kingdom of nations

Chapter 161 The Isaac's Little Scheme

The arrival of this group of Isaacs was indeed unexpected by Saladin.

He had decided long ago that, out of his admiration for Cesare and for the courage and loyalty of these knights, he would mercifully pardon them. They would be released and allowed to return to Arrassa, taking their squires and servants with them, without having to pay a single gold coin in ransom.

So when Cesar fainted, he immediately selected two men from among them and ordered them to return to Arrassa to report the news.

Damascus is located in the middle of the Arrassa Road and the Al-Apol Road, and the distance between them is almost equal. This means that if a knight traveled day and night without rest, he could travel back and forth between the two cities within a week.

Regardless of others, from Saladin's perspective, the affection between Baldwin IV, King of Arazarus, and Cesare was undoubtedly strong. When Cesare was still a minor servant of unknown status, Baldwin IV was willing to vouch for him, regarding him as his most trustworthy companion and future subject.

Cesare's identity has now been confirmed. He is the son of Count Josephine III of Edessa, an undisputed nobleman, and a blood relative of the King of Arazarus. Even if Saladin offered to ransom Cesare for 100,000 gold coins, the King of Arazarus would certainly agree, and his ministers and lords would have no reason to object.

But before King Arazarus's messenger arrived, the Isaacs from Bethlehem had already entered Damascus. In addition, they had raised 100,000 gold coins—Saladin was not too concerned about this, as there were Isaacs in Damascus as well, and the merchants had their own means of communication, which were even faster than those of the army.

Kamal was with him at the time and even asked whether he or Shamsdin should handle the matter.

Although Saladin is currently only the Grand Vizier of Caliph al-Atid, everyone can see that he may soon become the Sultan of Egypt, and in the future, he may even become the ruler of more territories. A person with such a status should not have too much contact with those cunning parasites.

Saladin was very interested in everything related to Cesare. He had seen Cesare on Arrassa Road when he was a squire to Baldwin IV, a young man who was inexperienced but already had his own thoughts and ideas. He had also seen Cesare outside the palace of Fosterstadt when, although he had not yet become a knight, he had already been tempered by flesh and blood and swords and was a trustworthy warrior, sharp and determined, which Saladin greatly admired.

Of course, compared to the former two, his most important quality is loyalty, which has never changed.

In Bethlehem, however, his status changed. He was the master of Bethlehem—though he only had the right to use the land, not the right to dispose of it. But to the people of Bethlehem, whether Christians, Isaacs, or Saracens, he was a terrifying dragon whose every thought could bankrupt them or destroy their families.

So how would he act in Bethlehem? Especially those who came before Bethlehem—those who held power and status.

Although Cesare did not stay in Bethlehem for long, Saladin believed that whatever he did, he could glean some information from the Isaacs's narrative that he did not know before.

The person leading this group was Le Gao.

When he learned that Saladin—the Grand Vizier of Atid, the Caliph of Egypt—was willing to meet him, he was shocked and overwhelmed by an overwhelming sense of dread.

After all, he was an Isaac, and Isaacs were considered "slaves" or "heretics" by both Christians and Saracens. Even if they all died here, no one would investigate or care.

But at the same time, a thrill of surprise rose within him. He had heard of Saladin; after all, everyone knew that Amalric I's second expedition had ended in failure, and this Kurd had played a part in it.

The Isaacs even mocked the king of Arazarus for so easily falling for the Egyptians' trick, losing two cities they had already conquered, and letting a former slave (a Kurd) reap huge benefits.

Of course, they would never dare to say such things outside the room.

Regardless, Saladin had become the Grand Vizier of the Caliphate, which meant that in the future Egypt, he would be a powerful figure second only to the Caliph.

And it's unclear when this "Under One Person" series might come to an abrupt end.

Wherever the Isaacs went, they would make sure to find out everything about the local rulers and the nobles who might pose a threat or influence to them.

They certainly knew that Caliph al-Adid of the Fatimid dynasty might be the last ruler of the dynasty. Saladin and his uncle were two ambitious men who had served under Nur ad-Din, but after Nur ad-Din sent them to Egypt, these two proud generals clearly refused to obey his orders again.

Now that Nur ad-Din is dead, his three sons (who are unaware that Nur ad-Din only had one son) are all incompetent, and there are many ambitious individuals claiming to be his successors. It is conceivable that in the future, Syria will find it difficult to maintain the current situation, let alone attack or annex Egypt.

Therefore, Saladin's position was undoubtedly unshakeable. If they were to expand their business to Cairo or Alexandria in Egypt in the future, they would inevitably be unable to avoid the Sultan's watchful eye.

Conversely, if they could win his favor, their business would surely flourish and soar to great heights. With this in mind, Lego felt neither embarrassed nor ashamed as he knelt before the Kurd. He even prostrated himself, wanting to kiss Saladin's feet, but was stopped by the man's guards.

“You said you wanted to redeem your master, the Knight of Bethlehem, Cesar. Yes, he is indeed with me now, and he is being well taken care of. You need not worry.” Saladin tilted his head slightly. “Stand up.”

Lego the Isaac man rose tremblingly from the ground. As Saladin observed him, Lego also cautiously peered at the great man. Judging by appearance alone, Saladin was not the kind of person easily ingratiated. Although he was handsome and had a sharp gaze, he gave the impression of an ascetic more than an official or ruler—the kind of person the Isaac men despised. This meant they couldn't defeat him with wine, gold, or women.

