I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 203

The Prophet’s City (3)

Medina

“They’re coming!”

“Don’t fall back! Push them with force!”

Garnier shouted, taking a deep breath.

Around him, Saracen soldiers lay unconscious.

‘Just a little further and I can open the gate.’

However, the defenders gathered at the gate faster than he expected. He and his knights were gradually surrounded from all sides.

A knight muttered, gasping for breath.

“Brother, it seems…”

“Ugh!”

With a shattering sound, yellow flames erupted. Saracen soldiers engulfed in flames writhed and collapsed.

“Water! Get water!”

The encirclement collapsed due to the continuous bursts of fire. Garnier seized the opportunity and charged forward.

“Greek fire! Reinforcements have arrived!”

“But how in the middle of the night…? If we move rashly, we could get caught up in it too!”

“Are you suggesting we just sit here? Hurry!”

He and his knights charged towards the gate again.

The Saracen defenders who stood in their way were all engulfed in flames and disappeared.

‘How did they know the enemy’s position…?’

The jars of Greek fire targeted only the Saracen soldiers with precision. It was as if they were looking down on the city from above.

The knights, under the cover of the flames, rushed to the gate.

“Open the gate!”

* * *

Medina

The next morning

“I owe my life to His Majesty once again,” Garnier said.

Smoke still rose from various parts of Medina.

A long line of refugees stretched out of the city.

“It is I who am indebted,” I said, wiping away sweat.

I did struggle a bit last night….

‘Shouldn’t have shot them myself. My arm feels like it’s going to fall off.’

Sticking close to the outer walls and firing the catapults wasn’t easy. No matter how precisely you aim, a catapult is still a catapult.

You have to consider not only the angle and strength but also the wind and temperature.

‘If the response had been delayed even a little, everyone would have been massacred.’

I used my intuition to locate the enemy positions and helped the knights secure the gate.

The defenders panicked when they saw the gate opening, and they virtually surrendered when the cavalry rushed in.

After that, the occupation proceeded more peacefully than expected.

“The question is how many defense forces to leave behind. Won’t the Emir [governor or ruler] who rules Medina be returning soon?”

Garnier asked.

“We could entrust it to the Jewish men, but their numbers are not many….”

“The Muslim forces on the coast will head straight to Mecca,” I said, shaking my head.

They had been caught off guard.

They wouldn’t know exactly how many troops we have.

‘But even a baby would know that Mecca is the next target.’

They wouldn’t just sit back and watch us go to Mecca. They would probably gather in Mecca to stop us.

At that moment, Richard approached on horseback.

“This is even more anticlimactic than Egypt. Isn’t this city supposed to be the Saracens’ second holiest site?”

He pointed around.

“But they surrendered the city without a proper fight. I’ve never been so disappointed.”

“It is true that this place is an important holy site for the Saracens,” I nodded.

Medina.

Muhammad, who was driven out of Mecca, made this Medina his base.

Even after conquering Mecca, he returned to Medina and ended his life there.

“How about digging up the Saracens’ prophet’s tomb and dragging his corpse around? We could take it to Mecca and throw it with a catapult.”

“That’s an innovative idea,” I replied with a smile.

Richard’s words weren’t a joke; he was serious.

“But if we did that, all the Muslims would take up arms and flock here.”

That’s what’s scary about Richard the Lionheart.

To stop such rampages, you need reins like me.

“And Mecca would never surrender either.”

“Do you have another plan? Don’t you?”

“Saladin and the Saracen rulers have been promoting us Franks as devils. This could be an opportunity to change that.”

I shrugged. In fact, such propaganda isn’t far from the truth.

The First Crusade alone caused massacres everywhere it went.

‘But there aren’t many people who remember that time anymore.’

The First Crusade ended almost a hundred years ago. The Franks living in the Kingdom of Jerusalem were quite different from the Europeans.

A significant number of them could speak Arabic, and some even didn’t eat pork.

“It seems impossible not to incur resentment at the point of occupying Medina,” Richard shrugged.

“I’ll return to the camp and check the readiness. I need to pack things before marching again.”

“Then I’ll leave the preparations for the march to the Duke.”

As Richard left, the knights approached this time. Behind them, I saw a Muslim who looked like a scholar.

“Ibn Munir, the city’s chief poet and jurist, has requested an audience with Your Majesty. He is said to be the one who governs in the Emir’s absence.”

“Nice to meet you, Ibn Munir. What brings you here?” I said.

Garnier acted as an interpreter in the middle.

“This humble one greets His Majesty Baldwin, the fair and just King of Al-Quds…Jerusalem.”

“Please, let’s skip the formalities,” I replied with a smile.

I think he was about to say Al-Quds (Jerusalem) instead of Jerusalem just now.

Well, there’s no reason to nitpick.

“Your Majesty has conquered this sacred city of the Prophet, Medina, with remarkable strategy and courage.”

Munir bowed deeply.

“All of us Muslims know of Your Majesty’s fairness, piety, and just rule. Your Majesty has conquered Medina and achieved noble achievements and brilliant feats, so please….”

“You’re asking for mercy. I understand very well,” I waved my arm.

He’s a poet, so he’s verbose.

If I left him alone, he would only sing praises until sunset.

“I have already guaranteed the free and safe lives of the citizens of Medina. If rape and looting occur, they will be severely punished….”

I continued.

Medina had to be evidence to show the citizens of Mecca and Muslims.

