kingdom of nations

Chapter 9 The Chosen One?
The soup in the clay pot had begun to turn white, the cabbage and onion had become transparent, the reddish-brown slices of meat were rolling around, emitting a rich aroma. Cesar took out two large wooden cups that people used to drink beer, and filled a cup for Baldwin and himself.

Baldwin jumped up, ran to the wicker box and took out a bag of white bread. Although it was called white bread, it was only slightly lighter in color than the brown bread that civilians could use as weapons, and it still contained a lot of bran.

Cesar drew his dagger, laid it on his knees, and cut into slices, and they drank their soup and ate their bread, and while Baldwin searched for peas with his spoon, Cesar finished his fight and began to peel an apple.

"You're still like this," Baldwin said. "Some say you're definitely not a noble, but maybe just a peasant, or even a slave." He pointed at Cesar's apple. "Because you don't like drinking, you prefer water and milk. You also make vegetable soup and eat fruit raw."

That’s because the vitamins and enzymes in most fruits are easily destroyed by high temperatures. If your stomach is fine, it’s best to eat them raw. The issue with alcohol has been explained before.

As for cooking vegetable soup... It's not that vegetables can't be eaten raw, but in an era without pesticides and food safety concepts, Cesar could never be sure whether he would eat a frog or a worm along with the leaves.

The disgusting thing is not the most serious problem. The parasitic diseases caused by frogs and worms can be fatal.

"But it tastes good, doesn't it?" Cesar couldn't explain to Baldwin a concept that would only be formed hundreds of years later. "The milk is sweet, the vegetables are soft, and the fruits are crisp and tender."

"It's your cooking skill." Baldwin said this sincerely. Cesar often prepared food for the two of them on the fireplace - boys who were still growing up would never have enough to eat. Cesar didn't even need to use a lot of spices like a chef to make something quite delicious. He only needed a little salt and failed wine, that is, grape vinegar.

"Perhaps my father was a very talented chef," Cesar said seriously. "He might be working for the Sultan or the Khalifa right now."

Baldwin couldn't help laughing, then he straightened his face. "No," he said, "your father must be a knight, and he is anxiously searching for you." He put down the wooden cup and put a hand on Cesar. "How can a lion be born from a wolf? The virtues and talents you possess must be traceable to their origins."

He said seriously, "One day you will meet again under the gaze of God. Then I will beg my father to let him join the Crusades, fight against the Saracens, and win countless merits and glory."

Cesar imagined his father, a great medical expert, wearing helmet and armor, holding a lance, and holding the reins in one hand, galloping towards countless Saracens in black on the dusty battlefield. He didn't know whether to laugh or feel embarrassed. But for a man at that time, becoming a knight of the king and fighting against the pagans was a great blessing. He could only thank Baldwin for his generosity.

But he wanted to know more: Baldwin had said, "Someone said..." Who was that person? He had been inseparable from Baldwin for the past few days, except for a few times when Princess Sibylle, Baldwin's sister, came to visit him, and he had retreated to another room.

Is it Sibylle?
Cesar had only occasionally seen Princess Sibylle from a distance. She was always surrounded by a large group of maids and attendants. In the words of the servants, she was a noble lady with outstanding appearance and great majesty.

He quickly let the matter go. After all, Cesar was not the kind of person who would care about his origin and bloodline. He cared more about the afternoon classes than whether his father was a chef or a knight.

----------

Since Amalric I said that he would treat Cesar as the son of a grand duke, as long as he always respected and was loyal to Baldwin, Cesar would enjoy the same treatment as Abigail, David and others, one of which was to receive the same education as Baldwin.

Baldwin's education was different from the knight education at that time. The latter did not attach much importance to cultural education. There were many lords who could not read and write, let alone knights.

But starting from Baldwin I, perhaps influenced by the Saracens (even the church had to admit that the Saracens far surpassed the Germans, Celts and Romans in the accumulation of knowledge and the popularization of education), he did not want his heirs to be fools who could not even understand documents and contracts and even needed monks to write their signatures. Therefore, the education of his descendants was very comprehensive from the very beginning.

