I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 118

Became the King of Crusaders – Episode 118

The Eagle of Broken Oath (3)

* * *

“The village seems larger than I thought. And so many people. Hard to believe it’s only been a few years.”

I looked around.

Like Kang said, it’s more like a village than a bandit hideout.

The forest where I met Kang and his group.

The settlement was on a hill in the center of the forest.

A location densely packed with trees, making it difficult for soldiers to approach.

On top of that, sharp wooden stakes surrounded the area without any gaps.

This is a natural fortress.

The paths to enter are limited, and you can’t avoid a barrage of arrows.

Even if you climb up wearing chainmail, you’ll quickly get exhausted.

But it wasn’t without its weaknesses.

“Those stakes are good for blocking attacks, but they also catch fire easily.”

I said.

The gap between the stakes and the buildings inside was too narrow.

“If a fire breaks out, the houses will burn down completely.”

“Then the whole forest will burn. No one would be foolish enough to burn down the entire forest to catch us.”

Kang said.

He lowered the bow he was carrying on his shoulder.

“This forest belongs to the royal family.”

“If it turns to ashes, the commander will lose his head.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

A strategy of holding the forest hostage.

That’s unexpected.

Then Ruark spoke.

“Are those men over there doing swordsmanship training?”

“All the men learn archery and swordsmanship. Not only for hunting but also for fighting against the surrounding bandits.”

“And they must collect tolls from passing merchants too.”

I added.

As we walked inside, the men stopped training and looked at us.

The women and children did the same.

They all came out of their houses and looked at us.

Their faces were full of tension.

Kang waved his hand at them as if to reassure them.

“There must be a lot of food piled up inside.”

“Only some meat and berries. How much could farmers who abandoned their land and ran away possibly gather in the first place?”

Kang sighed and scratched his head.

“Last year, some of us had to go to the city and beg because there was nothing to eat.”

“If they had just run away to the city, they could have become free citizens. Why did they bother running away to this forest?”

I searched my memory.

Even serfs were granted freedom if they resided in a self-governing city (commune) for several years.

“City life isn’t easy for people who have only farmed their whole lives. At best, men can only find manual labor, and women have to sell their bodies to barely earn a few pennies.”

Kang said.

“At least here, we can live like human beings. Please, follow me. I’ll take you to my house.”

We went deep into the settlement.

A shabby house made of wood and straw.

The inside was full of all sorts of wood carvings.

From the shape of a hawk flying in the sky to a knight riding a horse.

I picked up a deer-shaped carving.

This is quite elaborate.

“You could sell this for money. Did you make this?”

“I used to work at a monastery for a while. I made wooden decorations of various scenes from the Bible.”

Kang nodded.

“There were scenes of Christ coming out of the coffin and Peter and Christ fishing for human souls with a net.”

“Impressive.”

I nodded.

I guess there are talented people in every era.

“But it wasn’t enough to make a living. It’s hard to find steady work unless you’re a stonemason.”

I put the sculpture back in its place.

It was time to get down to business.

“I discussed the problems of your group with the young Henry.”

I looked at Kang.

He closed his mouth and met my gaze.

Silence followed briefly.

“I told him that you helped us defeat the mercenaries. I asked for leniency.”

“So, does that mean Henry will forgive us?”

“To put it bluntly, no.”

I said.

“No matter how much you contributed, it’s a serious crime that you occupied the forest without permission. Not to mention collecting tolls from merchants.”

“The Duke clearly told us before….”

“However.”

I raised my hand to stop him.

“He didn’t say he would send a punitive force right away. It will end with you being expelled.”

I said with a smile.

“This is practically an amnesty.”

“But leaving this forest is like death to us.”

Kang said.

“We have nowhere to go right now….”

“I can solve that problem.”

I said.

Hundreds of well-trained people.

And families with strong survival skills.

I can’t miss out on these valuable people.

“How about you all come with me to Jerusalem?”

“…To the Holy City of Jerusalem?”

“Jerusalem is already receiving over thousands of Eastern Romans [Byzantines]. A few hundred more won’t cause any major problems.”

I nodded.

Right now, Jerusalem is in a situation where every single person is precious.

“I’ll provide you with a ship to Jerusalem and land to settle in. I have to give you that much in return.”

“That’s a generous offer. It would be a great honor to go to Jerusalem, but….”

Kang said.

He scratched the back of his head.

“I don’t think I can decide this alone. I’ll have to discuss it with the other elders.”

“I still have to stop by England, so take your time to think about it. I can provide as many ships to Jerusalem as you need.”

I had a brief conversation with Kang and left the settlement.

Ruark said as we went down the hill.

“Those guys are really lucky. There are people who sell their houses and property to go to Jerusalem.”

He burst into laughter.

“How many chances are there to go for free like this?”

“It’s not a very good place to live since it’s in the middle of a war. But it’s the same here.”

I turned my head and looked at the hill.

Ruark was right.

Second chances aren’t something everyone can get.

If I hadn’t run into them, they would have likely been defeated as bandits.

‘Bandit Suppression Event.’

In Last Crusaders, it would have ended with just this one sentence.

“By the way, you still haven’t put on your wings.”

I looked at Ruark and asked.

“I think the Holy Sepulcher Guard has regained the right to wear their wings again.”

