I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 52

Assassin’s Creed (2)

* * *

“They’ve started the transport sooner than I expected,” Count Joscelin said.

Masyaf Fortress.

Sunlight illuminated the piles of stones.

The Count and I watched the carts and wagons from the ramparts.

Mules and horses groaned as they carried the loads.

“We need to hurry even more. We have to finish the transport before Saladin arrives,” I said.

In any case, Sinan accepted my proposal.

We transported supplies through the Assassin strongholds and mountain passes.

We had to finish it somehow before Saladin reached Hama and Homs.

It was a race against time.

‘It’s fortunate that there are so many fortresses between Aleppo and Damascus,’ I thought. Saladin couldn’t go straight and had to advance step by step.

The fact that he had to go through wells in the summer was also an advantage for us.

“By now, His Majesty’s army will have entered the outskirts of Damascus,” Joscelin said.

“Saladin will soon realize his mistake. He will have no choice but to turn his army around.”

“Saladin will have prepared countermeasures in his own way,” I said, shaking my head.

Saladin wasn’t a fool. He must have made the decision after calculating. He would have prepared some countermeasures.

“He must have detached a significant number of troops to prepare for defense.”

The Jerusalem army would have a hard time crossing the walls of Damascus and occupying the city.

Saladin’s strategy was ultimately this: ‘Give up the villages outside Damascus, take the north of Aleppo.’

How long Aleppo could hold out… that was the point that would determine victory or defeat.

Aleppo support, the Allied Fleet’s pressure on Egypt, Damascus pressure – all of this had to mesh without a single error.

“That’s how we can make Saladin give up the expedition.”

“It will succeed. His Majesty assured me so,” Joscelin said.

I looked at him. The Count of the County of Edessa. The County of Edessa was destroyed by Islamic forces, so it was virtually a title in name only. If I could just build up goodwill like Balian [a prominent nobleman in the Kingdom of Jerusalem], I could make him an ally. It would take some time.

He opened his mouth. “What I’m worried about now are these Saracen [a general term used by Christians to refer to Muslims] bastards. These guys will turn their swords the other way whenever they see an opportunity.”

“They will keep the contract as long as it benefits them.”

“….”

“Sinan is extremely practical. He won’t put his life at risk because of his beliefs.”

It was the same in Last Crusaders [presumably a reference to a game or historical event]. The Assassins were a very unique faction – the only Islamic force with a Christian conversion route. They already allowed meat and alcohol, so that wasn’t strange either.

“What they fear most is the unification of the Sunnis [one of the two main branches of Islam]. Not our Crusaders.”

There was a good reason for that. The Sunni vigilantes known as the Nubuwiya [a militant Sunni group]. They rode around and openly attacked Shiites [the other main branch of Islam], especially the Ismailis [a branch of Shia Islam to which the Assassins belonged]. Killing and seizing property were basic, and even enslaving them.

Sunni leaders like Saladin did nothing to stop it, but instead expanded their territory by taking advantage of the chaos.

“You seem to know a lot about the Saracens. I knew they were growling at each other, but…,” Joscelin trailed off.

“I didn’t know it in such detail.”

“I know a lot,” I said with a smile.

Last Crusaders. How many hours did I play it?

But that was just a game – a simulation ‘game’ that was praised for its near-perfect historical accuracy.

What I’ve experienced so far has been 100% the same as the game, from portraits to the tendencies and situations of leaders, down to the detailed troop strength and location.

The same goes for these ridiculous traits I have:

[Innate Charisma]

[Unexplainable Intuition]

I was more attractive and persuasive than before, plus, intuition that could feel virtually everything.

Did I enter Last Crusaders? Or was that game based on reality?

I looked around. The wind of the Levant [a historical geographical term referring to a region in the Middle East] highlands brushing my face, even the air, a mixture of humidity and freshness.

This is all real. That was clear.

In the first place, the Last Crusaders game itself was strange. Supply, spies, food, economy, strategy, morale, technology, weather, politics, etc. The list of things a player had to manage easily exceeded dozens. The developers were rumored to be aliens because of the ridiculous detail.

‘If the game was a kind of training…,’ I thought, shaking my head.

There was no answer even if I kept agonizing over it alone. What I had to do was clear.

‘I have to keep moving.’

