Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 94

Becoming the Sultan of the Ottomans – 94

Wearing the Mask of Fury (3)

The Venetian fleet, after a delayed departure, finally set sail.

Having suffered defeat and significant losses in the previous naval battle against the Ottomans, Venice had learned its lesson and sought allies.

The Papal States and the Spanish fleet joined them.

‘Unexpected. Spain joined. Is it because they control southern Italy?’

Given their geographical proximity to the Ottomans, it wasn’t surprising that they offered assistance to contain them.

Upon hearing the news from the capital, Şemsi cautiously inquired,

“What should we do?”

“It’s fine. Even with one more ally than anticipated, it won’t be a problem. I’ll leave it to Kemal.”

Even with three allied forces, their combined strength was comparable to or less than his fleet.

Just last year, Venice was attacked by the Duchy of Ferrara in Italy, resulting in the capture of ships, including 15 galleys, and the death of over 2,000 soldiers.

No matter how powerful Venice was, it couldn’t immediately recover from such damage.

The Papal States, wielding authority but lacking substantial military might, couldn’t mobilize many ships either.

Spain, having suffered greatly from the Barbary pirates and frequently attacking Algiers, the pirates’ base, wasn’t particularly active in the region.

“Kemal can handle the enemy on his own, and they probably don’t really want a full-scale war with us.”

They couldn’t afford to divert resources for too long, with France emerging as a new threat.

He hadn’t moved the troops in the Balkans in preparation for a possible land invasion, so even if they faced setbacks in the naval battle, no major problems would arise.

Yusuf spoke calmly to Şemsi, who agreed with a stiff expression, seemingly displeased with the West’s intervention.

“Don’t worry too much. Time is on our side. Once we conquer the Mamluks, the Venetians, being merchants at heart, will come crawling back to trade. Then we can truly exploit them.”

“I apologize for my concern.”

“It’s fine.”

Yusuf also harbored resentment towards Venice, who often betrayed him and prioritized their own profits.

As he said this, Yusuf gazed out from the fortress.

The workers who had flocked from nearby cities were diligently restoring Trabzon, with cement playing a crucial role in the reconstruction.

“Hasan, what is our current cement supply?”

“Thanks to the stockpile we amassed in preparation for the war, we have enough to restore the walls, but it seems difficult to rebuild the collapsed buildings immediately.”

“We’ll have to address that gradually.”

If the cement production facility was operational, this wouldn’t be an issue, but they couldn’t produce cement in the short term.

“You ensured its destruction to prevent Ismail from acquiring the production method, correct?”

“We used gunpowder to guarantee it.”

The secret wasn’t eternal, and it wasn’t a particularly complex one, so they would eventually discover it.

Even if the entire world learned the secret of cement, he didn’t want Ismail to possess it.

He was that troublesome of an enemy.

“Then the matchlock [an early type of firearm] must have been disseminated as well.”

“I regret that I couldn’t keep it hidden, Pasha.”

Yusuf shook his head at Arda’s apology.

It would have been counterproductive to prioritize the weapon’s secrecy over the castle’s defense.

Regardless, the matchlock’s design wasn’t intricate, so it was likely that Ismail would replicate it.

‘There’s no need to be unnecessarily afraid.’

When it comes to gunpowder technology, the Ottoman Empire is ahead of any other country in this era.

They couldn’t catch up with the Ottomans in just a few years, even with significant investments.

‘In those few years, we can take several more steps forward.’

By that time, they would have had ample time to distribute the flintlock-type guns, which were being manufactured in the capital, to all the Janissaries [elite Ottoman infantrymen].

Unlike the enemy, who would struggle to maintain the wick’s fire, the combat effectiveness of the Janissaries using flintlocks was incomparable.

“Hasan.”

“Yes, Pasha.”

“After this war, come to the capital with Nene. I’ll grant you a position.”

“Th, thank you, Pasha!”

It wasn’t solely a reward. He needed to place them in a suitable role to entrust them with responsibilities.

Şemsi clicked his tongue inwardly at Hasan, who was only focused on his newfound status as a bureaucrat, oblivious to the hardships he would face in the capital.

It was obvious that he would soon regret his eagerness.

“By the way, have there been any envoys visiting lately?”

“They all had their heads displayed on stakes, so they don’t come anymore.”

It was customary to receive envoys even during wartime.

They couldn’t completely sever communication channels, and they would listen out of curiosity to what they had to say.

But this time, there was no such thing.

Even after hearing the news that the envoys of Samtskhe had been massacred, envoys came from various countries, assuming they would be spared since they hadn’t directly raised an army.

Of course, they were all impaled on stakes and left to decompose.

“The atmosphere must be tense by now. Don’t you think?”

“They must be trembling at the mere mention of the Empire’s name.”

Even if they attempted to appease the Ottomans’ anger, they were unable to meet, leaving them in a state of anxiety and frustration.

‘Even the commoners, not just the high-ranking officials.’

It had been over a month since they began gathering in Trabzon, and the number of troops assembled there alone reached 50,000.

Even people in this era, who were generally uninformed about external affairs due to the limited availability of information, couldn’t be unaware of what was happening.

Moreover, the spies who had been swiftly deployed while mobilizing troops were widely disseminating information, ensuring even faster and more accurate awareness.

“Inform the entire army. It’s time to reap the harvest.”

It was time to claim the necks of Georgia.

The army, which had been awaiting its moment in Trabzon, slowly began to advance eastward.

***

The other Georgian states were not foolish enough to neglect the selection of envoys after learning of the massacre of the Samtskhe envoys.

They dispatched envoys composed of individuals who had some form of friendship with Yusuf or who had participated in the previous succession war.