“We don’t deserve it yet. The only guys we’ve fought so far were half-drunk mercenaries.”

Ruark shook his head.

“We can’t say we’ve restored our honor with just that.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his firm tone.

Northerners have their own clear standards.

“Well, I don’t need to force you.”

I turned my head.

I thought I could see the sea far beyond the forest.

“The next opportunity will come soon.”

“By the way, it’s been quite a while since we left Jerusalem. Aren’t you worried about the Holy City?”

“It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t.”

I shrugged.

But I had prepared a lot of things before I left.

The situation in Jerusalem is much better than in the original history.

And I have a reliable ally right above me.

“But Saladin must be busy right now.”

* * *

“The King of Jerusalem’s condition is getting worse day by day. Now it’s hard for him to even walk properly.”

“I see. What happened to the doctors I sent to Baldwin?”

“The Franks all refused.”

“Well, that’s a natural reaction. No king would want to show his condition to others.”

Saladin said.

He tapped the wooden table with his finger.

“Then is there any news about young Baldwin?”

“The last thing our merchants confirmed was that Baldwin had gone west to Europe with the Pope’s approval.”

“There are many Frankish kingdoms there. He will surely come back with a lot of reinforcements.”

Saladin muttered, closing his eyes.

The fragrant scent of dates wafted in from outside the window.

“How about attacking them now? There are many complaints among the soldiers.”

Saladin’s nephew, Taqi ad-Din, said.

He waved his hand.

“The longer the jihad [holy war] is delayed, the more deserters will continue to increase.”

“I made a peace treaty with them. The release of Al-Adil was one of the conditions.”

“The infidels don’t keep their promises, so why should we….”

“Why should we keep our promises? Because we Muslims are different from those idolaters. We are different from them. That’s what’s important.”

Saladin said, sitting in his chair.

He rested his chin on his hand.

“How are the signal towers being built?”

“They are still being tested. Soon we will be able to catch up with the Jerusalem infidels.”

Taqi ad-Din said.

“But there are many complaints about following the infidels. In particular, some scholars and poets are openly criticizing it.”

“They were able to capture Al-Adil when he was returning to Egypt thanks to those signal towers.”

Saladin said.

He shook his head.

“If the other side fights with a sword, we must also take up a sword. We can’t fight with our fists. We can’t stop just because a few dogs are barking. How is the situation in Egypt?”

“There are some ominous movements in Mansuriya, but it doesn’t seem to be anything to worry about yet.”

“Was it not enough that Al-Adil returned?”

“There is an atmosphere that he is not qualified to be a leader because he was defeated and captured by the Franks….”

“The Egyptians themselves fought hand in hand with the Franks until a few years ago.”

Saladin sighed.

He flicked his finger again.

“I saved the Egyptians from corrupt eunuchs and tyrants. I restored order and justice to the streets of Cairo.”

He frowned.

“But now they miss the wazir [vizier – high-ranking political advisor] and the false caliph who oppressed them. There is no more ridiculous play than this.”

“People always remember the past. They forget the miserable things and only remember the good things.”

“You’re right.”

Saladin nodded.

“Tell Al-Adil to ask for additional troops whenever he needs them. But we must resolve it without shedding as little blood as possible.”

Then the door to the conference room burst open.

Saladin frowned, looking at the uninvited guest.

“Kamil? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you so flustered. What’s wrong?”

“Commander of the brave, I, your humble slave, am deeply sorry to bring you such news….”

“Just get to the point, Kamil. Please, just get to the point.”

“Sultan Arslan has sent a request for support to the Commander, in accordance with the alliance treaty signed last year….”

“That arrogant Arslan sent a request for support himself?”

Saladin exchanged glances with his nephew.

He frowned even harder and said.

“Constantinople has drawn its sword.”

* * *

Eastern Roman Empire

Antalya Port

Dozens of ships covered the port.

The sailing ships poured out soldiers and horses like water bags with holes.

In front of them stood the young emperor of the Roman Empire, Alexios II.

A man in chainmail stood before him.

His armor had a red background with a yellow cross pattern.

“Greetings to His Majesty the Basileus [Emperor] of the Roman Empire.”

“Welcome to Antalya, Count Raymond of Tripoli.”

Alexios said.

He approached the man and grabbed his arm.

“I didn’t expect the Kingdom of Jerusalem to respond to the request for support so quickly.”

“We have been preparing the fleet for a long time.”

Raymond replied with a smile.

He looked at the emperor, who was shorter than him.

“Someone told me that His Majesty the Basileus (Emperor) would take action soon.”

“Duke Baldwin.”

Alexios muttered in a small voice.

“Duke Baldwin saw this far. As expected….”

“If Arslan is in danger, Saladin will have no choice but to come to his rescue.”

Raymond nodded.

“Then the Kingdom of Jerusalem can also catch its breath.”

“And Rome will reclaim the land it lost. Simple.”

“As Your Majesty knows, I was not on good terms with the late Basileus [Emperor] the Great. Especially after my brother died….”

Raymond stopped talking.

He raised his head and looked directly at the emperor.

“But everything changes. Especially in a situation like this.”

“Constantinople never forgets an enemy it has fought once.”

Alexios said.

He met Raymond’s gaze.

Silence flowed….

Alexios reached out and shook hands.

“But it also never forgets a friend who fought together.”