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# Chapter 33: The One Who Eats First (2)

The distance between Gumushane and Bayburt was only about 60 km.

It was a place that could be reached in a day and a half on horseback, and unless Bayburt was a city of blind people, it was impossible not to know that troops were gathering at Gumushane.

Basic defensive preparations must have been completed, so leading only cavalry for a surprise attack held little meaning, and Yusuf marched slowly with his troops.

60 km may seem close, but the marching speed of infantry is about 3 to 4 km per hour, and moving 15 km in a day is considered quite a lot.

Of course, it was possible to cover more distance, but there was no need to act rashly in a non-crucial situation that could diminish combat effectiveness.

Thus, it took five days until they surrounded Bayburt.

– Open the gates and welcome the brothers of faith at once!

“How disappointing. You don’t even meet the brothers of faith who traveled from afar.”

At Yusuf’s cheeky words, Hakan, the Sanjakbey of Rajistan, burst into laughter.

“Seeing the prince in person has left me so moved that I might just stiffen up! I will open the gates immediately.”

“I believed you would.”

If this fervent heart goes unreciprocated, Bayburt might be set ablaze.

‘Given the lack of siege equipment, I should be prepared for some loss of troops.’

Of course, they may have to occupy through force, but they didn’t come empty-handed.

They had the basics like ladders, battering rams, and catapults, but considering this was an era where cannons were in use, it felt like showing up with bronze swords in the Iron Age.

Though Europe had long used cannons, the Middle East wasn’t at the stage of utilizing gunpowder weapons, and the nearby walls were made of thin yet tall medieval structures.

‘That means if we only had siege artillery, we could easily smash through.’

Knowing it was useless to lament what they lacked, they devised their own solutions.

‘It would be a waste to use them here, so I wished they would just open the gates and come out.’

While thinking this, Hakan, who had been subtly gauging the situation, asked gently.

“Prince, do you intend to prohibit plundering this time as well?”

Yusuf responded without hesitation.

“If they surrender willingly, then plundering is forbidden.”

The journey here had been smooth, void of ambushes, but restraining the soldiers who wanted to plunder the nearby homes was more challenging.

The armies of this era were seen as worse than a swarm of locusts.

‘At least locusts don’t commit murder or rape.’

However, considering plundering a war crime would be problematic.

It would be another 300 years before the Geneva Convention would emerge to define war crimes, and Rousseau, who provided the ideological foundation, wouldn’t be born for another 200 years.

In this era, plundering served the purpose of acquiring supplies necessary for war and suppressing soldiers’ discontent arising from the expedition.

Even Napoleon planned to seize food as a part of his strategy, resulting in tremendous speed of advance.

In short, it needed to be approached from a tactical concept rather than emotional, and Yusuf wasn’t prohibiting plundering from a humanitarian standpoint.

“This land will now become a part of the Empire, and we must repel the Shiites with the help of those living here, so it cannot be avoided. Monetary compensation will be provided separately, so you will need to manage them well.”

Even though it was disappointing that compensation wouldn’t be as effective as direct plundering, it was still a comprehensible choice.

Controlling eager soldiers wanting to line their pockets in a rampage was not an easy task.

“If an unfortunate incident occurs and it brings shame before Allah, I trust you will control them well.”

“Of course!”

“Rest assured!”

The commanders enthusiastically agreed, having personally experienced how persistent and ruthless Yusuf could be through Burka and Aishe.

In the slightly tense atmosphere, Yagiz, the Sanjakbey of Kenik, joked.

“Honestly, I’d rather they don’t surrender.”

“Haha, that would mean it’s nice and fair to plunder.”

Though said in jest, the commanders had attentive faces.

Traditionally, the Ottomans permitted plundering for three days after a successful attack, so it felt better to engage in a refreshing siege than to struggle to prevent soldiers from plundering.

Noticing this change in mood, Yusuf simply smiled.

The gates of Bayburt opened, and an envoy with a white flag emerged.

“Yagiz Pasha speaks, and they surrender immediately? Shall I ask for this again in Erzurum?”

“Haha, it seems they’ve been listening to us.”

Yusuf tossed a joke, fostering an amicable atmosphere filled with responding words.

As they bantered lightly, the envoy with the white flag was surrounded by soldiers and made their way to the commanders.

Dismounting, the envoy offered respects to Yusuf.

“I meet the prince of the Empire.”

“Good, have you prepared to open the gates and welcome us? It seems sufficient time has been granted.”

Despite the oppressive question, the envoy spoke without fear.

“The lord of Bayburt, Abtum Bey, inquired the reason for your arrival, despite our long friendship.”

Merchants arriving from the White Sheep Dynasty to Trabzon had to pass through Bayburt, so it wasn’t necessarily a bad relationship with a foreign land.

