Ivo Drana let out a strange sigh as he looked at the neatly lined up line in the distance, and if he listened closely, he could sense a lot from this sigh.

In addition to being surprised by the accident, there is also a faint fear.

The smoke was slowly dissipating, and the pungent smell of choking in the air was fading, but Ivo Dranar never seemed to wake up from that emotion.

Dranagh is not unaware of the power of muskets, the Ottomans have the most advanced and powerful firearms in the world, when some people of insight in Europe began to figure out how to effectively use firearms on a large scale, the Ottoman Guards composed of musketeers have begun to sweep everything on the battlefield.

And the artillery possessed by the Ottomans is also recognized as the most powerful and numerous.

From the urban cannons, which played an important role in the capture of Constantinople, to the various cannons that are gradually emerging on the sea, to the field artillery that has appeared on the battlefield, the Ottomans are leading the transformation of the world's military technology in a terrifying way in the field of warfare.

However, many of those things were just legends or didn't have much shock, but now when he saw the power of a volley of muskets, Dranah was really shocked.

The loud noise, the terrifying devastation, and the incredible rate of fire that Draena felt like he had planned to create a rift in the gunfire.

What impressed him the most was the high speed of the repeated shots of the muskets, although it was only three consecutive rounds, but Delanah knew that the time between these three rounds was short and he had never experienced before.

The arquebus was nothing new, and because of the high interest in firearms, Europe was full of connoisseurs and clever men of all sizes who wanted to make their fortunes more powerful and reliable.

So if anyone can invent some kind of musket with a fast rate of fire, it is not a novelty.

But the speed of the army's firing was beyond Drana's expectations, and he felt a chill in his heart from the kind of continuous firing that sounded almost like it was not short.

He had some difficulty imagining what would have happened to an army of almost the same number of infantry, perhaps even more troops would have been shot incessantly on the way closer.

Perhaps only the cavalry could rely on their unusual speed to rush in front of these musketeers before they had time to shoot more ammunition, and then slaughter them in close combat.

However, Draena also knew that although this idea was correct, the reality was not necessarily the way he thought, because it was impossible for the other party not to consider the possibility of facing a cavalry charge.

Looking at the Genoese sword and shield men lined up behind the musketeers, Dranagh licked his lips, although he had not seen the power of these sword and shield men with his own eyes, but he had heard of them a long time ago.

And watching them quickly weave their way through the gaps between the two sides as soon as the musketeers finished firing, and then with the faint audible sound of their steady formation of shields, and the Agri spearmen in the same dark red uniforms as the musketeers, armed with spears, Dranagh felt like he had seen the full picture of a powerful battle formation.

"I've heard that you have a lot of mines in your territory," Alexander said to Drana, whose face was changing, "and maybe we have more opportunities to work together." ”

"What do you want?" Dranagh asked warily, feeling that he had just made a condition after seeing such a shocking scene for himself, and that Alexander was clearly threatening him.

"I need a lot of things, but you don't have to worry that I will plunder from you," Alexander saw Drana's concern, "but I hope you can help me, Bosnia is actually very rich, otherwise the Ottomans would not have gone to great lengths to try to conquer this land completely." ”

"Do you want to plunder those well salt mines," Lanna first thought of this, Bosnia has the largest land salt mine in Europe, which is an unimaginable wealth for the inland far from the coast, whether it is Vienna or Prague or Krakow, these places are in high demand for Bosnian land salt, and on the tables of the wealthy families in those cities, salt and honey have become more than condiments, but symbols of wealth and status.

Bosnia, once the richest country in the Balkans, was once the richest country in the Balkans, and Sarajevo's prosperity made many Balkan countries jealous, and while lamenting God's unique favor for Bosnia, the dispute over those land salt sources never stopped.

And in addition to the mouth-watering salt wells, Bosnia is equally rich in coal, iron, copper, and a large amount of natural nitrate, and these things have no less memory than others know.

"What benefits can I get?" Dranagh stroked the top of his smooth head, "Know that this is Bosnia, you can leave at any time, and for me this is my hometown, and helping outsiders is not our rules here." ”

"What if I can help you get enough salt mines?" Seeing the corner of Drana's eye move, Alexander continued, "There are more coal and copper mines, I think you're interested in these things. ”

This time Draena didn't speak immediately, he found a rock and sat down, and then turned to look at the army in the distance that stood motionless in the snow.

