I Became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

도박판(2)

News of enemies flooding in from all sides.

The Ottoman Army, having received information that Rome was once again turning into a battlefield before the scars from the Sack of Rome had fully healed, was the first to open the city gates.

“Those who want to flee, leave before the enemy arrives!”

Rome was being rebuilt, and refugees returned, with the current population in Rome being around 40,000.

While this number could somewhat cover the threefold discrepancy in military strength, it also posed a potential risk of betrayal.

Once the fleeing individuals left, it was estimated that only about 20,000 remained in Rome.

Those remaining were mainly the elderly, those unable to escape, or people who preferred to die in Rome.

Of course, among those expected to stay, some had already fled.

“I can’t understand how the cardinals can abandon their post and run away. Mehmet, what should we do when a high-ranking official tries to flee in a place we call Constantinople?”

“They would have set an example by tearing them apart for the morale of our troops. They’re no different from traitors.”

“Yet here you are, staying to protect Rome, and it’s a shame to see you with such scoundrels.”

The Pope could not respond to the wealthy man’s words, which were just as contemptuous as their appearance.

He, too, was boiling with anger.

It’s not that he couldn’t understand the hearts of those who fled.

The memories of the Sack of Rome were vivid, a time when both Pope and cardinals had their lives at stake, and reflecting on that moment made him want to flee as well.

However, if the Pope were to abandon Rome, leaving it to the Ottoman army, it would obliterate the already diminished authority of the Papacy.

“This is an internal matter of the Papal States, yet as fellow rulers, I spoke out of sympathy. There’s no need to keep it all inside.”

Though it was clear that Yusuf had already stored it in his heart, he brushed it aside.

Disputes between the Pope and cardinals could be beneficial, but in the face of war, it was merely a distraction.

The real matter at hand was war.

25,000 Ottoman soldiers and the 20,000 citizens left in Rome did their utmost to defend the city, and soon the day arrived.

Boom! Boom!

The first to arrive were 30,000 soldiers marching north from the Kingdom of Naples, followed by the Spanish army, who seized the port of Ostia and made their way to Rome.

Both armies settled outside Rome, not intending to attack first, and after about a week, southern Italian city-states gathered to join them.

The flags of the Duchy of Milan, the Republic of Genoa, and the Principality of Ferrara waved in the wind, and as 70,000 soldiers amassed, Rome was stained with blood.

*

Siege warfare is a terribly exhausting endeavor.

The attacking side struggles, piling up corpses to breach the walls, while the defenders grow weaker due to dwindling supplies and manpower as the siege drags on.

The siege of Rome, continuing for over two weeks, was typical in this regard.

“How many shots have you taken already, and you still can’t shoot straight?! Hit the damn chunks of metal instead!”

“Don’t mind the bugs rushing to die! Just keep the shells from landing on the walls!”

The commanding officers, rallying the artillerymen, bellowed loud enough to be heard, and the soldiers, whose fingers were raw from the relentless bombardment, gritted their teeth and hastened their loading.

They stuffed wads into the barrels to clean them out, placed heavy metal shells in the mouths of the cannons, and upon firing, a hot gust of wind and deafening sound erupted.

Everything was torturous, but in war, you had to be thankful for being alive.

“AAARRGGHH!”

As soldiers clambered up the ladder to reach the enemy on the parapet, the Ottoman army mercilessly jabbed their bayonets.

The bloodied enemy fell from the walls, and the soldiers poured boiling oil onto the ladder.

Holding firmly from below, pushing down the ladder laden with enemy soldiers wasn’t something just a few men could do.

As the enemy, dangling from the ladder, couldn’t endure the boiling oil and fell like raindrops, the commander finally shouted.

“Push! Push it down!”

The towering soldiers surged forward and pushed the ladder away.

Though they heard the screams of those still hanging on, the soldiers knew from experience that it was only time-wasting.

If a few enemy soldiers died when the ladder fell, they could just reset the ladder.

-Boom! Crash!

