Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 11

#11. In the Flow of Time (2)

It would be a mistake to think of pillaging in this era as simply the work of bandit gangs.

Rather, pillaging was closer to a national policy encouraged by the state.

Just as Europeans went to Africa and the New World to plunder the natives and enslave them, there were not only economic reasons but also tactical ones.

‘Take the Akinji [irregular light cavalry used by the Ottomans in border areas], as an example.’

As befitting their infamous name of irregulars, they received no money from the state, but they were free to cross into enemy territory and plunder at any time.

Through them, the Ottomans could attack enemy villages, garrisons, fortresses, and border outposts, and also identify weaknesses in their defenses.

‘It’s maddening for the country being attacked, but it’s a win-win for the Ottomans.’

It’s no wonder that European countries, who treated each other like devils and were constantly at each other’s throats, would join hands and form a Holy League when facing the Ottomans.

For the Ottomans, there were two powerful pillaging forces.

The first was the Barbary pirates of the Mediterranean, who enslaved over a million Europeans over three centuries.

The second was the Crimean Khanate, which burned Moscow and captured 150,000 people, and enslaved over 2 million people over 200 years.

The Crimean Khanate, an Ottoman vassal state, was a land isolated above the Black Sea.

The reason I suddenly brought up the story of pillagers is that the Circassians were included among the main prey of the Crimean Khanate.

Since half of her blood was the same, the girl’s eyes widened.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

To be honest, I was quite surprised to hear from Fatima that she was a Circassian captured by the Crimean Khanate.

When I thought of Trabzon to take away Selim’s support from the military, there were two places I considered as potential allies.

One was Georgia, which bordered Trabzon, and the other was Circassia next to it.

At first, I prioritized Georgia, which was closer, but after hearing this story, I changed my mind.

‘Others might say I’m unlucky because I’m a slave with no relatives to rely on.’

But luck depends on how you plan, just like the saying that luck comes from planning.

Of course, I didn’t know how effective ‘We’re all family!’ would be, and since the more cards you have, the better, I wasn’t planning to abandon Georgia either.

At this point, you might ask if it wouldn’t be better to just seduce the Crimean Khanate.

‘They’re too proud, so it’ll be difficult.’

As the only Islamic vassal state, they receive benefits close to independence, and no matter how hard I try, they won’t even give me a sniff.

Yusuf asked the slightly dazed girl.

“Then I’ll ask again. What’s your name?”

“…Maria.”

“It’s not a good idea to use that name as it is. From now on, your name is Ayşe.”

Yusuf smiled slightly at Ayşe, who nodded with a bewildered look.

Since the dominant religion of the Ottoman leadership was Islam, it was necessary to be careful even with a slave’s name to gain their favor.

Although it’s not a good time for women to be active, if they’re smart, they can be used somehow.

‘Even if I use her as an interpreter, she’ll earn her keep.’

The merchant, with a sly smile, asked Yusuf, who was thinking this.

“As expected, you immediately recognized that she was a hard-to-find slave. You have no idea how many high-ranking officials coveted her. You’re very lucky, young master.”

Luck? I am lucky, but…

“They probably couldn’t sell her because they were afraid of taking responsibility if something happened after handing over such a rebellious slave. Isn’t that right?”

“Ahahaha…”

Who are you trying to fool?

She’s such an expensive slave that they probably couldn’t even educate her properly because she was too rebellious.

“So, how much is it?”

“Since she’s a slave who hasn’t been well-educated, as you can see, I’ll let her go for exactly four hundred ducats [gold coins].”

Even at the staggering amount, Yusuf didn’t lose his smile and turned to Hassan.

“Hassan.”

“Yes!”

“If a slave cursed the bloodline of the prince, wouldn’t the slave owner be punished as well?”

Yusuf smiled sincerely at the merchant, who turned pale in an instant.

The merchant was right. I was lucky.

***

I wanted to shout 4 ducats and act like a robber, but I couldn’t risk the merchant killing Ayşe to pay for his sins.

Since I was hiding my identity, I could get away with it because it would be taken into consideration.

With at least a shred of conscience, I took Ayşe and five Circassian men to use as guards for three hundred ducats.

Even this was the same as being a thug.

‘If I weren’t a prince, I would have been hit.’

Even Hassan, who had been a merchant for a long time, looked disgusted, so I’ll skip the details.

As soon as Ayşe, whom I had brought with me, arrived, Fatima and Nene dragged her away, saying they would educate her.

There was a mountain of things to learn, starting with basic etiquette.

‘I’m sure they heard the story of her cursing at me, so they’ll educate her very harshly.’

I already feel like I can hear Ayşe’s wails, but unfortunately, I don’t have time to pay attention to her right now.

A formidable opponent has come to visit.

“Nice to meet you, Prince. I am Şemsi Pasha.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

Even though we just exchanged greetings, I could tell right away that he was a formidable opponent.

I couldn’t sense anything from his emotions.

‘Even if he was pushed out of the power struggle, a Pasha [high-ranking Ottoman official] is still a Pasha.’

A sense of frustration washed over me, as if I were blind in one eye, but I had already expected it.

The power struggles of this era were on a different level than those of modern times.

