kingdom of nations

Chapter 171 The Third Informant (Part 1) - Bonus Chapter!

However, a mansion not far from Haredi was shrouded in gloom and despair.

This mansion belonged to Jacques of Bethlehem, Lego's son-in-law, and he was thus unjustly caught in the crossfire. Although he was often affectionately patted on the shoulder by his father-in-law Lego and called son-in-law or son, and was also referred to as brother and friend by other Isaac merchants—at those times they treated him very kindly, and he was satisfied with the double respect he received.

You see, he is not an Isaac, yet he enjoys the privileges of an Isaac, and he is not discriminated against because he is an Isaac. He is still a Christian and can sit next to Bishop Andrei when he presides over the court, high above him.

He never imagined he would be one of those on trial, and now he couldn't help but regret his previous rash actions—he shouldn't have followed those Isaacs to the Castle of the Holy Cross.

At that time, all he was thinking about was how to use his Christian identity to plead for his father-in-law. But when he actually met their young and handsome lord, he didn't have a chance to speak at all, or rather, the lord didn't even notice that he existed.

Only after the lord delivered his verdict did a servant approach him and whisper something in his ear. The lord then glanced at him and told him not to appear on Arrassa Road again—this was tantamount to cutting off most of his future. He was a merchant and might use this road to climb to a higher position in the future, such as becoming a tax collector for some lord.

But now, he can't even get into Arathal Road, and when the lord returns to Bethlehem... he really doesn't know what he should do if the lord doesn't want to see him in Bethlehem either.

Of course, they could go elsewhere, but Antioch and Tripoli were both vassals of Arazari. What could he do, a man despised by the closest minister to the King of Arazari? Unless he could bribe them with money, but even if the lords were willing to accept such bribes, neither he nor his father-in-law had any money left.

His father-in-law had originally donated a considerable sum of money to Saladin's ransom. This money, however, went with them to Damascus but failed to achieve any of their intended goals and sank into the Saracens' great river without a sound.

As a result, his father-in-law Lego's reputation was greatly damaged. Although he kept defending himself—that this was a strategy decided by everyone—the public was indignant, and he still had to divert some money to appease the anger of others. Perhaps it was for this reason that he was eager to recoup some of his losses, which is why he once again proposed that the lord provide relief to the poor.

The problem is that this operation has failed again, and more people are turning their sharp spears on him. Usually, Le Gao can escape with his silver tongue, but now he has been whipped thirty times, is barely breathing, and is unconscious.

Jacques knew that today was the last day of the New Year. The Isaacs' New Year was two days long, during which, according to doctrine, they could not do anything except pray and rest.

So these creditors had no choice but to back down, but they would surely swarm back like ants the next morning. Yes, they didn't have much money left, but they still had goods and connections. In the judgment the lord had made for them, Lego had bought the Saracen's soap for three times the price.

It might sound like Le Guerre lost out on the deal, but in reality, he made a fortune, even though he only sold one-tenth of the soap. Sure enough, no sooner had the merchant left than they heard of the terrible unrest that had erupted in Apollo.

When they arrived in Damascus, they learned even more.

Even though the heads of the eldest and second princes had been hung on the city walls to the left and right of the Sultan's Gate, the situation after the First Lady and the nine-year-old Prince Saleh jointly ruled was still not very stable, and the production and transportation of soap in Apol were greatly hindered.

Even when he was expelled by Saladin, Lego remained confident, precisely because he still had a large stock of Apollo soap. The price of this soap had risen to an astonishing level due to its scarcity. As long as he sold these soaps, he would have a chance to make a comeback, no matter what.

But will these creditors allow it?

Worst of all, Le Gua had originally had an extremely close relationship with the wise men of Bethlehem. They had known each other since childhood and studied under the same teacher, but the latter was far more talented than Le Gua, and he eventually became a student of the wise men and eventually became a wise man himself.

But he could not forget the friendship he shared with his classmates, and besides, Le Gao's annual donations were quite substantial. Now, not only had the virtuous man been whipped, but even his students had been whipped and their fates were uncertain.

Presumably, those people will soon push for the synagogue to elect a new wise man to guide the lives and actions of the people of Bethlehem Isaac.

Thinking of this, he was consumed by anxiety and couldn't eat all day. Fortunately, the Isaacs' New Year wasn't his, and as night fell, he went to find Haredi.

Haredi was a friend of Legault and had even stayed in Bethlehem for a time in gratitude to Legault. Legault had even wanted to buy him a house and workshop so he and his wife and children could live there. Although he was refused, he had to admit that he had received favors from Legault, right?
Haredi was very much liked by the lord. Although Jacques couldn't see what it was about him that made the lord value him so much, it shouldn't be a problem for him to ask Haredi to say a few words for his father-in-law.

With such expectations in mind, he rushed to Haredi's workshop, only to be stopped by two apprentices.

The two children also possessed the innate perceptiveness of the Isaacs. Upon seeing Jacques, they knew he had come to plead for his father-in-law, Le Guau. But they had also heard that their lord was actually a very mild man; anything that could enrage him so fiercely and result in such severe punishment must be no small matter.

If that's the case, why waste the trust his master had gained with the lord, only to have him whipped or even hanged upside down? They didn't let Jacques see Haredi at all, saying that today was the last day of the new year and that Haredi was going to pray for his teacher, wife, and children, and didn't intend to see anyone.

