kingdom of nations

Chapter 260 César's Day in Bethlehem (Part 1)
How many are there here?

"Three branches, sir."

Cesar lowered his head. Before him lay a flat, rectangular box. Such boxes were often used to hold necklaces, rosaries, or crucifixes—and when opened, it was indeed lined with expensive silk and black velvet. But even more precious than these two items were three syringes neatly arranged inside.

Of course, people of this era could not understand these instruments. Even if they held them in their hands and used and disassembled them, they could only recognize them as a combination of a bloodletting needle and a water-filled sac. They would even be confused and puzzled. The bloodletting needle might also use some expensive metals—such as silver and gold. After all, those nobles and kings would probably not accept the priests using goose feather tubes or reed tubes to bleed them. Copper tubes could only be considered mediocre.

They carefully crafted a bloodletting needle and made a separate water-filled bag, connecting them together. They seemed to be no different. Moreover, the "water-filled bag" at the back didn't hold much. For enema fluid that often had to be measured in "buckets," how long would the priests have to keep busy with such a small tube?

In a time when technology was virtually nonexistent and medical knowledge was firmly confined to churches and libraries, people naturally had no incentive to research sophisticated medical instruments. In fact, even in another world, it would be hundreds of years before people saw the prototype of the syringe—a syringe made of pure silver and using a spiral seal.

Its blueprints were borrowed by Cesar, but the cost was much higher. Haredi used an alloy of 54% gold and silver-copper for the needle, 46% gold for the syringe, and 70% gold for the screw thread connecting the syringe to the syringe—he tried many times for this.

The creation of the syringe also involved the problem of making an inner and outer spiral – even with Cesare's drawings and suggestions, Haredi could only use the method of making threads that people in the 4th century used when making these delicate little things.

External threads are made by first winding steel wire around a metal rod, and then polishing it according to the traces of the coil winding. Internal threads are more complicated. A tougher and harder alloy wire is wound around the rod, and then a softer metal is covered on top and carefully hammered out.

The lathe and workbench he can use now are still made of wood—Cesar can afford it, but it's too conspicuous.

Nearly two years have passed since César brought him back from Damascus. During this time, Haredi has almost stopped accepting work from others, yet he has only been able to create three syringes. One can only imagine the hardship and tedium he has endured.

He kept a close eye on Cesar, watching him carefully unscrew the needle, tighten the bolt on the syringe, examine the surface and the inside, and finally reassemble them.

Cesar had already prepared the filtered wine. He drew a little wine, then pressed the syringe tip and turned the screw on the syringe to see if there was any leakage. He then drew more wine, rotated the syringe to apply pressure, and watched to see if the translucent red liquid could be smoothly sprayed from the syringe tip. Finally, he took a standard ounce. Since the syringe was not made of glass, the graduations could not be seen, but they could be judged by the height of the screw column—this test also passed.

Throughout the entire process, Haredi held his breath. Although he had tested everything before bringing it over, more than once, he was still incredibly nervous as Cesar methodically examined it.

Cesar withdrew the needle, held it up to his eyes, and examined it carefully again. The needle he had found on Nurdin, although it had been made thinner than the current needles, was not considered in terms of hardness because Haredi did not consider the risk of the needle breaking off and embedding itself in Nurdin's flesh, nor did he need to worry about whether the needle would be used a second time.

Or rather, it would be best if it were truly broken. If Cesar hadn't performed the "purification" of Nur ad-Din's body, even if others saw it, they would only have thought it was a broken gold thread...

The syringe Cesar needed couldn't be disposable. If it were, how many needles would he need to make after the treatment began? Therefore, this needle was thicker than the one left on the Noor nail, basically reaching the 18g standard. That is to say, the outer diameter was about 1.3 millimeters, suitable for surgery or rapid intravenous infusion.

"Have you boiled them in a pot of boiling water and burned them in a fire as I have instructed?"

"Yes, sir, each time, at the temperature and time you require, no discoloration or deformation has been observed."

“Leave one here with me, and then continue making it—all you need is the needle.”

“How many do you need?”

“I don’t know how much I’ll need,” Cesar sighed, something he hadn’t needed to worry about before.

What troubles him most now is that his research and experiments cannot go hand in hand with the expedition.

He left Harry in Bethlehem because he hoped that others would see Harry and the work he had entrusted to him as a young man's momentary whims, which would become boring and easily abandoned after the initial excitement wore off.

If he were to bring Haredi back to Arrassa Road, as an Isaac, Haredi would be unable to enter the Holy Cross Castle—and outside the castle, as someone valued by Cesar, Haredi would inevitably attract more attention. Even if those people couldn't understand the purpose and meaning of the syringe, even if it was just to displease Cesar, Haredi's work might be interfered with, or he might even be killed.