The prince's courses were not only well-arranged but also well-ordered. Except for Sunday, from Monday to Saturday, there were literature courses in the morning and martial arts courses in the afternoon. The literature courses included grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, arithmetic, music, and astronomy; the martial arts courses included spear, riding, falconry, bow and arrow, swordsmanship, as well as chivalry - the actions, terminology and etiquette for important occasions. It is said that when Baldwin was fourteen years old, he had to add some more courses, but Cesar did not know about this.

The classes were suspended for a time after Baldwin contracted leprosy and were only resumed after some of the teachers were replaced.

Among the many courses, some were familiar to Cesar, such as mathematics, and some were unfamiliar to him, such as falconry. Falconry for knights was not a game, but a real consideration for the stomachs of themselves and their followers. If they made mistakes or were stunned during hunting, they would be beaten with scabbards or sticks, and even the prince was not spared.

Cesar was very excited whether it was familiar or unfamiliar. Besides the fact that he was a studious person, he also knew very well that this would be the stepping stone for his career, especially in this era when education was monopolized by the upper class. The opportunity he got was precious, unique, and fleeting.

But today, after they all held the wax tablets, Heraclius, the rhetoric teacher, finally arrived. Not only was he late, he did not bring the textbook he usually used for teaching, but instead held up a Latin prayer book, which made Cesar a little disappointed.

If teachers in this era could be rated, Heraclius would definitely be the best among the best. After all, most teachers could teach students as long as they could read and copy a book.

Heraclius, however, was a bachelor of theology and history who had studied for many years in university. In addition to the usual hymn books, prayer books and biographies of saints, his teaching materials also included many precious documents from ancient Greece and Rome, such as Caesar's "Record of the Civil War" and "Record of the Gallic War", Cato the Elder's "Record of Agriculture", and the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI's "Tactics".

They had previously mentioned Cato the Elder's "Genesis", which is not a biblical work, but a historical work that tells the story of Rome from its founding to the end of the Second Punic War, and also includes the history of other city-states. This book was lost after hundreds of years, but Heraclius had a complete set.

"Put the wax tablet away," Heraclius said. "Children, today we are going to have a very important lesson."

Cesar subconsciously looked at Baldwin. The prince seemed to have a premonition when Heraclius walked in. Now he sat up straight with his eyes shining.

Heraclius waited until both boys had put down the wax tablets and sat properly. Then he placed his hands on the prayer book, closed his eyes, and silently recited a passage of scripture. Then he looked at them again and said in a clear voice:
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Everything God did was perfect. His creations were without a single flaw of sin, a single mark of aging, or a single defect of regret. Like God, they were all flawless. This was the original form of all things in heaven and earth. When God saw this, he was pleased and declared, "Good." But when the demons beneath the earth saw this, they became jealous and malicious. They wanted to destroy all that was good, so they climbed out of the abyss and emerged to the surface. They didn't dare face God!

But they can bring darkness that is enough to cover the spiritual, moral, ideological and religious darkness! This kind of darkness can make the stars fall to the earth, and can also make mankind unable to see the light of God, and can only obey the scepter of Satan!

In this situation, mankind originally had no possibility of salvation. Because they had violated the covenant with God, even if God’s judgment was carried out and the world was destroyed forever, that would be acceptable!
But God has grace, a grace that is vast and boundless, a grace beyond what we ordinary people can imagine. He sent His Son into this world to redeem us. That light is the true light, which illuminates all those born into this world - this is God's mercy to us, like the morning sun.

The angel told Mary that the Holy Spirit would descend upon her and the power of the Most High would protect her because she was giving birth to the Savior of mankind.

What is man? Dust! Imperfect, weak, easily deceived, and even capable of sin. So why did God send His only begotten Son to us? And why did He send Him to walk the earth in flesh and blood? It's because we have sinned, and we must pay for those sins. God sent His Son to save us, even by giving Him a mortal body to atone for our sins.

