I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 8

Song of Departure (3)

* * *

The journey to Eilat was far from easy.

The area around Jerusalem was barren, and the southern region was no different.

We traveled south, the Dead Sea a constant presence to our left, and the mountains rising to our right.

It had been a week since we departed Jerusalem.

During that time, I had grown quite fond of Bulte.

“Good, that’s right. Good.”

Bulte crunched into a large bite of the apple.

I stroked his soft mane.

I never realized riding a horse could feel so pleasant.

Was this why warriors held their horses in such high regard?

Bulte shook his head as if he, too, was enjoying the moment.

Then, I heard someone calling my name.

“Lord! Lord Baldwin!”

I turned to see Aieg approaching.

He held a bowl in his hand.

It appeared to be my breakfast.

Aieg, panting slightly, handed me the bowl.

“You’re here again today. I brought you some food; please eat.”

Dry bread and biscuits.

And meat preserved in salt.

Was this the same menu we’d had all week?

I hadn’t minded it the first few days, but I was beginning to tire of it.

“Just set it down over there. I’ll eat it later.”

“Sir Garnier gave me direct orders….”

Aieg shook his head.

“He told me not to leave until you’ve finished the entire bowl.”

“I thought you were my servant, not Sir Garnier’s? I simply don’t have an appetite right now….”

I picked up a piece of bread and some meat, forcing it into my mouth.

“Okay, okay. I’ll eat a little.”

Bulte wasn’t the only one I’d grown closer to during this journey.

Aieg treated me with much more familiarity than before.

Though he was still overly polite….

Well, that would improve with time.

Aieg held out a pile of hay to Bulte.

“Here, Bulte, you need to eat too.”

But the hay looked a bit odd.

Was it soaked in water?

“Why did you soak the hay in water?”

“This picky fellow won’t eat it if I just give it to him dry.”

Aieg frowned at Bulte.

He looked like a parent scolding a fussy child.

“Here, I brought it soaked in water this time. Is this better?”

Bulte turned his head away as if he still wasn’t pleased.

“He’s really something…!”

I chuckled at the sight of the two of them.

It would take more time for those two to become friends.

I turned my head.

I was growing accustomed to the scenery of sand dunes and camels.

Even the endless line of carriages.

The number of carriages had increased since we began, as we stopped at villages and fortresses along the way.

“There are certainly a lot of fortresses.”

Even though the Crusaders were outnumbered, they possessed an ‘overwhelmingly’ large number of fortresses compared to the Islamic forces.

A defensive strategy to compensate for the lack of troops with fortifications.

‘I’d love to see the famous Krak des Chevaliers [a Crusader castle in Syria].’

But I wouldn’t have time for sightseeing like that.

I shook my head.

There were two main priorities now.

First, rebuild Eilat to secure the royal family and my funds.

Once I had money, I would have more options.

Second, prevent Lord Renault from breaking the truce.

This, too, was only possible if I was in Eilat.

‘Then I’ll have to address the Eastern Roman problem….’

I needed to consider that more carefully.

As I was stuffing food into my mouth, Garnier rode up on his horse.

His cloak billowed in the sandstorm.

“I’m glad to see you’re at least having a proper meal today.”

“Aieg said he wouldn’t leave until I finished the plate.”

I said with a smile.

Aieg was still locked in a battle of wills with Bulte.

Garnier chuckled, just as I had, when he saw them.

“You may not have experienced it directly, sir….”

Garnier dismounted.

“Nothing is more important than filling your stomach on a journey. If a battle breaks out, there won’t be a chance to eat leisurely. The same goes for water.”

“I’m making sure to drink water regularly.”

I replied.

The importance of water in the desert was self-evident.

The Battle of Hattin [a major defeat for the Crusader states in 1187].

The worst defeat of the Crusaders was a disaster that occurred while marching aimlessly through the desert.

Fortunately, this journey was thoroughly prepared by the Venetians, so there were no major issues.

“What’s the road ahead like?”

“We should reach Eilat in about three or four days. I’ve contacted the nearby Knights’ fortresses and arranged for food and supplies to be moved in advance.”

Garnier gestured behind him.

“There are also a few villages along the way, so there’s no need to worry about running out of supplies. Actually, there’s one more problem I need to report.”

He hesitated for a moment.

“A group of people has been following us for the past few days. At first, I thought they were merchants passing by….”

He pointed towards the rear.

I followed him up a small hill.

I had to be careful because the surrounding area was sandy.

I could feel the coarse sand beneath my feet with every step.

I could see a dense cluster of figures in the distance.

There seemed to be at least several hundred of them.

“They’re maintaining a constant distance. I sent out a few scouts, and they reported that most of them are unarmed civilians, Jewish people.”

“I’ll have to investigate myself.”

I said.

Unarmed Jewish people.

I needed to find out why they were following us.

“Go with the other knights and bring their leader here. We’ll halt the march until then.”

“Understood, sir.”

Garnier signaled to the other knights, and a line formed instantly.

A well-organized movement befitting the reputation of the Knights.

It was impressive every time I witnessed it.

How many years of training did it take to achieve that level of teamwork?

They returned just a few minutes later.

There was one more person than when they left.

An old man sat behind Garnier.

He had a white beard and wore a long coat.

He didn’t resemble a merchant.

Were they lost pilgrims?

