kingdom of nations

Chapter 160 The first to arrive was...

Cesar's consciousness awakened before his body did.

He had already endured this torment several times before. After exhausting the blessings bestowed by the saint, the pain and emptiness were enough to drive someone with a weak will to madness. But he was trapped in this body and could only silently endure it, just like every human being tormented by illness. He had thought about whether to throw himself into the endless darkness to end this torture, but the thought was only fleeting.

As a doctor, no one understood the fragility and preciousness of life better than him. He didn't know how those who loved him would face his death in another world, but at least in this world, he had blood relatives and dear friends he could never part with.

He knew that many people had come to heal him, including Christian monks and Saracen scholars.

He knew this so clearly because when they sat beside him, holding his hands, and prayed to their gods for power, they were reciting scriptures. In fact, their gods, even saints and prophets, were all pointing in the same direction.

Sometimes Cesar could only manage a helpless, bitter smile. They worshipped the same god, yet regarded him as their mortal enemy. It seemed that they could not prove their devotion to the god unless they slaughtered him completely. But was this really what the god wanted to see?
Even after witnessing, feeling, and possessing this extraordinary power, Cesar still had some thoughts that would horrify his teachers and friends. Unless the god worshipped by Christians and Saracens was a bloodthirsty, murderous monster, how could he possibly watch his followers suffer in his city?
He could have changed all of this.

It's understandable that Christianity initially clashed irreconcilably with the polytheistic beliefs of ancient Rome and Egypt. After all, that being had declared, "You can only worship one God"—even if the ancient Romans had generously allowed Christians to place their idols in the Pantheon, the Christians would inevitably have fought them to the death.

This is a scene that humanity must face when vying for faith.

Human lifespan, resources, and energy are all limited. Even polytheistic religions differentiate according to their own needs—couples should worship Juno, generals should worship Mars, and kings should worship Jupiter… rather than throwing gold coins and offerings indefinitely whenever they see a statue of a god.

When one god is worshipped, another god will inevitably be neglected. If this continues for a long time, the god will also perish or be replaced.

But in this era and in this place, the purpose of war has completely become a struggle for human interests.

Why would the Crusaders travel thousands of miles to this unfamiliar place, a place filled with hostility towards them?
Of course, it's because there are interests at play, just like whipping oxen and horses.

The Isaacs once called this place the land flowing with milk and honey, because the former Arazar Road and the surrounding area were indeed a rich and vast area of ​​hills, woodlands and plains, where water and grass were abundant and plants were lush, and seeds scattered in the ground would yield a rich harvest the following year.

But gradually, as the desert expanded, oases were swallowed up, and the meaning of this region was reinterpreted. Money, as a new crop, grew again from here. Like the roots of a tree, it took firm root here and sent a continuous stream of "milk and honey" to every sultan and caliph and their country.

If the Saracen civilization hadn't emerged so late, the Crusades would have been cut short by the Saracens' sharp scimitars from the very beginning. It can be said that Urban II chose the best time, inciting the kings and lords of Europe to march toward this rich promised land before that loose sand had coalesced into a solid rock—his idea was quite simple.

For the church, for the king and lords' thirst for wealth, for the bewildered young people under the primogeniture system, and for the peasants who had become "restless" due to years of plague and famine...

"Sacred objects" are one reason, but ultimately, they can also bring wealth and power.

Apart from a few staunch zealots, almost all of them went there for land and money. And the promising future promised by the Pope was indeed realized in the first few decades; they established their own country and acquired their own territory.

Even this narrow strip of land was enough to support the enormous expenditures of the Crusades over the years.

King Amalric I of Arrassal had over three hundred knights under his command, and he paid their salaries in gold. On each expedition, he also paid for all the expenses of the other knights he recruited, including food, clothing, lodging, tournaments, rewards, and compensation.

Therefore, the conflict between the Crusaders and the Saracens could only become more and more acute.

After all, human nature is greedy.

With the benefits right in front of them, why wouldn't they fight for them? Even if there's to be negotiation, sharing, and sacrifice, it should be for their own blood relatives, friends, and allies—a bunch of heretics, ha, has he gone mad?
Not to mention, those knights had almost no way out. If they returned to their homeland, they could only work as stewards or craftsmen for their nephews or nieces. They had fought for God, so how could they bear the humiliation brought about by this disparity?
Conversely, the Saracens would not tolerate these outsiders wreaking havoc on their land.

Not to mention, they have been killing each other for seventy years. The hatred created over those seventy years has been passed down through at least three generations, and such deep bloodstains can only be erased over time—but such peace is simply impossible to maintain.

Even if God descended here, he couldn't do it.

Jesus fed all people with two fish and five loaves, but this gift was too meager. The poor commoners might accept it, but what about the nobles above them, whether Christians or Saracens? The food, clothing, dwellings, and horses of the nobles could only be the finest and most luxurious.

Human beings' pursuit of pleasure is endless. Even among the Saracens who adhere to their doctrines, there are many emirs or viziers who wear silk under their clothes, smoke hookahs, drink "grape juice," and seek pleasure in the embrace of "beauty."

