I Became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

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Yusuf sat in his chair, resting his chin on his hand, gazing at the little boy.

The child, stirring a spoon in a cup filled with ice flakes, was of kindergarten age by modern standards.

Yusuf, watching the boy who resembled his mother with his blonde hair, asked,

“Orhan, is it good?”

“Yes, yes! Father. It’s delicious.”

Startled by Yusuf’s call, Orhan spilled a bit of the cup’s contents, but before the large figure next to him, Hasna, could clean it up, a massive lion-like tongue swept across his hand, causing Orhan to burst into giggles from the ticklish sensation.

Seeing his son more comfortable with the beast than himself, Yusuf frowned slightly.

“Don’t bring that furball inside. Otherwise, I’ll have to shave him bald.”

“If you shave him, he’ll look ridiculous. I’ll teach him well.”

Maybe realizing he was about to be left bald, the lion shuffled over, playfully nudging its large head against Yusuf, who pushed it away in annoyance.

“Quick to catch on, I see. Anyway, you’re saying the new sherbet is good, huh?”

In Arabic, it’s called sharab, in Turkish, sherbet, and in French, sorbet, referring to frozen fruit-based drinks.

It’s a food that has been drunk in beverage form in the Arab world for a long time, but what Orhan had was a sorbet more akin to ice cream with added milk.

Unlike Orhan, who was savouring slowly, Hasna, having finished her portion, smiled.

“It seems that these days, with the heat, the Valide Hatun enjoys it and has been drinking it often. Thanks to that, her energy seems to be recovering.”

“That’s a relief.”

Eating frozen sherbet may be a luxury, but it isn’t a burden.

‘Making ice just requires a bit of salt.’

The old days of chiseling glacier ice or digging deep underground ice stores just to have ice in summer are gone.

By dissolving salt in water, one can lower the temperature below freezing and thus create ice. This method has been used for quite some time.

However, since salt is also in short supply for making gunpowder, not just anyone can implement it.

‘Refrigeration is good for preserving food long-term, but it may not be practical for immediate use.’

Yusuf glanced at a small stony object placed in a corner of his room.

It was a mineral brought from the Sahara, conquered by Murad.

“In times of chaos, weapons of war; in times of peace, fertilizer, huh.”

Just looking at sediment like guano can let one refine saltpeter for gunpowder or create high-quality fertilizers.

The same material can become a weapon that kills people or tools that save countless lives, depending on how it’s used.

As Yusuf muttered softly, the voice of a courtier came to his ear.

– Padishah, an envoy has returned to the audience chamber.

“I understand. I shall go.”

Having taken a moment to meet with the two children, Yusuf stood up.

Although Orhan was so unfamiliar with him compared to the lion, the sacrifices of ruling a vast empire could not be avoided.

“Hasna, see that Orhan returns on his own when the time comes.”

“Yes, understood.”

Gently patting their heads, Yusuf wiped the kind smile from his face and walked toward the audience chamber.

The tension among the Silahtars, ready to slay any enemies of the Padishah at a moment’s notice, and the envoys who dared not even look at the ruler was a more familiar atmosphere than spending time with the children.

Sitting at the dignified seat, Yusuf spoke coldly.

“Report.”

“Yes, Padishah.”

The envoys who visited both the Wattasid and Saadi dynasties, currently fighting over Moroccan land, bowed their heads and reported to Yusuf.

“Both sides have rudely rejected the offer made by the Padishah.”

“Is that so.”

Yusuf nodded without a hint of displeasure.

If they had accepted the offer to invade Portugal, that would have been truly surprising.

In this era, an army is no better than a band of robbers. There’s nothing strange about raiding a city in passing, and if the sword is turned against them, they will be helpless.

No nation would accept such nonsensical conditions.

“Still, compared to the Saadi, the Wattasid showed slightly more moderate behavior.”

“Well, it makes sense since Saadi is in immediate danger.”

The northern coast of North Africa south of the Strait of Gibraltar belongs to the Wattasid, while the territories adjoining Algiers belong to the Ottomans as well.

Though the Saadi also shares boundaries with the Sahara conquered by Murad, the stationed soldiers there are few.

‘They haven’t even properly started guano mining yet.’

Having discreetly found guano mines after the conquest, news of success was just coming in.

Except for a few like Shamsi and Hasan, most understood the seemingly worthless land was claimed to provoke Spain.

It was a desolate area thought to be of little importance, which is why there was no need to garrison many soldiers there.

“Their response is not important. What matters is that they rejected our proposal.”

“Indeed, a valid point.”

“You’ve suffered from a long journey. I will reward you separately, so go and rest now.”

Having come with an act tantamount to a declaration of war, even an Ottoman envoy could have faced dire consequences.

While retribution like what happened in Hungary would surely be given, a fallen person wouldn’t come back, thus a reward must be given.

As the envoy expressed gratitude and took his leave, Yusuf flicked his fingers.

‘War is just around the corner. So how much can I move?’

It’s crucial to maintain a proper balance.

If pushed too hard, not only the Spanish territories in Africa like Tunisia but also the Iberian Peninsula itself may be invaded.

Taking some southern coastline could work, but after over 700 years of the Reconquista, pushing Islam out of the Iberian Peninsula cannot be ignored.

“Should I open a rat hole or not?”

Charles V’s only hope is the New World. Believing in the potential of that immense unknown land, he placed his future there.

