Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 103

Became the Sultan of Osman – Episode 103

Finishing Touches and Scheming (3)

Currently, the Ottoman Empire is engaged in war on two fronts.

The war between the expeditionary force led by Yusuf and Georgia, and the naval battle between the Ottoman navy led by Kemal Reis and the Western fleet, primarily composed of Venetian forces.

Even for the Ottomans, fighting on two fronts is burdensome, but this situation was manageable.

In the case of the expeditionary force, the difference in military strength was overwhelming, and Yusuf was leading the army.

Having led armies since his adolescence and having eliminated all his formidable brothers to ascend to the Sultan’s throne, no one dared to doubt Yusuf’s military acumen.

The only concern was supply, but it could be transported by sea, and as the conquest progressed rapidly, they were in a situation where they could supply themselves with food.

This meant that the officials remaining in the capital had no reason to worry.

The war with the West, including Venice, was not a cause for concern in a different sense.

Although envoys had not been exchanged, both sides accurately grasped each other’s situation.

The West wanted to draw attention to hinder the Safavid conquest, and the Ottoman navy, aware of this intention, had to respond.

Despite their different objectives, they shared a common desire to avoid battle, making it more of a standoff than an actual naval war.

Like dogs that don’t bite, they only snarled at each other without engaging in actual combat, which may have led to complacency.

“Pirates! How dare our Papal States be attacked by pirates!”

“Your, Your Holiness, please calm down.”

The cardinals and others were sweating profusely at the sight of Pope Julius II’s face turning red with anger.

Suppressing the urge to swing the staff in his hand, the Pope gritted his teeth.

“What kind of scoundrels dare to set foot on the sacred land of God without fear!”

“According to the survivors’ testimonies, it was led by Barbarossa, who is based in Tunis.”

Tunis was a port in North Africa, close to the island of Sicily, and one of the main bases of the Barbary pirates, a nuisance in the Mediterranean.

If pirates appeared, it was obvious they were from there, and Barbarossa was a familiar name to the Pope.

“Barbarossa?! Isn’t he the one who seized two of my ships a few years ago! How did I not know he was coming until he got here!”

“It seems that Spain, which detected the movement, was preparing for an attack and couldn’t give us a proper warning.”

The pirate ship that attacked the port numbered in the dozens, and for Spain, which occupied southern Italy, it was more important to prepare defenses than to warn the Papal States.

The pirates’ fast ships made it difficult to give a warning, and their focus on checking the Ottoman navy led to negligence in defending against pirates.

Whatever the reason, the important thing was that the port had been attacked.

“So, what is the extent of the damage?”

“Fortunately, the damage itself is not significant. There were few ships because they had been dispatched to confront the Ottoman army, and they retreated quickly after looting before the army arrived.”

“…This attack must have been orchestrated by the infidel empire. They wouldn’t be after material gain.”

“That is our assessment.”

To put it coldly, this port attack was not profitable.

Even if they were late in detecting the attack, it wasn’t as if there were no defenses at all; there were garrisons, including coastal artillery.

They must have suffered considerable damage, but they lacked the time to loot properly.

It was an attack that wouldn’t have happened unless someone promised a suitable reward and instigated it, and the Ottomans were the most likely culprits.

“What is the public sentiment like?”

“It’s not good. They are complaining that we provoked the Ottomans and created this damage.”

If this continues, they will have no choice but to withdraw the fleet that is grappling with the Ottomans.

And, unfortunately for the Pope, there was more bad news.

“And it seems that Michelangelo Buonarroti has been kidnapped by pirates.”

Although he didn’t have a good relationship with Michelangelo, he acknowledged his talent.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have contracted him to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and create sculptures for his tomb.

The Pope clutched the back of his neck at the fact that he could no longer expect the ceiling paintings he had been looking forward to, nor the sculptures to decorate his tomb.

At the same time, a man on the sea was also feeling his blood pressure rising.

“Does this painting look weird? Is it because it’s different from the paintings I saw in the palace? I’m worried I’ll get scolded for bringing someone like this.”

“Who says my painting is weird! And I’m a sculptor! Bring me marble! I’ll fix those goggle eyes of yours!”

“Is marble some kind of joke! Shut up before I tie you to a stone and throw you into the sea!”

“Hey, throw this painting into the sea. Why are the sizes of the people so different? It’s unsettling.”

“You, you ignorant pirates who don’t even know perspective!”

***

While a big fish was being caught in the west, Yusuf was too busy to pay attention to matters in the distant sea.

Kakheti, where the king and main forces were captured at once, lost its will to resist and declared surrender.

With the complete conquest of the three kingdoms that made up Georgia, the Georgian conquest was virtually over.

The conquest took only about two months, and in fact, if they had compromised with the Georgian nobles to some extent, it wouldn’t have taken even that long.

Anyway, the conquest was over, and the expeditionary force, leaving behind Sipahis [Ottoman cavalry soldiers] to command the troops to surrender in each city, began to gather back to the Sultan.

“Finally, it’s over.”

The plains of Akhaltsikhe, where Yusuf had settled, were covered with Ottoman tents, and the sheer number of assembled soldiers was enough to instill fear in the inhabitants.

The flag symbolizing the Sultan fluttered at the highest point of Akhaltsikhe, symbolically showing that the owner of Georgia had changed.

It was his first conquest as Sultan, so he felt deeply moved, and the thought that it was only a handful compared to the lands he had to conquer in the future made him thirsty for more.

