I Became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

잠에서 깨다(2)

The recent atmosphere in Rhodes, a crucial hub connecting Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, was not good.

As the power of the Ottoman Empire grew, the activities of the Knights of Rhodes in the Mediterranean naturally dwindled.

The main work of the order, which could be said to be its identity—capturing infidel ships—had also decreased, leading to financial deterioration and dissatisfaction among the knights.

Thus, it was a rare opportunity to set sail.

“Your Excellency! Major trouble! The ships that set out are coming back, and their condition is alarming.”

Hearing the report, Fabrizio del Carretto, the Grandmaster of the Order, sprang to his feet.

If a problem was identified even before docking, it meant that the situation was indeed grave, and he rushed hurriedly to the harbor.

Upon arriving at the harbor, Carretto felt a dizzying emotion as he observed the ships that were just docking.

“Oh, my Lord.”

There had been five ships that set out this time.

Considering that the Knights of Rhodes had a total of seven ships, it was clear they had sent all available vessels at once.

Two of them were unaccounted for, while the other was in a state of near destruction, leaning at about 30 degrees as crew members frantically unloaded goods and people, shouting incessantly.

Upon Carretto’s appearance, the Galleys Admiral, who was bandaged up, lowered his head.

“What in the world happened!”

“…I sincerely apologize, Your Excellency.”

“I didn’t ask for excuses! Explain clearly what happened!”

Under Carretto’s intense questioning, the second-in-command of the navy, the Galleys Admiral, spoke with a face full of frustration.

“It was three ships. As you know, lately, infidel vessels rarely travel alone, correct?”

“Yes, I’m well aware—that’s why five ships set sail.”

The volume of trade had increased, and in response to countermeasures against Rhodes, the Ottomans had advised merchant ships to move in groups.

It was common to see two or three vessels traveling together, but one peculiar thing was that their ship scale was larger than average merchant ships, meaning the potential loot from captures would also be greater.

Believing in their numerical superiority, the knights had approached to capture, only to realize something was amiss as they got closer.

“They weren’t merchant ships. There were numerous cannons onboard, and a large number of crew members as well.”

“Then they must have been military ships.”

Carretto’s eyes narrowed.

It was obvious how the situation had unfolded afterward. Even if they realized they were not merchant vessels when they were fired upon, they certainly wouldn’t just flee.

As a stern order against infidels, the knights must have engaged in naval battle, relying on their numerical advantage.

“What became of the enemy?”

“I’m sorry. One of their ships sank, another was heavily damaged, but in the end, we lost their trail.”

Although it was said they lost them, it was evident that both sides suffered considerable losses, leading to a mutual decision to abandon the fight.

Further confrontation would simply lead to mutual destruction.

In any case, overwhelmed by the unexpected scale of damage, Carretto sighed in frustration and asked, “Where is the Admiral? I need to hear more details from him about what happened.”

“…The Admiral…”

Following the Galleys Admiral’s gaze, Carretto turned his head.

Unlike the injured soldiers who cried in pain, there were those covered by cloth without a flicker of movement.

As Carretto approached, the sullen-faced knights bowed their heads. When he arrived at the spot where the Admiral’s body lay, he clenched his fist tightly.

“Where is the Admiral’s Head? Why is the Admiral’s Head missing?!”

“I-It’s because the enemy commander came over, killed the Admiral, and took his head!”

“Why couldn’t you stop that?!”

At Carretto’s outburst, the knights and soldiers fell into a heavy silence.

The enemy commander, who looked hardly older than a lad, was a monster. He had swiftly cut down the knights blocking his path and returned to his ship with the Admiral’s head in hand.

Recalling the scene where robust soldiers were brutally tossed aside, the surviving knight spoke in a trembling voice.

“Y-your Excellency, there is something else you must know.”

“What else is there?”

“The enemy soldiers shouted ‘Sultan’ at their commander.”

“Sultan?”

The knights, who weren’t fluent in the infidels’ language, still understood that ‘Sultan’ referred to something significant.

Typically, it denoted a ruler of a nation like the Mamluk dynasty, but in the Ottoman context where an emperor was referred to as ‘Padishah,’ those called ‘Sultan’ were different.

“It seems the enemy commander might be an Ottoman Prince.”