He might need them to do things, but he would never be controlled by them. To him, they were merely readily available tools, to be ruthlessly discarded once they were no longer of use, without the slightest hesitation.

You might say that other kings were the same, but if a person is willing to indulge his desires, the Isaacs will always find a way to make him hesitate. But if a person does everything for his faith or ideals, then everything that stands in his way will be crushed to dust, leaving no room for pleading or temptation.

This man also reminded Le Gueuer of César, the Knight of Bethlehem.

Although he came and went in a hurry and did not stay in Bethlehem for long, Lego had already noticed that he and the Saracen in front of him had many similarities. Isaac suddenly hesitated, wondering whether he should carry out his original plan to the end.

But he was already standing in front of Saladin. Saladin was not a Roman prince who grew up in the Purple Chamber. His father was originally just an ordinary official. He followed his uncle in the army and met many Isaacs in the city. It can be said that most of the Isaacs did not leave him with a good impression.

Their selfishness and narrow-mindedness make them outcasts wherever they go, not just because of their religious rituals and outdated customs—it's even difficult for outsiders to understand their way of thinking and acting—these people always do despicable and shameless things, and always think that as long as they cover their own eyes, others won't be able to see the dirty tricks they've done.

Even though they share the same ancestry as the Saracens and are also descendants of Abraham—a fact they are even proud of—they still lack many virtues befitting this sacred lineage.

But perhaps these Isaacs will be an exception?
Saladin casually asked Lego a few questions, especially about César. When Lego mentioned the soap, he realized that perhaps from that moment on, César had guessed that Apollo was undergoing a major change and was increasingly approaching a vortex.

The whirlpool arose because their master, Nurdin, was nearing the end of his life. Like a large ship sailing on the sea, when the helmsman falls due to old age, if there is no one to take his place, the ship will inevitably capsize completely at sea, and the passengers, crew, and all living beings on board will suffer annihilation.

And the merchants of Apollo, no, the merchants of the world, are among the most perceptive of any unsettling atmosphere. If he were César at that time, he too could have guessed that Nur ad-Din might not be content to spend the last few years of his life on his sickbed.

Saladin inwardly praised him, but couldn't help asking a few more questions. Gradually, however, his smile faded, and Lego's stammering and even silent behavior told him that the bond between these Isaacs and Cesar wasn't as deep as he had thought.

Given this, their willingness to pay the price of a king to ransom Cesar is quite suspicious. Although, according to the customary law of the time, this is not surprising. If a knight becomes the prisoner of another knight or lord, the people of his territory would indeed need to raise money to ransom him, but it is rather intriguing that this group of Isaacs immediately offered 100,000 gold coins.

Kamal frowned. If Cesar were a cold-hearted, irritable, and arrogant lord, these Isaacs might not have appeared here at all. Their presence here, making a ransom request at an astonishing price, was more likely intended to use this favor to coerce Cesar into making concessions for them on certain matters in the future.

It could even be argued that if Cesar did succumb to their coercion—after all, he was known as the Little Saint on Arrassa Road, and he had always been quite kind, humble, and simple like a monk—perhaps simply because he didn't want to ruin his past image, or perhaps out of genuine gratitude, their plan might have succeeded.

It might start with small requests—a letter of recommendation, a charter, proof of identity, a pass—and then it could involve demanding that he side with them in court, or more subtly, positioning themselves as a confidant of the Knights of Bethlehem, forcing others to make way for them.

Or, going even further, they would try to seize power from Cesar. This might involve collecting taxes, minting coins, or charging fees for public facilities—believe me, the Isaacs had already done such things in Saracen cities.

Even when Hirku was governor of Damascus, he was nearly deceived by some of the Isaacs. If Saladin hadn't seen through their deception in time and warned his uncle, his uncle might have actually made a mistake that would have enraged the Sultan.

The room had darkened at some point, and the faint red afterglow had vanished silently, just like the joy in Saladin's heart.

Lego stood there, the silence in the room almost solidifying into a boulder, crushing him to death. He knew he had made a mistake; he was not facing a general who only knew how to ride horses and fight. Saladin's rise to the position of Grand Vizier was perhaps not solely due to his army.

But now it's too late no matter how much he regrets it.

Saladin did consider hanging these Isaacs, but—he smiled again, and Lego saw it as if he were looking at a lion yawning. He trembled and prostrated himself on the ground, unable to even utter a plea.

“You are, after all, Cesare’s people,” Saladin pointed to the void with interest, “Let him decide how to deal with you. But as for ransom—I’ve already told him, I will not accept a single copper coin from him or any of the other Christian knights…”

“You are so kind…so generous…”

“Only for those who deserve it,” Saladin said in an almost cheerful tone. “But for others…” he said reluctantly, “I still need to use my power, such as a group of Isaacs who have taken it upon themselves to enter my city.”

He stood up, his shadow falling over Lego: "How about we use these 100,000 gold coins as your ransom? Yes or no?"

Lego raised his head, his mouth agape, his eyes pleading, but he immediately realized he was going crazy—he was actually bargaining with someone who could control his life and death!
He immediately threw himself back to the ground, shouting, "I do! I do! Sir, I do!"

(End of this chapter)