I Became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

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Scheduled Events (1)

Carlos tapped the armrest with a stern face.

The explosively growing influence of the Ottoman Empire had seeped deep into various parts of Europe, and when the Ottomans coughed, the surrounding countries were left suffering.

It wasn’t just a groan; even a slight increase in the canal toll would send European prices into a frenzy, demonstrating how tightly the Ottomans had a leash on everyone.

“I should have captured that bastard Yusuf during the Roman Campaign. Thanks to those foolish merchants.”

All the defeats defeated by Yusuf gnawed at him, but the one that stung the most was the Roman Campaign.

If Venice hadn’t betrayed them, and they had captured Yusuf in Rome, the Ottomans wouldn’t have grown as powerful as they are now.

Of course, he had heard the reasons for the betrayal, but Carlos couldn’t accept them.

“Even if the Ottomans are crazy, they wouldn’t dare to destroy the canal.”

A thought flickered in his mind that they were more than capable, yet Carlos, eager to place the blame for his losses elsewhere, dismissed that notion.

Anyway, the mere act of coughing would send tremors through the neighboring countries, and the highly unstable Ottoman Empire before the succession would have a vast impact.

Prince Murad had swallowed half of Africa, and Prince Mustafa, for reasons unknown, had placed large orders for ships, causing timber prices to soar.

Meanwhile, Mehmet, who appeared to be doing nothing, had made the Duchy of Moscow a vassal state.

“Do you think Mehmet, not Kasim, will become the next Emperor?”

“…It seems unlikely.”

“Damn it.”

He only asked out of curiosity.

For the Ottomans, having Moscow as a vassal was beneficial, but it also provided a means to keep Lithuania in check.

The two nations had a notoriously bad relationship, often engaging in war.

Building just a bridge was a minor feat compared to the grand achievements of Mehmet, and Carlos nonchalantly asked the gathered courtiers.

“So how do we recover the money we invested?”

The courtiers averted their eyes.

There was no way. Even if they dismantled the whole bridge, they wouldn’t get it back.

“In the meantime, our merchant ships are being attacked by the Ming Dynasty fleet in the East.”

“It seems they’ve realized our ships have reached the New World.”

“So how on earth did they find out about this?!”

There weren’t that many people in Spain who knew, so to think that the distant Ming Dynasty was aware was ridiculous beyond measure.

It was more a question of how to resolve this than the cause at hand.

“Is there a chance we could reconcile with the Ming Dynasty again?”

“It won’t be easy. According to the returned merchants, they can’t even speak to the Ming people due to issues from the past with the Portuguese.”

“Isn’t that the Portuguese’s fault?”

“It must look the same in their eyes…”

Whatever Portugal had done in the East was unclear, but it seemed untangling the knot was no simple task.

“The only option is to request arbitration from the Ottomans.”

“They wouldn’t agree. What’s the damage?”

“There are several ships unable to return due to storms and the Ming fleet, but still, more ships are managing to come back and, even after recovering losses, there are plenty left over. That’s why the number of merchant ships heading to Manila keeps increasing.”

“And we’re strengthening our defenses against the Ming fleet or forming alliances among our merchant ships.”

The helplessness of the Spanish ships in the face of the strong Ming fleet stemmed more from the limitations of the merchant vessels than the fleet’s strength.

With increased cargo space, the ships became poorly armed, fewer crew members were aboard, and the weight of goods slowed their speed.

Sacrificing space to increase defenses or forming fleets of merchant ships was the safest method.

Of course, this would likely escalate tensions with the Ming, but Spain had no time to cultivate relations leisurely, as they never knew when the Ottomans would close the Manila harbor.

With all of this, regret washed over him anew.

“I wish we had started the canal construction in the New World sooner.”

If they had dug the canal instead of postponing it due to lack of resources, so much might have changed.

The more he thought about the Ottomans becoming a superpower through canal construction, the greater his regret grew.

At least they had finally begun the canal construction; however, there was a more critical agenda to address here.

“I plan to strip Ferdinand of the proxy governance authority of the Holy Roman Empire soon.”

