kingdom of nations

Chapter 148 The Sultan's Funeral (Part 2)
"Has any of you seen Count Josephine III of Edessa? I mean Cesare's father."

A knight asked, but then he realized he had made a mistake. Count Josephine III of Edessa had been taken prisoner and taken to Al-Apol when Zengi captured Edessa Castle. He was only five years old at the time, and for the next decade or so, he eked out a living as a prisoner in Al-Apol Castle or other remote fortresses.

Tripoli, Antioch, and Arrassal all seemed to have forgotten him. Even when their messengers came to Apollo, they never mentioned him, let alone offered to ransom him.

“I have met the father of Count Josephine III of Edessa—that is, Josephine II. In fact, even when this father continued his rule over West Edessa (Zangi did not initially annex the whole of Edessa), he did not seem to have any intention of rescuing his only son, whether out of loyalty to God, or because he thought that paying a large sum of money for an heir who could be found at any time, or because ceding territory was really not a wise move.”

In short, even after he himself became a prisoner of the Turks, he did not achieve anything remarkable. As Cesare's sister said, it was thanks to the efforts of the former archbishop of Edessa and his loyal servants that Count Joseph III of Edessa was able to send the two siblings out of Apol.

“I have met Joseph II,” an older knight said hesitantly, “but he is just a rude and uncultured fellow, and bears little resemblance to Cesare. But I have heard that his wife, the Armenian princess, is indeed an unforgettable beauty.”

"That's right!" The atmosphere among the knights immediately became lively.

"To be honest, César's appearance is either from his grandmother or his mother. Yes, he is somewhat thin, but I'm not saying he lacks masculinity. I mean..."

"Ha, we understand what you mean, we understand. Sometimes I also feel that he should be placed on the altar for people to worship."

"In ancient Rome or ancient Greece, those pagans might actually have done that."

“His father will be overjoyed to see him. Who wouldn’t want a son like that?” one knight exclaimed. The other knights began to laugh at him. They only wanted to be Cesar’s friends, brothers, or brothers-in-law, but he had the audacity to dream of being Cesar’s father.

“I have no such wish,” said another knight. “I would be content if my future son had even a tenth of what Cesar was.” He clicked his tongue. “I wouldn’t even dare to hope that he would have a third or even half of what Cesar was. If that were the case, I would be terrified. Good heavens, he shouldn’t be a mortal.”

These words, though perhaps unintentional, caused the atmosphere in the room to freeze for a moment. Regardless of their age, the knights present unconsciously stiffened. No matter how old they had become, even if they themselves had become fathers and grandfathers, the shadows and fears left by their male elders still clung to them like maggots, impossible to shake off.

It's just that some people realize it's a mistake, while others still regard it as gospel.

Some say that what a son most desires is to hear his father say, "Son, I am proud of you." But conversely, what a son fears most is his father's disappointment, especially during this period when, as the monarch of the family, the father wields considerable power over his children.

When they are disappointed in a child, they may at best neglect, ignore, whip, or verbally abuse him; at worst, they may banish him, force him into a monastery or the army. Sometimes, when a father has too many sons and the other has indeed brought too much trouble, he may even strip him of his inheritance rights and surname, making him completely relegated to the class he once trampled on.

If Cesar were only six years old, his father's return would certainly be a good thing, but he's almost sixteen...

The knights exchanged glances. "His Majesty will find a way to handle this," one knight said hesitantly. The older knights, who had experienced more, held little hope. Baldwin IV was indeed a brave and fearless knight-king, but he was clearly naive and inexperienced in politics.

After his great victory at the Battle of Galilee, it was obvious to anyone that he had become somewhat complacent, even to the point that Cesar found it hard to bear. Yet, he remained oblivious. When Cesar's true identity was revealed, he only saw the benefits and not the dangers.

“I heard that this mission was arranged by Patriarch Heraclius,” one of the knights said in a low voice. The other knights nodded in understanding.

