kingdom of nations

Chapter 106 Bethlehem (1)

Bethlehem means "house of bread" in the Isaac language and "house of meat" in the Saracen language.

Either way, they symbolize the wealth and prosperity of this small town.

Located on Mount Bethlehem, nestled between desert and hills, it is a lush oasis. As early as the 14th century BC, the Canaanites had already established themselves here and built a city. Its history may be even earlier than that of Alassane. In terms of holiness, Jesus Christ was born here. Shepherds received angelic revelation in the fields here and came to worship the baby. After he and his parents left, many holy babies were martyred for him. When Jesus Christ returned here, he also temporarily took refuge in a cave.

This place is a must-visit for many pilgrims and a popular hub and trading center for merchants. The people of Bethlehem planted olive trees extensively, and olive oil, olive wood, handicrafts and carpets are important products of this place.

It would be strange if Amalric I granted such an important place to Cesare without anyone objecting! In fact, some people did try to persuade the king, but they were all blocked and refuted.

Firstly, this was King Arazarus's final decree. He was not only a dying man, but also a Crusader knight who had fallen on the expedition, and he was destined to become a saint!

Furthermore, it is quite obvious that the king's actions were still for the sake of his son Baldwin. After Baldwin contracted leprosy, all the boys who should have been his protectors left him. Now, the prince is no longer willing to trust them. He only has Cesar by his side. If Cesar is just an ordinary knight and squire, wouldn't the prince's strength be even weaker in the face of those cunning and treacherous ministers?

Finally, Cesar was a student of Patriarch Heraclius, and the Patriarch's attitude was clear: he absolutely supported the two children.

If that's the case, why worry too much about temporary gains and losses?
Even if some people still covet this sweet bait, they might as well wait and see. If the young new king is just a puppet, or if Cesar is unworthy of his title and cannot manage the city well, then it is not too late to take action.

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Bishop Andrew, the former administrator of Bethlehem, thought the same way.

Bethlehem was originally part of the Arrassa Road, so the bishop appointed by the king to govern the area could only be one of his men. Bishop Andrei was originally a friar brother in the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, and he always maintained sufficient respect and caution towards Amalric I. Even though he had been in Bethlehem for nearly ten years, he never showed any disrespect or tried to enrich himself.

But the old king is dead, and the new king is just a young man who has barely come of age. He has no loyal ministers by his side, and most of his generals are also taking a wait-and-see attitude. Amalric I granted Bethlehem to his squire, perhaps to give him more leverage. But, Bishop Andrei shook his head. Things are not so easy.
He led the monks and priests out of the city gates, preparing earnestly, as if they were a true lord, to welcome the new master of Bethlehem.

“You don’t need to do that,” his student muttered indignantly. “We’re enough. He’s just a child.”

“Only a fool would fuss over such trivialities,” the bishop said. “Even if no one comes to greet him today, he is still the master of Bethlehem. The ridicule and sarcasm behind his back won’t hurt him in the slightest. Such meaningless things should not be done, let alone even thought about—and,” he joked, “aren’t you most fond of beautiful women? Even if it’s just to see a beautiful woman, it doesn’t matter if we wait here for a while.”

The bishop's words embarrassed his student: "I don't believe it. It's all Gerald's Thomas talking nonsense. He's a complete idiot..."

"Shh." The bishop suddenly held up a finger. "They're here."

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When Heraclius mentioned Bethlehem, Baldwin was taken aback at first, but then immediately understood.

Because Cesar had been inseparable from him for the past few years, he had almost forgotten that Cesar had been knighted and given a territory, a very important and crucial place—Bethlehem.

Just like the territory that once sparked the conflict between Amalric I and the Knights Templar (because of the fall of this territory, the king executed twelve Knights Templar), the king granted him this territory, which was tantamount to placing one of the key points of Arathi Basin in his hands. From then on, no one dared to underestimate Cesar. He was no longer a slave of Isaac, nor a servant of the prince. They called him the Knight of Bethlehem.

Just like Raymond and Bohemond, the Knights of Bethlehem were Baldwin's vassals and ministers, and were required to handle his political affairs and accompany him in battle. However, they also had to govern and manage their own territories, which was both their right and their obligation.