My mercy and generosity.

Then image making would be essential.

The first step to conquering Mecca.

“Citizens can leave the city without paying ransom.”

“No words can express Your Majesty’s generosity. Then the sacred tomb of the Prophet and the mosques (temples)….”

“I won’t touch them. I promise on the honor of myself and my kingdom, so there’s no need to move any artifacts. I have no intention of taking or destroying them,” I said.

Is it time to release the poison?

“You Muslims call us Christians the same ‘People of the Book.’ If you trace the roots, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have many close connections.”

“Your Majesty!” Garnier exclaimed in a small voice. I ignored his reaction and continued to speak.

“Didn’t your prophet, Muhammad, say so too?”

“Yes, that’s right, Your Majesty,” Munir replied with a surprised expression. He reacted as if he didn’t expect me to say this.

“The Prophet said, ‘We believe in what has been given to us and what has been given to them. Our God is the same as your God. We are all devoted to the same God.'”

“The reason I conquered Medina like this is not to insult or humiliate you Muslims. I had no choice but to come to stop Saladin’s constant invasions and massacres,” I added.

“He started the jihad only for his own power. He doesn’t even care about the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Medina.”

“Then Your Majesty is trying to prove that….”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I came to prove. I have no other purpose, so rest assured. If there are any elderly, women, or children who want to leave the city, I will provide them with escorts,” I replied with a smile.

Only then did Garnier seem to realize what I was aiming for.

‘Saladin is the one who caused this situation!’

To make this frame successful, I had to emphasize my mercy as much as possible. Garnier asked, watching Munir bow and leave.

“But will the Saracens really believe Your Majesty’s words?”

“They wouldn’t believe it normally. People easily believe nonsense when they are desperate,” I shrugged.

The Crusaders are attacking Medina and Mecca, but Saladin is only in the Levant [the region encompassing present-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan].

How will the Muslims of Arabia accept this situation?

“Besides, Saladin has not performed the Hajj [the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca], which all Saracens must do. The claim that he doesn’t care about Mecca and Medina is not without merit.”

Every Muslim had to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once before they die. But Saladin hasn’t done it yet.

Now the stage is somewhat set.

‘But it’s useless if I can’t occupy Mecca.’

Unlike Medina, where the surprise attack worked, Mecca won’t be easy.

I had to be fully prepared.

I gently pulled the reins.

“Then let’s go to the Saracens’ holy land, Mecca.”

* * *

‘The Crusaders came with camels and conquered Medina!’

The news that Medina had fallen into the hands of the Franks spread quickly throughout Arabia.

Knights in armor and camels spewing fire.

There were even rumors that the Franks had brought elephants.

“What on earth was the Emir [governor or ruler] of Medina doing! Where was he instead of protecting Medina…!”

“I heard he was leading the army to the coast. He was waiting for an enemy that wasn’t coming.”

Soon after, news spread that Qasim’s army was heading to Mecca. No one didn’t know that the King of Jerusalem was aiming for Mecca.

“Medina has been occupied by idolaters. Doesn’t that mean the tomb where the Prophet sleeps has fallen into their hands? What is this….”

“Think about what Reynald did. How many pilgrims and merchants were killed by that mad dog.”

The Muslims of Arabia still remembered what Reynald had done.

The Crusader’s mad dog who plundered caravan merchants, raped women, and even attacked Mecca.

But Baldwin’s actions were the opposite.

“Any looting, arson, or assault is prohibited!”

And that wasn’t just a threat.

News spread through the refugees that some soldiers who harassed women had been hanged.

In addition, the Crusaders marched to Mecca and bought food from nearby villages.

Instead of requisitioning supplies, they bought them at a high price every time.

“Are you out of your mind?! Selling food to idolaters who are going to invade Mecca! Aren’t you afraid of falling into hell!”

“It’s the Sultan who’s falling into hell! Isn’t this situation because he touched Al-Quds (Jerusalem) for no reason!”

“It’s natural for a Muslim to reclaim Al-Quds….”

“Then is Al-Quds more important than Mecca?!”

As the situation turned out like this, criticism grew that Saladin was only concerned with the Levant expedition.

It is the Sultan’s duty to protect Mecca and Medina.

Saladin has been claiming to be the guardian of the holy sites, but his army showed no signs of coming down.

The atmosphere only became more ominous with the news that the Crusaders had occupied Egypt.

“Where are the warriors of Allah who will save the holy land?!”

Meanwhile, the Crusaders led by Baldwin advanced to Mecca, defeating the armies of the local Emirs.

“It’s the Yellow Lion! The Shaytan (Devil) is coming! Everyone run away!”

As the armies continued to be defeated piecemeal, the Emirs gathered their forces in Mecca.

They hurried to prepare to stop the Crusaders in the holy land.

‘What will happen when the Crusaders arrive in Mecca?’

Camels spewing fire and Shaytan [devil or demon] with the Yellow Lion emblem.

All sorts of rumors mixed in Mecca, making the pilgrims uneasy.

On the seventh day after Medina was occupied, the Crusaders finally appeared.

“Deus Vult!” [God wills it!]

“Allah wants you! Everyone, take up your swords to protect the holy land!”

The citizens and defenders of Mecca trembled as they looked at the flag with five crosses drawn on it.

The King of Jerusalem.

The army led by Baldwin arrived right in front of Mecca.