The Fish-Catching Hawk (1)
* * *
Constantinople.
The Venetian Quarter.
“Absolutely not!”
Marco screamed in terror.
“Oh, Lord! Absolutely not! No matter how much the Young Lord asks….”
He waved his hands frantically.
“You’re asking me to be a spy! I’ve never done anything like that in my life! Why me? Why are you asking me this?”
“There’s no one else I can trust, Marco.”
The reason I chose you is simple.
Your stats aren’t bad.
Your intelligence and agility are quite high.
I know because you’re a character I played often.
Plus, as a merchant, you’re less likely to be suspected.
“Besides….”
Just then, shouting erupted from outside the office.
“Tell all the ships heading to Italy to turn around! Have them all come to Constantinople!”
“But if we do that, the penalties alone….”
“Are penalties the problem now?!
A panting voice continued.
“If we sell just a little more elixir here, we can buy all of Venice! So, divert all the supplies here!”
“…….”
Marco gave me an awkward look.
“There’s no point in lying to you, Young Lord. Elixir was popular before, but now all the Greeks are half-crazed.”
He added, lowering his voice.
“Half of them are lining up just to drink a drop.”
“I can guess why.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
It’s all because I supposedly received a revelation from an archangel.
‘Elixir = Wine made with an angel’s blessing’
It’s no wonder the citizens think that way.
Well, then you should pay for the advertising.
“So, Mr. Marco is saying it’s difficult to grant my request.”
“I’ll pay you any amount of money! I’ll pay more for the elixir! I’ll raise the price as much as you want!”
Marco waved his hands dismissively and shouted.
“But asking me to go to Cyprus and be a spy… that’s difficult.”
He shook his head emphatically from side to side.
“I have such important responsibilities in this trading company… I’ll find another candidate and send them to you.”
He’s trying to pawn it off on someone else.
I can’t let that happen.
I looked at him intently.
Have I been threatening him too much with the elixir?
It’s time to coax him gently.
“Alright, I can’t force you if you refuse so strongly, Marco.”
“I’m really sorry, Young Lord. If my situation were just a little better….”
“Then someone else will become the Doge of Venice [the highest elected official of Venice]. I guess that’s fate.”
I said, standing up.
Marco tilted his head at my sudden words.
“Someone else becoming the Doge? What are you talking about?”
“I didn’t want to say this, but yesterday the Archangel Michael….”
I sighed dramatically.
Take the bait, take it.
“No, it’s better if I don’t say it. It’ll be easier for you, Marco.”
“No! If it’s about Venice, you must tell me! As a Venetian, I have a duty to listen.”
He stood up, following me closely.
“Especially if it concerns me….”
“The Archangel said this: A Venetian will go to Cyprus and do great things.”
I said with a serious expression.
Marco stared at me, his mouth shut tight.
“And that Venetian will become a great leader and Doge in the future. But it seems that it’s not you, Marco.”
“W-wait a minute!”
Marco inhaled sharply.
A feeling of intense excitement washed over him.
Desire was creeping up.
Yes, that’s how you should react.
“Did the Archangel Michael really say that?”
“Do you think I’m lying?”
“N-no, how could I! I just wanted to be sure….”
“And that’s only natural.”
I said with a knowing smile.
I pointed to the map on the table.
“Cyprus is one of the most important trading hubs. If we drive out the rebels from there, Venice’s trade routes will become even safer.”
I shrugged casually.
“If you achieve that much, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to rise to the position of Doge later on.”
“So, the Archangel Michael….”
He stared at the ceiling as if lost in deep thought.
I tried hard to suppress my laughter.
The first lie is always the hardest, but it’s easy to keep going.
Soon, he clenched his fist and stood up as if he had made up his mind.
“Alright, if the Archangel said so, then I have no choice but to step forward!”
“I knew you’d say that.”
I shook hands with him, sealing the deal.
Now, shall we begin the training?
I unfolded the map I had prepared.
There are so many things to teach.
The geography of Cyprus, the information to gather.
Even the Morse code to use for communication.
“Let’s start with the important things first.”
* * *
Damascus.
“When catching a lion, you must pounce at once. Is that what you mean?”
Saladin asked, looking at the old man seated across from him.
The room was filled with the subtle scent of incense.
“Yes, Sultan. I have caught countless lions until my hair turned this white.”
The old man said with a knowing smile.
Usama Ibn Munqidh [a renowned Arab poet, author, and diplomat].
The nonagenarian raised his wrinkled hand, his eyes twinkling with age and experience.
“Lions are usually absent-minded and distracted. But if they suffer even a small injury, they immediately reveal their true strength.”
He added, his voice raspy but firm.
“Also, lions always return to the forest they came from. Ambushing them at that time is the safest way to hunt them.”
“Tell us more about the Franks [a historical term for Western Europeans, particularly the French], Usama!”
Saladin’s eldest son, Ali, asked with a curious expression.
“No one has spent as much time with the Franks as you have.”
“I was three years old when the Franks took Al-Quds (Jerusalem) from our Muslim hands. No one has lived with them longer than I have.”
Usama smiled faintly, a hint of sadness in his eyes.
He stroked his beard thoughtfully, as if preparing to share a hidden story.
“There was a man named Salim who worked under me. He used to work in my father’s bathhouse. He said….”
The old man leaned forward conspiratorially.
“One day, a Frankish knight came to the bathhouse. He saw Salim’s lower body and was surprised. It was the first time he had seen a man shave his pubic hair so cleanly. He asked Salim to shave his too….”
