Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 295: A Corner That Altaïr Has Not Seen
Under the dim light, a gold coin lay there quietly, flashing a charming light, witnessing another ugliness.

Rome was an empire that lasted for a thousand years, and the monetary standard established by Emperor Constantine had a profound impact on later generations.

This is a currency called Baizant by Arabs and Suledis by Europeans.

Each coin contains about 4.4 grams of gold, which is 72/1 of a Roman pound.

The portraits of Christ, the emperor, the Virgin Mary, and saints can all be engraved on the front to demonstrate their holiness and rule.

The Arab gold dinar was also printed in this shape.

Whether it is gold dinar or bhajant, this golden light has a kind of magic.

It can make Arabs ignore the praise of Christ and the sign of the cross, and it can make Romans ignore the word halal in Islam.

When you hold such a gold coin in your fingertips, the heavy texture is instantly transmitted to your fingertips, and a sense of power arises spontaneously.

It seems to make people trample on everything and disobey the portraits or advice on the gold coins.

Also in 1190, during Altaïr's visit to Tyre.

Different from the bloody front lines and the miserable lives of the people in the areas controlled by the Ayyubid dynasty, the port cities along the eastern Mediterranean coast north of Acre were unexpectedly prosperous and did not seem to be in troubled times at all.

Among these many port cities, the most prominent one is Tyre, a small and unknown city. Nowadays, the port terminal area of ​​Tyre is so prosperous that it does not seem like a scene in this era.

Such developed commerce naturally nurtures an increasingly powerful service industry.

For the brothers who make a living on the ships, going to the tavern at the dock to eat a fish fillet or pork chop and then going out for a night of fun is something that can only make people salivate and become sexually excited.

When they come ashore, they cannot do without wine and women, and they will easily pay large sums of money.

In fact, not only sailors, but even some decent people working in the royal government would occasionally come to the pubs in the dock area to get drunk and enjoy the wild atmosphere here.

But there are exceptions, such as Gossel, who is no longer a decent person.

He was previously a Paladin, but was dismissed for some reason.

This is not to say that he made a big mistake, but perhaps it was more because he was too wild and acted too radically.

But this did not make Gothel leave Tyre. Instead, he took root in the dock area of ​​Tyre, still doing his own thing, trying to follow Gellis's teachings and promote them.

During this process, many locals began to ignore his identity as an outsider.

Gradually, he was regarded as the maintainer of order in the lower world of Tyr and the representative who spoke to those official figures.

After all, Gothel, who had served as a Paladin, had some face among many people.

In order to maintain such interpersonal relationships, having a meal from time to time is naturally unavoidable.

"Can you really drink?" Gossel looked at Little Mo, also known as Morris, who was sitting across the table from him, with a face full of doubt.

In all these years of getting along, the only time I saw Xiao Mo drinking was when Garys brought the Paladins to a banquet.

The prophet took the lead in toasting, and Xiao Mo naturally followed suit. However, after Xiao Mo took two sips, his face turned red and he was carried away to rest.

“This is real strong liquor!”

What was placed between everyone was a glass of expensive rum.

Xiao Mo took a deep breath, then asked for a small glass of a few milliliters from the bar, poured a few drops of rum into it, poured it down his throat, and smacked his lips.

He really couldn't drink much, but curiosity killed the cat. If he hadn't even tasted rum after all, wouldn't that be a loss of face?

After drinking these few drops of wine, his face turned slightly red. Although it was far from the point of fainting, it made people realize that Xiao Mo's alcohol tolerance was indeed not good.

Gothel and another Gilles beside him both smiled and didn't take it seriously.

However, as these few drops of wine went down his throat, the man naturally and inevitably started talking about certain topics.

Gilles is a high-ranking official in the kingdom, as he is actually the Minister of Police. The importance of this position ranks among the top thirty in the entire Garys-related system.

With Gilles present, the topic discussed by the three people naturally involves police issues.

All of them were born in Paladin families. In the beginning, Gilles and Gossel had to patrol personally to maintain the law and order of Tyre.

When Xiao Mo complained about the slow efficiency of the police, Gilles's face turned very bad.

Gothel didn't care about Gilles and explained to Xiao Mo:

"The population of Tyre has now exceeded 30,000. Don't underestimate this number. This 30,000 is only the permanent population. If we count the surrounding rural population and the sailors and merchants who transit in the dock area, it can even be close to 40,000. But do you know how many front-line police officers there are in Tyre?"