What about tomorrow?
Pray again tomorrow.

What about the day after tomorrow?
We should pray again the day after tomorrow.

At this point, Jacques knew that continuing the struggle would only lead to humiliation. He left Haredi's workshop in a fit of rage. If he could get through this, he would definitely tell Legault about it and demand that he expel Haredi from Bethlehem. What good was being valued by the lord? The Isaacs had their own laws.

On his way home, he saw the Isaac Synagogue standing on one side of the square. It was the church of the Isaacs, built of gray-white marble, and looked even more majestic and solemn in the night.

In a prosperous small town like Bethlehem, there are many wise men, but the one who ultimately presides over the meetings in the synagogue is the most worthy of respect and holds the greatest power. Now, Lego's old friend is dead, and the people of Isaac are mourning him while searching for a new wise leader.

The problem is that they each have their supporters, and for a time they couldn't reach a consensus. Jacques didn't know which wise man would ultimately prevail.

If he had known, he might have gone all in. He could have taken all the soap from the warehouse and given it to the wise man, but he couldn't even find a trace of it—he wasn't an Isaac after all, and he wouldn't be allowed to attend any of the Isaac's meetings.

He returned home feeling lost and helpless. When his wife saw him, although she looked worried, she immediately stood up to serve him.

“Is there anything else? I’m hungry.” He said as he walked into the restaurant, and then he saw something even more upsetting: his wife’s aunt.

His father-in-law Le Gao's sister, "What's she doing here?"

"Today... is a day for family reunion," the wife said cautiously.

“If Dad could still stand, he would slap you and kick you and this woman out.” Indeed, if Lego were still conscious, he would definitely scold his daughter and kick his sister out of the house.

Regardless, Witte's mother had converted to Christianity to marry a Christian knight, making her a traitor and heretic among the Isaacs. From then on, even though Legault and his daughter still felt some attachment to this relative, they could only secretly give her money in private.

After her husband and son died one after another, Lego, though pitying her, decided to send her away rather than leave her in Bethlehem.

If they were discovered to still be associating with this woman who had been expelled from the gang, they would all be implicated. "Send her away immediately." Jacques had completely lost his appetite. He grabbed a wine glass and poured himself a large glass of wine. The wine, which was usually fragrant and delicious, now turned into bitter poison that made him nauseous.

He knew this was a psychological problem. He pressed his stomach and went upstairs. Before going up, he turned around and saw his wife leaving with his aunt through the back door, her face full of shame. He felt a little relieved.

He had made up his mind. If he couldn't find anyone today, he would definitely find a captain tomorrow to send this woman far away. It was just a pity that she was too old to fetch a good price and no one would want her. Otherwise, he could have just sold her and saved some money.

Witt's mother, carrying the food she hadn't finished eating, staggered from a narrow alleyway onto the main street. She felt little anger, only a sense of satisfaction.

Indeed, although she was often helped by her brother and his children, and they were willing to find her a way out after losing her husband and son, they did not give this woman the greatest help—allowing her husband to establish himself in the Castle of the Holy Cross instead of being sent to the dangerous battlefield was enough for them to be cursed by her for a thousand years.

When her son was expelled from Castle Sainte-Croix and became a priest in a monastery, she was overjoyed and ran around telling people that her son had been blessed by God. He should return to the community of Isaacs and become a student of a wise man, but after inquiring about the price and the abilities her son had shown, Lego refused her without hesitation.

The price is too high, and the return is too low.

Even after her son died, Le Gao, as his uncle, never mentioned anything about avenging him.

Of course, if one were to find the culprit, the several high-ranking officials in Holy Cross Castle would all be implicated, with even the current Patriarch Heraclius directly ordering Witte's execution. It wasn't just a case of throwing an egg against a rock; the difference in their status was almost astronomical, but she refused to give up. "Even a giant elephant can have its brain gnawed through by a rat," she murmured as she arrived in Bethlehem, and stayed there at all costs.

She knew that Le Guau and Jacques had never given up on getting rid of her, but she was like a rusty and stubborn nail staring into their eyes, impossible to remove.

However, she was also a little worried. She had visited Le Guerre before, and what would she do if Le Guerre and Jacques were ultimately unable to establish themselves in Bethlehem and had to leave? In any case, food and drink at the inn would cost money. She was considering whether to go and find the person who had made her the promise, but unexpectedly, that person's servant arrived that very night.

Upon hearing the servant's purpose, Witt's mother pursed her lips.

She was indeed a beauty, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to seduce a Christian knight into falling for her. But now she was old, and the deaths of her husband and son had left indelible scars. Her hair was gray, frizzy and dry, her eyebrows were bald, and her fierce eyes were deeply sunken, like two dry wells.

Her nose was large, with a hooked tip resembling a bird's beak—a physical characteristic shared by most Isaacs. In her youth, this feature gave her a unique charm, but now it only evoked disgust and fear.

Her lips were thin, and people say that people with thin lips are usually cold-hearted. But on the surface, she seemed to be very affectionate towards her husband and son. It was just unknown how much of it was pretense or out of necessity. Anyway, the servants didn't believe it.

(End of this chapter)