Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 117

Became the Sultan of Osman – Episode 117 (117/213)

Preparation Complete (1)

Half a century has passed since Osman conquered the Eastern Roman Empire.

Even though it had declined to the level of a city-state, the fall of Eastern Rome was a major shock to Europe, deeply engraving the name of Osman.

Osman continued its wars of conquest even after the fall of Eastern Rome, frequently clashing with Europe.

Some countries, like England, only heard rumors of Osman, while others were completely occupied beyond mere clashes.

Among them, Venice was one of the countries that frequently clashed with Osman, and Giovanni Barbaro, who came as its envoy, was overwhelmed by the scene before him.

‘An enormous number of troops. If all those cannons are used in war, it won’t just be a headache.’

The cannons filling the vast open space were so numerous that it was hard to even estimate how many there were.

The iron cannons were vulnerable to rust, and thousands of artillerymen were seen maintaining them, drawing huge crowds of onlookers.

Of course, he wasn’t naive enough to think he had coincidentally witnessed this scene on the day he arrived as an envoy.

“It’s a display. Although the weather is nice, there’s no need to maintain the cannons outside.”

“I think so too.”

Giovanni agreed with the words of the vassal who had accompanied him as a guard.

Constantinople was prone to drizzling rain, and taking them out like that would be worse than doing nothing if they got rained on.

It was clear that the Sultan, who had already heard of their visit, had brought them out to show off to them.

‘It’s an obvious ploy, but I can’t take it lightly.’

If so many cannons were operational, even the strongest fortress wouldn’t last long.

Venice, which had suffered great losses in naval battles with Osman during the reign of the previous Sultan, found this threat even more daunting.

The thought of having to negotiate a peace treaty with Osman only deepened his anxiety, and Giovanni glanced at his ship, which had been seized by the Janissaries [elite Ottoman soldiers], and said,

“It seems this won’t be an easy conversation.”

A sense of unease tickled his heart.

***

Looking down at the world map that included Osman, Yusuf felt like he was moving pieces on a giant chessboard.

Yusuf fiddled with a model symbolizing Kemal Reis [a famous Ottoman admiral] placed in the Mediterranean.

He could see Rhodes Island, occupied by the Knights Hospitaller [a Catholic military order], and Crete Island, occupied by Venice, and across the Mediterranean, the territory of the Mamluks [a former dynasty that ruled Egypt and Syria].

‘Kemal’s fleet should be brought back soon.’

After turning away the Mamluk envoy, a letter of protest filled with criticism arrived, but Yusuf scoffed.

That was the best a country like that could do.

A country that made a fortune through intermediary trade but lacked the power to push back the Ottoman fleet, which was like a thorn in its throat.

With the situation allowing for the maintenance of a fleet that preyed on merchant ships, the reason Yusuf called Venice was that war was imminent.

“Grand Vizier, there will be no issues with the ship preparations, will there?”

“Of course not. Enough ships have been prepared to transport supplies.”

In the original history, when Osman waged war against the Mamluks, the mobilized fleet numbered up to a hundred ships.

The most important issue in war, the supply problem, was solved by mobilizing a massive fleet.

If war with the Safavids [a Persian dynasty] as well as the Mamluks was anticipated, it was necessary to prepare the fleet as much as possible, and Kemal’s fleet, which had been operating for a long time, also needed to be refurbished.

It could be seen as a measure to extract a hefty sum since they were going to retreat anyway.

-Your Majesty, the envoy from Venice has arrived.

It had already been a week since the envoy arrived.

It was a period spent being assigned to a shabby accommodation under strict security.

During that time, they had consistently requested an audience and to be allowed to meet Almoro Contarini, who had been captured, and Yusuf had been acting capriciously.

He had granted permission, only to change his mind and send them back empty-handed several times, and Yusuf finally gave his permission.

“Let him in.”

As Yusuf’s permission was given, the door to the audience chamber opened, and the envoy, unable to hide his tired look, carefully entered.

The Sultan, known to be so violent that he would cut off the fingers of the Mamluk envoy who believed in the same Islam, had been constantly changing his mind, so he had no choice but to live in fear.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. I am Giovanni Barbaro, the envoy from Venice.”