"You've trained them well," said Dranagh, in reply to the question, "and from here it looks as if those men were not living soldiers, but a mass of tin-iron men." ”

"So what are you going to do?" Alexander didn't give Drala time to pass the buck, he invited Drana to watch the exercise today, and even wasted a large amount of ammunition to show the might of Montina's army, not just to listen to these "You get the mines, and I get the ore, it's fair to all of us." ”

Dranah nodded imperceptibly, the benefit was indeed too great for him, and even made him feel like he was being tempted by the devil.

"And I need soldiers," Alexander said, looking at his own army in the distance, "I need you to get me enough soldiers." ”

"We don't have that many soldiers," Drana's eyes suddenly became vigilant, and he looked at Alexander coldly, "at least in my territory you don't have to make up your mind, and even in other people's territories you had better put out this idea, you must know that those peasants are strong laborers, and no nobleman will agree to your request." ”

Alexander only smiled at Drana's hostile look, of course he knew what the men in the territory meant to these nobles, farming, grazing, mining, and if necessary, recruiting as soldiers in the territory, and the people were also a wealth to the nobles.

"I didn't ask you to provide me with soldiers, I'm talking about the refugees who fled from the South," Alexander said with a smile, and the woman who had been brought back by the scouts not only gave him a decent Ottoman interpreter, but more importantly, through the woman, he learned more about the refugees from the South.

For the nobles of Northern Bosnia, these refugees were a big headache, and after accepting a part of the manpower that had enriched their territory, more and more refugees began to worry these nobles, and then they were a little afraid.

The peasants from the Balkan mountains of the south were obviously hot-tempered and stubborn, and such people could become very capable lords, who would endure hardships and not play tricks, and who would have made good peasants, miners, or soldiers if they were given a place to live.

But it would be a bit bad if there were too many of them, at least for Lanna, who was already worried about the wanderers who appeared on the borders of his small territory from time to time, and while he was ordered to keep an eye on the movements of those who fled at all times, he had to draw some people from the territory to form several small teams to patrol his territory, which actually made Drahner a little tired of increasing his burden.

"You want to pick soldiers from among those refugees?" Dranah was a little surprised, but then he realized that it was impossible for the nobles to agree to provide Alexander with their own subjects, so the only source of troops Alexander could find was those refugees, "It is indeed a good group of soldiers, but it is not easy to deal with, some of them have caused trouble, and most of the rest are also some headaches." ”

"You don't have to worry about this, I have a way to make them behave," Alexander smiled confidently, "I just need you to help me gather those refugees from the neighborhood, and I'll use those salt mines in return." ”

"Are you going to rob those salt mines?" Derana immediately thought of something, "You're going to get me in trouble like this, and if I recruit too many refugees, it will also attract the attention of the Ottomans, knowing that many of the locals are actually in collusion with the Ottomans, and it is not a burden for them to informe and betray." ”

"I'm just plundering those methods, and you're just mercifully taking in those refugees, don't you worry, I won't get you in trouble," Alexander comforted Drana, in his opinion, this Bosnian nobleman is actually very cowardly, although he has an ambitious heart, he doesn't dare to take a step, but if you think about it, you can understand why Grand Duke Karl recommended him to himself, isn't such a person just right for his needs" But I want you to provide me with some news about the local nobles, Especially the aristocrats who you think are in collusion with the Ottomans. ”

Ivo Drana's bare bare protruding brow bone moved upward, he knew the meaning of Alexander's words, and it was because he knew that his heart, which had been hesitant, immediately beat violently and irrepressibly.

Such a list was actually a tacit agreement between him and Alexander, who helped Alexander gather and select refugees, and Alexander shot at the nobles according to the names he provided.

"If I need to rest, I will return to Caniola in time, and then I will look for an opportunity to come back," Alexander continued, to completely dispel Drana's concerns, "You just need to keep giving me news, I will attack the Ottomans who are trying to enter the north and their vassals, and if I have the opportunity, my army may even cross the Nausava River, and you will need to provide me with information." Of course, you will get a lot of it, and the inheritance of the Bosnian aristocracy in collusion with the Ottomans will give you an idea of what real wealth is. ”

"It's dangerous," Dranab said, "I mean you have to be careful about doing something like this, you can't trust anyone here." ”

Alexander nodded silently, of course he knew this, and even Draena might not really be trustworthy.

