New Winds (1)

There were signs.

Slavery had been rampant throughout the western regions of Africa, particularly in the slave trade.

Due to the weight of his title as an Ottoman Prince, the various African nations couldn’t press against it properly and sought the whereabouts of the slaves, realizing that this was not a problem that concerned them alone.

When they realized that over 100,000 slaves had been sold, they had to excuse themselves while hiding their fears.

“They must have bought them to contain Portugal. What interest would a country like the Ottomans have in us?”

King Affonso I of the Manikongo people in Congo made this judgment.

“Slaves? Is this really the time to worry about that with traitors swarming everywhere? They say they even took women and children! Who knows if this is about colonization or some bizarre hobby!”

“With a thief who murdered his brother and stole the throne, is it really the time to think about such things? Bring more weapons!”

After being pushed out by a coup, the Great Emperor Askia, who established the massive Songhai Empire by overthrowing the Mali Empire, was ignored by the power holders of the Songhai Empire, who were embroiled in royal disputes.

It’s entirely understandable that seeing the opportunity to seize power, expand kingdoms, and plunder the surroundings makes it hard to face reality.

Taking responsibility for the consequences was equally inevitable.

“From now on, we will be the future of Africa!”

Murad’s declaration forced African nations to confront the reality they had been ignoring, and when an army of 80,000 descended southward, they trembled in fear.

Starting from Morocco and seizing the salt mines of Tegaza, Murad’s advance was beyond imagination.

“From now on, I shall liberate all slaves except criminals!”

Those who watched in terror as the city was occupied and the chieftain waging war against neighboring tribes was executed blinked in astonishment at Murad’s proclamation.

The war captives and slaves who were forcibly enlisted for backbreaking agricultural labor were especially taken aback.

For those who endured harsh labor day by day, the thought of freedom was something they could scarcely dream of. If caught trying to escape, they would meet a terrible death.

“A world where one can live and die as a human! That is the world I will create!”

With Murad’s proclamation came the liberation of slaves, igniting a fire across Africa where tensions were already high.

“It’s a rebellion! The slaves have risen up!”

As Murad advanced, a slave rebellion followed, and the cities collapsed without even putting up a decent resistance.

Of course, the rulers of the cities recognized the danger and confined the slaves, but this was like fighting with one arm tied behind their back in a situation already disadvantaged.

Even with casualties from combat and troops reserved for maintaining order, the freed slaves joined Murad’s banner, and the numbers did not dwindle.

No, rather than diminishing, the army seemed to grow, and no city could hold Murad back, shocking the Emperor of the Songhai Empire, Askia Benkan.

“Damn it! Is it even possible to have arrived so soon? What a bunch of fools who can’t even buy time!”

From Tegaza with its salt mines to Gao, the capital of the Songhai Empire, was roughly 970 kilometers.

The fact that he broke through this distance in just over three months was essentially a march without interruption.

Benkan looked around Gao with a despairing gaze.

A city populated by 45,000 people, bustling with wealthy merchants, was desolate.

The remaining inhabitants had either given up on fleeing or resigned themselves to a new world, and the marketplace, usually busy with transactions, was empty.

There was no longer any reason to buy and sell slaves that would soon be freed.

One thing was certain: there was no one who believed that Gao, with no walls, could hold back Murad’s army.

“It’s not too late even now. We need to flee!”

“…Where to?”

To another city? That would buy only a month or two at best.

To another nation? If the empire crumbles hopelessly, how could any foreign nation be different?

Despite a gloomy heart, time passed, and with no solutions, Benkan bowed his head to the one who brought the storm.

“I surrender.”

Murad, riding a giant camel, accepted the declaration of surrender.

“You made a wise choice. No need to kill you.”

With Benkan’s surrender, the Songhai Empire vanished into the annals of history.

The moment the black storm that arose in Africa became widely known.

*

Yusuf frowned upon hearing the news of Murad.