He felt like he understood the hearts of the past Sultans who had devoted their lives to conquest.

“Shemsi Pasha, what is the state of supplies?”

“Thanks to the supplies we have collected from all over Georgia, food is in good condition. However, if there is a battle with the Safavids, gunpowder may be a bit short.”

“That can’t be helped.”

This is inevitable when operating cannons that use a lot of gunpowder.

Moreover, the fleet that moved to check the West also needed gunpowder, so there was a limit to the supplies that could be received.

This gunpowder issue would continue to surface until they occupied India, where saltpeter is produced, and they needed to secure saltpeter fields.

As he conquered, he felt that dry Georgia was a good area to cultivate saltpeter fields.

“Pasha, if manpower is lacking, what do you think about assigning Hassan?”

“He is an excellent talent. It seems like my burden could be lessened a bit. But didn’t you promise to take him to the capital?”

“I said I would take him, but I didn’t say I would keep him in the capital.”

“Then I will gratefully accept. I can entrust him with financial matters.”

“I have other things to entrust him with, so don’t work him to death.”

It was a conversation that would have terrified Hassan if he had heard it, but it couldn’t be helped.

In this era without public education, the quality of talent was unknown, but the quantity was absolutely lacking, and capable people had no choice but to suffer more.

‘When I return, I should seriously consider the issue of public education.’

Of course, they couldn’t make higher education public, but it was better to build a system that taught literacy and basic arithmetic.

That way, they could pick out talented people who stood out.

Education is a long-term plan, and even if they put in effort right now, they don’t know when they will see results, so they felt the need to implement it as soon as possible.

This was something to do when he returned to the capital, and now that the Georgian conquest was over, it was time to return.

“Yeniçeri Ağa [Commander of the Janissaries], are there any complaints among the Janissaries [elite infantry units]? There must be some grievances.”

At Yusuf’s question, the Yeniçeri Ağa immediately knelt and bowed his head.

“We are the hands and feet of the great Padishah [Ottoman Sultan]. How can we have any complaints?”

“You might have some.”

“Please believe us. We will always be loyal to the Padishah.”

Yusuf coldly looked down at the Yeniçeri Ağa, who was sweating and declaring his loyalty.

Basically, Yusuf did not blindly trust the Janissaries.

No matter how much loyalty they instilled, it was easy to harbor other thoughts if they held military power, and the Janissaries were people who could change at any time.

“You may be envious of the Sipahis who brought back a lot of loot. It’s only natural for people to have such feelings.”

The Sipahis who led the Georgian conquest had earned side income as much as they had suffered, and the Janissaries who were with Yusuf were bound to feel relatively deprived.

Since there was such an atmosphere, the Yeniçeri Ağa kept his mouth shut, and Yusuf looked over the Janissaries kneeling with him and comforted them.

“Don’t be impatient. My conquest will start from now on, and you will always be with me.”

“We will always keep that in mind!”

As the impure atmosphere circulating among the Janissaries subsided a bit at the trivial words that there would be many opportunities in the future, Yusuf nodded.

The Janissaries were the core force maintaining the Sultan’s power, and since they themselves clearly knew that fact, it was necessary to reassure them like this from time to time.

‘Taking care of them like this is only temporary.’

The more troops armed with guns were mass-produced, the more they would check the Janissaries, and the more Yusuf’s achievements accumulated, the harder it would be for the Janissaries to have other thoughts.

Watching Yusuf skillfully handle the Janissaries, the commanders admired him while also feeling slightly fearful.

They didn’t know how much of a monster the Padishah, who was still only a young man, would become when he began to gain more experience.

“Arda.”

“Yes, Padishah!”

“What is the news from the Safavids?”

“They are moving as you predicted, Padishah. They are preparing to scorch their territory in preparation for the Empire’s attack.”

Even without future knowledge, it is not a difficult prediction.

It is the only way the Safavids, who are inferior in military power, can do it, and it is the most effective tactic.

If Ismail had not insisted on the Futuwa [Muslim code of chivalry], and waged an all-out war in the original history, the one who laughed might have been different.

‘And Ismail will never claim chivalry to me.’

Ismail is not just winning like in the original history, but has become a clever wolf who has learned defeat, not a brave lion.

In order to defeat an opponent who has continued to inflict defeats, he has become able to show patience.

‘Even so, the situation does not change.’

The flow has already passed to him with the failure of the Trabzon siege, and Ismail had no choice but to play in the set plate.

He had piled up enough firewood through the spies he had planted, and now it was time to set it on fire.

“It’s almost time to go back. Isn’t it?”

“That is correct.”

Yusuf asked the assembled commanders.

“I’m thinking of taking a detour on the way home. Does anyone have any complaints?”

“No one does.”

“How can you have any complaints when we are going to have some fun sightseeing on the way?”

The people who had already heard the plan burst into cheerful laughter.

The Ottoman army was planning to pierce through the Safavids and return.

‘Ismail will have no choice but to carry out a scorched-earth operation.’

If he didn’t, Yusuf was planning to launch an offensive towards the Safavids as it was.

If the Safavid land becomes a mess because of the scorched-earth operation, Yusuf’s army was planning to leisurely escape from the Safavids.

What would those who have lost their land in vain think when they see it?

Will they understand that it is an unavoidable choice? Or.

“Will they insult Ismail as a coward?”

Yusuf smiled deeply.

Ismail was already caught in a trap from which he could not escape.