I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 207

Became King of the Crusades – Episode 207 (207/215)

The War to End It All (2)

Jerusalem

“Don’t stop, keep attacking! We can’t give those idol-worshippers time to breathe!”

Al-Adil shouted.

He stared at the walls before him, biting his lip.

Egypt had already fallen into the hands of the Franks.

Soon, Roman and Abyssinian (Ethiopian) forces would arrive in the Levant [the historical region encompassing present-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan].

‘I have to get over that wall somehow before that happens.’

But the Franks’ resistance was formidable.

How many more lives would have to be sacrificed to get over the wall?

Al-Adil walked towards the command tent. Saladin and the other commanders greeted him.

“You’ve become much calmer, Al-Adil.”

“Wasn’t it you, brother, who taught me that a commander shouldn’t get excited in front of his soldiers?”

“Yes, there’s no emotion that spreads as easily as excitement and anxiety.”

Saladin gave a faint smile.

“We still haven’t been able to contact the spies inside Al-Quds [Arabic name for Jerusalem]. They’ve all disappeared since the siege began.”

“So the Franks knew about the spies we planted. But how could they have known about all dozens of them…”

Though fewer than before, there were still quite a few Muslim spies in Al-Quds.

Those who collected information while being paid by Saladin.

“Perhaps Baldwin really did receive a revelation from the archangel.”

“Brother!”

“I was just joking.”

Saladin replied with a laugh.

His lips were turned up, but he looked like he hadn’t slept properly.

“They identified the spies in advance and dealt with them as soon as the siege began. We can’t trust any of the information we received before either.”

He looked at Al-Adil and asked.

“What about the siege towers?”

“They’re already in the final stages. They’ll be ready in a week at the latest.”

“We’ll need to put pressure on the Franks even before the siege towers are ready.”

Saladin said, looking at the walls. The bodies of Muslim soldiers were already piled up around the gate.

“We must shake that city like a wave.”

He and Al-Adil looked at each other. They had the same thought.

‘Everything depends on this attack.’

The Ayyubid dynasty [a Sunni Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origin, founded by Saladin].

If they took Jerusalem, it would more than make up for all their failures so far.

But if they failed, everything would be lost. If Egypt fell completely into the hands of the Crusaders, they wouldn’t be able to defend Damascus either.

The army of Aleppo, which hadn’t participated in this jihad [a religious duty of Muslims], would surely grow even larger.

Then Saladin opened his mouth.

“And tell the catapults, no matter what, they must not throw stones towards the royal palace.”

“But the Frankish nobles and lords are there. Wouldn’t the Franks’ morale drop if the palace collapsed?”

“Have you forgotten that Baldwin’s wife, the Frankish queen, is there?”

Saladin frowned.

“And she’s pregnant with a child.”

“Are you worried about the pregnant queen of an enemy country, brother?”

“You foolish fellow. Don’t you know what will happen if the queen dies?”

Saladin replied in a calm tone.

Al-Adil closed his mouth at the sight of his eyes.

“The Franks will unite even more and fight to the end. We must prevent that situation for the jihad to succeed.”

“…I understand.”

“Too much blood has already been shed.”

Saladin said, looking at the soldiers preparing to charge.

“We must get Al-Quds into our hands somehow.”

* * *

“Break down the gate! A reward will be given to the first one to cross the gate!”

“Warriors of Allah! Charge! Do not fear death!”

“Paradise awaits you!”

The full-scale siege began with the completion of the siege towers.

Saladin’s forces against Jerusalem.

Both sides threw stones and burning oil with catapults.

Jerusalem used Greek fire [an incendiary weapon used by the Byzantine Empire].

The Muslims used naphtha (petroleum compounds).

Screams echoed everywhere each time a jar broke. Soaked urine and vinegar were sprayed everywhere.

Soldiers of many nationalities stood on the walls.

From Tripoli and Antioch, England, France, the Holy Roman Empire, to the Italian communes (cities).

They did their best to stop the rushing Muslim soldiers.

“Ughhh! My arm! My arm!”

A soldier with an arrow in his neck fell down, and limbs crushed by stones flew around.

Screams echoed not only on the walls, but also from the deepest room in the royal palace.

Sibylla sighed in front of the door.

Theodora’s labor, which began last night, had continued until now.

Lords and nobles also came with worried expressions, but no one could enter the room.

Only the voices of the midwives could be heard faintly.

When a doctor came out of the room, the servants approached him and handed him a basin of hot water and soap.

Sibylla asked the doctor, who was scrubbing his hands.

“How is it going?”

“The difficult labor has been going on for too long. If the baby doesn’t come out before sunset today…”

The doctor replied in a small voice.

“In the worst case, both the mother and child could be in danger.”

“….”

The doctor repeatedly washed his hands in water. One of the things Baldwin emphasized the most before leaving was cleanliness.

Then a scream erupted from the room. Sibylla and the doctor both rushed into the room.

“Theodora!”

Sibylla shouted as she approached the bed. Theodora was lying down, her whole body soaked in sweat.

“The mother and child are both safe.”

When the midwife turned around, the baby was revealed. Light reddish skin.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the baby burst into tears.

“It’s a prince.”

Sibylla carefully took the baby wrapped in a blanket.

“Mother.”

“Theodora, how are you feeling…”

“Saladin. How is Saladin’s attack going?”

“Today’s battle is almost over. The sun will set soon.”

“Then ring the bells.”

Theodora said, taking the baby. She gave a faint smile at the sight of the baby wiggling its fingers.

“We must quickly announce that the kingdom’s heir has been born.”

A few minutes later, a loud bell shook Jerusalem.

“A prince has been born! The Lord watches over the holy city!”

