Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 187

The Gambling Table (1)

Considering the long history of the city of Rome, two years might be described as a fleeting moment. However, the past two years have turned the world of Roman citizens upside down.

A fellow Christian made Rome a living hell, and then Osman, branded as a pagan and fueled by animosity, saved Rome.

This alone is something that surpasses the imagination of the average Roman citizen.

A story that would be ridiculed as absurd even in a comedy has become reality. It would be stranger if people could maintain their old ways of thinking.

Laborers, under the direction of the Janissary [elite Ottoman infantry] engineering corps, rebuilt collapsed buildings, and soldiers wearing turbans patrolled the city.

Arab merchants who had come all the way to Rome brought merchants from neighboring city-states to buy goods. Now, the Roman citizens, who wouldn’t bat an eye at most things, were blinking in surprise.

“Are you laughing? Or do you want me to frown along with you?”

At Yusuf’s quiet words, Pope Clement VII wore a faint smile and gripped the reins.

To overcome the brutal political arena, far from holiness, and reach the pinnacle of the Papal States required more than ordinary skill. He smiled, but his insides were burning black.

‘Lord, why do you give me such trials?’

He felt like he was losing his mind in the face of the unbearable reality of touring Rome with the pagan emperor, pretending to be friendly, with a cheerful pagan march as his carpet [a metaphor for the celebratory atmosphere despite the Pope’s discomfort].

The Pope just wanted this time to end quickly, while Yusuf, with the opposite feeling, asked in a friendly voice.

“Pope, do you know any good painters?”

“Painters? Why suddenly painters?”

“This is a moment that will remain in history, so it would be better to leave it as a painting. If it were my country, I would have Michelangelo himself here, but I’ll have to settle for being introduced to a decent painter.”

The Pope was breathless at the thought of leaving this moment in history as a painting.

He wanted to refuse Yusuf, who was wearing a sly smile, but the moment he saw the soldiers guarding him with perfect posture, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.

Even a pope who was ignorant of martial arts could see that the Silahdars [Ottoman Sultan’s personal guards], who had the honor of guarding the Padishah [Ottoman ruler] up close, were on a different level from the elite Janissaries.

“There must be a decent painter among those who came to see us today. I’ll check.”

“You thought well. In the end, all that remains is writing and painting. Valuable things must be carefully recorded and left as precious data for future generations.”

“That’s right.”

The Pope just nodded powerlessly, not knowing who the record was for.

The crowd couldn’t hear what kind of conversation was going on because of the march, and all they could see was the two leaders talking with friendly faces.

After the procession passed, the remaining people gathered and whispered to each other.

“I didn’t expect the Ottoman emperor to come all the way here, not even a prince. I wonder what will happen in the future.”

“How would I know? If you’re really curious, ask the Ottoman emperor directly. Aren’t they supposed to be prophets?”

“You have to say something that makes sense.”

The man who snorted at the cynical remark carefully asked, watching the Janissaries, who used to be friendly, guarding the area with such grim faces that they couldn’t even breathe.

“I’m just saying this just in case.”

“What is it?”

“What if something bad happens to the emperor here?”

Rome, with the Vatican, is the heart of Christianity, and it wouldn’t be strange if a crazy person, disguised as a martyr, jumped out and attacked the emperor.

The people who heard the words felt a chill down their spines.

They were the ones who insisted on war for insulting the Padishah, so what if he was even injured? The sack of Rome, which had not yet subsided, would be reproduced.

Only then did the Roman citizens realize how dangerous the march they had just witnessed was and that they had to do their best to ensure that Yusuf left Rome without a scratch.

A bomb called Padishah had come to Rome.

***

Mehmet brewed coffee with a calm hand.

To properly brew Turkish coffee, patience and concentration were required.

The process of brewing coffee over a very low heat and lifting the container as soon as foam appears to allow the foam to subside must be repeated three to four times.

It took more than seven minutes to brew the coffee, so it was a process that required patience. When a good scent rose, he carefully poured it into a cup.

“You brewed it well.”

Yusuf, the only person who could receive coffee from the empire’s prince, took a sip of coffee.