At his declaration, the gathered courtiers wore expressions that said the inevitable had come.

There had been signs. While Carlos was saddled with the blame for the loss in the Roman Campaign and was questioned for his competence, Ferdinand had been recognized for his abilities.

Of course, this was largely due to Carlos’s inadequacies making Ferdinand stand out by comparison.

“There will likely be substantial backlash. We must prepare thoroughly and proceed.”

“After calling the Archduke of Austria here, we should announce it and secure some of the Holy Roman nobility.”

Various opinions flowed forth as if they had been waiting for this moment, and Carlos listened intently.

As the discussion heated up, someone suddenly threw cold water on the proceedings.

– Your Majesty, a letter from the Imperial Assembly has arrived.

“Bring it here!”

The Empire’s electoral prince, feudal lords, and the self-governing cities directly under the Emperor formed the Imperial Assembly, the power group just below the Emperor. Hearing about the assembly’s session for the first time, Carlos opened the letter.

– Supporting the Prince of the Ottoman Empire with benefits gained from the Empire is an act of betrayal and poses a dangerous risk that could incite war with the Ottomans. The Imperial Assembly, which prioritizes the safety of the Empire, is greatly concerned about this matter…

Carlos, suppressing his anger while reading, crumpled the letter upon reaching the final line.

– …To prevent recurrence, we wish to elevate the Archduke of Austria as King of the Germans.

King of the Germans, a term denoting a de facto emperor who hasn’t received the Pope’s coronation in the Holy Roman Empire.

“Ferdinand!”

His brother’s betrayal had come quicker than anticipated.

*

The news that the Imperial Assembly of the Holy Roman Empire intended to elevate Ferdinand as the King of the Germans added greater chaos to the already complex situation prompted by the Ottomans.

Carlos vehemently opposed, but the Holy Roman Empire remained unyielding.

It had reached the point where one could say it was fortunate that France stood between Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, given the tense atmosphere.

As the situation turned severe, the support for Prince Kasim cited by the Imperial Assembly gained significant attention.

In response, Kasim readily acknowledged this but firmly stated.

– While it’s true that I received support because I wish to maintain a good relationship with the Empire, I have never promised anything in return as a prince.

It wasn’t an incorrect statement. Though he had guaranteed rewards after becoming Padishah, he never promised what he would do while still a prince.

It left no doubt that Carlos had been had, and the Imperial Assembly pressed him even harder based on this.

Watching the unfolding drama, Yusuf chuckled mischievously.

“Seeing a sibling rivalry brings back fond memories, doesn’t it?”

“Perhaps the involved parties don’t think so.”

“That’s not my concern.”

Yusuf took a sip of coffee.

Honestly, the claims made by the Imperial Assembly were absurd. There was no guarantee the funds supporting Kasim came from the Holy Roman Empire, and even if they did, they were Carlos’s funds, making it hard to contest.

Yet they still insisted.

“How much does Carlos despise ruling the Holy Roman Empire that he would behave this way? When you think about it, Carlos is impressive, isn’t he?”

“Given his track record, it’s not surprising.”

As Shamsi remarked, it was indeed odd that there hadn’t been a large-scale rebellion in Spain considering Carlos had set the stage for the Ottomans to step into Rome and tarnish Christianity’s authority.

A widespread perception persisted that he was a mere incompetent ruler who had only fattened the Ottomans through consistent failures.

It was natural for the Imperial Assembly to panic at the thought of Carlos planning to dispose of Ferdinand, who had been effectively acting as his liaison.

“Carlos must be furious, but he’ll have to accept that Ferdinand becomes King of the Germans. He can’t simply suppress it.”

“If he opposes Ferdinand, someone like the King of France will take the throne instead, so he has no choice.”

“Speaking of, is he still sending letters to Hasna?”

“Apparently, it’s been going on for longer than expected.”

For a king, sending letters from France to the Ottomans wouldn’t be a heavy burden, but considering his consistent effort gives an insight into just how tenacious a man’s first love can be.