The shouts of knights and soldiers echoed over the walls.

* * *

Makkah

“This is the Zamzam Well water.”

I received the glass from the Muslim scholar. It was as small as a soju glass [a small glass used for drinking soju, a Korean distilled beverage].

“When Abraham’s son, Ishmael, was abandoned in the desert, Allah took pity on him and sent down this water. You must drink the water in the glass in three sips.”

“Three sips. It’s just like pouring alcohol during a memorial service.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s nothing.”

I replied and tilted the glass to drink the water. Mecca was peaceful for a city that had been occupied.

Muslim soldiers who had abandoned their weapons left the city, and supply trains loaded with food entered the gate.

Mecca citizens gathered on one side and received food rations.

The atmosphere was peaceful, but most of the citizens still looked at us with uneasy eyes.

‘It’s hard to trust completely.’

I marched down the street surrounded by knights.

The Muslim scholar, Ibn Munir, who had accompanied me from Medina, asked carefully.

“The Kaaba [Islam’s holiest place] is right in front of us. If Your Majesty would like to visit it…”

“The Kaaba.”

The place where the sacred black stone is, and where all Muslim pilgrims try to go before they die.

“No, I have no intention of entering the Kaaba.”

Munir looked surprised at my words. It was an unexpected reaction.

“What would happen if I went in there?”

I asked with a smile.

I’m not stupid enough not to be able to predict that much.

“Perhaps the Kaaba would become a new Christian holy site. I don’t particularly want that to happen.”

In any case, Mecca is a place that cannot be ruled forever. I occupied it this time using all sorts of tactics, but it was only temporary.

‘It’s only a loss if Mecca becomes a new Christian holy site.’

If the Muslims’ jihad to reclaim this place began, it would be impossible to stop it.

In the first place, Mecca is a land with no nutritional value.

It was better not to touch this place for the future of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

“Your Majesty is indeed a great man. Although the Prophet said that Christianity and Judaism had forgotten their essence and become corrupt…”

Munir said. I think he took my words differently.

Well, the good is good.

There was no need to correct the misunderstanding.

“Perhaps it is possible to coexist peacefully?”

“That’s exactly what I want, Munir.”

Then I felt something strange.

Anger and murderous intent.

Intense emotions poured out from one side of the gathered crowd.

Are they trying to kill me?

Aig, who saw my gesture, rushed over.

“Did you call, Your Majesty?”

“There are four men up front wearing yellow turbans. Don’t look at them right now. Don’t show any signs of excitement either.”

I pointed with my eyes to where the murderous intent was felt. Aig turned his head slightly and scanned that side.

“Yes, I think I see them. Could it be that those guys…”

“Yes, they’re going to rush at me to kill me.”

“Then I’ll go and catch them right now.”

Aig said, frowning.

“No, there’s no need to catch them right now. That would only cause more confusion.”

I replied. I think I can use those guys well if I do it right.

Anyway, I had a sixth sense.

If I know where the danger is coming from, there’s no need to panic.

“First, go and tell the other escort knights. Tell them to stay still until those guys take action.”

“…I understand.”

Aig replied with a still uneasy expression. Soon, the knights could be seen putting their hands on their sword hilts.

I continued to march with Munir as if nothing had happened.

The crowd got closer and closer, and finally a shout rang out.

“Kill the king of the idolaters!”

“Save Mecca!”

The men holding daggers jumped out of the crowd.

Amid the screams of the people, the escort knights immediately responded.

“Catch the assassins!”

The leading thug was hit in the face with a shield and fell down.

Soon, the second and third guys were also caught by body blows.

The problem was the fourth thug.

The guy avoided the rushing escort knights and rushed at me.

“Yo…Your Majesty!”

“Bult!”

When I tapped the saddle with my leg, Bult raised his front paws. He lifted his body towards the rushing thug and….

“Agh!!!”

The thug who was hit in the chest screamed and fell down. And I couldn’t feel any more emotions.

‘He died cleanly.’

I don’t think they’re professional assassins like the Hashashins [a Nizari Ismaili Shia Muslim sect]. Were they fanatics trying to protect Mecca?

Aig ran back.

“Your Majesty! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Take those guys away! They are the ones who tried to assassinate His Majesty the King!”

The thugs were all dragged away limply. Only then did I realize that the surroundings were quiet.

The silence was so quiet that I could hear the sound of a passing bird’s wings.

Mecca citizens, soldiers, knights, and merchants were all looking at me with their mouths shut.

Tension and fear.

The reason was obvious.

‘They tried to assassinate me in the middle of the city.’

It wouldn’t be strange to carry out massacres and looting as revenge.

The Crusader soldiers could burn Mecca as much as they wanted if I gave the order.

“What are you doing? Keep marching.”

When I signaled to start the march, Munir breathed a sigh of relief.

The trumpet sounded again.

Richard, who was at the front of the procession, approached.

“I heard you were attacked by thugs. Are you okay?”

“They were guys who couldn’t even swing a sword properly. They couldn’t even get close.”

“Then that’s a relief. If there are any guys you caught, I’ll skin them alive right now…”

“It would be better to hand them over to the Emirs (lords) [a commander or leader, often of high rank].”

“Hand them over to the Emirs. Will they properly punish…”

Richard frowned and then smiled.

“If they don’t punish them properly and move on, we’ll have a justification, so they’ll have no choice but to give them the death penalty.”

“There’s no need to do the pig-slaughtering work yourself.”

I nodded.

Anyway, they’ll be executed the same way.

“And we don’t have any more time to waste here right now.”

Richard and I exchanged glances.

Now that we’ve occupied Mecca, there’s only one thing left for us to do.

The timer on the time bomb was still ticking.

“We have to go save Jerusalem.”