It might seem like the neighbor next door was coming with a sword drawn.

“If you have ears, you must have heard of the atrocities committed by the Shiites. We have come to assist you instead.”

“But that is merely a rumor…”

“Have you ever seen smoke without fire? Can you dismiss it as simply a rumor?”

Considering how hard they worked to create that smoke, it was disappointing to disregard it as just gossip.

Moreover, it wasn’t completely false.

It was just slightly exaggerated, like saying a cat was a tiger.

“You have only two choices. Open the gates and welcome the brothers of faith, or suffer punishment for obstructing the jihad.”

“…Allah will not forgive you.”

At the envoy’s curse, Yusuf smirked.

“Allah always stays beside the victor.”

How disappointing that they still didn’t know this.

“I’ll say it again. This is the last opportunity you will have. If you open the gates right now, you will be treated as brothers of faith. Go back and confess to your lord.”

At Yusuf’s words, the envoy helplessly retreated, and shortly after, the gates of Bayburt opened.

‘After all, true civilized people can resolve issues through dialogue.’

Of course, if one held a weapon in the other hand, many more problems could be solved.

*

Entering the city under the escort of a tense army, Yusuf felt the gaze of people filled with fear and worry.

It was a sentiment that couldn’t be alleviated with just a few words, so he paid little attention. As he got to the center, he spotted disarmed soldiers and a dignified middle-aged man standing before them.

“Are you Abtum Bey?”

“That is correct, Your Highness.”

Yusuf regarded Abtum with interest.

Even though it ended merely with a surrender without a siege, strictly speaking, the opponent was a loser as they had lost their territory.

Yet, he stood there with the dignity of a victor.

“You appear calm for someone who has lost territory?”

“What does such a position matter? If I could reduce the number of people suffering, that would be enough for me.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Abtum’s calm words drew looks of admiration from the soldiers and those eavesdropping.

‘After all, I will need support from Abtum.’

Bayburt was positioned on the supply route from Trabzon, necessitating reinforcement of defensive facilities.

Given the limited resources of both troops and people, gaining cooperation from Bayburt was essential, and obtaining help from the current ruler was the best option.

“Talip Sobasi.”

“Command as you wish.”

Yusuf gave orders to the Sobasi of Gumushane, Talip.

“I will assign two Sobasi and five hundred soldiers to you, so manage this place with Abtum’s help.”

“Understood.”

As Talip bowed and accepted the orders, Yusuf turned his gaze back to Abtum.

“Abtum, do you intend to lend your assistance?”

“If you show us mercy, Your Highness, we will do our utmost to assist you.”

“Very well. If you keep your loyalty, my army will not harm you.”

“Thank you.”

Approaching the deeply moved Abtum, Yusuf patted his shoulder and spoke quietly.

“That was some satisfactory performance, but you should have been more cautious with your eyes.”

Prioritizing his people’s well-being over his own position? Ridiculous.

If he truly thought so, he wouldn’t have been monitoring the reactions of those around him.

‘You might have tried to maintain your influence with flattery, but playing with words is my responsibility.’

In the face of Yusuf’s penetrating gaze, Abtum froze like a mouse in front of a snake.

Seeing the cold sweat on Abtum, Yusuf chuckled softly.

“Honestly, whether you practiced hypocrisy or had shallow sincerity, that doesn’t matter to me. Just don’t create something that would disappoint me.”

“…Understood.”

Slowly nodding, Abtum received another pat on the shoulder from Yusuf as he turned away.

If he had been warned this much, he would likely cooperate well.

“Talip, if he pulls any nonsense, don’t hesitate to kill him.”

“Understood.”

One should never trust easily.

The conquest of Bayburt was complete.

*

“Your Highness, Bayburt was captured easily, but Erzurum will not be as simple.”

“I know that. Unlike here, they won’t surrender without a fight.”

Erzurum was a strategic stronghold known for its cold weather and heavy snowfall in Anatolia.

Even though it was already spring, it was still chilly, and the attacking side could hardly avoid the burden.

Naturally, it was too much to expect Erzurum, relatively in a stronger position, to raise a white flag and surrender.

‘However, waiting for the weather to warm up to make the siege easier might mean facing the Safavid army before we even capture it.’

If that happened, they would have to retreat after sacrificing lives for a useless siege without results.

With so much riding on this war, it was the worst situation for Yusuf, and the timing chosen was unavoidable.

“However, it’s not like there’s no way.”

If luck was at 10, then he wasn’t about to raise an army hoping for a lucky resolution, but he had devised a solution.

Momentarily pondering Yusuf’s confident attitude, Yagiz asked.

“Is it related to that strange mound of dirt we brought using camels?”

To this question, Yusuf grinned.

“You might find something entertaining to watch.”

It was time to check on the achievements created by Hasan’s blood and sweat.