---

＃36화. 격돌(2)

Living as Yusuf, I felt that there were a lot of strange people in this era.

Abadan met the furious wrath of those who had been plundered, and with a ragged state, his head was severed.

In the East, where Confucian thought prevails, bodily harm is considered a lesser punishment, but in the West, beheading with less pain is seen as the most lenient punishment.

Being executed immediately with a sword, which is considered more honorable than an axe, was somewhat of a consolation.

‘It was hard to understand until the very end.’

It was difficult to comprehend the choice to die without regret, and even as he heard shouts of anger calling for his immediate death, he remained calm until the moment of death.

He even smiled, leaving the aftermath to himself while creating such a situation.

Yusuf, whose head was eerily displayed with a calm smile, told the guard, “I don’t want to see that head. Give it to Ahun.”

He must know the burial place here and will bury it properly.

After giving the order and turning around, Yusuf was asked by Arda, “Are you really thinking of building a fortress?”

“Yes, it’s something that needs to be done anyway.”

It was not like he was some nouveau riche thinking, “Since there’s plenty of cement, I might as well build a fortress to pass the time.”

Even if there was a surplus, there were plenty of places to use it. Even pouring it into the walls of Erzurum would dramatically increase their height.

Upon returning to the stronghold, Yusuf spread out a map.

“As we capture the two targeted cities, we can significantly restrict the pathways into our territory.”

Rajistan and Trabzon had a long border with the White Sheep Dynasty.

There’s a reason for this odd border—there’s a mountain range formed to the south of the two territories.

Even the core city of Rajistan, Rize, comes from the Greek word Riza, meaning the foot of the mountain, and there’s a mountain over 4,000 meters high to the south.

‘Nevertheless, the long border has always been a burden, but by capturing the two cities in the plateau, I’ve reduced the risks considerably.’

Arda said with a hint of confusion in his voice, “Then there’s no need for more construction.”

“That’s true if you only think about the immediate. If we successfully defend Erzurum, how will they respond? Do you think they’ll just give up?”

There’s no way that would happen.

To sum up Ismail, he is the embodiment of confident conquest.

He wouldn’t stay put even after losing his possessions.

“They might not attempt to occupy us directly, but they’ll likely harass us with small forces to raid.”

That’s how the tactics of a nation primarily dealing with cavalry worked. The Ottomans used raiding units called Akıncı in Europe.

In fact, Ismail liked to incite chaos using the Shia within the Ottoman Empire.

“So you mean you want to control the passages?”

“Yes, it’s closer to a checkpoint than a fortress. There’s no need to build it high. Just delaying or informing the nearby city of an enemy sighting serves its purpose.”

You must not confuse means with ends.

Even if such small defensive fortifications are taken, as long as the surrounding cities remain intact, they can be reclaimed easily.

“That much would work well if built in several places.”

Due to the mountainous surroundings, the roads that can be traveled by horse are limited, and if a checkpoint is established on a narrow road, multiple ones could be set up simultaneously.

Since Arda acknowledged the feasibility, they could proceed by discussing with other commanders.

“Hakan will love it the most.”

The area that would benefit the most from the checkpoints was Rajistan.

“However, I should also procure some plunder.”

Like a defense cost-sharing fee.

The plunder shared among commanders was more than expected, so surely it could cover the cost of cement.

A while later, he received a good additional income.

*

“Have you heard the news that the lord of Idir has died?”

“It’s unfortunate. He was a great help, but to think he’d leave so helplessly.”

Shaking his head in regret, his face was filled with smiles.

There’s no need to feel guilty about the death of a leader from the enemy nation.

“Moreover, it’s hard to say he died unjustly. It’s true that we allowed the rumors we spread to circulate.”

There’s no way he wouldn’t know the rumors circulating under his name; he was caught in a balancing act between the previous rulers of the White Sheep Dynasty and Ismail.

He probably thought he wouldn’t lose his life, but the result was his head hanging at the gates of Idir.

He didn’t care if he lived or died, regardless of whatever he babbled on about.

“Where do you think the Shia will move next?”

“Who knows?”

Although he was acting as an informant, he wasn’t particularly knowledgeable.

The major force located east of the capital had been completely shattered by war not long ago, and the newly swollen 15,000 troops could move anywhere.

“Wouldn’t they first occupy Erzinjan, which can be easily taken?”

Erzinjan was where 7,000 Shia Qizilbash warriors had gathered years ago, believing in Ismail.

The reason they gathered there was that it was the most remote territory, and since it bordered the Ottomans, if they didn’t want to lose Erzurum like that, they needed to act first.

“Then Erzurum will be safe for a while.”

If they occupied Erzinjan and pushed toward Erzurum, winter would likely arrive during the siege warfare.

Saying they’ll conduct a siege in the region with the most snowfall in Anatolia was akin to saying they’d freeze to death.

Was it a reasonable argument? The man’s face turned slightly uneasy.

“I don’t think it’ll be so easy.”

The man, chosen as an informant merely for his keen instincts, sensed the acrid smell of blood.

This feeling became reality with the arrival of a group that rushed in on horseback.

“5,000 Qizilbash have split from the main force! The remaining troops are heading toward Erzurum, but the Qizilbash are moving northeast!”

It meant they would shake up the rear with the Qizilbash and attack Erzurum.