Mehmet, who filled his own cup with coffee, savored the aroma and spoke first to Yusuf.

“You are still mischievous. The returning Pope was almost exhausted.”

“The sun must have been too hot. Maybe I should recommend a decent turban next time.”

“He’s already mentally cornered. Don’t tease him too much.”

A turban is not exclusive to Islam.

Turbans have been worn since before Christ because they are essential in climates such as deserts, and they were also used in the Eastern Roman Empire due to its geographical location.

In medieval Europe, the wealthy often wore them, so if you look at Renaissance paintings before the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire, you can easily find men wearing turbans.

However, this is a thing of the past, and as the Ottoman Empire grew, the turban gradually became a symbol of the Ottoman Empire, so the Pope might fall backwards if he were made to wear one.

“Well, it’s a joke. I’ve achieved everything I wanted, so there’s no need to play with the Pope. Hassan, have you identified the suspicious people who are quickly leaving the city?”

“Yes, Padishah. We have confirmed those who are presumed to be spies from Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as city-states including Florence.”

“Okay, I hope the news is delivered safely.”

They would have received information that he was heading to Rome, but they would have been half-doubtful.

It’s not strange, since even the Pope couldn’t believe it even after seeing it with his own eyes.

‘They would never have dreamed that I, who conquered Malta and declared war, would do something crazy like enter Rome.’

Anyway, this march will have made it clear that he is here.

Yusuf looked at the map hanging on the wall.

“The forces gathered in Algiers are 30,000, and the forces gathered in Rome are 25,000.”

In the case of Rome, there were originally 20,000 troops stationed there, so only 5,000 additional troops joined.

Considering that both are not cities that can be traveled by land and that troops must be transported by ship, it is not a small number.

‘But there won’t be a more tempting state than now.’

If the Padishah personally leads the war, he usually brings 40,000 to 50,000 troops, but being in Rome, an isolated land, with a relatively small force of 25,000 was more powerful than any bait.

It’s not for nothing that the game ends when you catch the king and the queen in chess or shogi [Japanese chess]. If they capture him, they will be able to extract astronomical profits from the Ottoman Empire.

“Mehmet, how do you think I will act in the future?”

“Wouldn’t you put more effort into Algiers than here? As Rome’s defenses become stronger, the enemy is more likely to choose to defend Tunis.”

“The meaning of coming all the way here will be a little tarnished.”

The bait is meaningful only if it is bitten.

Facing the Ottoman elite troops with the restored Aurelian Walls [ancient Roman city walls] while rebuilding Rome requires determination, but if the number of defenders increases, they are likely to be frightened and focus on defending Tunis.

Yusuf took a sip of coffee and twisted his lips.

“Where will Carlos bet, I wonder?”

Will he gamble with the risk of losing what he has in his hand, or will he struggle to protect what he has?

‘It doesn’t matter which one he chooses anyway.’

Carlos may see it as joining a gambling table where the fate of the country is at stake, but this is a clear delusion.

He is the one who set up the game, and the one who sets up the game before the opponent in the gambling table is either the owner of the gambling house or a con artist.

‘Both have in common that they do not lose in the game they have set up.’

Mehmet and Hassan pursed their lips at the mischievous smile that they often saw when they were with Yusuf.

In most cases, the opponent who caused that smile did not end up in good shape.

“Hmm, whether it’s Carlos or Andrea Doria [Genoese admiral], who leads the mercenary fleet, it will take some time to make a decision. It’s a waste of time to waste time like this.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Hmm, I’ve come all the way to Italy, so I’m going to see faces that are hard to see normally. Hassan, I need to send some invitations.”

Hassan bowed his head without surprise at the sudden mention of invitations.

“Where should I send them?”

“I’ve come all the way here, so where else would it be? Several city-states, including Florence. Tell them to come and meet me with both hands full, since they’ve come a long way.”

Considering the benefits that Venice and France get from the canals, they would bring gift bundles even if they were told to come empty-handed.

Someone who hears the news will be upset.

Soon after, the Italian city-states received invitations to Rome.

***

The war with the Ottoman Empire was already foreseen.