Taking advantage of the moment when enemy soldiers couldn’t climb the walls, the archers, finished loading, aimed their guns downwards and fired.

With enemies lying everywhere, aiming wasn’t even necessary.

They would likely hit anyway, and the enemy might just disappear into the abyss from the gunfire that tore at the edges of the walls.

The rancid smell of blood, the acrid scent of gunpowder, and the stench from rotting corpses filled the air.

By now, noses ceased to function, and the deafening sounds of cannon fire and gunfire made it hard to hear even shouts screamed up close.

Amidst the fierce battle atop the walls, Yusuf took in the situation with full clarity.

“Holy Father, are you scared? It would be unfortunate to catch a shell or something.”

Height above the walls didn’t guarantee safety either.

The slight shudder caused by a cannonball hitting the wall made that clear.

Ignoring the Pope’s apparent fear, Yusuf immersed himself more into the war situation.

Soldiers were fighting tooth and nail to fend off the enemy while citizens carried the wounded and corpses into the city.

Black smoke wafted as corpses were burned to prevent plague from spreading in the city, while panicking citizens ran from cannonballs falling into the streets of Rome.

Describing it as horrific wouldn’t be overstating it.

“Do you know why I bring you along like this?”

“I… I honestly don’t know.”

The Ottoman army, merely visiting the battlefield, would raise morale, so Yusuf braved the danger and climbed the walls every day to encourage the soldiers.

And it wasn’t just the Ottoman army present.

“I can’t possibly soothe the hearts of the Roman citizens residing here. But if they can at least see your face, it might give them some strength.”

Though he was technically the Pope, he was no different from a secular lord, and for the fearful citizens of Rome uncertain of when death would come, the Pope might indeed provide some comfort.

At the very least, while citizens were being violated by the Habsburg army as in the last raid, it was better than the Pope holing himself up safe in Castel Sant’Angelo.

“Holy Father, we as power holders must be fully aware. Wars arise out of our greed, and mostly, the innocent are the ones caught in it.”

“…What are you trying to say?”

The Pope’s expression was slightly uncomfortable.

Even if it wasn’t this war, the Papal States had been deeply involved in the wars over the last few decades in Italy, so he bore a share of the responsibility.

“Wars can happen. We can send soldiers to die under the pretense of noble sacrifice, just like the soldiers dying now. At least I thought their sacrifice was necessary, so I initiated the conflict.”

In the long run, he believed it would lead to fewer sacrifices, thus creating the current situation.

Those dying now hadn’t wished to be sacrificed in this manner.

“Therefore, I must witness their sacrifices with my own eyes. To ensure that their deaths are entirely my responsibility. I am here at least with such determination.”

Staring into Yusuf’s ominously shining eyes, the Pope felt a slight chill.

It was common for thousands to die in a single battle. The idea of engraving that not as mere numbers, but as guilt, was unimaginable for him.

BOOM!

As if something hit a tower, a tremendous tremor was felt, prompting Yusuf to turn.

“I think that’s enough for today.”

Yusuf climbed into the carriage with the Pope, and they rode towards the center of Rome.

After observing the Pope closely for two weeks, he felt no sense of conspiracy with the outside enemy.

“I suspect there are some cardinals who are,” he thought.

There was readiness to take their lives at any moment if any suspicious movement took place, thus they were safe.

“Currently, our allies have lost around 4,000 men, while the enemy has lost over 20,000.”

Even in a siege, such a casualty exchange rate was a commendable achievement, though the situation wasn’t good enough to jump to conclusions.

“The problem is we don’t know how long the walls can hold.”

“It seems they can hold on for how much longer?”

“Even if they delay their offensive for fear of casualties, they likely won’t hold out for a month.”

The Aurelian Walls of Rome were indeed decent but had already been breached once during the Sack of Rome.

No matter how frequently they were reinforced, their endurance had limits, especially when it came to consumables like shells and gunpowder, and the number of cannons damaged in battle was also a growing concern.

