Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks

Chapter 713 19: Demon Dragon

Edirne (Adrian Castle), within the city's prison.

Mahmud II stood inside a massive beast fighting arena, overlooking the impending "grand show" below.

Dozens found colluding with Orhan were being pushed by fully armed Janissary Personal Guards into the large circular arena.

The Janissary Corps, similar to the Mamluks, were elite troops composed of heretic youths, not sourced from bought slaves but collected from the Christian lands as "blood tax."

Mahmud II's Janissary Personal Guards were akin to the Kheshig army and included many hostages sent by Christian princes, raised from a young age within the royal court, often growing up alongside Mahmud II.

Vlad III, Skanderbeg, and others emerged from this Personal Guard.

"Your Majesty, I was wrong, my mind was clouded by beef fat, please forgive my sins!"

"By the holy flames, I am your most loyal servant, Your Majesty!"

"Mahmud, you are cruel and tyrannical, and on your first day as Emperor, you strangled your infant younger brother in his swaddling clothes. How are you any different from a beast? The holy flames will eventually grant divine punishment, condemning you to eternal fire prison, suffering divine retribution for millennia!"

The voices were chaotic; some were groveling for mercy while others were hurling curses.

But, as a deafening roar emerged from the dark, deep cavern in front, almost everyone immediately fell silent, leaving only the quiet sobs of women and children occasionally echoing.

A Janissary Personal Guard beside Mahmud raised a bow, attempting to shoot the old man who had cursed Mahmud, but was stopped by his raised hand.

"No worries, merely the barking of a defeated dog."

Mahmud II paid no heed to such insignificant accusations. The former Ottoman King, Lightning Bayezid, was defeated by Tamerlane, leading to a ten-year power vacuum in the Ottoman Kingdom, with princes vying for power, nearly turning the whole country into ruins.

Compared to such a dire cost, the mere notoriety of fratricide was a burden he could bear.

Boom—

The heavy footsteps grew louder and louder.

A thick sulfuric odor began to permeate the air.

Within the circular arena, embers flew unknowingly, landing on the prisoners, causing them to scream in agony.

The next moment, the iron gate slammed open as an unimaginably grotesque head emerged from the cavern, instantly swallowing several screaming prisoners.

"Heh."

A slight smile crept onto Mahmud's youthful face: "Throw some weapons to them."

Immediately, over a dozen Janissaries from the arena seats took down long spears, flails, warhammers, treasure swords, and other weapons, casting them into the open space.

"Quick, run!"

"Fight that beast!"

Some prisoners picked up weapons, while others, cowering in fear, huddled in corners, hoping the demon dragon would overlook them.

Boom—

Another black dragon head emerged, swallowing the cowards in the corner.

In that pitch-black cavern.

A colossal black dragon, with three massive heads, strode heavily out, revealing a terrifying demon dragon, two of the heads leisurely chewing the flesh within their mouths, as two rows of sharp teeth cut through several limbs, dropping with a plop to the ground, seeming as if they fell upon the very hearts of these prisoners.

What followed was pure slaughter.

The demon dragon seemed not to feed its stomach but resembled a cat playing with a mouse.

At this moment, a messenger arrived, delivering a letter.

"A letter from Hunyadi?"

Mahmud frowned as he opened the envelope.

"The cease-fire agreement between us was signed by the Regent King of Hungary of yesteryears, not by today's Hunyadi. Should You insist on attacking Constantinople, we will bring Hungarian, Wallachian, Serbian allied forces to battle against You."

Mahmud II laughed angrily: "Arrogant, ridiculous! Does Hunyadi really think I fear him? Had it not been for his luck in the Kosovo battle, he would have long become my captive!"

The White Knight Hunyadi rose from humble origins (knight class), valued by Sigismund, then King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor, and defeated Ottomans multiple times, famed for wearing silver armor and charging bravely, earning the title "White Knight," a formidable adversary of the Ottomans.

In the Battle of Varna, the Crusaders were defeated, but prior battles went well, forcing the Ottomans to sign a peace treaty under siege, agreeing to return occupied Hungarian lands and pay substantial reparations.

However, the Crusader Commander, then King of Poland and Hungary Wadislaw, incited by church emissaries, tore up the ceasefire treaty and recklessly charged at Mahmud II in the Battle of Varna, ultimately meeting his end, engulfed by dragon flame on the battlefield.

Yet, this battle left a deep impression on Mahmud II with Hunyadi, then Governor of Transylvania, and his led "Transylvania" corps.

In addition, Hunyadi was a member of the Dragon Knight Order (also Saint George's Knight Order) established by Sigismund.

Though the Dragon Knight Order lacked the dragon tamer lineage, they could summon a magical construct of a phantom giant dragon as a steed using the "Dragon Knight's Ring" passed down by Emperor Sigismund.

Despite limited duration and magical giant dragons being no match for Mahmud II's family true dragons in ferocity, a full roster of the Dragon Knight Order comprised of over twenty nobles and princes.

The Wallachian Duke, known as Piercing Duke Vlad III, once held hostage in the Ottoman court, was also a member.

"Your Majesty, do not worry; according to Your servant's observation, the White Knight merely bluffs. During the Kosovo defeat, Hungary lost over twenty thousand troops, severely crippled, with the White Knight's reputation greatly damaged. He has now resigned as Regent King, how can he lead allied forces against us?"

Mahmud II gently exhaled: "Once I conquer this enticing red apple (referring to Constantinople), I shall wage war again to vanquish these vile, faithless heretics."

...

Constantinople.

The Royal Garden has long been abandoned, overgrown with weeds, leaving many once rare birds and exotic beasts housed here as bones scattered among the ruins.

Even Constantine XI has neither time nor care for the so-called Royal Garden, leaving it ungarrisoned, allowing residents to hunt freely, undermining imperial authority yet now of little significance.

Losa realized he had little he could do in comparison to Constantine XI, merely keen enough not to commit low-level mistakes like leaving city gates open.

"This Sharp Claw Dragon is really... weak."

The Empire is bankrupt, its treasury hollow, even few rats are around, making it quite burdensome to feed a dragon beast requiring copious meat at each meal.

Orhan clutched a piece of fatty meat, tentatively tossing it.

"This is not the way to do it."

Losa found it displeasing, ignoring attendants and eunuchs' interventions, leapt into the dragon pen, startling Orhan to the core, rushing forward hastily: "Your Majesty, please don't!"

Losa casually patted the kneeling, shivering exotic beast.

In Yesterday's Giant Ship World, using dragons and giants in warfare is a long-standing habit. Though the Sharp Claw Dragon is merely a low-tier dragon species, on the battlefield, it serves as decent power and can encourage hearts, instilling fear in the enemy.

He can transform into a giant dragon, but truly on the battlefield, he would undoubtedly exert full force against Mahmud II and his black dragon, rendering him unable to fully