I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 174

< 174. Siege of Kerak (4) >

“Hurry up and dig! Do you want to fall behind the Holy Sepulchre Guard again?!”

The Teutonic Knights were at the forefront, digging the tunnel. They crammed themselves into the narrow tunnel and swung their pickaxes.

They dug the tunnel in the direction Baldwin instructed.

“Hurry! We have to stop them before they light the logs on fire!”

Whenever those at the front got tired, the members behind took over the pickaxes.

Even amidst all this, arrows and stones continued to rain down from outside.

“Hey, Viking! Are you sure we can find the Saracens by digging this tunnel?”

“Are you doubting what His Majesty said?”

“Ah, no, when did I ever doubt His Majesty? I’m just wondering if this is really possible…”

“If His Majesty says it’s possible, then it’s possible, my friend.”

And so, the work continued all night long…

Hermann, a Teutonic Knight at the front, felt something strange.

“What! The tunnel is collapsing!”

The dirt in front of him crumbled, revealing an empty space. Hermann coughed from the dust filling the tunnel.

But he wasn’t the only one coughing.

Someone coughed from the darkness on the other side.

“اللعنة ، لا يمكنني رؤية أي شيء!(Damn, I can’t see anything!)”

Hermann stopped for a moment.

The figure also noticed him and froze.

A brief silence followed…

Both of them shouted a beat late.

“Ungaläybug(Saracen)!!!”

“الفرانج(Frankish bastards)!!!”

German and Arabic echoed through the tunnel.

“We’ve run into Saracens! Shields! Bring the shields!”

Someone from behind handed over a shield and spear. Hermann raised the shield in front of him and thrust the spear into the hole in the center.

“Advance! Advance!”

He lunged forward with a thud. The Muslim soldier on the other side clutched his pierced stomach and collapsed.

Seeing this, the other Saracen soldiers turned and shouted.

“Franks! The Franks have entered the tunnel!”

“Weapons! Give me weapons!”

Some resisted by swinging pickaxes, but Hermann skillfully deflected them with his shield.

Then, Muslim soldiers began to flee one by one.

Screams and shouts echoed through the narrow tunnel. Those who lost their footing and fell were trampled by their comrades.

“Back! Back! Everyone get out of the tunnel!”

A torch dropped by a soldier filled the tunnel with black smoke.

Hermann shouted.

“Bring the bellows! The bellows!”

A member standing right behind Hermann squeezed the bellows. Then, a gust of wind blew the black smoke towards the Muslim soldiers.

By the time they got out of the tunnel, their faces were covered in tears and snot.

“Demons! The Frankish bastards are summoning demons!”

* * *

“What in the world is going on?!”

Al-Adil shouted, stopping his horse. He jumped off the saddle and grabbed a soldier.

“Why are you running out of the tunnel?! Don’t tell me you’ve already lit the logs on fire?”

Black smoke billowed from the tunnel. Even amidst all this, soldiers screamed and ran out.

“F, Franks! The Frankish bastards have appeared!”

The soldier, grabbed by the collar, replied with a pale face.

“They summoned demons and djinn [genies or spirits] into the tunnel!”

“The Franks appeared in our tunnel? Don’t be ridiculous…”

Al-Adil’s hand trembled.

“How did they appear in our tunnel?!”

“I, I don’t know!”

Al-Adil released the soldier and grabbed others. It was after shouting at five people that he grasped the situation.

“Al-Adil! What in the world is happening?!”

Saladin approached on horseback, asking. Other emirs [governors or commanders] also followed with surprised expressions.

“It seems the Franks dug a tunnel from inside the castle.”

Al-Adil replied.

“A counter-tunnel that extends all the way to our tunnel…”

“The Franks dug a counter-tunnel?”

Saladin scoffed and asked again. Other governors and officers voiced their concerns.

“Does that mean we’ve lost the tunnel?!”

“We’ve been continuing the offensive for the past few days to help with the tunnel work?! And we’ve lost the tunnel!”

Saladin raised his hand, and they all fell silent. Saladin looked at his scribe and asked.

“Qadi [judge or legal expert], is there any record of the Franks digging such counter-tunnels?”

“Not to my knowledge, Sultan. Even if they dug from inside the castle, how they reached our tunnel is…”

“They must have dug tunnels in multiple directions. One of them must have connected with ours.”

Saladin muttered.

“But to do that, they would have had to dig a lot of tunnels. Were they digging tunnels in advance, even before we laid siege?”

Having said that, Saladin clicked his tongue.

New tactics and responses.

Every time he thought he had cornered Baldwin, they were the ones falling into the trap.

“I will lead a special forces unit and retake the tunnel myself!”

Al-Adil shouted.

“They couldn’t have deployed many troops into the tunnel. If we push them now…”

“No, the damage is already too great. And the Franks must have prepared countermeasures.”

Saladin shook his head.

“They probably destroyed the passage or set up traps. It would be better to dig a new tunnel.”

“We’ve already run out of all the logs we brought from Damascus, Sultan.”

An emir said.

“And Frankish cavalry are constantly attacking our supply lines. We have no choice but to increase the escort to bring more supplies.”

“Then the number of troops we can deploy for the siege will inevitably decrease.”

Saladin turned his head and looked at Kerak.

“Indeed, Allah does not give us easy trials. Is there any information from Ascalon?”