Alexander had reason to believe that if he could give enough benefits, Dranagh, like the others, would not hesitate to betray him.

Drana's territory is not very large, but it is very rich, because his territory has enviable copper mines and salt wells, and as for the grain Drana, there is not much.

However, this was enough to arouse the jealousy of Archduke Karl of Caniola, and before Alexander's departure, Karl offered to hire Montina's army to sell well salt from Drana's territory for him.

Alexander would certainly not agree to such a thankless task, although it would make it possible for him to become the largest smuggler in European history, but it was not what he needed.

The search for Sophia and the care of Hungary's great copper mines were on his mind, and as time went on, the threat from France loomed.

According to the original appearance of history, Caesar will definitely come back with the French this time, thinking about the scene when the old Rovere returned to Rome with the support of King Charles of France, Alexander felt that Caesar would definitely be more eager to prove his strength than the old Rovere.

So Alexander set the time for his return to Italy in early summer, so that before he knew it, time seemed a little short.

Ivo Drana's territory was a bit far from the city of Siye, and it had to pass not only through the Chakaran Valley, but also through a hilly terrain, and because the Chakaran Valley was adjacent to the Duchy of Caniola, it was gradually becoming a place that neither side would easily set foot in.

As Alexander said, if the situation changed, he could quickly enter the territory of Caniola from here, and then wait for an opportunity to return, which alone made his movement much easier.

It's just that Alexander also knows that because of this convenience, he has to be more careful, because once someone has his eyes on him, it is easy to find a way out where he may enter Caniola from the place where he is frequented.

Alexander wanted to get enough out of Bosnia and not get himself in trouble, so the first thing he had to think about was a safe way out.

As for the target to deal with, he quickly found it.

Although it is small, it is quite famous in Northern Bosnia, because of the abundance of salt wells and a large number of copper mines near the city, and it can be said that the whole city of Siye was built on a huge mine.

A group of dirty men walked down a path towards the bottom of the mountain, which led directly to the city, and the light white marks on the clothes of these people like layers of lime flakes indicate that they were workers in the salt mines on the mountain, and their clothes were eroded by salt brine for many years and turned into hard "armor", and someone even did an interesting experiment to stab one of these workers' clothes with a dagger, and the result was after two consecutive efforts, The clothes were pierced with a small hole because of the crushing of the salt and brine slag.

Most of the workers in these mines are locals, although many places cannot grow food due to the quality of the soil, but the mines still feed many people, especially in the past, when the Bosnian kingdom has not yet fallen, and the mineral deposits here not only make those noble lords rich, but also the ordinary locals live a good life.

But now all this is gone, and the Ottomans blocked not only the road to the south, but also the river, so that the well salt of the city of Siye could not be transported by river from the Nausava River to Greece or through the roads of Croatia, and to make matters worse, the Ottomans sent a "sackele" to the city.

As one of the means by which the Ottomans ruled the occupied territories, Sackler was not the same as the Pasha or governor appointed by the Sultan, and was more often sent to areas that were nominally Ottoman, but remained more or less independent in substance.

In these places, the sultans, who have been recognized as monarchs, do not have much influence, some are even purely nominal, and most of these places are either remote or have strong people, and Sackler's role is to exercise nominal suzerainty on behalf of the sultan.

Northern Bosnia is a typical example of this, but Sackler in Siye should be considered a real occupier than any other place.

The city of Siye is rich in resources, but the nobles here are not very powerful, and because of the mines in their respective territories, those nobles have been fighting each other for a long time, and the arrival of the Ottomans did not unite them.

The Ottomans had already taken seven or eight Sacklers in Siye, and the main purpose of these Sacklers was to collect ore from those mines for the Sultan.

Iron, coal, copper, tin, and saltpeter, any of which are precious ores, were the aims of these Sacklers, who cunningly exploited the mutual hatred and short-sighted division of the local aristocracy, and these Ottomans stirred up all kinds of contradictions in the city of Siya, and their aim was to gradually control the resources of the city.

The labourers had been working for days in a row, and had enough of the hard labor that had scarcely stopped except for daily prayer and eating, and sleeping, and now they were going to go to the city to have a good time.

The men whispered vulgar jokes as they walked, and the city of Siye was clearly visible in the distance.

At that moment, the workers heard the rumbling sound of horses' hooves.