kingdom of nations

Chapter 310 The Great Punishment (Part 2)
Cesar embraced Baldwin tightly, and Baldwin hugged Cesar just as tightly. At that moment, nothing was more precious than a friend's embrace and the trust and love it represented.

A moment later, they separated, and Cesar saw Baldwin's eyes at that moment, and he was slightly taken aback.

These grey-blue eyes, as hard as steel and as wild as flames, reminded him of the former King Amalric I, whose eyes were the same color when he first met him.

Baldwin was even more capable than Amalric I of his time.

Baldwin kept his lips tightly pressed together, making them almost invisible as a thin line.

He held tightly to Cesare's arm as they walked from the city gate to the Church of the Nativity, under the watchful eyes of countless people, as if to prove that his brother and friend were not sinners. On the contrary, he was a saint worthy of veneration, who had saved so many lives, and whose statue should be erected and whose name should be praised day and night.

Now they are using the health and vitality he bestowed upon them to push their benefactor into hell.

Baldwin was furious when he heard the so-called testimony and decree. He even killed an Isaac who dared to follow the papal envoy to Holy Cross Castle on the spot. If the envoy had not been a chosen one, he probably would not have escaped the spear of St. George.

But how could one Isaac possibly quell the fire of anger in his heart?

He was filled with guilt towards César, and like Patriarch Heraclius, he also sensed the hostility of the Grand Duke of Antioch and the Count of Tripoli towards César.

But these two men were also his uncles who watched him grow up. They had carried him on their shoulders and laps, and had given him ponies, bows, and swords.

They had kindly taught him how to ride a horse, how to shoot an arrow, and how to wield a longsword. They sent their only sons to his side as his playmates and friends. Grand Duke Bohemond of Antioch even bluntly told him that their relationship with Amalric I was not very harmonious, and he hoped that the friendship of the next generation could begin to grow from this time.

They had been so good to him that even after Baldwin contracted leprosy, they no longer allowed David and Abigail to come to him and serve him, but they themselves still visited him often to comfort him.

Baldwin did not resent them for not allowing their only sons to continue serving him. He even tried to understand them. After all, David and Abi were their only sons and heirs to the county and the duchy. They could not serve a prince who could be deposed at any time, nor could they follow him to a monastery.

He understood their predicament and hoped they could understand him. He could make David and Abigail his subjects again, but he could not allow them to stay by his side and entrust them with his trust.

He knew this might not be a good thing for Cesar. But he held Abigail in contempt and didn't think such a petty man could cause much trouble. David's integrity, on the other hand, made Baldwin believe he wouldn't resort to any underhanded tactics—David had been willing to acknowledge the outcome of their duel when Cesar was just a slave servant, let alone now.

As for Count Raymond of Tripoli and Grand Duke Bohemond of Antioch—they are old, and even if he does not live long, they may still die before him. He has even made plans to take his sister, Princess Hibil, into his life and raise her as his heir once she gives birth to a boy.

Before he dies, he will entrust the child to Cesar, with David assisting him, and as for Abigail—whether he is the child's father or not, he will send him to a monastery.

Now, harsh reality has shown Baldwin that his indecisiveness could be deadly.

He stumbled as soon as he entered the room, and Cesar quickly steadied him, touching him to find that the skin under his clothes was incredibly hot.

He quickly helped Baldwin to bed and summoned monks to treat him. The monks could only try to lower Baldwin's temperature, but those who could stay by the Patriarch's side were certainly not ordinary people—especially with Cesar there to share some of Baldwin's pain.

But before the monk could leave the room, he heard suppressed sobs.

César, unusually, offered no words of advice.

At this point, forcing Baldwin to suppress his emotions would only lead to worse consequences.

“How could they do this?” Baldwin cried out through gritted teeth. “They knew you were my only support, my only trustworthy person, but…” He gripped Cesar’s wrist tightly, breathing heavily, his eyes bloodshot, but after a moment he let out a hysterical laugh.