The conflict between Portugal and the Ottoman Empire had gone beyond the level of dialogue, and they showed their will to fight through envoys.

Even when they received the news that Malta had been occupied, they regarded it as a beacon that had risen as expected and were planning to respond as prepared.

“Yusuf, this guy is definitely crazy.”

As if to say that he should not be thought of in the general category, he not only entered Rome without fear, but now he is naturally inviting Italian nobles to Rome.

Anyone would think he was enthroned as the new Pope.

Carlos gnashed his teeth at the news that nobles were heading to Rome, hoping to receive concessions, as it was a golden opportunity to meet the Padishah directly without much effort.

“Okay, let’s see how long you can be arrogant.”

Attack Rome? There’s no need to hesitate in a state where he’s already taken the blame for the sack of Rome once.

He’s begging to be caught, so all he has to do is go along with it.

“I will invade Rome using the forces gathered in Valencia. Tell Naples to respond to this! You can hire as many mercenaries as you want.”

The Kingdom of Naples, which rules southern Italy, was one of the countries inherited by Carlos, so it was easy to bring Naples in.

The number of Spanish troops sent from the mainland and troops sent from Naples was quite large, but Carlos had no intention of being satisfied with this.

“Send envoys to Italian countries such as Milan and Genoa. Tell them that if they capture only the Ottoman emperor, they can share the canals that give them huge profits. This is a holy war to reclaim Rome from the hands of the pagans.”

It’s not something that the culprit who sacked Rome and allowed the Ottoman Empire to penetrate Rome should say, but in an era where alliances can be betrayed for profit, it’s not difficult to put this much iron plate [audacity] on his face.

If they can occupy the canal where gold is pouring in, the city-states that have been devastated by the long war can prosper again, so there will definitely be many who participate.

“Tell Andrea Doria in Sicily that our goal is Rome.”

Andrea Doria, the mercenary leader who leads the Genoese mercenary fleet, is keeping the Ottoman Empire from occupying Tunis in Sicily.

If he tells Andrea now, he will head to Ostia, the port closest to Rome, and together with the Spanish fleet, he will play the role of preventing the Ottoman Empire from arriving in Rome with reinforcements.

Most of the Ottoman fleet’s forces are gathered in Algiers, so it won’t be easy to stop them, but it was worth trying to stop them if they used Ostia.

‘On the contrary, Tunis will be in danger, but it’s okay to hand over Tunis.’

Tunis is a region that chose to be subjugated to enter the shadow of the peace treaty when the Ottoman threat became blatant when a peace treaty was signed between the Habsburgs and the Ottoman Empire.

Even if it is a vassal state, it is a land of pagans, so it doesn’t matter how much damage is done there.

All he has to do is catch Yusuf and find it again.

“Go, go and drag Yusuf that guy over here.”

As Carlos’s order fell, the Italian peninsula ended its short period of peace and entered the flames of war again.

***

Roman citizens felt that the atmosphere surrounding Rome was unusual.

Wars had been going on in the Italian peninsula for the past few decades, so it would be strange if they didn’t notice this atmosphere.

The footsteps of nobles visiting Rome were cut off, and news spread that mercenaries were being hired from city-states including Naples.

The Ottoman army increased patrols in Rome and began to carefully examine war materials.

Roman citizens felt uneasy about the tense tension that was engulfing Rome, and this unease soon became a reality.

“Troops from the Duchy of Milan, the Duchy of Genoa, and the Duchy of Ferrara are moving south, and troops from the Kingdom of Naples are moving north!”

“The Spanish fleet and the Genoese mercenary fleet have been discovered around the port of Ostia!”

Yusuf took a sip of coffee leisurely at the reports pouring out without a break.

“How much do you think will come?”

“Wouldn’t about 70,000 gather?”

“It’s within the estimated range. Carlos is not interesting because he has no unexpectedness.”

Yusuf, who was talking to Mehmet in a comfortable tone as if he were talking about a faraway country, raised the corners of his mouth.

There is no reason to refuse since the stakes have been raised on the already set table.

Rome has become the center of the war.