After capturing the Songhai Empire, Murad halted his southward march and led his army toward the Mali Empire and its surrounding regions.

It was a move that made sense so far. Though it was one empire, like most African nations, the Songhai Empire was a conglomerate of numerous tribes.

This meant it was not easy to control.

“It’s good to conquer, but it’s essential to solidify a strong foundation as if establishing a new kingdom. Whether he thought of this himself or not, it’s a wise judgment.”

Though he received fervent support as he preached peace and freedom, if life became harder than before, such support would shatter quickly.

Settling the chaos and formulating policies suitable for Africa would be necessary to gather strength to conquer other kingdoms.

Songhai is close to Morocco, and capturing the Mali Empire would allow for maritime supply lines, so establishing a foundation wasn’t a problem.

However, there was a separate, more pressing issue.

“Grand Vizier, what impact do you foresee from Murad’s claim of slave liberation?”

“For the time being, it doesn’t seem like a significant issue. It will take a long time for the winds in Africa to affect the empire.”

For Murad, advocating slave liberation was the best choice.

While stabilizing his conquered territories, he managed to throw a new spark into the turmoil of other African kingdoms, preventing them from calming down.

As slavery was a crucial component of society in Africa, as seen with the agricultural reliance in Songhai, the issue of slave liberation would prove serious.

Yusuf drummed his fingers on the armrest.

“Even if they feel threatened by the slave liberation issue, those in power can’t easily discard the slave card.”

“Even if the top leader decides to grant liberation for the sake of the kingdom’s stability, other power holders will vehemently oppose it. Slaves are simply too convenient.”

“Indeed, trying to enforce it forcibly would lead to treason. It’s a fine spark thrown into Africa, but the problem is that this spark could impact the empire as well.”

“Just like how the price of slaves has risen due to Prince Murad.”

The slave shortage phenomenon created by Murad affected not only Portugal but also the Ottomans.

For now, it only influenced prices, but as time passed, it could affect the institution of slavery itself.

“I wonder who this brat takes after for being so reckless.”

As Yusuf grumbled, Shemsi took a sip of coffee.

There was no need to say who he took after.

“Were you spitting on my face?”

“I said nothing, Your Padishah.”

With a smirk at Shemsi, Yusuf leaned back in his chair.

“Well, it’s fine. The institution of slavery had to change someday.”

Originally, when the Ottomans were an Islamic state, slavery was not a significant issue.

Islamic law forbids enslaving fellow Muslims, but there were no restrictions when it came to people of other religions.

The same went for Christians, who had no qualms about selling Muslims into slavery.

In any case, the Ottoman Empire, being an Islamic state, had a thriving Christian slave trade, but as the Ottomans began to step out from the shadows of religion and achieved religious equality, some problems arose.

“In Muslim regions, Christians will be sold as slaves, while in Christian regions, Muslims will be sold as slaves.”

Isn’t there already a sound of the country splitting in half?

This was a side effect of becoming too massive while accommodating various religions, and it necessitated preparation for the future.

“In the long run, the abolition of slavery must proceed.”

Shemsi’s arm, holding the coffee cup, abruptly stopped.

“Your Padishah, it’s my lifelong wish. Please grant me retirement.”

“That’s denied.”

As the expected response came back, Shemsi spoke as calmly as possible.

“Your Padishah’s concern and love for the subjects is truly admirable. The abolition of slavery is also born out of that concern…”

“Your tongue is long. I thought you were Hasan. Just get to the point.”

“Is there even a need to proceed with this now? There won’t be much issue for at least another hundred years. In fact, the chaos from hasty reforms would be greater.”

It was an act of taking away what they already held, so there would be no lack of opposition.

Slaves are property too; one cannot simply liberate them by snatching them away, as Murad did.

“Didn’t you say we should leave future matters to the future? Isn’t this one of those matters?”

At Shemsi’s rebuttal, Yusuf lightly clapped his hands.

“Indeed, the position of Grand Vizier isn’t something just anyone can hold. It was rather tempting for a moment.”