Yusuf nodded towards Giovanni, who greeted him politely in the European manner.

“Welcome. I gave you plenty of time to recover from your long journey. Was it sufficient?”

Giovanni, who had spent his time with his blood drying up rather than recovering from his journey, gave a soft smile at this brazen question.

“I have been well, thanks to Your Majesty’s consideration.”

“That’s a relief then. Did you receive the letter I sent?”

Giovanni thought it was fortunate that he went straight to the point without wasting time on trivial greetings.

Even though they had finally gotten to talk, the Sultan’s capriciousness so far meant that the meeting could be disrupted at any time.

“Of course. I don’t know who the painter is, but their skill is incredibly outstanding.”

“He is someone I cherish. As time passes, the value of the painting will be more expensive than the worth of the person depicted, so keep it safe.”

Although he was the one who ruined the important matter, the captured man was a member of the Contarini family, who had great influence in Venice.

The painting with the veiled threat to pay more money than the nobleman’s ransom was nothing more than a joke.

Thinking that he really cherished the painter, Giovanni chuckled lightly.

“Hahaha, I will keep the painting very safe.”

Yusuf also knew that the other party had taken it as a joke, but he didn’t want to correct him.

As if this conversation was enough, Yusuf lightly waved his hand, and Giovanni, who stopped laughing, carefully asked.

“Your Majesty, before we begin our discussion in earnest, may I meet Almoro Contarini in person?”

“One must check the goods before paying the price. Bring him here.”

Not long after Yusuf gave the order, treating the nobleman like an object, a man was dragged in.

His hair was disheveled, he was wearing ragged clothes, and his face was covered with a dirty, overgrown beard, but it wasn’t to the point where one couldn’t recognize him.

“Almoro Contarini?”

“Gio, Giovanni Barbaro, is that you? Have you come to get me?! Oh, God!”

Giovanni’s mouth felt dry as he watched Almoro crawl over and grab his pants.

He had no idea what had happened during the past few days, but there was nothing left of his noble appearance, only the look of a lowly slave.

Almoro’s kidnapping was the reason Venice was in such a difficult situation, so he should have been resentful, but he didn’t feel that way because he looked so pathetic.

“Calm yourself; I am here because of you.”

“Please, release me from this place. The people here are demons! Please don’t leave me in this terrible place any longer!”

Yusuf smiled as the words he was saying while trembling were conveyed to his ears through an interpreter.

“Giovanni, was it?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Do you want to take only half of the goods? I’ll give you a discount. Do you prefer horizontal or vertical?”

Almoro almost fainted at the words that he would be cut in half, and Giovanni was sweating coldly.

The atmosphere was such that they would bring a saw right away if the order was given, so it didn’t seem like an empty threat.

“Ca, calm down. He must have been too scared. I apologize on his behalf.”

“Hmm. I understand since you say so. It hasn’t been long since the smell of blood from the other day has faded.”

Two rings made a clattering sound on Yusuf’s palm, and Giovanni, who noticed the origin of the rings, expressed his gratitude while sweating profusely.

“Before we talk, how much authority do you have?”

“I have been promised full authority.”

“Really? It won’t be a waste of time then. How much have you looked into?”

Giovanni swallowed hard at the words like a merchant that were common in Venice.

“I will pay ten thousand ducats [Venetian gold coins] as ransom for the prisoner.”

Ten thousand Venetian gold coins for the ransom of a guy who was not very useful to keep was not bad.

It was a ransom that could not be paid unless it was a noble, and a fairly successful noble family at that, and Yusuf looked at Almoro, who was trembling.

“That’s just the ransom for that guy. What is the price for ruining the peace treaty that our empire and Venice made in less than ten years?”

Giovanni swallowed hard.

Rescuing the prisoner Almoro might be important to the Contarini family, but it was not an important matter for Venice as a whole.

The really important thing was that they had to make a peace treaty again.

“…How about paying fifteen thousand ducats every year?”

At these words, Yusuf raised one corner of his mouth and sneered.