Speaking of this issue, Xiao Mo has never paid attention to it. He just feels that the public security in Tyre is good, so the number of police officers should not be too low.

"How many?"

"The Tyre Police Department currently has only 36 people at most. In fact, even among these 36 people, I will often transfer 10 or so to the Police Department to help. In other words, there are probably only 20 police officers that can be dispatched in Tyre on a normal day."

It was Gilles who answered the question.

After hearing this, Xiao Mo understood that it was an impossible task for more than 20 police officers to maintain public order in a city with a population of more than 30,000.

"Where are the original police officers? I remember you had a whole company of sword and shield soldiers at the beginning."

"In fact, there are already more than 300 police officers in the kingdom. However, as the number of towns under their control increased, they were basically sent out to establish police departments in various places. Therefore, there are only a few people left in Tyre."

Gilles shrugged his shoulders. There was nothing he could do about it. Increasing the number of police officers was not something that could be decided in just a few words.

Gossel went on to say, "The reason why you feel that the security in Tyre is not that bad right now is mainly because Tyre is in a period of growth and the number of unemployed people is relatively decreasing. Another reason is that I am maintaining order here. If there is any conflict or any clash, I will receive the news before the police arrive and then send the person to the police station."

"They trust me because I play the role of an arbitrator in their social relationships, establishing and maintaining a set of rules that help the majority of people and do not let things get out of control."

When he said this, Gilles couldn't help coughing a few times. Gossel's behavior should no longer be described as unorganized and undisciplined, but rather as self-degradation.

But anyway, Gellis didn't judge too much, so after Gossel was dismissed from his position as Paladin, he became more and more free.

As he spoke, Gossel cut another piece of lamb chop and stuffed it into his mouth, taking a sip of rum.

He didn't really like the overly sweet taste of rum, but it was the strongest liquor in the pub, so he had no choice.

The feeling of the alcohol rushing down his esophagus into his stomach lifted his spirits, and his experiences over the past two years flashed through his mind.

While Gelis fought wars all over the Levant, Gothel also ran around in Tyre, fighting with both hands.

……

When everyone was done eating and drinking and leaving, a light rain started to fall on the street outside.

Palestine has a Mediterranean climate with different periods of rain and heat. If it rains in the summer in Tyre, it is a gift from God.

At this time close to midnight, most of the guests in the pub had already left and the pub had been cleaned. All that was left was for the owner to check the situation in the pub.

Looking at the rain outside the door, Adelinde couldn't help but think of home. Her mother had been feeling unwell two days ago. After she showed her savings, she forcibly sent her mother to Tyre Hospital for inpatient treatment.

Working in a tavern doesn't actually make much money, and the bulk of their income comes from tips. For waitresses like Adelinde, there is a big difference between these taverns in Tyre and the brothels in China.

The tavern was not a place dedicated to sex transactions, but rather provided a public social environment that allowed the waitresses to connect with sailors and various people in the city of Tyre.

The existence of these beautiful girls actually helps to attract customers to the pub, and if that kind of relationship really occurs, the pub can also earn money from the room fees.

It can be said that the pub is not a commodity that provides sexual services, but only provides a place. Its main income still comes from alcohol, food and room charges.

The relationship between the two is a mutually beneficial one, rather than a personal dependent relationship between the seller and the controller. In fact, Tyre originally had special brothels that provided the most brutal sexual services, and the proceeds from the transaction were often just a silver coin or a few pounds of food.

And even this was unlikely to reach the prostitutes' pockets, since most of them were little more than slaves.

Of course, that kind of naked exploitation, the oppression of women, the objectification of women, ceased to exist soon after Gérisse arrived.

Some of the rescued women became waitresses in taverns, while others found more suitable jobs and, with the help of some Paladins, became truly good people.

Unlike others who tried to escape from this sea of ​​suffering, Adelinde took the initiative to step into this business.

Because she has been the only labor force in the family since her father went to sea and had no news for so long, and life must go on. For the sake of her mother and sister, Adelinde is willing to sell her dignity.

From the first day she entered this business, she met Gothel. At that time, she was not ready yet. Even if she accepted Gothel's tip, Adelinde did not respond.

But Gossel didn't care much about it. After all, he had given tips to many people, but only a few of them actually went to bed with him.

