WebNovels

Chapter 44 - Aegean Elegy

On the calm Aegean Sea, a majestic fleet was sailing south, cutting through the waves.

This was the Ottoman Empire's naval fleet, composed of over twenty large oared galleys and nearly a hundred smaller auxiliary vessels, resembling a group of fierce behemoths cruising the sea.

The crescent moon flag, flying high on the flagship, was conspicuous and ostentatious, proclaiming the Ottoman Empire's power and prestige to the world.

On both sides of the Bosphorus Strait, transport ships traveled back and forth day and night.

The soldiers of the Anatolia Corps were all prepared; they were about to set foot on the European continent to fight for the protection of the Empire.

The continuous transportation work, day and night, was intense yet orderly, and the face of every Ottoman soldier was filled with fanaticism and a desire for victory.

However, at this critical juncture of troop transport, the Crusade's combined fleet quietly appeared near the strait, like terrifying ghosts.

They had scouted the enemy situation in the Aegean Sea and were attempting to attack the troop transports, cut off the strait, and prevent the Ottomans from transporting more Asian troops to Europe.

This combined fleet was composed of ships from Portugal, Venice, and the Papal States, and they sought to disrupt the Ottoman Empire's strategic deployment.

If they succeeded in cutting off the strait, Mehmed II would have to fight the Crusade with a significant numerical disadvantage.

The Ottoman fleet was led by Admiral Murad Pasha, who stood on the deck of the flagship, his gaze sternly fixed on the distant enemy ships.

The fierce sea wind whipped his clothes, but his posture was like a towering mountain, unmoving.

He knew very well that the outcome of this naval battle would directly determine the future fate of the Empire.

As the distance between the two sides gradually closed, the battle horn suddenly blew, and the Ottoman fleet launched its attack first.

The oared galleys charged towards the enemy formation like arrows released from a bow, their cannons roaring in unison, and cannonballs whistling death as they flew towards the Crusade fleet.

For a moment, the sea was filled with deafening cannon fire and towering flames, as if the end of the world had arrived.

Prince Henrique, the commander of the Portugal fleet, quickly directed his fleet to adjust its formation to meet the attack.

The Portugal caravels maneuvered very flexibly on the sea, returning fire with numerous cannons, unwilling to show weakness.

Cannonballs landed among the Ottoman fleet, raising huge splashes, and some hit their targets, directly punching large holes in the Ottoman warships.

Osuna, the commander of the Venice fleet, hesitated at this moment, his gaze occasionally darting to the rear, recalling the instructions of the Council of Ten and the Doge.

Not long ago, the Venice signed a secret agreement with the Ottomans.

The Ottomans agreed to recognize the Venice's rule over Negroponte and Thessaloniki and granted Venice merchants special permission to reacquire precious goods from the distant East via the Eastern trade routes without paying excessive taxes.

This was almost a monopolistic exorbitant profit, instantly causing the Venice to cast aside all notions of faith and credibility, though they didn't possess much of either to begin with.

At this time, the Ottoman fleet's warships were tightly arrayed, forming a solid defensive line.

The oarsmen rowed with all their might, and the warships, like moving fortresses, steadily approached the Crusade fleet.

The sea was turbulent, and warships collided with each other, emitting dull thuds.

Soldiers engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat on the decks, with flashing swords and gushing blood.

Prince Henrique's Portugal fleet, despite its agility and fierce firepower, gradually fell into a predicament under the overwhelming numbers of the Ottomans fleet.

Their warships were constantly hit by Ottomans cannonballs and burning arrows, sending wood splinters flying and flames spreading.

Some ships were firmly locked by the Ottoman with grappling hooks, and Ottoman marines swarmed aboard, slaughtering the crew.

Just as the battle became deadlocked, something unexpected happened.

At Osuna's command, a loud horn sounded, and the Venice fleet suddenly turned around and withdrew from the battle.

Prince Henrique was greatly alarmed; he never expected a traitor to emerge within the Crusade, and immediately, thoughts of retreat arose in his mind.

The Venice's desertion instantly disrupted the Crusade fleet's formation and severely impacted the morale of the combined fleet.

The Portugal and Papal States fleets immediately fell into a dangerous situation of isolation and helplessness.

Murad seized this opportunity and directed the Ottoman fleet to launch an even fiercer attack.

Ottoman ships charged madly towards the enemy ships, segmenting and encircling the Crusade vessels, firing cannons densely, with cannonballs raining down on the enemy ships like raindrops.