For the past few months, César had been by his side, and the reason why Chirac didn't say anything was probably because it was the most chaotic time. The old king had passed away, a new king had ascended the throne, and there were princesses getting married one after another. Everyone was busy and needed César's help and observation.

But now, thanks to everyone's efforts, Arrassa Road has entered a relatively peaceful period, yet Cesar has not visited Bethlehem even once, nor met its officials, merchants, and people, which is indeed inappropriate. "You should set off tomorrow," Baldwin said decisively. In any case, Bethlehem is not far from Arrassa Road, and if Cesar is needed, he can return to Holy Cross Castle that same day with the messenger knight.

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Compared to the scorched deserts and mountains, Bethlehem is like a small, exquisite, and magnificent silk carpet covering the Bethlehem Hill.

Around fifty Knights of the Holy Sepulchre were stationed here, but like in Bethlehem, they were originally under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Bethlehem.

Cesar's party was simple: six knights, one monk, and twenty armed squires and attendants.

"Only one monk? Your teacher is the Patriarch!"

Longinus asked curiously, even though he knew his master was a diligent student who did well in all his subjects, but in people's minds, knights mostly lacked a sharp mind and nimble fingers.

As Baldwin said before, a knight always needs a monk by his side. This monk is responsible for writing letters, composing poems, and keeping accounts for the knight. Even if Cesar doesn't need it, the patriarch should assign him more monks and priests. If the bishop of Bethlehem is not honest, they can clean him up from top to bottom and replace him with their own people.

As for Cesar, there were hardly any other monks around him. The only monk was an old goat, old, slow, and hard of hearing. However, Longinus thought that his hearing loss might be selective. When you were discussing what to have for dinner, his hearing would be as sharp as a hunting dog, but if you said something unpleasant, he would immediately stuff cotton into his ears.

"Don't say that. He's a monk with considerable knowledge and a thorough understanding of various laws." Choosing a monk to accompany Cesar wouldn't be easy. Those who know him know that he's not actually very devout. Although he rarely shows it in his words or actions, like love and a cough, faith is something that can't be hidden.

This person must be absolutely trustworthy, but not so steadfast either.

“Besides, I can handle all those things myself,” Cesar replied gently. “But you, why are you still following me? You’ve already killed three Saracens and fulfilled your oath to God, so why haven’t you reclaimed your name?”

Longinus smiled. Indeed, when he arrived at Arrasa Road, he never imagined that he would end up as a wandering knight.

Although he only had a small sum of money left to him by his father at that time, which he then spent on horses, weapons, and squires, he was full of confidence, believing that he could use his martial arts skills to carve out a way for himself in this pagan land, and perhaps even a castle or a fiefdom.

But things didn't go as planned. He wasn't guaranteed to win every duel, and in reality, life beat him up badly. Sometimes, he felt that meeting Cesar was perhaps because God thought he had suffered enough and it was time to give him some sweetness.

While on the expedition, he considered whether he should revert to his original identity if he fulfilled his oath, but what good would that do him? It was possible that some people would find him because of his surname and ask him to do something, and he would lose his original freedom as a result.

Moreover, he wanted to restore his surname so that he could return to his father's castle with wealth and glory, but now that castle belonged to his brother. His achievements would not make the former proud and happy, but would instead make him wary—who knew if Longinus would want to take away his title and castle?
“I have decided to stay in Arrassa. My original surname is no longer meaningful. It will be passed down by my eldest brother and my other brothers, without interruption. Besides, I have been used to people calling me Longinus for so many years. If I suddenly changed back to my original name, wouldn't I feel uncomfortable?”

Cesar nodded. He wasn't the kind of person to force others to do things against their will, even if it was nominally for Longinus's sake. Besides, he didn't think he couldn't give Longinus a stable future.

At least for now, he plans to return to Alassa Road once he has completely taken control of Bethlehem, while Longinus can stay here and manage Bethlehem on his behalf while he stays by Baldwin's side.

"Wait, are those... the people who came to greet us?"

"Cesar asked."

(End of this chapter)