kingdom of nations

Chapter 253 The Threat of the Eagle's Nest (Part 2)
"Wait!" Baldwin called out, interrupting their conversation. "You've seen him? When? Where?"

He asked his question hastily and urgently, and subconsciously grabbed Cesar's arm, trying to pull him to his side—a protective gesture.

This may be one of the few times Baldwin and Cesar have not been on the same page. Cesar questioned why the Eyrie visitor was not one of their elders or anyone qualified to make a pact with King Arathal, but merely an assassin, not to mention a woman.

Although Sinan changed many practices after becoming the leader of the Eagle's Nest, for example, Hassan originally recruited young men aged fifteen to twenty.

In order to ensure that these young people would completely obey his orders without being deterred by the threat of pain and death, Hassan deliberately built a palace deep in the Alamut Mountains, the exact location of which was unknown to anyone.

After the young boys have passed the initial screening, he will get them drunk and send them there.

There are evergreen trees all year round, fragrant flowers and wines as numerous as stars, and honey water flowing like a stream in the quiet valley. Hidden in the dense foliage are palaces and courtyards built of white marble, with golden domes that surpass the setting sun and the rising moon. They are all served by young, pure and beautiful girls.

They indulged in revelry there day and night. In addition to alcohol, a drink that the Saracens avoided, they were provided with hookahs laced with psychedelic herbs, which dulled their senses and made them feel perfect—so that once they left that secret palace, they would never find such earthly bliss again.

Such days might only last seven or two weeks. When the time came, they would be made drunk again and then sent out of the palace.

When they wake up, Hassan will tell them that it was the prophet who gave him the power to briefly see the Kingdom of Heaven. If they want to regain that happiness, the only way is to obey Hassan's orders and execute every mortal who dares to disobey him. Then they will ascend to Heaven, where they will not only regain their former happiness but also enjoy it forever.

This practice worked well for young men, but was far less effective for women. After all, Hassan couldn't possibly seek out female infants and raise them as men. Therefore, women were rare among the Assassins.

This situation changed somewhat after Sinan became the leader of the Syrian branch.

He believes that there are many things in this world that can make people unafraid of death, such as gratitude, hatred, ideals, and faith.

Leila is perhaps one of his best works. This ill-fated girl was originally the child of a scholar in Damascus, but she was born with an unusual appearance. Her father firmly believed that the baby was the devil incarnate, brought into the world through his wife's womb, and threw her into the water to drown her.

To his surprise, the current carried Laila to a ditch outside the city, where she was adopted—though not out of kindness. She was sold as a rare commodity, and before meeting Sinan, Laila had already changed owners several times, including Saracens, Isaacs, and Christians.

After becoming an Assassin's assassin, she witnessed even more of the treachery, deception, betrayal, and hatred lurking in the shadows, which seemed to have become an inseparable vein in her life.

Instead of answering Baldwin's question immediately, Lyra watched with interest as Cesar awkwardly explained the situation to Baldwin.

“We met in Damascus. That night I was looking for a doctor, hoping to copy some books from his private collection—since we were leaving the next day, there wasn’t much time to wait. People told me he was…” He paused, glancing at Leila, “at a small party hosted by a ‘beautiful’ man, where Leila was the hostess, skilled in poetry, dance, and music.”

At that time, I didn't know she was a member of the Eagle's Nest, and she didn't show any hostility towards me. "You could even say that in the beginning, Lyra even helped him out."

Upon hearing the mention of copying medical texts, Baldwin immediately knew who Cesar was doing it for, and his heart finally eased a little. Although Cesar was now standing right beside him, he couldn't help but feel terrified for Cesar back then.

It can be said that if Cesar had not maintained sufficient vigilance and won the loyalty of many knights with his generosity, that mission would not have gone so smoothly.

Cesar had not told him about Leila in detail before, so he really did not know Leila's true identity. He also did not want to bring up the doctor's harassment of him again. Why bother?

Baldwin couldn't very well grab the doctor and beat him up to vent Cesar's anger. Besides, he could sense that the doctor's malice wasn't strong—it was even more benign than some of the people in Sainte-Croix Castle.