He burst into hearty laughter.
“The next day, he brought his wife.”
“His wife?”
Ali asked, intrigued.
“Did the Frankish knight say that himself?”
“Yes, he said, ‘Do the same for my Dama!’ and presented his wife. ‘Dama’ means wife in their language.”
Saladin and Ali burst into laughter, amused by the Frankish custom.
Everyone in the room laughed along with them, the tension momentarily broken.
“So, in the end, he shaved her hair in front of her husband.”
“I’ve heard about the Frankish knight who washed his daughter’s hair himself in the bathhouse. But to entrust his wife to another man like that….”
Ali said, shaking his head in disbelief.
“It seems the Franks have no pride.”
“Those without pride cannot fight so bravely.”
Saladin countered, his voice calm and measured.
He continued in a calm tone.
“Frankish knights fight on the battlefield without regard for their own lives. Courage comes from pride.”
“But….”
“Especially their knightly orders. But how many of us are willing to give our lives for Allah?”
“If the commander gives the order, I will go and take the heads of those infidels right now!”
“We will defeat the idolaters and present Al-Quds (Jerusalem) to the Sultan!”
The men in the room stood up in unison, their faces flushed with zeal.
Saladin’s relatives and military commanders.
Even scholars and scribes followed suit, their eyes burning with religious fervor.
“The time will come soon, brothers. And I swear before you….”
Saladin declared in a solemn tone, his voice resonating with conviction.
“Even after driving the Franks out of this land, I will continue to fight for Allah, going beyond that sea to break their false idols and spread true Islam.”
He added, his gaze fixed on a distant horizon.
“That is the destiny that Allah has given to me and to you.”
“Allahu Akbar [God is the greatest].”
“Praise be to Allah.”
The men murmured in a calm tone, their hearts filled with piety.
Saladin said with a warm smile, easing the tension in the room.
“I’ve gotten too excited. It’s always a great pleasure to hear your stories, Usama.”
He said, looking at the old man with respect.
“I pray that you live another hundred years. May peace be with the old warriors. I will tell the treasurer to continue paying you a pension.”
“This humble old man thanks the Sword of Faith and the Commander of Brave Warriors.”
Usama bowed deeply, his gratitude evident.
“Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.”
Usama and the men left, leaving only Saladin and his two sons.
“Father, were you serious about what you just said? About going across the sea to fight the Franks….”
“How many do you think would follow me if I said I would cross the sea?”
Saladin burst into laughter, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
“I guarantee you, it probably wouldn’t even be ten.”
“Then why did you say that….”
“A leader must clearly show his goals. That way, others can act accordingly.”
Saladin murmured, his expression turning serious.
“Al-Quds, Jerusalem, has been in the hands of the Franks for too long. Most have forgotten that it was once Muslim land. There’s even talk of accepting Frankish rule.”
He continued, his voice filled with concern.
“That’s why I called Usama today. Al-Quds was still our land when Usama was born. He is a living witness to why we must reclaim it.”
“I see. I didn’t think that far.”
“Remember this, Ali. The moment a leader hesitates or shows timidity, the jihad [holy war] is as good as dead.”
Just then, his aide entered the room, his face etched with urgency.
“What is it, Sakan?”
“Information from Muslim merchants. It’s about Constantinople, which I reported to you last time….”
“Speak.”
“First of all, the assassination attempt that was reported last time has been confirmed. And in addition….”
The aide continued his explanation, his voice low and urgent.
Saladin’s expression gradually hardened as he listened.
“They suppressed the rebellion this quickly. That’s bad news. And Baldwin stepped forward to stop the rebellion.”
Saladin closed his eyes tightly, a frown creasing his forehead.
“The relationship between the Greeks and Jerusalem will become even stronger.”
“He saw the Archangel Michael. Did our merchants believe such blasphemous nonsense?”
Ali asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
Sakan replied with a flustered expression.
“Baldwin personally identified those who followed Andronikos. And he did so without missing a single one.”
“He must have obtained information in advance through spies. Or he may have arrested innocent people and called them traitors.”
Saladin said, his mind racing.
“But the fact that it’s the young Baldwin is unsettling. The words ‘Let’s meet in Jerusalem’….”
He smiled faintly, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
“Perhaps it may become a reality.”
“Then we should stop the planned northern offensive….”
“We can’t withdraw the troops now. Otherwise, all the other Amirs (lords) will think I’m scared.”
Saladin shook his head, dismissing the idea.
“We have no choice but to withdraw more troops towards Al-Quds.”
“But if we do that, the troops needed for the northern offensive….”
“Now that the Roman Empire is on the board, we have no choice. If we advance north without restraint, the Leper King [Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, known for his leprosy] will strike Damascus directly.”
He murmured, his voice barely audible.
“Even if we win, we’ll have nowhere to return.”
“It’s like the lion Usama talked about.”
Ali said, drawing a parallel to the old man’s wisdom.
Saladin nodded in agreement and looked at his aide.
“Send letters to the Amirs to summon the armies as planned.”
“I will follow the Sultan’s command.”
“And continue to gather information about the young Baldwin. Every move he makes, without exception.”
He added with a sly smile, his eyes gleaming with intrigue.
“Indeed, he was fit to be a king.”
* * *
Additional Information: Usama Ibn Munqidh is a real person, and his book ‘Kitab al-I’tibar’ (translated by Kim Neung-woo in Korea) has been translated and published in Korea. Usama’s story is based on this record.