The Portugal warships were hit one after another, their sturdy hulls pierced, and large amounts of seawater poured into the cabins.

Soldiers struggled in the water, their screams echoing incessantly.

Prince Henrique desperately directed the fleet to counterattack, but it was already too late.

Ultimately, the Portugal and Papal States fleets were completely routed, almost annihilated, with only a few warships retreating while fighting under Henrique's leadership, heading towards Italy.

The sea was littered with shattered ships and bodies, and the lingering smoke of gunpowder refused to dissipate.

Murad watched this tragic scene and breathed a sigh of relief; this time, he wouldn't have to endure the Sultan's insults like his predecessors—he was not a useless admiral, he was an admiral who brought victory to the Sultan!

Despite this overwhelming victory, the Ottoman fleet still paid a considerable price.

For some reason, the Portugal had equipped many heavy cannons on the sides of their ships, with several times the firepower density of the Ottoman, so they could often sink an Ottoman warship with a single volley.

The concentrated firepower inflicted a huge blow on the Ottoman fleet.

Fortunately, the Portugal fleet was limited in size, and ultimately, the massive Ottoman fleet had the last laugh.

As the sun set, its afterglow spilled over the sea, shimmering.

The Ottoman fleet returned triumphantly, their victory securing the safety of the Bosphorus Strait.

The elite Anatolia Corps of the Ottoman Empire had finally all landed on the European continent.

On the other side, after leaving Belgrade, the Crusade split into two paths: Rosenberg led his army south, conquering cities and territories from Vidin southwards, with their spearhead directly aimed at Sofia, the regional capital of Bulgaria.

Laszlo, along with the other commanders, also led their armies eastward, quickly reaching Giurgiu where they joined forces with Janos and Vlad.

After a brief rest, the large army crossed the Danube River, then advanced eastward, invading the territory of the Ottoman Empire, and quickly captured numerous fortresses and towns such as Markhorach, Petra, and Vinica.

Many fortresses and towns opened their gates voluntarily upon receiving Laszlo's surrender letter, and no battles broke out.

Of course, some resisted to the end; all five hundred Ottoman defenders holding out in Petra Fortress refused to surrender and fought to the death.

Subsequently, the main army marched all the way to Shumen, which was very close to the Black Sea.

The Ottomans in Shumen city resisted quite fiercely, and many Bulgarian also joined the ranks of the defenders, causing the Crusade's siege to encounter many setbacks.

Finally, it was Adolf who personally commanded the army to concentrate artillery fire and collapse a section of the city wall, only then was this resilient town captured.

It was during the rest period in Shumen that Laszlo received the battle report from the Aegean Sea, which came from the rear.

Looking at the battle report in his hand, Laszlo could hardly believe his eyes.

His hand trembled slightly as he rubbed his eyes, then he widened them again to look at the report written on the paper, which also contained Prince Henrique's tearful accusations.

He gently released his hand, and the paper fluttered onto the table.

Inside the military tent, a group of commanders had been summoned for a military council; at this moment, they exchanged glances, and seeing the Emperor in such a state, no one dared to speak first and inquire about the situation.

"Ulrich, Adolf, Janos, stay behind. The rest of you may leave for now; I will send someone to call for you later."

No one said a word; the Crusade commanders silently withdrew from the military tent. Everyone could see that the atmosphere was extremely oppressive, and it was likely that the battle report recorded on that paper was not good news.

Then they heard Laszlo's furious roar inside the military tent.

Something about "I should have hanged the Doge of Venice long ago," something about "the shame of Europe," and something about "leeches crawling at the Empire's feet."

All sorts of unpleasant curses echoed inside and outside the military tent.

No one had ever seen this usually composed and precocious young Emperor appear so undignified.

Just by listening to his curses, the commanders understood what had happened.

The Venice had once again betrayed their allies for profit, likely leading to extremely tragic results.

Prince Fernando immediately began to worry; if the Venice had colluded with the Ottomans, wouldn't his uncle, Prince Henrique, be in grave danger?

Philip patted the young Portugal Prince's shoulder; he, too, could not find words of comfort.

If the plan to cut off the strait failed, Mehmed II would have the support of the powerful Anatolia Corps, and the upcoming battles... would be difficult.

Furthermore, failing to gain control of the sea meant being unable to blockade Constantinople from the sea, and by then, a full-scale assault to take the city would inevitably come at a heavy cost.

It could even be said that taking Constantinople had become a pipe dream for the Crusade.

More Chapters