If the Ottomans were too aggressive, they might inflict damage on coastal areas to such an extent that thoughts of the New World become distant.

Instead, Charles might have to watch as hope fades and he grinds his teeth to form an anti-Ottoman alliance.

“That sounds like a bit of a bother.”

The promised fifteen years pass quickly.

Hasn’t it already been four years since the agreement?

As the Ottomans turned into the goose that lays golden eggs while digging canals, it was uncertain how large the scale of the war might become when many wanted a piece of that.

With a high likelihood that the war may not end within the remaining eleven years, it was wise to avoid a large-scale conflict to mitigate damage and ensure smooth power transition.

‘Not that we’re about to reach for the New World yet.’

While it may just be the beginning of Spain’s advance, there are already hundreds of thousands of converts in the New World, and with the Ottomans having many places to focus on, devoting resources to New World expansion would be difficult.

Maintaining a good balance on how much to be greedy was essential.

“Bring the Grand Vizier.”

“Yes, understood.”

As Yusuf’s command was issued, the courtier hurried out of the audience chamber.

Whether the courtier hurried or not, Shamsi arrived at the audience chamber quicker than expected.

“Did you summon me, Padishah?”

“Mobilize the troops. It’s war.”

What’s there to think about?

If unsure about what constitutes an appropriate amount, just test the waters.

*

When the envoy sent to the Ottomans returned, Spain was thrown into chaos.

At first, when they sent the envoy, there were questions about whether it was necessary to send him and stir up trouble, but the reply received back was effectively a declaration of war.

The absurdity of declaring a firm struggle alongside Portugal wasn’t even mentioned, yet they were forced to unify with Portugal and wage war against the Ottomans; it was a bolt from the blue.

“What do you plan to do about this?!”

“Perhaps they were merely waiting for a pretext.”

“Then why did they give that pretext, for crying out loud?!”

Charles glared at the envoy from Portugal as if he would kill him, causing the envoy to break out in a cold sweat.

It wasn’t just Spain that was shocked by this news. In fact, Portugal was gripped by an intense fear.

‘At this rate, the country may truly be doomed.’

With the eastern trade routes already cut off, financially crippled, and the recent earthquake in Lisbon striking like a dagger to the heart, the situation was dire.

Even with existing routes still functioning, it would take at least ten years to recover; with the loss of that lifeline, the timeline became even more uncertain.

The prospect of rebuilding Lisbon was bleak, and now war with the Ottomans loomed overhead, leaving them in a state of despair.

“We’re arresting the monks spreading false rumors, along with anyone who stirred this up.”

“Then do you think you can really calm Yusuf down?”

At Charles’ words, the envoy turned mute as a fish.

While going to Spain and the Ottomans is a world apart.

In Spain, one could endure all sorts of humiliation yet preserve their life, but going to the Ottomans would mean returning only as a corpse.

Even if beheaded without torture, that would still be fortunate.

“Useless.”

Charles let out a frustrated sigh, and the envoy could only remain silent.

Regardless, it was Portugal that provided the excuse, and Spain had to bear the consequences.

“Return and tell your king. If he cannot quell the Ottoman’s anger somehow, prepare for war.”

“Uh, understood.”

Once the Portuguese envoy departed, Charles sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair.

“We should have forged a familial alliance with the Ottomans.”

Charles lamented for not having pushed for a marital alliance with Hasna.

Was it due to conversion? The marriage proposal was outright rejected, yet had it gone through, the situation would be entirely different now.

He would be the one benefitting from the canal, not France, and his forces sent to Rome wouldn’t have gained a notorious reputation by ravaging the city.

It’s all in the past, and even if time were to rewind, he couldn’t be certain a marriage alliance would be successful, yet those regrets linger heavily.

While gazing blankly at Hasna’s portrait hanging on the wall, an urgent voice rang out.

-Your Majesty, there is something urgent to report!

“Come in!”

The one who entered saluted and shouted,

“The Ottomans are mobilizing their troops!”

In disbelief, Charles grit his teeth and yelled.

“Gather our forces as well and hire mercenaries!”

*

Malta is an island right beneath Sicily, the largest in the Mediterranean.

Since ancient times, it has attracted significant attention as a trade route connecting North Africa and Sicily, being a crucial stronghold.

“Making money these days is tough.”

A merchant working on Malta island sighed deeply.

In a sparsely populated island, the only lifeline was the ships navigating between Africa and Sicily, yet lately, visitors had been few and far between.

After a peace treaty had been concluded between the Habsburgs and the Ottomans, the Barbary Pirates began to rampage more, making it difficult to freely move ships even from the important stronghold of Tunis in North Africa.

Feeling the island growing increasingly isolated, the merchant sighed heavily when suddenly shouts rang out.

– A fleet! A fleet has appeared!

“What’s happening?!”

Hearing the news of a fleet, the merchant dashed out on tiptoe.

If it’s called a fleet, there must be at least a few ships, and there should be some crumbs falling off.

The merchant, who dashed out with a bright face, quickly realized it was not the situation he thought.

Ding ding ding!

The alarm bell rang furiously, and the soldiers, who were lounging around, rushed up the harbor walls in a hurry.

Clearly, this was not a favorable situation, and before long, people could see the fleet they had been shouting about.

Filling the horizon, ships surged like a black wave, flying bright red flags.

“This isn’t the type of visitors I hoped for.”

The merchant said with a dazed expression.

It was the moment a large-scale uninvited guest invaded Malta island.