“I even heard he directly expressed a desire to visit the Empire?”

“I heard the French nobility were horrified and advised against it.”

No matter how much of an alliance existed with the Ottomans, it was unsettling for a king from one country to visit another.

Let alone when it was such a long distance.

“Now in his twenties without a marriage, he has no heirs. It’s only natural for nobility to warn him.”

Despite being recognized for his abilities after successfully leading the attack on Milan, he had stubbornly rejected marriage, frustrating the nobility.

It was so absurd that the French nobility even tried to consider Hasna, who believed in Islam, as the queen.

‘Of course, that’s preposterous.’

There was no need to marry Hasna off to France, and she herself seemed satisfied living in the capital filled with young princes.

While Franҫois II and the French nobility could only sigh at the persistent rejections.

“How long will it take for him to give up? Watching the French envoys begging is getting tiresome.”

“Even if he can’t let go of his feelings, he’ll likely still marry. He can’t remain heirless forever.”

As Yusuf and Shamsi exchanged opinions, Yusuf suddenly let out a small laugh.

“That guy is impressive in his own way. He’s made us worry about children—something we haven’t even worried about for the princes.”

“Isn’t that a skill in itself?”

Noticing the amusing situation, Shamsi also laughed.

As they took sips of coffee to moisten their dry throats, Yusuf wiped the smile from his face and spoke.

“The days are numbered until we can sit here together and drink coffee again.”

This meant that the promised fifteen years had suddenly approached.

With Kasim having accomplished the last task of creating a deep divide between Carlos and Ferdinand, everything they aimed to achieve in this spot was complete.

The Ottomans needed to focus on consolidating what the princes had built rather than expanding for a while, and he no longer needed to concern himself with that.

“It’s about time to prepare for abdication.”

At Yusuf’s declaration, the guards, the Silahtar, all knelt in unison.

Though they wanted to object, they felt the sad emotion of those who had no right to oppose, and Yusuf raised an eyebrow.

“Grand Vizier, if even the Silahtar are like this, it seems I’ll be tired for a while.”

“I expected as much.”

Although he had revealed the abdication plan more than ten years ago, even that seemed insufficient time for everyone to fully accept it.

Of course, despite any opposition, it was impossible to change what had already been set.

“I’ll conduct the abdication as scheduled at the end of winter in the capital the year after next, so summon them to the capital.”

It would take at least a year for Mustafa, who was in Australia, to arrive in the capital, so he had to issue the summons now.

“Understood.”

Shamsi bowed her head, looking both relieved and disappointed.

It was a moment when one could truly feel that it was time to step down from this position.

And it wasn’t just Shamsi who found this news astonishing.

*

The news that the princes would gather for abdication in the year after next spread rapidly.

It was something that couldn’t be hidden, nor did they intend to hide it.

The reactions upon hearing this were immediate.

“G-Grand Vizier!”

“What is it?”

As the Grand Vizier conducted business, the premier minister rushed over and asked nonchalantly.

“Letters opposing the abdication are piling up tremendously.”

“Is that so?”

This was a fully anticipated response.

Even when the abdication plan was first revealed, he had received a massive influx of letters from across the nation.

From suspicions that the reason for the Padishah’s retirement was their fault to threats that they would regret not preventing the forthcoming backlash.

After receiving a variety of letters, there was nothing surprising about it.

“Can’t we just sift through the more well-known figures for replies and discard the rest? It’s not like this is the first time; no need to make a fuss.”

The disgruntled words from Shamsi saw the minister shake his head vigorously.

“It’s not just letters. Those opposing the abdication are gathering from across the nation to the capital.”

At this statement, Shamsi’s expression, which had been devoid of emotion, finally shattered.

“How many are there?”

“…It seems at least one hundred thousand.”

This was unexpected.

Upon hearing the report, Shamsi suddenly rose from her seat.

“Where are you going?!”

“I’m going to see the Padishah. I must resign two years earlier.”

Of course, she was resolutely turned down, and both Shamsi and the officials shuddered at the thought of the guests about to arrive.

The anticipated backlash had finally come.