But does God’s salvation end there? Christ walks among us, both God and man. He repairs the broken bridges between God and man.

He attended a wedding with everyone; he reached out and touched the water, and all the water in the jars turned into wine; he formed a bird out of dust and clay and said to it, "Fly," and it flew; he said to a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years, "Get up," and the man immediately stood up and walked.

People listened to him preach in the wilderness, and he blessed five loaves and two fish, feeding five thousand people; he stood before a tomb and said, "Open it," and people said, "The person inside had been dead for four days, but he said, 'Open it,' and they opened it, and the dead inside walked out, as if they were alive."

He said to his disciples again, “Walk on the water,” and they believed in him and were able to walk on the water.

Then more people came to believe in him, and all who believed in him could be saved and qualified to be chosen—they had the light of the Holy Spirit, were blessed, and were powerful.”

Having said this, Chirac lowered his head slightly, looked at the two boys sternly, and extended his hand to them. Baldwin placed his hand on them without hesitation, but Cesar was a step too late. Some ideas were forming in his mind... He looked at the monk uncertainly, but the monk just squeezed his hand.

"You are of age—maybe a little short of it, but the Holy Spirit tells me it is time for you to go through the rite of election."

Baldwin turned and looked at Cesar with uncontrollable excitement.

"Children who participate in the selection ceremony are generally between ten and fourteen years old," Heraclius continued, that is, before they officially reach adulthood. If Baldwin had not been infected with leprosy, he should have been selected on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord the following year, along with Abigail, David and other attendants.

"According to unwritten customary law, children chosen at the same time in the same place, if they are fortunate enough to receive God's grace, are 'brothers under God's gaze.' This bond can sometimes become very strong, even stronger than that of real brothers," Heraclius said. "I, Your Majesty, Raymond, and Bohemond are such brothers."

"Your Majesty originally envisioned that I should continue the deep friendship of our fathers," Baldwin said with a hint of sarcasm, "but that's no longer necessary."

“…” Cesar.

"The value of friends lies not in their number," Heraclius said gently. "You will be with Baldwin, right?"

Cesar hesitated for a moment: "I will, but I don't know if I have this... possibility." If it was said that the people chosen were all of high moral character, kind, or set an example with courage, wisdom or talent, Cesar would still hold out some hope, but he really had no confidence that someone like Witt would be chosen.

"But He does not discriminate based on status, lineage, or wealth. An orphan (if he is lucky enough to be granted permission) can become a devout priest and escape the mire if he is lucky enough to be chosen; however, the descendant of a king or a bishop may walk out of the church empty-handed." Heraclius said, "However, there are many times when children are favored like their fathers, Cesar. Although we have not yet found your father, he is definitely not an ordinary man."

"Moreover," Baldwin said calmly, "whether you are chosen or not, as you said, you are a messenger sent to me by the Holy Spirit. You did not run away from me because of leprosy, and I am going to expel you because you are not chosen?"

Now Cesar was speechless, and Baldwin and Heraclius both laughed.

After a moment, Baldwin continued, "What is the election ceremony like? Do we wrestle with demons? Do we do penance or repentance?"

"Everyone's test is different." This question was obviously asked on behalf of Cesar, but Heraclius answered in detail. "But to summarize, it's probably about following and serving a saint until he is called by God. I was fortunate to have the presence of Saint Blaise of Armenia, to have heard his teachings, and to have witnessed his glory. So I can follow him and be a steadfast and compassionate person."

"Your father saw Saint George, a brave and pious knight," he added to Baldwin. "That is why friends and enemies alike say that Amalric I is an army. He is indeed a skilled warrior, a formidable warrior."

Baldwin couldn't help showing a look of longing: "Which saint will we see?" he asked.

"I don't know," Heraclius said. "No one can fathom God's plans." I only hope He won't be so cruel and take you away so quickly.

(End of this chapter)