“If the situation appears to be turning in their favor, those who are now just watching might join them.”

“Then that would be a disaster.”

Meaning all the efforts they’d made to reduce enemy numbers would be in vain.

With the historical precedent of the Sack of Rome, if the city were to fall again, the horrors of the past could be repeated, making the Pope restlessly fidget.

Despite his fair share of challenges, Yusuf spoke with a relaxed demeanor.

“On the contrary, if they judge it’s impossible to seize this place, they will crumble in an instant.”

“Will you finally share your plan with us?”

He wouldn’t have acted without a thorough strategy, but he hadn’t shared any plans and it festered dissatisfaction within him.

In response to his question, Yusuf readily nodded.

“Yes. Now that it’s reached the point where I can share this plan, it wouldn’t matter even if the enemy hears it.”

He openly stated that he didn’t trust him, but the Pope couldn’t voice any grievance.

He couldn’t really complain that the Pope and the Ottoman Padishah didn’t trust him, could he?

“The differences between the Western nations and our Empire are many. First, we maintain a strong standing army. Unlike you, who hire mercenaries, we can quickly muster our troops.”

In most cases, rather than maintaining a large standing army, states similar to the Papal States and the city-states of Italy tended to hire mercenaries when needed.

“And our roads connect across the Empire, so we have food reserves throughout the territory, negating the need for supply lines. This means we can march swiftly.”

Considering that the standing army consists of cavalry, this was even more advantageous.

“Moreover, we’ve carried out acts that other nations would consider insanity without batting an eye.”

As he noted his advantages, he unintentionally blurted out something bizarre, causing the Pope to look puzzled.

“Doesn’t seem like an advantage, does it? It is an advantage. You see, it’s hard to betray a madman.”

Yusuf flashed a wide grin.

*

To capture Yusuf, Charles V had to bring Venice into the fold and offered lucrative terms.

Charles pledged a substantial stake in the canals, and even if they succeeded, avoiding tolls would be a huge benefit for Venice.

The doge showed a positive response to this proposal.

To ensure the safety of merchant ships heading to India, they would not participate in the conquest of Rome but would lend their full support when the Ottomans retaliate afterward.

As evidence of this, Venice prohibited new commercial ventures and gathered fleets in the open seas.

“Have you come?”

The doge welcomed the person entering, but the blood-stained man approached him with a neutral expression.

“It’s time to act, and there’s no need to unnecessarily spare anyone, is there?”

“That’s true.”

Nodding with a grimace toward the Ottoman intelligence agent, the doge couldn’t help but agree.

The conditions proposed by Charles were so sweet they were enough to genuinely consider betraying the Ottomans.

But upon hearing the words of the man in front of him, he had no choice but to give up.

‘The moment we hear that Rome has been occupied, we’ll just fill the canals with rubble. Why wouldn’t we be able to?’

Thinking about the immense profit offered by the canals, he wanted to dismiss it as bravado, but this was the Ottomans.

They were exactly the type to respond to such threats and even think of vengeance, making Charles’s proposal not worth considering.

“By now, the troops gathered in the scheduled port from the west of the Empire will likely be waiting. Please start moving.”

“Understood.”

Traveling on the route to Rome was tough under the watch of the Kingdom of Naples, but if it were Venetian ships in the Adriatic Sea rather than Ottoman ships, it made a world of difference.

As soon as the doge gave the order, the Venetian fleet, docking under the pretext of assisting against the Ottomans, set sail.

Transporting troops from the Balkans to Eastern Italy was merely a walk in the park.

*

With a loud neigh, the horse set foot on Eastern Italy.

The necessary supplies had come through Venetian merchant ships, so getting to Rome was no concern.

The Rumeli Sipahi, clad like European knights, pressed their helmets down tightly.

“The Padishah awaits! Death to the Empire’s enemies! Glory to the Padishah!”

-Glory!

With the shout of the commanding officer, 25,000 Sipahi disembarked in unison, picking up speed.