Later, his wish was fulfilled, and he found many valuable things in the doctor's collection of books.

Leila smiled but remained silent. Although her name was "Qiyan," she knew that whether she was a Saracen or a Christian, she had a clear name among them: a woman who sold her body.

Cesar knew that Baldwin was no stranger to the word "exquisite," and that his attempt to conceal it was unnecessary. But he had to admit that even after all that Lyra had been through, she could still find pleasure in it.

She was certainly not a naive young girl who would be moved by a few kind words or a helping hand. This might stem from her innate kindness, or perhaps from her upbringing.

But Leila liked the young man, not because of this kindness; she still clearly remembered the courage he showed when facing the doctor's accusations.

Courage isn’t something you only see on the battlefield or in the arena. As doctors have acknowledged, it’s easier to die a noble death than to live a lowly life. Humans are fragile and can only bear so much.

So when Cesar revealed his true feelings to him, even this cunning and dissolute fellow couldn't resist and could only hastily clean up the mess, readily agreeing to Cesar's request.

At that moment, Leila wondered what kind of person could make this beautiful and kind child willingly sacrifice herself.
She had seen too many ungrateful people. Some of them, even after receiving great favors from others, did not feel grateful but instead harbored resentment.

They might even say, "Why did you do this? I didn't ask you to do it. Now, although I have received your help, I am unable to repay it. You have forced me to take on debts that I cannot bear. Therefore, you are not my benefactor, but my enemy."

At times like these, Leila would prefer these people to be even more despicable.

The situation would be much better if they were so despicable as to not care whether they were owed a favor or a debt. Unfortunately, many people are tormented by their conscience, but no one knows in which direction this conscience will lead them.

Lyra had been hired by these people many times. Ironically, those who could hire Eagle Nest assassins were usually already famous and powerful.

Those who had helped them in the past mostly remained in their original social class, becoming objects they could manipulate at will.

Would the young king of Arrasalus feel the same way? Would he feel that Cesar's actions were not intended to help him, but rather to mock him?

Look at him, a leper who, despite his noble lineage, extraordinary favor, and illustrious status, still couldn't live past thirty—now she saw it, and it was a satisfying ending, yet a pang of pity swept through Leila's heart.

The fate of these two children is destined to be a tragedy.

This is what her teacher, Xinan, told her.

Sinan was certainly a prophet who had received a revelation from a prophet. The prophet who revealed this to him was none other than Noah, the prophet ranked third in the twenty-five, also known as Noah in Christian parlance.

Noah's story is widely known. He received divine revelation and knew that a great flood was coming, so he built a very large ship. On the ship, besides his family, were all the animals of the earth. It was because of the devout Noah that all living things on earth were not completely wiped out.

Those who receive revelation from Noah possess different abilities, but most tend to excel in prophecy, communication with animals, or persuasion.

Sinan's ability is to see a person's future destiny through his eyes.

But this power is difficult to fully grasp and hard to describe. Although Sinan once described this feeling—it's like seeing two small trees growing in a courtyard. At first glance, they appear no different, with their slender branches and graceful leaves. But you always feel that one of them will inevitably wither and die soon, while the other will grow into a towering tree.

With this ability, he selected many suitable candidates for the Assassins, not just assassins, but also scholars, officials, and merchants. He mentioned Cesar to Leila, but he couldn't be sure how brilliant the boy's future achievements would be; he could only see that the path he was to take would inevitably be fraught with difficulties.

This is inevitable.
Based on what Lyra saw and heard in those two short meetings, she was almost certain that such a person could hardly survive in this world, whether he was a Christian or a Saracen.

“Yes,” Lyra said with a smile after a moment of silence, her face showing no sign of anything amiss. “It was a joyous party. The doctor was my guest, but also a rather eccentric fellow.” She glanced at Cesar and, sure enough, saw a hint of tension in his eyes. He certainly didn’t want Baldwin to know that he had suffered such humiliation for him.

Leila smiled at him for a while, until his shoulders tensed, before continuing, “The doctor isn’t a bad person, just a little mischievous at times. And your friend is such a beautiful and clever child, who wouldn’t want to talk to him more? He didn’t make things too difficult for him (about 80-90%), and then agreed to his request, so don’t worry. He didn’t suffer much—except for staying up all night—I hope you didn’t fall off your horse the next day.”