A soft cough suddenly came from outside the door, and the knights immediately shut their mouths and straightened their posture. Sure enough, Geoffroy walked in from outside the door.

"These chirping little birds!" the old knight muttered to himself, but he knew he shouldn't be too demanding at this time. If it were just an ordinary mission, it wouldn't be so bad, but this mission coincided with the passing of Sultan Nur ad-Din, and the city was plunged into immense grief—just like the recent Alaska Pass (for Amalric I). In the next seven or eight days, this pain and resentment would intensify and expand further, with nowhere to go—it was conceivable that a massive storm, large enough to engulf the entire city of Apol, would soon gather here.

They are now at the center of this storm. It seems calm, but if any of them oversteps the mark, they will immediately be targeted by everyone. At that time, even the Sultan's son may not be able to fight against the surging public opinion. Judging from the Saracens's madness, they may be torn to pieces.

Therefore, this time, all members of the delegation could only stay in their own rooms or walk around in that small and exquisite courtyard. They could not leave Apollo Castle to go to the market or other places, let alone train or ride horses as before. According to the laws of the Knights, they could not play chess or gamble.

These days were indeed tough, but as he listened outside the door, he noticed their conversations becoming increasingly bizarre and erratic, and he knew he had to come in and stop them. After these ten days together, the vast majority of the knights had become devotees of Cesar.

This is not surprising. People are always superficial. A perfect appearance can be used as evidence for many to convince themselves. Some people had doubts about him before because they were worried that he was not worthy of his reputation. This was not uncommon even among the Crusaders. There were many people who were described by bards as being like Saint Peter or Saint George, but when they actually spent time with him, they revealed their true nature as hyenas, rats, or even maggots.

But if he could be consistent in word and deed and fulfill the fantasies of these young knights in other ways, they would not be jealous but would instead trust and respect him even more, just like the knights who once gathered around King Arthur—each of them of noble birth, skilled in martial arts, and outstanding in appearance. Wherever they were, they could be considered a respected lord, yet they were willing to obey King Arthur unconditionally and follow his orders to conquer everywhere. Wasn't this precisely because King Arthur was indeed a perfect saint?

However, it would be somewhat inappropriate for them to bring this kind of thinking into their current environment. After all, their leader was the Grand Master of the Knights, and their king was Baldwin IV of Arathi Basin. What they should follow and worship was God, not a mortal with flesh and blood.

His greater concern was that after Count Josephine III of Edessa's release, these knights would display this wariness and suspicion. If Josephine III were to believe that they were acting on César's orders, it would worsen the already strained relationship between the estranged father and son, perhaps even making matters worse.

He couldn't help but shake his head inwardly, recalling King Baldwin IV of Arrassa's instructions to him before his departure. He could only hope that Patriarch Heracli's arrangements would allow the relationship between father and son to develop in the direction people expected. He gave the knights a final warning look, left the room, and went to Cesar.

Previously, Cesare could only sleep on a wheelchair under the prince's bed, or wrapped in a bearskin outside Amalric I's door. But now he had a room of his own. This room was furnished entirely according to the standards for a Sultan's son; the ceiling, walls, lintels, and window frames were adorned with exquisite carvings and vibrant paintings, in accordance with Saracen doctrine. These carvings could not depict people, only flowers, birds, and animals, yet the craftsmanship was so superb. When you were inside, it truly felt as if you were in a deep, secluded forest.

A large, soft couch was placed against the wall, with blue-gold and gold curtains hanging above it. Soft pillows, cushions, furs, and silks that were intertwined and flowed to the ground like water were piled on the couch, completely covering it. Only the four gold feet carved into tiger claws at the bottom could be seen.

Just one glance was enough for Geoffrey to decide to lie down on it and have a good, long sleep.

Instead of resting, César lit a candle and sat by the window reading and copying those precious medical texts.