The elderly Carretto, in his sixties, momentarily felt his senses slip away and let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha ha ha, as if losing two ships and the Admiral wasn’t enough, the ships we attacked happened to be carrying a prince?”

“…That’s correct.”

Carretto couldn’t wrap his head around where to even start cleaning up this mess.

While struggling to gather his white hair, a scream erupted.

Creeeak!

– The ship is sinking!

The already damaged ship seemed to light its last flame as it split in two with the sound of splintering wood and sank into the sea.

As he watched the waves created by the sinking engulfing people and goods, Carretto once again called upon the divine.

*

“How dare those wretched rabble attack the ship carrying the Prince and Hatice.”

Furious, Yusuf slammed his gun into the ground, causing the urgently gathered nobles to hold their breath.

On this dark night, where one could hardly see a step ahead without the flickering torches and the shining moon, Yusuf’s rage was deeper and darker.

Since the prince’s departure was conducted under the utmost secrecy for his safety, the Knights of Rhodes couldn’t possibly have known they were attacking a vessel carrying the prince and his harem.

These were the same pirates who had a notorious history of kidnappings even in the original history while engaging in piracy.

The siege of Candia in the seventeenth century, involving the Ottomans, Venice, the Knights of Malta, and the French, had its roots in the Knights of Malta snatching harem women returning from the pilgrimage to Mecca.

This time, the assault was likely a coincidence as well.

“They must be punished by you. This is absolutely unacceptable!”

“Even if the prince and Hatun are unharmed, we cannot let this slide!”

Nodding at the cries of his advisors, Yusuf agreed.

“I think so too.”

With the area they needed to manage expanding, there were not enough ships to operate, and he didn’t expect the normally quiet knights to attack three ships.

The knights probably never imagined a vital figure of the empire would be aboard that ship either.

It was an unfortunate twist of fate, coincidence, and reasons were irrelevant. Only the results mattered.

“Let it be known: the empire’s wrath is justified, and their sins shall be repaid in blood.”

Yusuf, with his gun resting on his shoulder, declared coldly, “From now on, the empire is declaring war.”

An envoy announcing the war scattered across the Ottoman lands.

After four years of silence, it was time once again for blood to stain the ground.

*

The events between the Ottomans and the Knights of Rhodes quickly spread across the world.

Many were on high alert regarding news from the Ottomans, and the shock of the reported events only added to the attention.

The history of the Knights of Rhodes, as one of the rescue orders, dates back over 900 years, and they had been active during the Crusades.

With all the over six hundred members of the order being from noble families, the news that they attacked an Ottoman prince’s vessel sent shockwaves through Europe.

“Say it once more. What happened?”

Leo X, who had been elected Pope after Julius II, nearly fell off his pet white elephant, Anno.

He had been preparing to march through the decorated streets of Rome, accompanied by leopards and jesters, but he hastily stepped down from the elephant, canceling his usual pastimes.

“They attacked an Ottoman prince? If they were going to attack, why didn’t they at least take him prisoner?!”

The knight that had come seeking help lowered his head under the Pope’s loud scolding.

“I apologize, but the enemy’s resistance was too strong, and we recognized he was a prince only too late.”

Leo X clicked his tongue and quickly skimmed through the report detailing the situation.

What caught the pope’s eyes was the detail that the prince had killed the admiral and returned to his ship with the severed head.

“How old is the Ottoman prince?”

Having made a name for himself from a young age, the infidel’s emperor was still in his late twenties, so the fact that an admiral had been killed by a mere prince was perplexing.

In response to this question, the knight answered with a somber face.

“…The oldest among them is said to be still under fifteen years old.”

“Are you telling me that the Admiral of the Knights was killed by a mere child?! Does that boy have the strength of Samson?!”

The Pope’s incredulous expression referenced the Biblical figure who killed a lion with his bare hands and struck down a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey.

This was a point of contention within the order itself, causing uncertainty about whether this truly was a prince, and amidst that, the skilled diplomat Cardinal Thomas Wolzy spoke up.

“The second son of the infidel emperor has been rumored to possess great physical prowess from a young age. It’s said that even the Janissaries fear him in combat.”

“Ha ha ha, so the truth is that a boy in puberty returned to his ship with the head of the admiral?!”

It was a ludicrous realization, but it was not the manner of death that was important at this time.

Striking the nose of Anno, the elephant comforting him, the Pope asked Cardinal Thomas.