Cesar slumped his shoulders. "No, thank you very much for your concern. However..." He looked calmly at Leila. "You said before that your leader, Elder Sinan, went to Cairo. Did he go to see Saladin?"

"Yes, he went to see Saladin."

"What kind of agreement does he want to reach with Saladin?" Baldwin said at this point. "I don't think it's about reducing a few taxes."

"Although Saladin's relationship with us was not very harmonious due to factional differences, we were still Saracens and followers of Ahmed."

Saladin wouldn't go so far as to impose taxes on us for this.

The elder sought something greater.

"Something bigger?"

"You should know that while you were preparing for this expedition, Saladin had already begun to gather his army. His prey was also Damascus."

In an era of scarcity and fragmented power, it was virtually impossible to conduct a secret military campaign.

It's no exaggeration to describe an expeditionary army as a moving city. Preparing for an expedition often begins a year, two, or even three years in advance. Merchants procure grain, leather, cloth, iron, and steel from all over the place, recruit artisans, servants, and civilians who have to perform more labor and pay more taxes because of the expedition. Not to mention the martial arts tournament that inevitably takes place before the expedition.

Tournaments were originally rehearsals for war, and even the Saracens were no exception.

For example, in the legend of the famous Saracen warrior Musa, it is mentioned that he was once driven out of the castle in Samarkand for overstepping his bounds.

This was because the Sogdians, like the Saracens, had a custom of setting out the most abundant food at a banquet.

This sumptuous feast was not for everyone, not even the host or the person of the highest status. Only the victorious Sogdian warriors were entitled to enjoy it and would receive the local lord's reward and the title of warrior.

After the banquet begins, the warrior who received this honor last year will sit at this table. Anyone who believes they can surpass this warrior and claim the honor can challenge him.

Generally speaking, even if it is not explicitly stated, guests should not participate in such a fight, but who could resist the tempting food? One of Musa's servants challenged the warrior without hesitation.

In the challenge, the warrior was defeated. As a result, the Saracen, who was a guest, became the leader of the banquet.

Perhaps it could be described as another form of anger, but the lord of Samarkand drove them out.

This shows that the Saracens also used force to determine their position within the group when they gathered together.

Therefore, it can only be said that Baldwin and Saladin had a rather remarkable tacit understanding regarding when to begin their expedition and which city to choose as their target. However, this is understandable, as one had only recently assumed power and had only just begun to establish his prestige within the army, while the other had only recently ended the reign of his former master and become Sultan.

This battle will be their first as rulers, not subjects, and none of them will back down.

But the Eagle's Nest's intervention at this point is rather intriguing. What is the elder's intention in doing this? Cesar immediately thought of a possibility and asked with some disbelief, "What conditions did the elder bring you?"

“If Saladin had refused him,” Leila said frankly, “he would have led 60,000 men in the Alamut Mountains to convert to Christianity.”

Upon hearing this condition, even someone as seemingly mild-mannered but actually daring as Baldwin couldn't help but be startled. Although there were Seljuk Turks or Saracens who came to join the Crusaders, their numbers were small and their quality was not very high.

Most of them came to seek Christian protection because they had violated Saracen doctrines and were forced to abandon their faith and territory.

They were neither valued nor respected.

But it is truly hard to understand why the owner of the Eagle's Nest would make such a decision.

There is a reason for this, of course.

The Assassins have existed for nearly a century, but they have never resembled a country, region, or city. They are an extreme religious armed organization, even more fanatical and harsh than the Knights Templar.

Hassan's methods did indeed strike fear into the hearts of lords, kings, and even religious leaders in the short term, who were even willing to pay a deposit for temporary peace. However, no power can survive for long when it is surrounded by enemies. When Sinan took over Hassan's mantle and became the leader of the Eagle's Nest, a respected elder, he devoted himself to changing this situation.

Even after Nourdin's death, when Syria and Mosul were in chaos to varying degrees, he began to frequently contact those emirs, viziers, or Fatahs, hoping to take this opportunity to obtain a formal territory and establish himself there.