“What do I trust you with? How long did the contract to pay ten thousand ducats in taxes last after the last war? And it’s only gone up by five thousand.”

“It will be fine if you look at it from a long-term perspective. And it will be different this time, so please trust us.”

Yusuf chuckled lightly.

There was no word as worthless as the word trust in this era, but the Venetians were among the most untrustworthy.

There were people to trust, but he had no intention of trusting the Venetians.

“One hundred thousand ducats. That’s the amount you have to pay right now.”

“Your Majesty?!”

Giovanni was startled to hear such a large amount in a situation where money was already scarce due to the war.

Yusuf said mockingly to Giovanni, who was raising his voice.

“Isn’t it cheap? Compared to the money you gave to the Hungarian bastards in the last war to keep the empire in check.”

“Bu, but.”

“Giovanni Barbaro.”

Yusuf, who called the envoy’s name in a low voice, threw the two rings he was holding in his hand in front of Giovanni.

The sound of the rings hitting the floor echoed in the audience chamber, and Giovanni naturally lowered his head and looked at the rings.

The black stains between the gold ring and the jewel sent a chill down his spine.

“Don’t be mistaken. Do you think that no matter how much you interfere, you can stop my empire?”

Many things he had seen in the capital flashed through the envoy’s mind.

Even if the Safavids and the Mamluks joined hands, he couldn’t possibly think that they could stop the violent Sultan.

“It is up to you to decide where to place your bets, but do not forget that you must also pay the price for your choices.”

Venice’s income depended on Mediterranean trade connected to the Mamluks.

If Osman, who had even occupied the Mamluks, excluded Venice, he didn’t even want to imagine the damage that would result.

“Co, could you give me a little more time?”

“Alright. I’ll give you time since it’s a matter of your country’s fate. Go back.”

Although it was a short meeting, Giovanni returned with a very tired face, and in the audience chamber where everything was settled, the Grand Vizier said to Yusuf.

“Isn’t it necessary to make a peace treaty with the West in order to deal with the Safavids and the Mamluks? Weren’t you too harsh?”

“It’s alright. They are the ones with as many enemies as the empire. I’ve scared them this much, so they’ll want to make a peace treaty even if they have to cut into their own funds.”

Normally, the Italian land had been a frying pan for a long time, and with the Papal States and Spain also stepping back, Venice’s choice was set.

Even if things go wrong, he has the ability to solve them sufficiently.

The Grand Vizier, who fully followed Yusuf’s judgment, hid his worries and changed the subject.

“By the way, is it alright that the book containing Your Majesty’s story was handed over to the printer who came with the envoy?”

The Sultan’s position was such that he could see everything that happened in the capital as if it were in the palm of his hand, and he had been aware of the movements of the printer Aldus Manutius for a long time.

“Why, are you worried that he will illegally translate and sell the book?”

“That’s right. Aren’t they fearless in the face of money?”

Even if there were no copyright laws in Osman, there would be no one who would recklessly copy a book containing the Sultan’s story, but the West was different.

It was obvious that they would sell it without fear.

“That’s why I’m leaving it alone. Even if I try to stop it, as long as the book continues to be printed, it will be passed on to the West.”

This was because exchanges frequently occurred between the western territories of the empire, where the empire’s influence was declining, and Venice.

“Of course, I can get them to pay the price if they ask. Venice has a law that prohibits the unauthorized copying of books.”

“But why?”

At that question, Yusuf grinned.

“If that happens, they may give up printing. I can plant my influence in the West, but it’s a pity to throw away such a valuable opportunity.”

Since there was so much interest in him in the West, it was obvious that everything printed would be sold, and this would take root in the West like cultural infiltration.

There was nothing bad about it spreading widely.

Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s giving up on monetary gains.

“And when trading, the prices must match each other, but I can impose damages as I please.”

It’s okay if that guy refuses to pay. He can just extort that price from Venice.

Yusuf smiled mischievously, thinking of teaching them the horrors of copyright law.

***

When the hot summer passed and the first snow fell on the outskirts of the empire,

A herald carrying a conscription order scattered throughout the empire.

The empire, which had been taking a breather for a while, rose again.