Mustafa could not help but marvel inwardly: the Topjis New Army was indeed trained far beyond the "Left-Handers," and the Janissary Guard Corps was even less worthy of mention. [Note 1]
As an Agha of the Janissaries—a high-ranking officer—he had always been extremely wary of the Topjis. If the latter grew stronger, the Janissaries' status would inevitably be weakened. But when it came to war, these New Army troops were undeniably useful.
He could not help turning southward, regretting that he had not paid out of his own pocket to keep Captain Raymond and the others a few days ago—the Fifth and Sixth Battalions of the New Army had not yet completed their training, and their combat strength was clearly far inferior.
Raymond and the others were instructors sent by the Tunis Royal Army NCO Academy to train Selim III's Topjis New Army. They had used the more than two months of marching to conduct intensive training for two battalions of soldiers.
Of course, one could not expect much from such a short period of training.
By order of the General Staff Headquarters, Raymond and the others had returned to Tunis after the Ottoman Army entered Tarnovo.
Yes, not intervening in the war between the Ottomans and Austria had always been Joseph's established strategy.
So no matter how many gold coins Mustafa offered, he could never have kept the French instructors.
Just as Mustafa and several of his Chulas—legion commanders—were discussing where to fight the Austrian Army decisively after reaching Bucharest, several Sekban Cavalry troopers hurried over under the guidance of an attendant. They saluted him and said, "Pasha, the Bulgarian Legion has discovered enemy troops operating to the west."
Mustafa waved dismissively. "They must be Austrian reconnaissance cavalry. Tell Mikhailov to drive them off. Do not let them affect