I Became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

사기꾼(1)

Spain’s fundamental strategy is close combat.

How strong could cannons used as artillery be, and how high would their accuracy be?

It’s not as if a few small holes would sink a ship, and one can’t fire cannons infinitely, so this seems like a reasonable tactic.

And Cortez felt painfully aware of how this reasonable tactic could find itself in such an unreasonable situation.

– Kuuung!

“Damn infidel bastards!”

Cortez, clutching the swaying railing of the ship that was jolted by shells, cursed.

He knew that with such overwhelming numerical inferiority, victory was impossible unless it was by divine intervention, but he never thought he’d end up in such a miserable situation.

Close combat? It was just as delusional as one could get when one couldn’t even get close.

The Ottoman fleet, bolstered by larger cannons than Spain had, was exercising unilateral violence.

Feeling the ship rock violently from a single hit by a cannon, his desire to advance evaporated, and responding with cannon fire only highlighted the massive differences in range and accuracy.

Of course, some ships bravely pushed forward. They all became debris of the sea afterwards, though.

– Aaaah!

Cannonballs dropped on the ready-to-fire cannons, resulting in an explosion that sent a soldier diving into the sea, while another ship appeared to be on fire, billowing thick smoke through its holes.

The situation was like a tide of a hundred tails pulling towards the harbor, with more and more ships rendered unable to fight.

Holding on was almost akin to sheer stubbornness.

Ujikin!

– Avoid it!

A sail unlucky enough to be hit by a cannonball burst with a loud noise, and seeing it collapse onto the deck of a nearby ship, Cortez grimly commanded,

“I surrender! I surrender!”

As soon as the messenger for the command moved, the Spanish ships raised white flags as if waiting for this moment.

This was the pitiful conclusion of Spain, who had occupied Manila and raised toasts of victory.

*

The Ottomans, having captured Spain and set foot in Manila, declared,

“The occupation of this place, one of the Empire’s crucial trade routes, greatly harms the Empire’s interests. We will place this under the Empire’s protection for stable trade.”

“Protection,” they say, which means a new occupying force to replace Spain.

This development was similar to when Malacca fell into Ottoman hands, and it was clear that they would never relinquish Luzon, including Manila.

However, the resistance was less than expected.

– It’s better than those demanding conversion of religion.

– It’s the Ottomans, after all. The ones who have the Ming Dynasty on the back foot at sea.

– As long as trade is safe, who cares who the master is?

Manila is a region that believes in Islam.

After the occupation, it was hard to think that the Ottomans, led by the Padishah who was also the Caliph of Islam, were worse than the Spanish who tried to convert the region to Christianity.

The key powers in Manila, the merchants, had no reason to oppose the Ottomans, who could guarantee safe trade.

After witnessing the fearsome Spanish fleet getting utterly wrecked, they wouldn’t dare to revolt.

Barbarossa Uruji, who captured Manila, gestured to a chair.

“Please sit here, Marquis.”

The disheveled Cortez sat down helplessly in the chair.

He lost the fleet he had organized with support from Charles. Even though he still had his head, everything was essentially over.

“I’ve heard much about your fame. I wanted to meet you, but I didn’t expect it to be like this.”

Uruji, serving slightly cold coffee, sat down opposite him.

Cortez looked surprised.

“You know me?”

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re the one who gave Carlos a land larger than he inherited. I’m aware you received a lot of jealousy and scrutiny for that, which means your achievements were considerable. Feel proud.”

Cortez felt a slight bitterness in his nose.

Despite seizing a massive territory, he had been dragged back to his homeland to suffer hardships, and his rightful place as the Duke was given over to a higher noble.

The emotions he had tried to suppress now surged, merging with his pitiful state.

“What good are such achievements now? It’s all over. So, what will you do with us? Execution? Or do you plan to sell us into slavery?”

Though there are cases where prisoners are released for a ransom, Cortez didn’t expect much.

Filling the space for prisoners with spices would be far more profitable.

However, the answer that came was unexpected.

“I plan to release you.”

“Are you serious?”

“What reason would I have to lie to a prisoner? Of course, I can’t return all the captured ships, but I can give you about six in good order. If you fill them with spices, you’ll incur no significant loss.”

The fleet brought to Manila consisted of 23 ships. Losing 17 of them was no small feat, but as Uruji said, filling their hold with spices could indeed turn a profit.

It was an opportunity to minimize responsibility, but Cortez eyed him suspiciously.

“Why are you giving us this opportunity?”

“By the decree of the Padishah.”

Getting up from his seat, Uruji opened a box in the corner of the room.

Gold and silver coins spilled from his handful, and without hesitation, Uruji’s hand skimmed over valuable-looking pottery.

“Things like gold and silver that people like us get infatuated with seem to hold no great interest for the Padishah. Within the imperial palace, things like this are plentiful.”

Honestly, it was hard to imagine what that would feel like, but certainly, it wouldn’t be drunk with arrogance if it were the Ottoman Emperor.

“The Padishah is very interested in artifacts from the New World. He seeks various things that could satisfy his curiosity.”

Thus, the reasoning did not seem strange.

“If we could obtain New World artifacts, I could permit trade here. It would be a tremendous mercy for you who have already failed in your conquest.”

“…What is it you desire?”

“The treasures of the Indians that get squished and melted from occupying much space are fine, and the crops they eat are also good. If it’s something unseen, I could pay a high price.”

The terms weren’t difficult. A bit of legwork would be needed.

Settling back into his seat, Uruji leaned his back against the chair.

“What do you think?”