“I should have thought of that, Cesar, I should have thought of that. When they tempted me with Abigail—yes, that temptation was initiated by Hibil and Abigail, but wasn’t Bohemond standing behind them?”

However, by then his attachment to Hibil was not as strong as before, and he no longer trusted Abigail, which led to the failure of the conspiracy.

He should have known then that Bohemond—at least—had not a shred of affection for Baldwin, not even a hint of goodwill; he was simply very good at disguising himself. When he looked at Baldwin, he wasn't looking at a nephew, but at an enemy.

But Baldwin simply couldn't understand why Bohemond had no chance of inheriting Arrasald. His son and the princess of Hibil might indeed have a child, but even if that were the case, Baldwin was already an adult and might have already succeeded to the throne.

It would take more than a decade for Hibil's child to be born and for him to ascend the throne. During those years, even if Bohemond could remain unscathed, and even if he did live to see his child become king, he would already be over fifty…

No, wait. Perhaps once this child is born, he will be the de facto regent of Arazarus, and both Hibern and Abigail will be nothing more than puppets to be manipulated at will.

If that's the case, then Cesar, who has been staying by Baldwin's side and trying to prolong his life, becomes an eyesore.

As for David and his father Raymond...

Baldwin pressed his hand to his chest. They were related to him by blood, just like Cesar, but further removed. In other words, if he lost Cesar's support and died young, the Crusaders might actually elect Raymond as King of Arathi Basin.

His heart was gripped by unvented anger and pain, and he realized that what was holding these two apart was not César, but himself.

They simply had to remove the boulder of Cesar before they could get rid of him.

This realization struck his mind and body like a thunderbolt, causing him excruciating pain that rendered him almost speechless. It was a long time before he could feel a hand gently stroking his forehead. Baldwin smiled bitterly and opened his eyes. Because of the plague in Bethlehem, Cesar hadn't had a full night's sleep for nearly a month. He looked somewhat haggard, but showed no fear, anxiety, or dejection. He remained the same, like a hard diamond, untouched by filth or sunlight.

Baldwin stared at him for a while before suddenly smiling. "I want to go to a monastery."

Cesar looked at him, puzzled, unusually unable to immediately grasp Baldwin's meaning.

His appearance made Baldwin smile. "I will enter the monastery, I will abdicate, Cesar, and then I will place the crown of Arathal on your head."

It took Cesar a moment to find his voice. "What are you saying?"

“I’m saying I’ll make you the king of Arazari.”

The King of Arathi Basin held a very special position. The Pope could issue a death sentence to Henry IV, the Emperor of the Roman Empire, but he might not be able to do so to the King of Arathi Basin, especially since he was the Grand Master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre and the Guardian of the Holy Sepulchre.

Cesar did consider this possibility. He had no interest in becoming the king of Arazarus, but if it could thwart the schemes of those villains, he might give it a try. In any case, he could eventually announce that he was going to enter a monastery and return the crown to Baldwin, who had returned to secular life. Such an operation would not require the consent of the Roman Catholic Church, as long as the Patriarch of Arazarus allowed it.

But he immediately dismissed the idea. “Alexander III will not retract the Great Extermination,” he calmly analyzed. “The Pope doesn’t do free work for others.” In other words, he had already received benefits when he issued the Great Extermination, so it wouldn’t be easy for him to change his mind. Moreover, he was already very old and sickly, and might die at any time.

Previously, the Patriarch had planned to stall for time until the next Pope ascended the throne before dealing with the strained relationship between Cesare and the Roman Catholic Church. He probably did not expect that Alexander III would take such a desperate gamble and issue a decree of annulment at the last moment of his life. It was no longer possible to plead with Alexander III to rescind the decree; there was no time or room for maneuver.