Everything was already changing because of my existence. I had to identify the enemy and come up with new strategies to respond. The moment I made a mistake, I would be stabbed to death by a spear and sword. Even if the Kingdom of Jerusalem was destroyed, I would die. I had to keep moving like walking on a tightrope to survive.

“Come to think of it, there are quite a few Christians in Aleppo, Hama, and Homs. We should use this opportunity to bring them to our side,” I said.

“I’ll leave it to the Count to recruit the personnel. I’ll provide the necessary funds.”

“If you wish…,” Joscelin nodded, a slightly surprised expression on his face. Did he not know I would entrust him with this kind of task? Anyway, he had a chance to build merit. He nodded. “I will do so.”

* * *

Cyprus

War Room

“We have to strike Damietta as originally planned!” Hugh slammed the table. He looked at Ruark, who was standing across from him. “To turn the fleet to Jaffa now, does that even make sense!”

“Isn’t the Egyptian fleet besieging Jaffa right now?” Ruark replied with a stiff expression.

“Are you saying it’s okay for Jaffa to fall into Saracen hands?”

“There’s no chance Jaffa will fall with just that level of attack. Of course, you wouldn’t know since you’re an outsider…,” Hugh scoffed. He poked the spot marked Jaffa with his finger. “They don’t have any ground troops anyway. How are they going to occupy the city using only ships?”

“So you’re saying we should just ignore the request for support? That’s a very knightly answer.”

“The fastest way to save Jaffa is to strike Damietta! No, that’s the only way to break their siege!” Hugh shouted. The silver mask twitched every time he shouted.

“They’re waiting for us to come to Jaffa. Can’t you see such an obvious trap?!” He said, folding his arms. “I thought you were a decent guy in Constantinople [the capital of the Byzantine Empire, now Istanbul], but you’re so stupid. Tsk tsk.”

“You better watch your mouth. If it weren’t for our Roman navy, you wouldn’t have been able to do anything in the first place….”

“Both of you, that’s enough.” A woman stepped between them. It was Theodora. She frowned and glared at the two men. Maids rushed into the conference room after her.

“What is this disgraceful behavior?”

“Princess Theodora.”

“Your Highness.”

Both Ruark and Hugh quickly bowed.

“The sound of you two arguing could be heard outside the hallway. Do you really not know what will happen if rumors spread that the commanders are fighting?”

Both of them closed their mouths at her question.

“There will be those who divide into factions and fight among the soldiers. To punish them, we’ll have to punish you two first.” She stood in front of the table. The silk clothes made a soft sound as they brushed against the wood.

“What on earth are you fighting about like this?”

“It’s because of the news that just came in, Your Highness. Saladin’s Egyptian fleet has besieged Jaffa here,” Ruark said.

“And Jaffa has sent us a request for support. We should send the fleet right away….”

“Doing so is falling into their trap, Your Highness,” Hugh interjected. “We have to strike Damietta as originally planned. Then they’ll have no choice but to lift the siege and return.”

He continued, “That way, we can face them. Right now, they’re just waiting for us to come to Jaffa.”

“If they land troops, Jaffa could fall.”

“Nonsense. With Saladin’s main force marching north, where would they get the troops to besiege a large city like Jaffa?”

“Rather, they may have been aiming for Jaffa from the beginning,” Ruark said. “Then they’ll awkwardly besiege Damietta and end up losing Jaffa.”

“Such nonsense!”

“Lord Baldwin entrusted me with command,” Theodora said, raising her hand. “He told me to stop you two if you fought like this. At first, I thought he was worrying unnecessarily, but….”

She stared at the two men. “Now I see it was a very appropriate measure.”

“That’s….”

“Your fighting affects the fleet as well. If you continue like this, I will revoke your command. I’ll request replacements from Constantinople and Jerusalem.”

“….”

“Your mission is to fight back-to-back, not to stab each other in the back.”

At her stern words, both Hugh and Ruark nodded.

Theodora sighed. “First, let’s double the number of reconnaissance ships,” Theodora said. She looked at the map. “We need to find out if they’re really trying to occupy Jaffa or if it’s a trap to lure us in.”

She added, “If it’s a trap, we should strike Damietta as Lord Hugh said. If not, we’ll go to rescue Jaffa. We need to find out the enemy’s true intentions as soon as possible.”