The old man dismounted in front of me with Garnier’s assistance.

He bowed laboriously, a sort of half-bow.

“This humble one meets the most sublime and noble person of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.”

Now it’s ‘sublime’ and ‘noble’.

Noble, benevolent, sublime.

I wondered what adjective would come next.

The old man continued.

“I am Emanuel, son of Ahram. May peace be with you before the path of the noble one.”

“Nice to meet you, Emanuel, son of Ahram. May peace be with you before your path as well.”

I approached him.

What was the Jewish way of greeting again?

Was it hugging and kissing?

Hugging was acceptable, but kissing was a bit much.

Fortunately, he only gave me a light hug.

“I understand that you’ve been following our group for the past few days. Did you get lost in the mountains?”

“Lost here? Not at all.”

He shook his head.

“We heard that you are going to rebuild Eilat with the Venetian merchants.”

“That’s correct, but I fail to see what that has to do with you following us.”

“Eilat was originally a city where our Jewish tribes lived. That was until Saladin brought the Egyptian army ten years ago, looted the port, and burned it to the ground.”

The Egyptian army looted it.

Was Saladin the one who devastated Eilat?

“At that time, we barely escaped the city with our families. When we heard the news that you were rebuilding it, we liquidated our assets and hurried to follow you.”

“I see. I think I understand what you’re saying.”

I glanced at the group across the way.

As the distance narrowed, I could make out their faces.

There were many men, but most were women, elderly people, and children.

Did they want to return to their hometown after hearing the news that the city was being rebuilt?

“Then, instead of following us, just join us….”

As I was about to speak, a shout rang out.

A familiar voice.

“Like these beggars!”

It was Marco.

He came running, his protruding belly shaking.

“Sir, absolutely not! Tell these people to keep their distance immediately.”

Marco pointed at the old man.

“These people are trying to deplete our food supplies. Soon, they’ll be begging for food, claiming their children are starving.”

“We brought the food we need ourselves.”

The old man said in an angry tone.

“I swear to the holy city and the honor of my tribe, I have no intention of taking your belongings. We don’t even have the strength to do that in the first place.”

He looked at me and continued.

“Sir, all we want is to avoid being looted by the Saracens [a term used by Europeans to refer to Muslims during the Crusades].”

“There are many Bedouin tribes around here.”

I said.

Bedouins, Bedouin tribes.

The reason I brought so many troops in the first place was to prevent their attacks.

Passing through this area without a proper escort was akin to suicide.

Those who knew that must have followed us at a distance.

Should I accept them?

The reconstruction of Eilat.

There was no reason to refuse if it was for that purpose.

I would have to trust my intuition.

I stared at the old man.

I didn’t sense any ominousness or anxiety.

Nor did I detect hostility or animosity.

After a brief moment of contemplation, I made a decision.

“If you have sufficient food and supplies, you may join us.”

“But sir…!”

“We need people to rebuild the city anyway. It will be difficult to operate the port with just the Venetians right now. Isn’t that right?”

I looked at Marco and asked.

“If there are people who can be hired, wouldn’t the reconstruction work be completed faster? We also need people to rebuild the collapsed walls.”

“….”

Marco was silent, his face flushed.

He knew that what I was saying was true.

“Thank you, sublime and noble one. If you need manpower to carry luggage, we will provide our men at any time.”

“Thank you too, Emanuel, son of Ahram. Then go and inform the rest of your group. We’ll depart as soon as you’re ready.”

The old man nodded and turned to his people.

Not many hours later, we resumed our journey.

The desert, grasslands, hills, and mountains reappeared.

I stretched atop Bulte and sighed.

“I wish nothing would happen until we reach Eilat.”

But my hopes were short-lived.

Late in the afternoon the next day, we encountered another unidentified group.

A group of figures riding brown horses and camels.

The moment I saw them, the hair on my body stood on end.

It felt like finding a snake in the bushes and having my stomach churn.

“It seems like they are Saracen merchants. I’ll investigate….”

“Sir Garnier, issue a combat readiness order to the troops.”

I said, my gaze fixed on the figures.

“There’s no need to investigate this time. They are the enemy.”

* * *

The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the land in fiery hues.

The men on the hill surveyed their prey.

Camels, horses, supplies, and food.

It had been years since such a tempting target had presented itself.

And they were Frankish [a term used by Muslims to refer to Europeans during the Crusades] infidels, not Muslims.

“They’re wary of us, aren’t they?”

“The sun is setting behind us, so they probably haven’t recognized our identity yet.”

“What about the other tribes?”

“I’ve already sent a messenger. They’ll be joining us soon with their warriors. Let’s strike before they arrive.”

“Good, they’ve been traveling a long distance. We need to exhaust them as much as possible, like when breaking wild horses.”

“I’ll order my men to prepare their arrows.”

“Was the flag of Jerusalem confirmed?”

“Yes, it was definitely a symbol representing the royal family.”

“If we can capture a member of the royal family, we can demand a hefty ransom. Even if the Franks refuse to pay, Saladin will reward us.”

The man at the head raised his sword.

The crescent-shaped sword gleamed orange.

“Everyone, raise your swords! Allah will lead us to victory!”

He shouted.

“I swear to Allah, I will divide the spoils fairly among all of you after defeating these infidels!”

“Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! [God is the greatest!]”

“There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God!”

The warriors’ cries echoed across the hill.