1621 Spring(Early March)

I’ve ordered the 3rd division of the 10th Crusade which was stationed at Thessaloniki to retreat.

“Allahu Akbar! We’ve liberated Thessaloniki!”

“Long live Sultan!”

“The Franks have retreated without a single fight! They’ve must have been afraid of us!”

‘Scramble’

“U...urgent news, sultan!”

“What is it?”

“The head of the Bulgaria rebel, Boris, has besieged Alexandroupoli with 16,000 insurgents!”

And the young Sultan – Osman II – played right into my hands. Startled at the possibility that the Ottoman army of 160,000 soldiers can be locked up in the Greek region, losing ties with Constantinople if Alexandroupoli is lost, he acted penny-wise and pound-foolish.

“I shall lead 40,000 soldiers to save Alexandroupoli from the rebels! The rest of you shall keep Thessaloniki until I return!”

If boy Sultan thought this as a perfect opportunity to show his military feat by swiftly saving Alexandroupoli and returning to Thessaloniki, he was too naive. The rest of the Ottoman troop – 120,000 soldiers – took it as Osman II was frightened and found an excuse to flee to Kostantiniyye(Constantinople).

As a result, the morale of the Ottoman army stationed at Thessaloniki plummeted. Of course, those 120,000 soldiers didn’t immediately become a house of cards, since they had a strongpoint - Thessaloniki – but their attitude at a battle was no more than that of fervent zealots.

“Now’s the perfect chance! I shall strike while the iron is hot!”

I immediately ordered 180,000 soldiers out of the 230,000 soldiers of the 3rd division of the 10th crusade to envelop Thessaloniki. And gave orders not to engage in direct battle but just keep them besieged, cutting off their supplies.

After realizing they were about to be enveloped, the Ottoman army became perplexed, with every viceroy and Janissary general tried to escape on one’s own. In other words, 120,000 Ottoman soldiers became ragtag, with the absence of the commander-in-chief(Osman II), vice commander-in-chief being a high-handed personnel administration chosen by wife/mother of Sultan.

And that became their doom. The ones who tried to escape from Thessaloniki were all crushed by the mighty tercio of the Iberian army – which made up the 3rd division of the 10th Crusade. Since the tercio was famous for their resistance on the battlefield, if their opponent was not a united force under skillful commander like the late lioness - or at least the boy Sultan – but ragtag led by viceroy or Janissary general who just wished to flee to his feud, they had no reason to lose.

1621 Spring(Mid March)

After the death of 40,000 soldiers, the Ottoman army at Thessaloniki gave up the idea of escaping the city. Meanwhile, the Iberian army lost less than 10,000 soldiers.

So, I left 120,000 soldiers to continue besieging Thessaloniki and led the remaining 110,000 soldiers of the 3rd division to Alexandroupoli.

“Long live Sultan!”

“Allahu Akbar!”

“Death to Christian rebel Boris! Death to Franks!”

“Thank you, thank you, my subjects!”

‘Scramble’

“S...sultan! It’s no time for a parade! The Franks are here!”

“I...impossible! What were my remaining 120,000 soldiers in Thessaloniki doing!”

It was no good crying over spilled milk. The young boy Sultan, Osman II, missed a chance to escape from Alexandroupoli. He failed to notice the Franks enveloping the city because he was busy doing a victory parade of defeating the Bulgaria king Boris’16,000 army to reassure the citizens.

“The boy Sultan is completely trapped in the city, with 46,000 soldiers, Imperator!”

“Hmm...so he acquired another 6,000 soldiers by arming citizens and gathering local troops, huh?”

“Yes, Imperator. Shall we attack at once?”

“No, we have a long way to go. Just keep the besiege of Alexandroupoli, and focus on cutting supplies.”

“As you wish, Imperator!”

I’ve ordered to cut the trees of the Crete and had the soldiers build a wooden trench with them, which encircles the city. It was to protect my troop against the attack from inside the city and outside the besiege.

1621 Spring(Early April)

30,000 soldiers were drafted from Kostantiniyye and Edirne to save Sultan and arrived at the outskirts of Alexandroupoli. They were supposed to be saved for the protection of their capital but came here instead to save their ruler.

And at the same time, 46,000 soldiers who were enveloped in the city charged towards my army at their Sultan’s lead.

After hearing that news, I left Crete and moved to the frontline.

“Congratulations, Imperator! The 3rd division’s 110,000 soldiers crushed the Muslims!”

“The Sultan has so rushed that the salvation army outside and the Sultan’s troops inside were defeated one by one!”

“Just as I expected. Caesar, are you seeing this? I’ve revived the Battle of Alesia!”

20,000 prisoners were captured, but Sultan was not among them.

“One prisoner has said that Osman II was shot and fell from the horse during the battle, Imperator.”

“Another prisoner told me that Sultan’s closest aides have taken him back to the city, Imperator!”

‘Tut’

“It’s an order. Don’t capture the boy Sultan as prisoners, but kill him at the battlefield. Even if he wishes to surrender, pretend that you don’t understand and kill him.”

It was not out of hatred, but because of my respect towards –probably - the last Sultan of the Ottoman.

What can be more disgraceful than being captured as a prisoner, watching his empire burn to ashes?

Though it may not be a dramatic death like Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last emperor of the East Roman Empire, who exclaimed

‘Isn’t there any Christian that will take my life for me?‘

I wanted the last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire to be remembered as the resistance, who fought till his last breath.

At my words, the messenger replied

“It shall be done, Imperator.”

Although he was prostrating himself before me, with his face looking at the floor, I could notice he was grinning.

‘I said it to pay respect to the last monarch of the rival nation, but soldiers misunderstood it as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pay back the hatred towards the

Muslims?’

Well, why bother? This is a crusade, you know. They should have some satisfaction.

1621 Spring(Mid April)

Approximately 100,000 soldiers of the 3rd division charged towards Alexandroupoli. All that was left in the city? The wounded soldiers and militants - which were less than 10,000 now - and citizens. And it was a one-sided battle.

“Death to Muslims!”

“Burn all the mosques!”

‘Sizzle!’

“G...go to hell, you Franks!”

‘Slash’

“Deus lo Vult!”

‘Split’

“P...please, have mercy!”

‘Slash’

“Kill them. For the Lord knows those that are His own!”

Well, I didn’t expect Geneva Conventions, but killing all Ottoman soldiers and citizens, Imams alike till all the moats were filled with corpses and burning, looting all mosques?

That’s way too much!

“We’ve done as you ordered, Imperator!”

“We’ve successfully killed the Sultan. He was caught trying to escape on the back of the eunuch, pretending that he was a man of a humble birth!”

“I hereby forbid to kill the Christians, even though they’re heretics! I don’t care if they’re East Orthodoxians or Oriental Orthodoxians! They’re all believers of Jesus, just like us!”

All cats are grey in the dark. Whether it’s the Oriental Orthodox Church or Eastern Orthodox Church, I need the native Christians' cooperation in ruling the newly conquered lands.

“Your wish is our command, Imperator.”

Although he obediently said yes, the messenger looked very disappointed.