I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 204

The City of the Prophet (4)

Tiberias

“It’s the Sultan’s direct order! Besiege the fortress completely!”

“A reward will be given to anyone who captures hidden enemy soldiers!”

The shouts echoed through the streets.

Soldiers ran amok, setting fire to buildings and looting property.

They tore crosses and bells from the churches, throwing them onto the streets. All symbols of idolatry had to be purged.

Saladin frowned as he observed the chaos. Al-Adil approached him.

“Brother, why have you halted the offensive? Shouldn’t we seize the fortress quickly to reach Al-Quds (Jerusalem)?”

“I’m waiting for the Franks in Al-Quds to take the bait,” Saladin replied.

“If they march towards Tiberias, we can easily defeat them. We simply need to block their access to the Sea of Galilee.”

No matter how skilled the Frankish knights were, they couldn’t fight without water. If they succumbed to the heat, victory would be swift.

But Jerusalem remained still.

Despite the passage of time, there was no sign of the Frankish army mobilizing.

“I can’t believe they’d abandon Tiberias so easily.”

“I doubt Balian and Raymond would fall for such an obvious trap,” Al-Adil said.

“Wouldn’t it be more efficient to seize the fortress immediately?”

“We should have kept Guy and Reynald alive,” Saladin muttered.

If Guy had remained king of the Franks, Al-Quds would likely be in Saladin’s grasp. The same held true for Reynald.

“But there’s no use dwelling on the past.”

He licked his dry lips.

“We’ll launch the full offensive tomorrow morning. Once we secure the fortress, prepare to march on Al-Quds.”

“I will follow the Sultan’s command.”

“And Raymond’s wife must be treated with the utmost respect. The Count was one of the few Frankish lords who were amicable to us.”

Saladin added, “If we persuade him effectively, we might achieve a favorable outcome.”

He hoped to sway Raymond and sow discord within Jerusalem. Just then, a messenger approached and bowed.

Saladin accepted the letter and read it immediately. Al-Adil, noticing his hardened expression, inquired, “Brother?”

“Taqi ad-Din… he has been martyred fighting the Crusaders.”

“Then Egypt will be vulnerable,” Al-Adil muttered with a frown.

“Have they advanced as far as Cairo?”

“No, Cairo is still under siege. But there’s another issue.”

Saladin handed over the letter. “Baldwin led the main force and advanced to Ailat. From there, to Medina. Medina has fallen into his hands.”

Al-Adil stopped in his tracks, stunned. “But… why would the Franks attack the city of the Prophet?”

“They’re targeting me directly. Mecca and Medina have never fallen to the Franks before. If Arabia falls…”

Saladin said gravely, “I will lose all authority and honor as Sultan.”

“If they’ve desecrated the Prophet’s tomb… we must go and save Mecca immediately!” Al-Adil exclaimed.

“We cannot allow Mecca to fall into the hands of the idolaters!”

“No, even if we protect Mecca, we won’t be able to reclaim Egypt. And I cannot maintain my throne without Egypt.”

Saladin shook his head.

The sounds of screams and shouts continued to fill the city.

‘I can’t muster this much force again.’

He thought grimly.

This was his last chance.

The last chance to conquer Al-Quds and drive the Franks out of the Levant [the region encompassing the eastern Mediterranean].

“We’ll proceed as planned. We’ll seize this fortress and head south to strike Al-Quds. Once we control it, we can reclaim Mecca, Medina, and Egypt. Arabia is the land of us Muslims.”

He added with conviction, “Even the most selfish people will unite and fight back when an invader appears.”

* * *

Cairo

“For the Emperor!”

Soldiers who had breached the walls flooded into the city.

The defending soldiers were already terrified.

Most abandoned their weapons and fled or sought refuge among the citizens.

As the chaos subsided, heralds and cataphracts [heavily armored cavalry] marched through the streets.

“This is the order of the merciful Basileus (Emperor)! Those who wish to leave the city must pay a ransom….”

Roman soldiers stormed the Cairo Palace, plundering its treasures.

The riches pouring out of the warehouses seemed endless.

The soldiers even brought wagons, as they couldn’t carry all the spoils by hand.

The loot was piled high in the central square.

“It would be wise to divide the spoils fairly.”

“There has never been a more profitable expedition in the history of the Empire.”

Alexios nodded in agreement.

Finally, Cairo had fallen into his hands.

He had achieved victory where his father had failed. Lalibela, the king of the Zagwe kingdom, approached.

“So, what are your plans now? Now that we’ve conquered Cairo, shouldn’t we assist Baldwin?”

“The King of Jerusalem stated that he doesn’t require support. In fact, he believes that too many troops would complicate supply lines,” Alexios replied.

Although he had conquered Egypt, the Crusades were far from over.

Saladin’s forces had broken through the sieges of Henry II and Philip.

Jerusalem.

The Holy City was his next objective.

“We must protect Jerusalem. What good is Egypt if the Holy City falls into the hands of the Saracens [a term for Muslims used during the Crusades]?”

“….”

Lalibela nodded.

The two exchanged glances, assessing each other’s intentions.

Their course of action was clear.

“Then we must prepare to march again.”

* * *

Mecca

“It appears that all the troops in Medina have relocated to Mecca,” Richard observed.

I stood beside him, gazing at the city before us.

Mecca.

The holiest city in Islam and the most important city on the Arabian Peninsula.

The Kaaba in Mecca was a site where numerous indigenous gods were worshipped even before the advent of Islam.

Its significance was immeasurable.

‘The word Mecca is even used in 21st century Korea.’

The Mecca of semiconductors. The Mecca of tourism, etc. Even if you’ve never been to Mecca, you’ve undoubtedly heard the name.

I never imagined I’d actually come here.