“Understood.”

“We’ve also received an offer from Venice. They want to support the siege of Damietta this time.”

“Venice is supporting us….”

“The superficial reason was that they wanted to share the spoils from Damietta…,” Theodora said. “Perhaps they’re wary of the growing relationship between the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Jerusalem.”

“The Tripoli-Rome-Venice Allied Fleet,” Hugh let out a hollow laugh. “I never thought I’d see such a sight in my life.”

“Venice supported the fleet only because they feared the relationship between Rome and Jerusalem would become stronger,” Theodora said again in a cold tone. “But if you two are fighting like this, what will Venice think? They’ll probably think that the alliance will collapse on its own without them having to intervene.”

“….”

“….”

“I’ll stop nagging here. Both of you, get ready quickly.” She clapped her hands. “Based on the information gathered, I will make a final decision tomorrow evening.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

Both Hugh and Ruark left the room. The two walked down the hallway with their mouths shut.

“….”

“….”

Hugh opened the gate. “If you’re so confident, how about we bet again this time?”

“Good. I won’t drink mead, so you won’t drink elixir [a medicinal concoction]. This time, let’s make it two months instead of one,” Ruark scoffed.

“Good. But before I agree, let me give you some advice,” Hugh replied with a smile. “You shouldn’t make suggestions you’ll regret later.”

* * *

Outskirts of Damascus

Jerusalem Kingdom Army Camp.

“Now they’re openly trying to steal my achievements!” Guy threw down his sword. He shouted, drinking the water handed to him by the servants.

“How can they blame me for being too slow to keep up? What do you think, Commander Thoros?” He asked, looking at the man across from him. A white cloak with a red cross – it was Thoros, the commander of the Knights Templar [a powerful Catholic military order]. He said with a calm expression, “The Count made the right decision. If it hadn’t been for that time, there would have been no chance to defeat them. Everyone was afraid and gave up on the charge.”

“Yes! Coming to attack Damascus and acting like this. The King is trying to stop me from gaining merit at all costs,” he growled. “He has to hand over the throne to young Baldwin, so he keeps pushing me to the back.”

“The issue of the throne is still….”

“Is it too early to discuss? Well,” Guy smiled. “Your Knights Templar must know it well too. The Knights Hospitaller [another Catholic military order] and the Lazarus [a military order that primarily cared for lepers] are already following young Baldwin around.”

He added, “Young Baldwin gave the right to manufacture elixirs and various other rights to those loyal dogs in return.”

“…….”

“If that bastard becomes king, he will bestow more fortresses and benefits to those two. You will be treated poorly for being close to me.”

“He must be in eastern Tripoli by now.”

“He’s hanging out with the Romans, and now he’s joining hands with the heathens. Such a farce.”

“It’s like supporting the Saracens. And the Assassins….”

“They were paying you annual tribute. Weren’t they? I know it’s quite a hefty sum,” Guy smiled. “Baldwin must have tempted the Assassins by saying he would eliminate that tribute. He promised as if he was doing them a favor, since he wasn’t losing anything.”

He asked, “Don’t you think so too?”

Silence flowed. All the servants left, and only Guy and Thoros, the commander of the Knights Templar, remained in the tent.

Guy opened his mouth and said, “How about this? There are Knights Templar fortresses near the north. We’ll look for an opportunity to attack the Assassins.”

“But that would be directly opposing Lord Baldwin.”

“Is there a need to do it publicly? The mountains are wide anyway, and the convoys will have to disperse. You just have to hide in one place and attack them,” Guy said. “If the convoys keep getting attacked, the treaty between Baldwin and the Assassins will have to be broken.”

“If support is cut off, the northern Levant could fall into Saladin’s hands.”

“If Aleppo falls into Saladin’s hands, the King, who led this offensive, will be plagued by criticism. He won’t be able to put young Baldwin forward as his successor,” Guy said.

“Then it could be beneficial to us. If Saladin occupies the north, will he immediately turn his sword against us?”

“It would be beneficial for us if Saladin remains a threat.”

“Yes, and you can continue to receive tribute. Wouldn’t that be a better outcome for the Holy Land?” Guy patted Thoros on the shoulder and said, “Think about it carefully, Commander.”