What should we do? Should we satisfy all of them? Impossible.

Only one other emotion can destroy this yearning—fear.

Without the manifestation of an angel's power to destroy the entire city of Sodom, humanity will forever remain indulging in immediate pleasures and forgetting the punishment to come.

Yes, what a difficult road this is, Cesar heard someone say in his ear. No, it wasn't entirely in his ear; the voice seemed to come from all directions, from the sky, the ground, and all around him. And the voice felt inexplicably familiar to him. He couldn't help but feel tears welling up in his eyes, and for the first time, he so desperately wanted to seek help.

But the other simply stood quietly not far from him, yet unapproachable. It was as if He was gazing upon the person He loved most in the world. Then, the snow-white and bright environment slowly dimmed, and a sense of anxiety rose in Cesar's heart. He knew that He was about to leave, but he still had many questions, many worries, and many joys and sorrows he wanted to tell Him.

But the other party was so resolute.

Just as He came, He departed just as suddenly. In an instant, all the light vanished, and Cesar fell back into darkness. He cried out—or so he thought. In fact, the man beside him heard only a faint call. He bent down to listen to what the Christian knight was saying. Was he calling upon their god? Or was he praying for something?
But the Christian knight only uttered that one soft call and then made no further sound. However, his breathing was still steady and his complexion was still rosy, which reassured the servant somewhat.

This young man was valued by their Great Vizier Saladin, and he was indeed as handsome as if God himself had created him. Even though he was a Saracen, he couldn't bear to see such a promising talent perish.

He stood up. There were two doctors waiting outside the door. After listening to his story, the doctors came in, examined Cesar's condition, and determined that he would wake up soon. This was good news.

“He may be weak for a long time afterward,” a doctor said. “It is also unknown whether he will be able to receive the prophet’s revelation again.”

"He should. His injuries are healing, and although he has suffered a lot, there is a force protecting him." Another doctor said very subtly. He had seen some scholars who overused their strength. They were not so calm. Sometimes they even needed help to do "ghusl" (a full-body bath) because they might struggle and roll in the sand, or their robes might be soiled with excrement. This is a physiological reaction that cannot be prevented by willpower.

This young man either didn't suffer such severe aftereffects, or the prophet watching over him shielded him from this humiliation. Either way, it shows that he hasn't been abandoned, and he can still become a valiant knight, a formidable enemy.

They arrived at the Sultan's gate, only to see a group of Isaacs wearing small caps and black robes leaving. A doctor instinctively took a step back and frowned; he didn't like these Isaacs.

The Saracens were also very good at doing business. They traveled between the eastern and western continents, but they never cheated or deceived their superiors.

Moreover, God taught them that money should not be made from money, but the Isaacs were best at usury and money exchange—they often cheated in the latter.

"I have heard that the people of Isaac in Apollo have suffered."

“Where are the Isaacs not to suffer?” his companion replied. “There may be some good among them, but they are too few to shake the authority of their high priests or elders.”

“Even if they wanted to, the Sultan, the Caliph, and those Christian kings wouldn’t allow them to do so,” a doctor observed clearly.

Why were the Isaacs always killed and driven out, yet always able to reappear in various cities? It was because, while they were despised, they were also the best white gloves or black gloves for these rulers.

When they craved wealth but didn't want to be known for their tyranny, the Isaacs were their best hounds and falcons. They were unleashed to tear apart the lowly commoners, merchants, and even nobles and officials with some power with their claws and fangs—and then squeeze gold and silver coins from their flesh.

At the same time, their hatred will only be vented on the Isaacs, and when it becomes uncontrollable, they will kick the Isaacs out to quell the people's anger.

"Then they can choose not to do it."

"And then starve to death? It's a pity. Their ancestors betrayed the Egyptians, then the Romans, then the Saracens and the Christians. They had no way out, and if they really had that will and mindset, there might not be any Isaacs left in the world today."

The two doctors' comments may be a bit too harsh, but it must be said that among other ethnic groups, whether it is Saracens to Christians, Christians to Saracens, Christians to Christians, or Saracens to Saracens—there may indeed be a few inherently greedy, selfish, and malicious individuals willing to become a sharp blade in the hands of a king, but most people still have their own minds and stances.

Whether for their own sake or for the sake of the people, they would refuse the conditions proposed by the kings. Only the Isaacs, despite countless precedents, resolutely continued down the most dangerous, but also the easiest, most convenient, and most profitable path.

In this way, no one else can really defend them.

"But why would Saladin meet with Isaac?"

"Perhaps there's something they need to do."

The doctors were wrong.

Saladin would not have condescended to meet a group of Isaac merchants unless absolutely necessary, but their identities and their requests certainly piqued the interest of the future Sultan.

"You mean you want to use 100,000 gold coins to redeem your master?" Saladin glanced down at the open chest at his feet, its contents gleaming with gold. The Saracens had been using "notes" since the tenth century, before the Christians and Isaacs, but there was no doubt that gold coins were far more persuasive than notes.

“Cesar?” He looked at the Isaacs who were trembling but had mustered their courage.

"Yes, our master, the Knight of Bethlehem."

(End of this chapter)