At Yusuf’s words, Shemsi sighed slightly.

In conclusion, it meant that his arguments hadn’t worked.

“I understand your concerns. There has to be a fundamental understanding for the abolition of slavery to be feasible. Don’t you think?”

“That’s right. Honestly, the only ones who benefit from the abolition of slavery are the slaves themselves, right?”

If the abolition of slavery were to proceed, reactions like Shemsi’s would be expected.

If one viewed it as something unrelated to themselves, it would be fortunate; however, those who saw it as a loss would vehemently oppose it.

“I also have no intention of proceeding foolishly. First, I need to start slowly by ensuring that the status of slavery doesn’t pass down to future generations. The issues that arise afterward can be left to the future, as you said.”

“Preventing the passing down of status might just be possible.”

This was not an unfamiliar matter.

Even within the harem, there are those of slave descent, and no one disrespects a Hatun just because they were a slave.

It is taken for granted that the children born to a concubine who is a slave are treated equally with other children.

Of course, this was something one could only attempt if it weren’t Yusuf.

“There would still be some backlash. At times like this, there’s a very good method. A method that has already proven effective repeatedly.”

There was nothing better than manipulating public opinion in such situations.

*

Hürem entered with grace.

Her shining blonde hair settled on her Turkish-style dress, and her voice trembled slightly.

“I have come at your summons, Your Padishah.”

“Welcome. It’s been a while since it was just the two of us.”

It wasn’t that Yusuf had treated Hürem poorly; he’d simply met with her mother Fatima and her son Orhan.

Now in her mid-thirties, Hürem smiled like a girl.

“It makes my heart flutter to be alone with you again.”

“I’m also thrilled to see how that wild cat has changed this much.”

As Yusuf teasingly recalled their first meeting, Hürem’s face turned red.

“Is the reason you summoned me to tease me?”

“Fortunately, that’s not the case. I heard from Suleiman that the writing you’ve been working on these days is quite good.”

“…I’d like to forget about that time.”

If Suleiman hadn’t reworked it, she might have thrown herself into the Bosporus Strait.

It was that bad back then.

“I found it rather entertaining to read. It was just difficult to decipher.”

“Please stop.”

Hürem, blushing, approached eagerly and clutched his arm, prompting Yusuf to place his hand on her head.

“Everyone has memories they’d like to forget from childhood. Yours are just a bit more special. Anyway, you must know why I brought this up, right?”

“Is there something you need me to write, like before?”

“Yes, I would like you to write about slaves. A tale of ordinary people who fell into slavery and suffered would be perfect.”

Hearing this, Hürem’s eyes sparkled.

As a woman who survived in the harem, she wasn’t naive; she quickly grasped what Yusuf wanted.

“Should I write it so that it’s as relatable as possible?”

“Excellent.”

“And I would like to work on this piece with Orhan.”

“I know he writes quite well, but will he be of help? The content might be a bit heavy for him.”

“Since he hasn’t reached adulthood yet, surely there are aspects he can write about.”

“If that is your judgment, then proceed as such.”

If it proved inadequate, it was simply a matter of not including it in the book.

Having received permission, Hürem beamed brightly.

‘Once the book is complete, I must invite Shaykh al-Islam and the Archbishop of Constantinople to create a religious atmosphere.’

Having thought that far, Yusuf gazed at the map on the wall.

‘And it’d be best to ensure a good partnership.’

Yusuf flashed a mischievous smile.

*

“What is this?”

The Spanish explorers, discovering an unfamiliar type of ship, approached it.

The large vessel bore signs of having gone through a rough ordeal, and the wounds marked on the weapons, including the damaged railing, suggested there had been a battle or perhaps a mutiny aboard.

Just as the explorers were pulling the ship closer,

“$%[emailprotected]#$!”

People speaking a bizarre language drew their swords to threaten them, causing the startled explorers to pull their triggers.

A new wind had arrived in the New World.