With their more aggressive movement than expected, the man shouted urgently.

“Send the message by carrier pigeon. The enemies will come rushing in.”

The Qizilbash were a monstrous group of warriors who had beaten a 30,000 troop force twice with just 7,000.

Even without Shah Ismail, they were more than capable of wreaking havoc in the rear and had to withdraw the forces stationed in Erzurum.

“Can we win?”

The man smirked.

“To be honest, I don’t think our prince will lose. Is he an ordinary person? He’ll surely find a way.”

“That’s true, those cavalry can’t move in front of the prince either.”

He began to rattle on about the prince’s exploits, chattering excitedly.

As if shaking off his worries.

*

The construction of the checkpoints went smoother than expected.

Since the surrounding area was mountainous, it was easy to obtain the necessary stones and timber, and the manpower could be drafted from nearby households.

Yusuf exempted them from taxes for a year as compensation for the conscription.

‘Anyway, I wasn’t going to send anyone to manage it, so collecting taxes from small villages was tough.’

Of course, it was possible to collect them harshly, but thanks to the sultan’s grace, he had a full wallet, so there was no need to get hung up on such small change.

It was a sort of show of benevolence, but those drafted said he was merciful. It was fortunate to return home safely.

While everything was progressing smoothly, the message carried by carrier pigeons was sufficient to shake Erzurum.

“5,000 Qizilbash.”

The carrier pigeon used for communication is inherently one-way and has a high chance of getting lost.

It was fortunate that it arrived safely, but the news wasn’t good.

“How long do you think it will take for the Qizilbash to arrive?”

“Depending on which route they take, but since they’re coming with plunder in mind, they should have a good amount of time.”

It’s true that horses are the fastest means of transport, but horses are still living creatures.

They could move extremely fast if they continued to change horses, but considering they would want to rest the horses after raiding, they’d likely move while giving them sufficient rest.

“Not much time, then, what about the 8,000 troops coming to take Erzurum?”

“It should take about a month, I think.”

With a gap of only two weeks between the two, Ismail was telling him to choose between two options.

Whether to give up Erzurum or just watch his territory get plundered.

‘He truly isn’t an easy man.’

It was clear he had no intention of easily giving up Erzurum, and he understood that the central Ottoman army wouldn’t mobilize for him.

Of course, the Sultan, provoked by unexpected plunder, could move the central army as well.

‘Then he’ll likely execute a scorched earth strategy.’

The scorched earth strategy, which deliberately devastates the west to hinder local supply, was a tactic Ismail later used on Selim, and it almost led Selim to defeat without even fighting.

Even if there was a precaution, it was a bold move.

While Yusuf was deep in thought, Hakan, the sanjakbey of Rajistan, spoke up with an uneasy tone.

“While Erzurum is indeed an important stronghold, it’s not more important than our territory.”

“I know that. Of course, we have to defend it.”

If Trabzon were turned into a wasteland, it wouldn’t be able to recover until the succession battle was over. Even if the supplies were restored, the reduced population wouldn’t easily bounce back.

During the conversation with Hakan, Ahun interrupted angrily.

“Are you saying we’re giving up Erzurum?!”

It wouldn’t be easy to fend off 5,000 Qizilbash with the forces currently mobilized, so it was understandable for Ahun to think that way.

With the sacrifice of Abadan potentially going to waste, it was strange that he wouldn’t be furious, and Yusuf raised one hand.

“Calm down. Who said we’re giving up Erzurum?”

It was essential to take and defend Erzurum.

It would ensure the safety of Bayburt and the surrounding areas and would tempt them to seize Erzinjan as well.

Even if he blocked a few paths in between, Erzinjan was close enough to be isolated from Erzurum.

‘If we can hold out this time, it’s quite possible.’

So he had no intention of handing over Erzurum, and Yusuf didn’t feel the situation was particularly bad.

While everyone wore solemn faces, Yusuf smiled brightly.

“I don’t know why everyone is taking this so seriously. I think it’s turning out rather well.”

The others looked at Yusuf with puzzled expressions.

“If they came all at once, it would have been harder. If they’re splitting their forces, how could I not be thankful?”

Currently, the cavalry stationed in Erzurum, including five hundred from the Circassians, numbered 4,300, while the infantry, with five hundred left in Bayburt, was 2,500.

The troops originally stationed in Erzurum were around five hundred.

“With 3,000 troops, I just have to withstand 10,000 siege troops while catching the Qizilbash with the cavalry and those left in the rear, right?”

“That’s not as easy as it sounds.”

There was a risk of getting dragged along and wasting time.

But that was only if there weren’t any checkpoints.

“If we block the road to Artvin, the Qizilbash will have to come through the road we established the checkpoint on.”

Artvin was the easternmost territory of Rajistan and was a key passage.

“But there aren’t any troops to defend Artvin.”

“If we’re not there, we can always borrow the necessary troops.”

Yusuf replied to Hakan and told Arda, “Get in touch with Mzechabuk. Tell them to block Artvin with the promised troops.”

“Understood.”

If you’ve tied the knot, you should make use of it.

Those who never expected a close connection with the Principality of Samtskhe were taken aback, and Yusuf smiled broadly.

How could one not smile when the prey, knowing him as a hunter, willingly approached?

“Then let’s start hunting rabbits.”