Naturally, one would expect Cortez’s answer to be favorable, but his thoughts drifted to another direction.

“The Empire knew we were heading here, didn’t it? Otherwise, how could you have arrived on time and proposed such a deal? How did you know?”

“There are some who wish for your downfall.”

People who wish for someone’s failure.

Without the need for deep contemplation, the answer emerged.

“The Duke! Antonio de Mendoza. It must be him!”

Uruji kept his mouth tightly shut, but Cortez’s suspicions grew stronger.

If he achieved results in pioneering the route, he could become the Duke himself.

‘Even if it’s not the case, it’s a situation ripe for suspicion.’

It was strange that the Eastern fleet, which had been quiet, intervened at an opportune moment, and there weren’t many who knew about this route pioneering.

The Duke was among them, and if everything went well, he could be ousted.

‘Then I could possibly become the next Duke.’

He had failed to capture Manila, but the route pioneering was a success.

Asserting it could stabilize trade made it plausible.

“You look troubled. Let’s set aside business for now. May I ask you something out of curiosity?”

“Go ahead.”

“I’ve seen a map of the New World. Why aren’t you making canals?”

There was no reason to pierce the thin waist of the New World and risk a troublesome detour around South America.

Cortez frowned.

“How would I not know that? I’ve seen reports, and the king has shown great interest. However, due to the constant warfare back home, we lacked the capital and abandoned the project.”

“Indeed, such things require considerable endurance to achieve success. However, the rewards are great.”

With a clap of his hands, Uruji opened the door.

“Politely send him back.”

As if the business was concluded, Uruji sent Cortez away and spoke to the soldier who had been standing in the room for guard duty.

“I followed your instructions. Is that enough, Hasan?”

The youth raised his head with a broad smile.

An adopted child taken in by Hasan from India.

Naming himself Hasan Shaytan Pal, Hasan the Second bathed in the glow of his father.

“It’s perfect. Now, just watch the tongue play with words.”

He had become a splendid conman.

*

The old man’s face bore the marks of time.

The dignified gestures and kindly smile of the elderly woman revealed much about the life she had lived.

“Are you keeping well?”

“Getting old comes with pain, that’s only natural. There’s nothing special to it.”

In this world, Yusuf was the only one who used honorifics.

Fatima gently patted Yusuf’s hand.

“I don’t have to worry. I plan to endure well so the Padishah won’t have to fret.”

The two shared a bond that strictly speaking, one could not claim Fatima as Yusuf’s true mother.

Yet, the affection they shared was genuine. Whether it was the bond of a mother or the camaraderie of overcoming hardship, that remained uncertain.

After sharing brief words with Fatima, Yusuf turned his head and glanced at three children.

“I heard you are adjusting well in the capital. It must be a strange environment, so I’m relieved.”

“Thanks to Valide Hatun’s care.”

Hearing Omer’s words, Yusuf slowly scrutinized the three children.

The eldest Omer, aged ten, was followed by nine-year-old Ali and the youngest, Batur, who was six.

‘Honestly, they may not be as good as my own sons, but they are certainly competent enough.’

Compared to princes born of luck and talents, who wouldn’t seem lacking? They could pass the grade.

It wasn’t that he could teach them directly.

“There are various plans in the world. Some have high risks but yield significant results, and some have low risks but yield less. Can you guess which is my favorite?”

“Is it the former? The Roman siege would be one such example, right?”

At Omer’s response, Yusuf smiled slightly.

At first glance, the Roman siege might seem like a gamble where one puts their life at stake.

“You’re mistaken. My favorite plan is one where regardless of the choices an enemy makes, it serves to our benefit. The Roman siege was like that too. No matter how much Carlos tried, he had no chance of conquering Rome.”

He had no risks entering with preparations for every risk factor, and regardless of what Charles V chose, it benefited the Empire.

“In order to make this possible, one must have a broader perspective than others. Of course, it’s not an easy task. However, the satisfaction of succeeding is greater than anything else.”

Just like the plan currently advancing in the East.

Manila, the center of trade, was as vital as Malacca, a coveted piece of land.

But since the Ottomans cared a bit about their reputation, they couldn’t attack Manila without justification.

‘That’s why I roped in the Ming Dynasty.’

To indirectly make them realize the Pacific route, to entice Spain into coveting Manila.

Just as they seized Malacca, they could absorb Manila as a savior.

Of course, it would be easy to directly leak the route, but if that were the case, they’d undoubtedly suspect it, making the plan proceed less smoothly than it currently did.

‘And the fact that we concealed it as our routes would create mutual suspicion.’

The envoy who visited not long ago left in a state of panic, wondering how the Ottomans knew so much in advance.

They would surely think there was a traitor, and gossip had already surfaced linking the Duke in the New World to early suspicion.

‘Finally, I deliberately opened the channel of trade.’

For the Ottomans who needed to worry about skyrocketing food prices, crops like corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes from America were necessary.

With Murad occupying Africa, the number of starving mouths would only increase.

Moreover, in the original history, the Panama Canal, which Cortes had planned but abandoned, proceeding would serve well.

‘The Panama Canal is much tougher than Suez. It would yield immense loss of life, leading to worse public sentiment among the natives.’

If successful though, they’d be justified in crushing the natives’ sentiment for the enormous gains it would provide.

‘If they connect it for me, that would be appreciated.’

Yusuf wore a mischievous smile.

“People who impose losses on their enemies, do you know what they are called? They are called conmen. And a good ruler is indeed a splendid conman.”

Just like me.

Yusuf educated the children.