Moreover, in the Holy Land, the Grand Duke of Antioch and the Count of Tripoli have clearly sided with the Roman Catholic Church, and the Knights Templar have submitted to the Pope's will. The Good Samaritans, on the other hand, have chosen to betray the Church for their own benefit—although it is unknown what the Grand Duke and the Pope promised them.

The Knights of the Holy Sepulchre did not have the same influence as the Knights Templar and the Knights of the Good Hall. During the several expeditions, they mostly stayed behind on Arrassa Road to guard the Holy Sepulchre, with only a few accompanying the king on the expeditions.

The surrounding cities are even less likely to side with Baldwin and Cesar.

Thinking of this, Baldwin felt another pang of sorrow. He should have listened to Queen Mother Maria and reconciled with the sons of the lords after Amalric I's death.

It was precisely because he rejected them on a whim that their father refused to stand by him in this situation. Indeed, people act for their own benefit. If he refuses to share power with them, why should they cheer for him?
Even if he were to place the crown on César's head now, César would not gain the recognition of these people, whether out of contempt or resentment.

Although Cesar didn't finish speaking, Baldwin had already thought of these things. He closed his mouth with a gloomy expression, leaned against the pillow, and remained silent for a long time. The silence in the room was unsettling.

“Perhaps there is another way,” Baldwin raised his eyes and gazed for a long time at his friend and blood relative who had shared the most difficult time of his life. “I have brought you this.”

Cesar reached out and took it; it was a locked wooden box. He recognized it because it was the one he kept in his room at Sainte-Croix Castle. He opened it, and there it was: the travel documents and identification given to him by Count Étienne, along with the gold coins, all still there.

He looked up in surprise at Baldwin.

“I never imagined you’d need it,” Baldwin said.

Although Count Etienne had instructed Cesar not to tell anyone about the existence of this document—clearly, Count Etienne at the time also believed that Baldwin might undergo some negative changes in the future.

But Cesar still told Baldwin, though at the time he didn't expect he would need the document.

“Take it and go,” Baldwin said in a dry voice. “I used to think that as long as you had my protection, you could live a life of peace and comfort, never having to worry about being attacked or harmed by others (especially after he became king).”

But he was too naive. “Now take this document and leave Bethlehem. I assure you, I will take good care of Bethlehem, Cyprus and Damascus. Go to Count Étienne. Although the Count is frivolous and eccentric, I can tell that he is a man of his word, and at the same time, he does not respect the decrees of the Church much—if he did, he would not have rushed into someone else’s wedding and taken the bride away.”

Go to him and settle down using the name and origin listed on this document. As for whether anyone will identify you as the one who received the Grand Excommunication, that's not important. In Count Etienne's territory, even the king has no right to enter his castle to arrest someone—unless they can prove that the person who came to his castle was Cesar of Arrassal.

He will become a completely new person there, and with Cesar's abilities, temperament, and appearance, he can become a welcome guest among the nobles.

"We may not have to wait too long, until Alexander III dies,"

Baldwin said in a low voice, “I tried to bribe the new pope to rescind the excommunication against you. It’s not unheard of. There was indeed a pope who, in order to strip the previous pope of the privileges and benefits left behind, pulled the buried pope out of his sarcophagus and held a trial of popes against popes. In the end, the dead pope was stripped of his papacy and excommunicated.”

All his previous decrees and edicts became worthless.

This approach wasn't impossible, but Cesar had his own ideas. "You don't need to worry too much about me, Baldwin..." He was about to reveal his plan when someone hurriedly knocked on the door.

He was one of the knights who followed César from Cyprus to Damascus and then to Bethlehem.

Baldwin had been watching his eyes and actions closely, and only breathed a slight sigh of relief when he realized that Baldwin did not intend to avoid Cesar. However, the other party brought bad news.

"The pigeons of Cyprus—Sir, the fleet dispatched by Emperor Manuel I of the Byzantine Empire is heading towards Cyprus. Perhaps tonight, they will land."

(End of this chapter)