The high-ranking members of the Dark Division were all stunned by Caesar's sudden request.
"Your Majesty, I am truly sorry, but could you please elaborate?" Badars, the highest-ranking member of the Dark Division, dared to ask, indicating that he and the others were utterly bewildered by this.
"Did you not hear clearly?" Manuel showed no surprise or displeasure at his loyal subject's question. Instead, he said patiently, "Then I shall repeat myself:
"I want to kill Maria of the Branković Family, who is the daughter of George Branković, the current Despot of Serbia, and one of Ottoman Sultan Murad II's empresses, Mara Hatton."
After confirming they had not misheard, the high-ranking members of the Dark Division fell silent, facing their monarch's request. After a long pause, Badars dared to speak again, attempting to inquire about the reason for Caesar's command, "By the Holy Mother, Your Majesty. Although we, your loyal subjects, should not have doubts, I am indeed a little confused: as far as I know, Serbia and our Bosporus should have no grievances, nor should the Branković Family have any with Your Majesty, correct?"
To this, Manuel merely smiled faintly, "Of course not, neither Serbia, nor the Branković Family, nor Maria Branković herself." But before his subordinates could voice their next question, he quickly added, "But we have significant disagreements and conflicts with the Ottoman, do we not?"
His explanation did not enlighten the others present; instead, it made them even more confused: if their esteemed Majesty himself said that there was no enmity with Maria Branković from any perspective, then why kill her?
It was not surprising that they thought this way. If viewed not from Manuel's own perspective, it was indeed quite baffling. However, he issued this command not merely on a whim.
Mara Hatton, daughter of George Branković, the Despot of Serbia. Unlike in true history, where she did not marry until this year, in Manuel's current timeline, she was married to Ottoman Sultan Murad II a few years ago because her wavering father sought to appease the neighboring suzerain, the Ottoman. Unlike Murad's other consorts, she was regarded by the Sultan as his wife rather than a concubine or mistress, so the most appropriate title for her among European monarchs, including Manuel, should be "Sultana." Furthermore, up to her marriage to Murad, her status remained Christian, not Muslim. Additionally, according to rumors from Manuel's past life, she might not have formally consummated her marriage with the Sultan until Murad's death, as she bore no children in true history until her own death.
From the above, Mara's special status within the Ottoman state could already be seen, but this was not enough for Manuel to decide to take such a great risk to act against her. What truly made him decide to take hostile measures against her was that, unlike other 'flower-headed' women who only vied for favor in the Sultan's harem, Mara Hatton was a true politician. The fact that Muhammad II in true history grew into an outstanding monarch was closely related to the education provided by his foster mother, Mara Hatton. Therefore, no matter when, Muhammad always maintained respect for his foster mother, not only personally bestowing upon her the title of Sultana Dowager but also granting her power to help him control the empire, even to the extent of influencing political affairs.
Yet, she did not abuse this power but lived peacefully within the palace, occasionally offering advice all for the sake of helping her adopted son. And during the period when she temporarily returned to her country after Murad's death, Mara refused a second marriage arranged by her parents, because the object of this alliance was Constantine XI, the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, and she did not want to become an obstacle to her adopted son's conquest of Rome. Even in 1453, she and other high-ranking Ottoman officials stayed in Edirne, together serving as a backup for Muhammad's siege of Constantinople at that time.
If he disregarded their respective positions, Manuel rather admired Mara Hatton's character in true history. But once he considered the other party's position and his own ambition to revive Rome, he unhesitatingly chose hostile means with no room for maneuver.
Moreover, according to his historical knowledge, although the various religious cultures within the Ottoman territory currently appeared harmonious under the so-called 'fair cycle theory' in later generations, there was still room for provocation. If he could fabricate Mara Hatton's true cause of death, could the Sultanate still remain as stable as it was now?
But surely not everything would unfold as he imagined, especially since it was only 1435. Could these hindsight-like knowledge and views truly correspond perfectly to reality? Anyway, he couldn't just tell his subordinates that in about a decade or so, Mara Hatton would raise an exceptionally capable Ottoman Sultan who would crush all the Romans, so assassination should be used to try and destabilize the unity and friendship among the Ottoman, could he? No one but a die-hard loyalist like Badars would believe such nonsense...
Perhaps he should withdraw this command? Caesar thought to himself.
Just as Manuel maintained his outward composure, while actually racking his brains for reasons to persuade them, Badars, the head of the Dark Division, seemed to have a sudden realization. He bowed and requested to speak, "Your Majesty, I have an idea."
At this point, Manuel was also a bit uncertain, so he waved his hand, signaling his subject to speak.
Having received Caesar's permission, Badars raised his head and expressed his views, or rather, his incitement, "Gentlemen, I believe His Majesty's command must have a profound meaning:
"Think about it, according to the teachings of tradition and history, even if Maria Branković remains an Eastern Orthodox, would she still side with her family in Serbia after being married off?"
Hmm, actually, in true history, Mara did try her best to help her Despot father in Serbia maintain some independence, but the internal divisions between pro-Ottoman and pro-Hungary factions in Serbia were so great that they caused a lot of abstract problems, eventually making both Muhammad and Mara lose patience. Manuel muttered this to himself.
"Since that is the case, she is an accomplice of infidels, a close friend of the Turk, a blasphemous apostate, and an enemy of the Bosporus. For such people, we must uphold the will of the Holy Father and Your Majesty, and eradicate them all!"
Well said, but Badars, don't forget that the Dark Division is an intelligence agency, not an assassination agency. Don't make it sound like the Dark Division specializes in doing the work of the Assassins! Manuel shook his head internally.
"Moreover, if Maria, who is still outwardly an Eastern Orthodox, dies at the hands of a Muslim, then the vast number of Eastern Orthodox will surely recognize the true nature of those Turk dogs of Lucifer. At that time, the banner of Rome's double-headed eagle will once again fly over Thrace, Macedonia, and even all the former territories of the empire!"
It's not that simple. Currently, under that 'fair cycle' state, ethnic conflicts in the Ottoman cannot be intensified by assassinating a Mara Hatton, unless it creates irreconcilable contradictions between their Muslim Turk nobles and Christian nobles in a short time. Although Manuel thought this, his brown eyes became increasingly clear—
He knew what to do.
Just as Badars was about to continue speaking, his esteemed monarch interrupted him,
"Precisely for this reason, for the future of all Romans and the Bosporus, we must try this here as well," Manuel's expression at this moment was less calm and more stern,
"To let those enemies be consumed by their own wrath, we must do this. As the scriptures say, 'but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.'"