Yusuf, with his gun slung over his shoulder, coldly declared:

“From now on, the empire declares war.”

The heralds announcing the war scattered throughout the Ottoman Empire.

The time to shed blood once again after four years of silence had arrived.

***

The incident between the Ottoman Empire and the Knights of Rhodes spread rapidly throughout the world.

This was partly because many were keenly aware of news concerning the Ottoman Empire, a subject of vigilance, and partly because the news itself was shocking.

The history of the Knights of Rhodes, the Knights Hospitaller, was so long that it stretched back 900 years, and they were a Knight order that had been active even in the Crusades.

All of the more than 600 Knights were from noble families, and they had attacked a ship carrying an Ottoman prince, inevitably shaking Europe.

“Tell me again. What happened?”

Leo X, who was elected Pope after Julius II, nearly fell off his pet white elephant, Anno, for a moment.

He was about to parade through the city of Rome, which he had lavishly decorated with leopards and clowns, but he canceled his usual festivities and hurriedly dismounted the elephant.

“You attacked an Ottoman prince? If you were going to do it, you should have taken him prisoner!”

The Knight who came to request assistance lowered his head at the scolding.

“I apologize, but the enemy’s resistance was too strong, and we realized he was a prince too late.”

Leo X clicked his tongue and quickly scanned the report detailing the situation.

The Pope’s eyes, which were examining the extent of the damage, were drawn to the detail that the prince who killed the admiral took his head back to the ship.

“How old is the Ottoman prince?”

The non-believer emperor had been famous since a young age, but he was still in his late 20s, and it was puzzling that an admiral was killed by a prince, not the emperor.

At this question, the Knights answered with mournful faces.

“…We heard that even the oldest one is not even 15 years old.”

“Are you telling me to believe that the Knight admiral was killed by the hands of a child?! Is he some kind of Samson!”

The Pope was dumbfounded, even invoking the biblical figure who tore lions apart with his bare hands and killed a thousand people with the jawbone of a donkey.

Even within the Knights, there was much debate as to whether this was truly a prince, so they couldn’t readily answer. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, a skilled diplomat, spoke up.

“There are rumors that the second son of the non-believer emperor has been physically strong since he was young and possesses martial arts skills that even the Janissaries [elite Ottoman soldiers] cannot match. It seems to be him.”

“Hahaha, okay, let’s assume it’s true that a boy still in puberty took the head of the Knight admiral and confidently returned to his ship.”

He was dumbfounded, but the identity of the admiral’s killer wasn’t the immediate concern.

The Pope, stroking the trunk of the elephant Anno, who was wrapping it around his shoulder, asked Cardinal Thomas Wolsey:

“Crusade. Can’t we launch a crusade as planned?”

The Pope had already planned a crusade to counter the Ottoman Empire.

The plan was to declare a truce among all Christian countries using the Pope’s authority and lead the Christian allied forces to Constantinople.

He had even collected tithes specifically for the crusade, but it ultimately failed.

“It seems impossible. Unfortunately for the Knights, no country will step forward to help them.”

Spain and Portugal were busy pioneering sea routes, while England and France were focused on strengthening royal power after the Italian Wars concluded.

Venice was busy currying favor with the Ottoman Empire, enjoying the spoils it had gained during the Crusades.

Virtually no country was willing to confront the Ottoman Empire, whose anger was ignited by the Knights’ attack on the prince.

“Besides, the justification is too weak to rally support for the Knights.”

Since they attacked a prince, not a mere nobleman, the response within Christendom would inevitably be muted.

The Pope sighed deeply.

“It’s terrible that we can’t do anything while non-believers are running rampant.”

The Knight who came to ask for help returned empty-handed, his face grim. The Pope, feeling sorry for him, asked the Cardinal:

“Isn’t there any way to improve this situation?”

“There is a way to help, but…”

Thomas hesitated before continuing, as if reluctantly:

“The Knights should send an envoy directly to the Ottoman Empire to request a resolution of the misunderstanding and settle the matter peacefully.”

“Do you think they’ll listen? It would be a relief if they weren’t killed.”

Since the Ottoman Empire was known for its ruthlessness, it would be fortunate if they didn’t simply execute the envoy and use his body as fish food.

The Cardinal nodded in agreement with the Pope’s concern.

“It’s a path to certain death. Although he has shown a gentle demeanor recently, he is an emperor notorious for his brutality. He will surely kill the envoy. However, we can then place the blame for killing the envoy on him.”

They had cut off the fingers and neck of the envoy and beheaded the Mamluk Sultan who came to negotiate, yet other European countries hadn’t severed diplomatic relations with the Ottoman Empire.

That was because it was an event that occurred between non-believers, so they simply clicked their tongues and dismissed it as barbaric behavior.

However, if the Sultan killed the envoy sent by the Knights, he could face diplomatic isolation.

“If we’re lucky, it could serve as justification for launching a crusade. Even if not, it will be better than the current situation.”

“What will you do?”

At the Pope’s question, the Knight lowered his head resolutely.

“The Knights are not afraid of death! If we can eradicate the non-believers, we can gladly die with a smile!”

“The Lord will be pleased.”

With the Pope’s blessing, the Knight left the Papal States. Some time later, the Knights of Rhodes sent an envoy to the Ottoman Empire.

***

“Barking like a dog. Does the empire seem like a joke? You pig-like creatures.”

Yusuf glared at the Knight who came as an envoy, exuding a terrifying murderous intent.

The murderous intent of one who had traversed countless battlefields, created mountains of corpses, and turned rivers to blood, was enough to make even the Knight, prepared for death, tremble.

As the silahhtars’ [sword-bearers] swords, sensing the Padishah’s [Ottoman Emperor’s] anger, flashed into view, Yusuf raised his hand.

“Sheathe your swords.”

Clang!

The swords returned to their scabbards, and Yusuf said in a growling voice:

“The time to waste on those who are already dead is over. Go back.”

The Knight, not expecting to be spared, shouted urgently:

“Sultan! All of your great soldiers will have their necks cut off and be thrown to the dogs, and you will run away like a lowly cur! Do you still intend to wage war with us?!”

Yusuf smirked at the blatant mockery.

“You needn’t worry. I’ll cut off your limbs and make you crawl like insects. Don’t defile my castle. Leave now.”

With that, Yusuf turned away coldly. The Knight, failing to complete his mission, had no choice but to depart.

Silahhtar Agha asked Yusuf:

“Are you going to let this one, who deserves to be torn apart, return like this?”

“He came here determined to die. I can’t grant him his wish.”

Yusuf, clearly understanding the Knight’s emotions through his inherent insight, wore a cold sneer.

“And who said I’m sending him back unharmed? Alper Pasha.”

“Yes, Padishah.”

“Inform the Barbary pirates [North African pirates]. There’s a ship to seize.”

Wasn’t it common in this era to be unlucky and kidnapped by pirates?

Outsourcing is for times like this.