They harbored a slight hope that they could avoid the Ottomans’ wrath, if not entirely, then at least partially.

However, it soon became evident that this was a delusion.

It didn’t matter what kind of friendship they had with the Sultan or what assistance they had provided.

The leaders of each country felt faint at the realization that they couldn’t even reach Trabzon Castle and that all their heads were being displayed equally.

It signified an extraordinary level of anger.

“What are we going to do! Quickly devise a plan!”

“Are you not in contact with the Safavids [a Persian dynasty]? Who caused this mess, and they don’t even send reinforcements!”

Kvarqvare drank alcohol while observing the envoys who came to his palace and raised their voices.

As the envoys frowned at the strong smell of alcohol, he sneered.

“Why didn’t you provide proper assistance to prevent this from happening? It seems inappropriate for you, who didn’t send a single reinforcement, to be saying that.”

“What do you mean!”

“It means that if you had sent troops, we could have captured Trabzon in time. If we had, the situation might be different now.”

With that, Kvarqvare burst into laughter.

“You claimed you would be cautious and only took on the task of maintaining secrecy and supporting military supplies, but you ended up in the same predicament as us, which is truly amusing!”

“Eee! Don’t concern yourself with us, worry about yourself! We’ll be fine!”

Although they had contributed to the betrayal, those gathered there genuinely believed this and nodded their heads.

Unlike Samtskhe, which was likely to have its lineage extinguished by bearing the full brunt of the anger, they didn’t believe that excessive retaliation would befall them for merely supporting supplies.

The reason they sent envoys to the Ottomans and came here to urge action was solely to minimize the damage they would incur.

“Well, we’ll see about that.”

Kvarqvare briefly recalled his conversation with his uncle, Mzetchabuk.

He had said that they were harboring grand ambitions that they, confined to a small land, couldn’t even fathom.

Those who are dreaming big dreams.

“They usually don’t cling to small profits.”

And the families of these people and Georgia in front of them are just small profits.

While the envoys looked strangely at Kvarqvare, who was uttering incomprehensible things, the door burst open urgently.

“It’s a major problem! The Ottoman army has begun to advance!”

Although it was something they had been anticipating, Kvarqvare felt his heart sink.

He stared blankly at the envoys who were fleeing as if their lives depended on it and poured all the alcohol into his mouth.

The wine had a fishy smell. Like the smell he would soon grow tired of.

***

The 40,000 Sipahi [Ottoman cavalry] and 10,000 central troops advanced steadily, like predators closing in on their prey.

Unfortunately for Georgia, they couldn’t even consider employing the scorched-earth tactics that the Safavids used to impede the Ottomans’ advance.

Unlike the Safavids, who had to retreat into the interior, Georgia was connected to the Black Sea, making supplies readily available.

Even if the advance was slow, it was relentless, and they reached the city that marked the border between Samtskhe and the Ottoman territories.

“It’s Artvin!”

It was the city that had once blocked the path of 5,000 Kizilbash [Safavid soldiers].

In the original timeline, it was a city that would have fallen to the Safavids in 1502, but it was a city that could be defended thanks to Yusuf’s efforts.

Enemy soldiers, filled with fear, were densely packed on the sturdy walls.

“There seem to be quite a few of them.”

“No matter how many there are, they are merely scarecrows.”

Yusuf nodded at the Janissary Agha’s confident words.

Since they were soldiers stationed to guard against forces from the Lazistan Sanjak [district] and Erzurum, there were a considerable number of them, but the enemy was already gripped by fear.

Cannons, including large cannons brought from the capital for the siege, were aimed at the enemy’s walls.

Şemsi cautiously asked Yusuf, who was observing the scene.

“I apologize, but Padishah [Ottoman Sultan]. Are you truly going to eliminate all the Georgian nobles?”

He understood Şemsi’s concern.

The concept of equality for all in this era of a rigid class system doesn’t even apply during wartime.

The commoners, who are easily influenced, are plundered and killed when the war is lost, but the nobles, who are the instigators of the war, continue their lineage.

Even Grand Vizier Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha is the son of the Duke of the Kingdom of Bosnia.

It was a family that opposed the Ottomans, but in the end, they even produced a Grand Vizier [the Sultan’s chief minister].

Even if it wasn’t this specific case, the Ottomans often granted autonomy to the families that occupied and governed the area.

‘That’s easier.’

There was already a shortage of talent to dispatch, and if the existing family ruled, the backlash could be minimized.

They believed it was better to leave it to them than to worry about rebellion.

However, Yusuf has no intention of allowing that this time.

“Shouldn’t we demonstrate our anger? There’s no need to do so by unnecessarily massacring the subjects.”

Killing so many people to display anger is not only difficult but also provides an opportunity for nobles and commoners alike to unite.

Moreover, the Ottomans have a significant weakness compared to Western countries.

‘The weakness is that the population is too small.’

If things continue this way, the population of the Ottoman Empire, which possesses a vast territory, will be smaller than the population of Italy.

The era when population equates to military power is approaching, and this is a fatal flaw.

There’s no point in massacring hundreds of thousands of people in a place that will soon become his land.

“And wouldn’t the nobles be the ones who fear the consequences of betraying us, not the common people? They’re the ones who make the decisions.”

“That’s true.”

“Then we must make them tremble.”

They had to deeply understand that betrayal meant the destruction of their family.

That way, there would be no more betrayers like Georgia.

“Of course, we must set an example first.”

He plans to instigate and incite the commoners to betray the nobles.

If so, it is necessary to instill fear to the extent that they turn their swords against their masters who have ruled for so long, and that example will be Artvin.

The sound of cannons echoed in Artvin.

It was a signal announcing the tragedy to come.