“Is it really necessary to race against time?” said Geoffroy. “It’s already quite dark, and this isn’t good for your eyes.” As he spoke, he lit another candle for Cesar. “This is also a way of depleting the enemy’s assets,” he added jokingly, but the sudden increase in light did make Cesar’s eyes much more comfortable.

“It was my oversight; it wasn’t that dark before.” Cesar put down his book, leaned back, stretched his stiff limbs, and then stood up from his chair.

He invited Geoffroy to sit down and personally poured tea for both of them.

In his world, leprosy was no longer incurable. Through various methods, whether traditional Chinese medicine or Western medicine, patients could be cured or at least their condition prevented from worsening or recurring. But in this world, in the Christian kingdom and society, "doctor" had become a taboo word, and herbal medicine was considered the product of witchcraft and demons. Although many people, including high-ranking officials and nobles, secretly coveted them, it was ultimately not a card that could be played openly.

Finding any related records within the church is impossible. Even if they used herbs, they would only tell you it was the most precious relic or holy water after a bishop's consecration. The only person capable of treating lepers with powers that don't exist in another world is an old monk serving the Pope, utterly loyal to him, and whom the Pope would never allow to leave the Vatican; they have no opportunity to contact him whatsoever.

César tried to find something useful in the documents related to him, but the information he found was almost all meaningless ramblings, not like hymns, but like legends—that he would put his hand on a leper and the leper would be cured immediately. He thought it would be better to look at the scriptures, since Jesus did the same thing.

But what use is it to him and Baldwin now? No.

And in the Saracen medical books—which may be hard to believe, but during this period, Saracen medicine reached a new peak after absorbing and assimilating other medical practices—they had standard medical textbooks, medical schools and libraries, internal medicine and surgery... In the medical books that Cesar borrowed, there were even complete medical records—written records that were almost indistinguishable from modern medical records.

They would compile records according to time, dosage, and the progression of the illness, including those they cured using the power given by the prophet.

Although César still couldn't find any records of leprosy being cured in these records, he did see records of leprosy patients who, with the prayers and treatment of "scholars," successfully extended their lives to the age of forty-five.

For Baldwin and Cesar, even one more day would be beneficial. With just one more day, Cesar's research could continue for another day, and who knows what remarkable results might be achieved in that day? Such things have happened even in another world. A patient who has been ill for a long time can recover rapidly simply by adopting a new treatment method. This rapid recovery could be a year, a month, a week, or even a day.

In particular, the hope that the "chosen ones" brought to the patients was a completely new and highly effective treatment method for Cesar. He was not just watching, but learning, eagerly, even though people said that once a person has received "favor," they can no longer receive "gifts," but so what?
He already had enough priests around him. He could have easily explained his ideas to them and asked them to try and implement them according to his calculations.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have adopted such an aggressive stance in Damascus—he realized that if he hesitated for the sake of empty fame, he might miss a precious opportunity—one that was fleeting and might never be found again.

“They are all worried about you,” Joeffroy said.

Cesar paused for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle. "Thank them for me."

"Aren't you worried at all?"

“There’s a solution to everything,” Cesar said. He felt indebted to this body, even though the soul within it had already perished in agony from the torment of high fever and pain when he was born. But undeniably, the body’s birth parents not only conceived him but also sent him away from Alpar Castle. He wasn’t sure what his life would be like now if he had stayed in Alpar Castle, but it certainly wouldn’t be any better.

Even if he was once sold into slavery, it was because Count Josephine III of Edessa trusted the wrong person, not because he intended to be so.

He would definitely repay this kindness. However, he was not the kind of person who would blindly obey his parents' every word. If the other party crossed his bottom line, he would also try to restrain them.

After all, he had already cultivated an independent personality and correct values ​​in another world. He would not be swayed by the words of those priests, nor would he blindly follow all the rules of this world.

Just as Froy was about to say something, he was interrupted by a melodious and loud call, like singing or prayer. "Their priests are calling them to rise and pray," the old knight said.

(End of this chapter)