Jerusalem, Europe, Constantinople, and now Mecca. I’m touring all the famous cities.

It was ironic, considering the circumstances.

Saladin is attacking Jerusalem, and I am attacking Mecca.

“Ah, and the supply train from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) arrived this morning.”

Richard shrugged. “I’ve assigned an escort to that convoy, so you don’t have to worry about supplies for the time being.”

“It’s probably Mecca that should be worried about supplies,” I replied with a smile.

With the withdrawal of Islamic forces from the coast, the supply lines had stabilized.

The amount coming from Ailat and Ethiopia would be sufficient. Not only supplies but also troops are steadily arriving.

‘Now that we have a decent number of infantry, there shouldn’t be any major problems with the siege.’

I spoke again. “The area around Mecca is even more barren than Jerusalem. It’s a city that can’t even sustain itself.”

Mecca is primarily a religious sanctuary.

It doesn’t produce much on its own.

“In addition, there are pilgrims and refugees gathered in the city right now. There are also support troops from surrounding cities.”

“Then we can simply wait them out,” Richard said in a bored tone.

“No matter how much food they’ve stockpiled, it won’t be enough for tens of thousands of people to eat for months. They’ll only be able to last for a week or two at most.”

He shrugged. “Or are you planning to infiltrate disguised agents like you did in Medina?”

“Even if they are Saracens, they won’t fall for the same trick twice,” I said, shaking my head.

There would also be refugees who escaped from Medina.

They must already know our tactics.

Moreover, the gates were already tightly secured. It was virtually impossible to infiltrate anyone.

“What do you think is the most important factor in a siege, Duke?”

“That’s an interesting question. The most important thing…”

Richard stroked his beard. “Perhaps it’s will? Even if food runs out and you’re starving, you can continue the siege if you have the will to do so.”

“I agree. And Mecca is the most sacred city for the Saracens. They won’t surrender easily,” I said.

“Everyone unites and fights when faced with an enemy.”

“Then what’s your plan?”

“Take a look at this.”

I pulled a piece of paper from my pocket and handed it to Richard.

It was something I had ordered Kang to print in advance before leaving Egypt.

Richard examined the paper covered in Arabic script and asked, “It looks like earthworms crawling on the page. It’s the Saracens’ writing, but what does it say?”

“It’s the same message we conveyed in Medina. The Crusaders haven’t come to occupy Mecca and Medina, but only to protect Jerusalem,” I explained.

“It’s a pledge that if they surrender, we will not engage in looting, arson, or murder. We also guarantee free trade, order, and safety.”

“You’re planning to undermine Mecca’s resolve with this. But how do you intend to get this paper into the city…”

His gaze shifted to one side of the camp. A trebuchet [a type of catapult] was under construction.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to launch these papers into the city with a trebuchet?”

“I’ve adjusted the settings so that they scatter in the air,” I replied with a smile.

It was a leaflet for psychological warfare, so to speak.

“It’s a plausible idea…,” Richard muttered.

“No matter how foolish the Saracens are, they won’t believe this.”

“Perhaps not at first. But I won’t attack at all, as promised in this paper.”

I had avoided massacres and looting as much as possible from Egypt to Medina.

Dozens of people had been punished for disobeying orders.

‘Furthermore, I purchased all the supplies and materials with money.’

It was an unconventional approach by the standards of this era. The people in Mecca must have heard the rumors.

All of that was a setup for this moment, a preparatory process.

“If we launch an offensive, the citizens of Mecca will unite instead. They will try to defend the holy land from the heretics even if they starve to death. But what if there is no enemy to fight?”

I shrugged.

We had merely surrounded Mecca and cut off the supply lines, but we hadn’t launched any trebuchet attacks or offensives.

‘If you surrender, we promise to provide safety, freedom, and food.’

The narrative that evil Franks are trying to burn Mecca won’t hold water.

“If food runs out but there is no fighting, public sentiment will also waver.”

“It’s not entirely unconvincing…,” Richard muttered.

“Baldwin, you always preferred to destabilize the enemy from within rather than annihilate them. If the circumstances were different, you would have been good friends with Geoffrey.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I replied with a smile.

In fact, this strategy would have been impossible without a printing press.

This type of propaganda is a relatively recent development.

Who in this era would think of throwing leaflets over the enemy’s walls?

“But wouldn’t there be far more people who can’t read? And the guards will try to get rid of these papers as soon as they see them. They’ll try to prevent the citizens from seeing them.”

“Maybe they will.”

With that, I shrugged.

“But what if we give them not only paper but also food?”

“Give them food? Are you suggesting we…”

“Can’t we launch bread with a trebuchet?”

Richard burst into laughter, as if dumbfounded by my words.

“Throwing bread into a besieged city. I must have had too much day drinking.”

[Additional explanation: The Franks, upon learning that Salah ad-Din had captured and set fire to Tiberias, convened a meeting. There was a heated debate about whether to rush there immediately and engage the Muslims to prevent them from seizing the fortress. At that moment, Raymond, the lord of Tiberias, stepped forward. “Tiberias is my territory,” he declared. “My wife is currently besieged. However, if Saladin’s attack is limited to Tiberias, I will accept the fall of the fortress or the capture of my wife. Because no Muslim army I have ever seen has been as large or as powerful as the one Saladin has gathered now. Therefore, let’s avoid engaging him now. Let’s postpone the recapture of Tiberias and pay the ransom for the prisoners.” Then Reynald, the lord of Kerak, retorted. “Are you trying to intimidate us by exaggerating the strength of the Muslim army? Is it because you favor them and are more inclined to their friendship? They may be numerous, but what does the quantity of wood matter when a fire is burning? Does the fire cease to burn simply because there is a lot of wood?”]