“Reports say that the confrontation is still ongoing. But if the Franks from across the sea come as Baldwin said, the Egyptian army will also collapse.”

“…”

Saladin stroked his beard and looked at each of the emirs and staff members one by one.

He slowly opened his mouth.

“Make sure the soldiers are well-fed tonight and in the morning. Tomorrow, we will mobilize all our forces to strike Kerak.”

He said.

“No matter how big a ship is, it will fall before a fierce wave. We will knock down Kerak with waves.”

* * *

“If you didn’t follow Saladin’s orders, what do you have to fear?”

“I, I am definitely not a spy, Your Majesty!”

The man standing opposite him trembled and shouted. The knights looked at him with calm eyes.

I slowly got up.

This is almost certain.

“So you’re saying I’m lying. Then why were you hiding the map of Kerak in your room?”

“W, what qualifications do I have to say such a thing! The map was simply for research…!”

“If you confess now, I will guarantee the safety of your family. The punishment will end with you.”

Hearing my words, the man lowered his head and shed tears.

“Please, just spare my life. I will do anything for Your Majesty!”

“We’ll see about that. Take him away.”

At my gesture, the Holy Sepulchre Guards dragged him away.

“I wish I could just put him in a catapult and shoot him.”

Luark growled as he approached. His axe glinted in the sunlight.

“All the citizens of Kerak are fighting for their lives, and he’s spying for a few coins.”

“A few coins can do a lot.”

I nodded. There are even guys who sell top-secret information for just a few million won [Korean currency, roughly equivalent to a few thousand US dollars].

“But it’s better for us that we caught him before he passed on the information.”

Saladin’s tunnel operation failed.

Now, even if we send false information, Saladin had no way to verify it.

What if we deceive them by saying that the most heavily defended part is the weak point? The Muslim soldiers would literally ‘melt’ in front of the walls.

“Saladin is digging his own grave.”

“From the start, anyone who tried to spy with Your Majesty around was stupid.”

Luark said with a laugh.

“Who else has caught as many traitors as Your Majesty?”

“How can the Saracens acknowledge my abilities?”

I replied with a smile.

The Muslims called Richard I ‘the devil from across the sea.’

What will they call me?

The king of idolaters? A magician con man?

“You should have seen the faces of the Germans when they reached the Saracen tunnel. They were really surprised.”

Luark said.

“There were quite a few guys who were grumbling about wasting time until this morning, but they all shut their mouths.”

“There won’t be any more grumbling in the future.”

I shrugged.

Unlike the Holy Sepulchre Guard, who had been with me all along, the Teutonic Knights continued to doubt me.

That atmosphere will disappear after this siege is over.

“By the way, Saladin is still tirelessly pounding the walls.”

Luark muttered.

“I don’t know how long he intends to push.”

“Saladin doesn’t have many options left now.”

Both the tunnel and the siege tower failed.

All that’s left is to build an earthen mound higher than the walls.

‘But the soil of the Levant is not suitable for building earthen mounds.’

It would take at least a few months to sort out the soil and build an earthen mound. Saladin’s supplies would run out before that.

“If I were Saladin, I would have turned the army around now. What’s the point of continuing to strike a stone with bare fists?”

“No, if I were Saladin, I would be preparing for a final offensive.”

To lift the siege and return in this situation is practically the same as surrendering.

Now, Saladin’s pride was at stake.

“How would the emirs see Saladin if he withdrew the army now?”

I said.

“Besides, our reinforcements have not yet arrived from Ascalon. Saladin will think it’s worth a try.”

“Then we need to prepare more thoroughly.”

Luark stretched and said.

“The morale of the soldiers is still not bad. They’re whispering that Your Majesty has received a revelation of victory.”

“We will win. But we can’t win with just one revelation.”

I turned my head and looked outside the walls.

The emotions and senses felt from Saladin’s camp were unusual.

“We all have to shed blood.”

* * *

“Strike and retreat as quickly as possible! Burn everything you can’t take!”

The Knights of Jerusalem charged with spears. Opposite them stood a caravan of hundreds of camels.

“Mounted archers forward!”

Mounted archers, not wearing armor, moved forward and drew their bows. Then, the escort cavalry appeared from the opposite side.

Those hit by arrows fell beside their saddles.

“Everyone, charge!”

“Charge!”

Ganier shouted, holding his spear. As they approached the procession, the mounted archers cleared the way to the sides.

The faces of the surprised enemies were clearly visible.

“Maintain formation!”

With a dull impact, the enemies hit by the spears fell. The spear that pierced through an enemy was stuck in the ground.

Ganier knocked down more than three enemies in a row.

By the time he came to his senses, the battle was already over.

Surprised merchants and servants waved their arms and shouted.

“E, everyone, run away!”

“Stay still! Running away is a dog’s death!”

The camels scattered in all directions, taking advantage of the chaos.

“Bring all the escaped camels back! I will not forgive anyone who hides supplies!”

Ganier circled around the caravan, shouting.

“If you don’t resist, I won’t hurt you! Everyone, follow my orders!”

He noticed that the member next to him was injured.

“Sir Turpin, are you alright?”

“Just a slight scratch on the arm.”

The two looked at each other and nodded.

Ganier shouted again.

“I’ll say it again! If you don’t resist, I won’t hurt you! All the goods and food being transported…”