“Crusade. Is there no way to reignite the crusade we previously planned?”

The Pope had contemplated a crusade against the Ottomans before.

With the authority of the Pope, he had intended to declare a ceasefire among all Christian nations and lead a coalition towards Constantinople.

He had even saved up tithes specifically for the crusade, yet it ended in failure.

“It appears that it’s impossible, and regrettably, there will be no nation willing to come to their aid.”

Spain and Portugal were busy with their exploration of the routes, while England and France were focused on consolidating power after resolving the Italian Wars.

Venice had been busy wagging its tail at the Ottomans, having thrown away the spoils they gained during the crusade.

In truth, there were no nations willing to stand against the infuriated Ottomans for having attacked the knights targeting a prince.

“Furthermore, the justification to aid the knights is crystal clear.”

They weren’t dealing with mere nobles; they had touched a prince, so even the inner Christian circle wouldn’t have a strong response.

The Pope let out a long sigh.

“It’s a dismal situation if we can’t do anything in this time of infidels rampaging.”

Gloom filled the face of the knight who had come seeking help and was set to return empty-handed, making the Pope turn to the cardinal with urgency.

“Is there any decent way to turn this situation around?”

“There is a possible route but…”

“What is it? Please tell me!”

Thomas, hesitating with his words, ultimately replied.

“The Order should send an envoy directly to the Ottomans. We’ll go there to clear up misconceptions and ask for peaceful resolution.”

“Do you think they would even listen? If we’re lucky, we won’t end up as fish food.”

Given their current state, it would be fortunate if the outrage-crazed Ottomans refrained from slaughtering the emissary.

Nodding at the Pope’s observation, the cardinal agreed.

“It’s a journey towards certain death. Though they may seem mild recently, their emperor has a fearsome reputation. It’s certain that they would kill any envoy sent. However, they could earn themselves a reputation for slaying an envoy.”

Though they may have decapitated a Mamluk Sultan that arrived for negotiations, most other European nations didn’t sever diplomatic ties with the Ottomans.

After all, it was merely a matter occurring among infidels, easily brushed off as the cruelty of savages.

However, should the Sultan kill an emissary sent by the Knights, it could lead to the Ottomans experiencing diplomatic isolation.

“With a stroke of luck, this could serve as a justification for forming a crusade. At the very least, it would certainly be better than our current situation.”

“What shall we do?”

As the Pope handed over the decision, the knight bowed his head with a determined look.

“We, the knights, do not fear death! If we can root out infidels, we’ll gladly meet our end with a smile!”

“Such will bring joy to the Lord.”

With the Pope’s praises, the knight departed from the Papal States, and shortly after, the Knights of Rhodes sent an envoy to the Ottomans.

*

“Barking dogs think they’re lions. Does the empire amuse you? You pig-like fools.”

Yusuf glared at the knight who had come as an envoy, his malevolence palpable.

The aura surrounding one who roamed countless battlefields, piling bodies and turning rivers into blood was enough to make even a knight embrace his death.

Feeling the wrath of the Padishah, the Silahtar’s blades flickered into sight, and Yusuf raised his hand.

“Put your swords away.”

Clang!

The blades returned to their sheaths in unison as Yusuf spoke in a growling voice.

“Your time to be dealt with has elapsed, vermin. Leave at once.”

The envoy, thinking that he might actually be spared, shouted frantically.

“Sultan! Your so-called great soldiers will all be turned into fodder, and you will flee like a miserable dog! Do you still wish to go to war with us?!”

At the open mockery, Yusuf curled his lips into a smirk.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to cut off your limbs and make you crawl like a worm. Don’t tarnish my castle and leave immediately.”

With that, Yusuf turned away mercilessly, and ultimately the knight, unable to fulfill his task, had to turn back.

The Silahtar asked Yusuf, “Are you really going to send him back alive?”

“He’s here intending to die. I can’t just grant him that wish.”

Being attuned to feel the knight’s emotions, Yusuf sneered coldly.

“And who said he would be sent back alive? Alper Pasha.”

“Yes, Your Padishah.”

“Let the Barbary Pirates know. There’s a ship to be seized.”

Isn’t it rather common in this era to be kidnapped by pirates?

That’s precisely what the side jobs are for.

“If you wish to die like that, die dishonorably as a prisoner, knight.”