This was not an unfounded worry. Organizations like the Assassins were like a malignant tumor rooted in the bloodline network. While Central and West Asia were still in the midst of war, no country or monarch could wage war against them. They could only submit to their threats and use their dignity and money to avoid assassin attacks.

But what if there is a monarch with great talent and ambition, a powerful army, and a unified country? No matter how hidden, how towering, or how easily defended the Alamut Mountains may be, they are still a real place.

The vast majority of the 60,000 people inside are just ordinary people who need to eat and drink. Their connection with the outside world cannot be severed at all—finding them only requires time and money.

When that day comes, with a massive army pressing in, what can they do?
You might say they could assassinate that king, but putting aside whether they could succeed under the oppression of an entire vast empire, even if they did succeed, the Eagle's Nest in Alamut would inevitably face destruction.

Hassan founded the Eagle's Nest perhaps simply to fulfill his lifelong ambition, but Sinan was unwilling to accept Hassan's ideology. He didn't believe that true wealth came from killing, especially assassination, and the resulting fear and control. Instead, he was certain that if the Assassins continued their horrific methods, it would only incite anger from all sides. If they finally decided to put aside their rivalry and hatred…

Who wants to live in constant fear, waiting for the sword hanging over their neck to fall?

If Sinan were to speak, he would prefer that the entire Central and West Asian region remain in its current state of chaos and fragmentation. Only when everyone faces a greater threat than the Assassins can the Eagle's Nest possibly survive in the cracks.

Then, he and his successors might be able to use the money and power they had accumulated to acquire a territory, and when the Assassins became one of the states, the threat they posed would naturally disappear.

Although this would certainly go against Hassan's wishes, at least the Assassins could continue to live.

Unfortunately, Sinan already saw two people who could potentially end this chaotic situation: one was Saladin, and the other was the Christian king Baldwin IV.

Ironically, the very chips he now holds—which are also the ones he wants to discard—the intimidating power of the assassins over the monarchs, are the last pieces he can move.

Getting these two to compromise is a very difficult thing.

Saladin was an arrogant and stubborn man. Moreover, Hassan, the founder of the Assassins, was originally a fanatical follower of the orthodox sect. He had openly opposed Nur ad-Din from the beginning and even tried to assassinate the Sultan but failed. Now that Saladin had become Nur ad-Din's successor, he was equally unwilling to accept the orthodox sect's attempts to win him over.

This is something that a Sultan would take for granted.

He will not allow an organization that still has many fierce opponents and is capable of threatening him to continue to exist.

Baldwin IV was even less likely to be involved; he was a Christian king and the commander of the Crusaders, and the Assassins had even assassinated Crusader generals.

Cesar had already figured out Sinan's intentions. He leaned down and whispered a few words to Baldwin. Baldwin, upon hearing this, laughed in anger. Sinan had brought Laila before them and made those conditions, not because he genuinely wanted to discuss any alliance or even submission with them, but because he was using them to threaten Saladin.

In their eyes, Saladin became a tool to threaten them.

"What if I refuse?"

"Then your expedition is destined to end in failure once again. You have Cesar by your side, the strongest shield. Do others have that?"

You are not a Sultan or a Caliph. Although you are a commander or leader, you do not have a real way to control them. Their knights still only obey their masters' orders, and you cannot force them to do what you ask.

When the Assassins kill one, two, three, even ten, twenty lords, will your army still retain its original cohesion? The Second Crusade ended in defeat at Damascus, and I fear this time will be no exception.

"Do you also use this to threaten Saladin?"

Are you referring to Sultan Saladin?
Their soldiers and subjects are far more loyal than the Christians, but they are loyal to only one person, and his son is too young to withstand our threats.

"So you're bidding from both sides, seeing who can offer the higher price."

"Indeed."

Baldwin stood there, silent, his eyelids lowered, but Cesar, who knew him well, knew he was furious beyond measure.

No monarch could tolerate such a provocation.

“Although Sinan isn’t here,” Baldwin said in a hoarse voice, “I can answer you right away.”

(End of this chapter)