This is certainly a situation that Cesar does not want to see.

And his approach did indeed work.

Is anyone still spying on you?

“Almost none,” Haredi said after a moment’s hesitation. Indeed, recently there had been less inquiry from any source. Perhaps it was because they had discovered that he was constantly and repeatedly crafting something that looked like a slightly more complex bloodletting needle. They couldn’t understand it, so they didn’t delve any deeper, and of course, they couldn’t discover the true purpose of this thing.

Except for one person, a wicked witch—Haredi didn't want to say that, because many Isaac women had been burned or drowned for this crime—but this person, Lego's sister, a woman who had betrayed her faith and her people, had not yet been spared.

Haredi had been fully committed to the development of this device, but his sense of smell remained as sharp as ever. When Lego's sister came to inquire, he noticed something was amiss.

He interrogated his two apprentices sternly, and from them he learned that the woman had tricked him out of meat pies and wine, and from them he also obtained some other information—he hesitated, for Lego was his friend and had helped him a great deal since he arrived in Bethlehem.

Even after being exiled, he was still inviting Haredi to Nalazar—perhaps Lego was indeed after him—because Haredi, a goldsmith who had been valued by the Knights of Bethlehem, with his superb skills and status as a student of the Sage, would be better able to establish himself in Nalazar.

But in any case, compared to the other Isaacs, Legolas showed at least some humanity towards Haredi.

Haredi ultimately decided to keep the matter a secret.

He even allowed the two apprentices to stay in his workshop (also to prevent them from going home and talking nonsense), but assigned them a lot of work and reduced their rations—from food to clothing to bedding, in short, treated them the way workshop owners usually treat their apprentices.

No one knew that those fictitious customers were all fabricated by him. The rough blanks, polished stones, and drawn gold or silver wires that the apprentices painstakingly made were either directly resold by him or thrown into the furnace and turned back into pieces of silver and gold, which were then given to them, so that they no longer had time to spy on their teacher's work or the energy to gossip with others.

But while he was willing to let things go, the woman continued to stir things up. After Lego was forced to leave Bethlehem, she was kicked out by the innkeeper, since no one would pay her inn bills anymore. As a result, she became even more erratic. Perhaps because she had no money to buy food to tempt the two apprentices, she secretly sneaked into Haredi's workshop one night.

She may have wanted to steal a finished product, and Harry, tired of dealing with her, grabbed a work hammer and smashed her to death.

It was late at night. Haredi wiped the ground, packed up his tools, wrapped her up simply, and threw her outside the city. The woman had become very light, and Haredi did this effortlessly without anyone noticing.

He didn't think it was a big deal, and even felt that what he did could be considered an act of kindness.

After all, according to the laws at the time, this woman would have to suffer tortures such as having her tongue pulled out or her hands cut off before she could be hanged—or, as the woman of Isaac, she would have been more likely to be burned at the stake.

But he didn't tell César the truth, because of Le Gau—Le Gau had previously offended César severely, though Haredi felt that at least this matter shouldn't have much to do with Le Gau.

The people of Isaac valued profit above all else. Although Lego was punished, he was not driven to despair. Cesar even allowed him to take the soap he had bought, and with this soap, he regained his property, shops, and residence in Nareza.

He also has a daughter and son-in-law. Although he is not as successful as he was in Bethlehem, it is possible that he will rise again in a few years with his talent and methods.

What benefit would he gain from discovering César's secrets and betraying him?

People will surely try him before they try César. César might get away unscathed, but he'll definitely be hanged, hanging with the paparazzi. Le Guau wouldn't do something so stupid.

As for that woman, Lego severed ties with her when he left Bethlehem. No, it should be said that the relationship was severed long ago, since she married a Christian against the wishes of her family and people. She was no longer an Isaac. Lego might not cry for her, let alone avenge her.

Although Haredi was still somewhat uneasy, the woman was dead, and all leads had been exhausted by her, unless someone could bring her back to life like Jesus Christ.

Otherwise, there's no point in continuing to pursue this matter.

However, when Cesar asked him to continue making the needles, Haredi suddenly felt an urge to know if the corresponding medicine had been made.
He had crafted many things before, from brooches and scabbards to belts and reliquary boxes. Some of these items had unsavory uses and could even be described as malicious or lewd.

But whether they were noble or evil, none of them intrigued or coveted him as much as this instrument. If what its owner said was true, its significance was entirely different from a bloodletting needle or an enema; it could truly cure patients.

Moreover, the fact that even a mortal could achieve the same effect by using it is a transgression—undoubtedly affecting not only Christian clergy, but also their sages and Saracen scholars.

But more than the danger and coercion that followed, Haredi wanted to see those arrogant people fall from their high places, especially those from his own tribe.

(End of this chapter)