An immature brat who couldn’t even hide his emotions properly wouldn’t even get the title of Pasha, let alone see Allah.

“I have received the Padishah’s [Sultan’s] order to assist you, Prince.”

Even though he was demoted to a prince who was far from the central power and had a very low chance of becoming Sultan, he didn’t show a single emotion.

Yusuf smiled at Şemsi, whose inner thoughts were unknown.

“I feel reassured that an experienced Pasha is helping with the Sanjakbey’s [district governor’s] affairs.”

A Sanjak is a type of district, and below that, it can be divided into towns called Kaza.

There were more than 10 Kazas under the Trabzon Sanjak, including the Trabzon Kaza, so it was a very large territory.

Naturally, this vast land could not be entirely entrusted to a young prince and an inexperienced concubine, so they were provided with various assistants such as advisors, teachers, and doctors.

‘But it’s not a good idea to completely trust and rely on the advisor.’

An advisor who manages the territory on behalf of a young ruler.

If regents and puppet rulers came to mind, you’d be right.

‘It’s not uncommon for them to cover the eyes of the princes and commit corruption.’

How can they do that?

In the Ottoman Empire, a prince who is deceived like that is a fool.

How can they entrust the empire to someone who can’t even manage a few people and is struggling?

But you shouldn’t be too afraid and distance yourself. That would be like cutting meat with your bare hands because you’re afraid of knives.

You need to check where the knife is pointed.

“So, Pasha, what are you planning to do first?”

“I am planning to select those who will assist you, Prince, besides myself. Do you have anyone you desire?”

Most of these selections were teachers who would teach me.

There were mountains of things to learn, including science, history, religion, military science, and martial arts, and naturally, the number of teachers to be selected was also a large number.

It was not only tiring to pick them myself, but I could also get a glimpse of what Şemsi was thinking by looking at the teachers he picked, so I had no intention of stopping him.

‘If he plays any tricks, I can use that as an excuse to get rid of him.’

There are already many external enemies, so I have no intention of raising rats inside.

“I’ll leave the basic selections to Pasha. But I want to pick the doctor myself.”

“The doctor, you say?”

“Yes.”

At least I should be in control of my own lifeline.

Even if it’s not an assassination, there were many doctors who seemed like quacks from a modern perspective.

‘I need an excellent doctor for the future.’

I don’t know how many times I’ll participate in wars as a Sanjakbey, but it won’t end with just one or two.

Even in an era where cauterization is the main treatment for major wounds, I had to accept someone who could perform basic surgical procedures.

‘And I need to think about smallpox vaccination too.’

There is no disease as scary as smallpox in this era.

With a cumulative death toll of 1 billion, it’s far more than the infamous Black Death’s 300 million, so it’s no wonder that smallpox vaccination always comes up when talking about alternate history.

If I die of smallpox because I was unlucky while struggling to become Sultan, there’s nothing more absurd than that.

‘The fame I’ll gain from revealing smallpox vaccination will also be a great help.’

Of course, I have no intention of revealing it right now.

There’s no point in revealing something like that when I have no power. I’ll just receive a night visitor filled with brotherly love.

Şemsi nodded without showing any curiosity at Yusuf’s words that he would find a doctor himself.

“A doctor. I understand. Then I will look for suitable candidates excluding that.”

“Okay, I’m counting on you.”

After Şemsi left, Yusuf let out a long sigh.

Dealing with someone whose inner thoughts are unknown is more tiring than I thought.

Normally, I would resent the Sultan for attaching such a person to me…

“Is this the kind of generosity you have when you’re the master of the empire?”

Yusuf clicked his tongue as he looked at the Sultan’s independence gifts piled up on one side of the room.

Seeing is believing, and seeing the treasures shining brilliantly with gold made me want them even though I didn’t have any desire before.

“Oh my, it’s dazzling. How much would it be worth if I sold it all?”

Wouldn’t it be worth at least 20,000 to 30,000 gold coins?

It was too much money to hate the Sultan.

***

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound of thunderous drums echoed throughout Constantinople.

Galleys powered by dozens of oarsmen and over a hundred supply ships covered the sea, and three towering galleys proudly cut through the waves.

The highlight was the two large carrack [large merchant ship] ships.

The large ships, capable of carrying a thousand people, created rough currents just by moving.

The Sultan’s flag, signaling war, fluttered over Topkapi Palace, and those who gathered to witness this spectacle shouted Allah and Padishah at the top of their lungs.

It was a cry that signaled the start of a war that would mobilize over 40,000 sailors.

Yusuf captured the scene, which made his heart pound just by looking at it, in his eyes.

“It’s really starting.”

This doesn’t mean the war between Venice and the Ottomans that will continue until 1503, when the two countries sign a treaty.

It means that the empire has closed one eye for the sake of victory, so it’s time for a new giant to rise.

This trend can never be stopped.

‘And it shouldn’t be stopped.’

Just as a chaotic era is needed to become a hero, chaos in the empire was needed for me to become Sultan.

The Sultan’s passive response to the Safavid Empire and the resulting conflict with the military, who were dissatisfied with this.

From the Shakulu rebellion, which was caused by the support of the Safavid Empire, to the subsequent rebellions of the princes.

This scene was like the beginning of a long and arduous battle.