From that day on, the name Gothel would appear in other people's conversations every day, along with stories and rumors about Gothel.

For these waitresses, there was no end to the topics related to Gothel. Compared with the high and mighty kings like Garys and Isabella, Gothel seemed more humble and approachable to them, a true legend before their eyes.

Which girl doesn't have love in her heart? When Gothel gave a tip again by chance, Adelinde invited him, and Gothel agreed for some unknown reason.

After the first time, there was a second time. Under the advice of the tavern owner, Adelinde regarded Gosel as her only patron, and the tavern owner also asked other people in the tavern to take care of Adelinde to prevent her from suffering any loss.

Adelinde could guess a lot about her boss's thoughts. Although it was a bit shameful and entangled, she still had to live her life.

Thanks to Gothel and Adelinde's own frugality, Adelinde was able to save enough money to send her mother to the hospital for treatment.

But then again, one thing Adelinde didn't know was that Gothel wasn't actually very rich.

Since being dismissed from his post, Gossel had no particularly stable income. Apart from part of the bond interest, he often had to work himself, carrying bags at the dock.

Then he met many poor friends. Not only did he not make much money himself, but he also had to help those friends who were down on their luck from time to time.

Of course, such behavior also allowed Gossel to get to know many ordinary people, so that he could make convincing judgments in a truly meaningful sense.

If he had not occasionally worked part-time as a writer for a Tyre newspaper, providing some news from the old city to the Holy Land Weekly, he might not even have been able to scrape together the money to drink in a pub and book a room.

Not to mention helping Adelinde.

But in any case, Adelinde had a patron after all.

If it weren't for the little money that slipped through Gothel's hands, Adelinde's mother would have been left waiting to die, or suffering from some torture from witch doctors and charlatans.

"So I'm still very lucky." A little bit of happiness filled Adelinde's heart.

In her eyes, Gothel was undoubtedly a hero, which made her dare not ask for too much. She felt that this was enough.

After the boss finished inspecting the tavern, he let the waitresses leave and go home.

A light rain in the summer was also a refreshing cooldown for Tyr at night. Several waitresses accompanied him on the way home, jumping for joy.

The continuous summer rain drops on the skin are not uncomfortable, but surprisingly silky and comfortable.

More than two years ago, they would not dare to walk on the streets of the old city late at night like this. There were too many threats in the dark that would mercilessly attack these weak women.

But the coronation of the new king announced the end of the old era. The police system and the underground order established by Gossel pulled the city out of a chaotic quagmire. At least women would no longer face any danger if they traveled in groups.

Waving goodbye to her sisters, Adelinde left the team and returned to her home.

Adelinde lives at the junction of the working class area and the slums, and her house is actually quite nice.

This was also the last asset left by her father that had not been sold. If her father had not participated in that last voyage, their family's life would never have fallen from what it was before to this point. Now, there are only three of them, mother and daughter, relying on each other.

"Speaking of which, should we let Denise go to school?" Adelinde thought of her sister when she opened the door of her house.

The closer you are to Gosel, the more information you can always get. For example, the Tyr Clinic is a hundred times better than ordinary witch doctors.

It is also learned that Tyr will build a school, and the tuition fee of this school is not high.

And according to Gossel, the school will waive tuition fees every year for children from poor families who have excellent academic performance.

"If I can find another daytime job, it will be enough for Denise to go to school, or..." Adelinde subconsciously thought of Gossel.

But then she shook her head, clearing away the thought of relying on Gothel. She was also a person who cared a little about her reputation and had her own little obsessions.

Adelinde pushed open the door of her sister's room. She wanted to see if her sister's sleeping posture was still so weird and whether she had kicked off the quilt.

However, there was no one in the room.

……

The rain was still falling. After Gossel and Gilles sent Xiao Mo back to his dormitory, they headed towards their home.

Gossel's residence was not in the new city area outside the city, nor was it a dormitory in the government area inside the city, but a house in the civilian area. It was a bit small, but just right for one person to live in.

Xiao Mo's alcohol tolerance is indeed not good, but this time he performed exceptionally well. After drinking two taels of rum, he really felt uncomfortable. As soon as he walked out of the pub, he started vomiting on the street.

If Gosel and Gilles hadn't been there to help him, he might have opened his eyes the next day to see the blue sky and the rising sun. And after a night of rain, he caught a cold and had a fever, so he had to take sick leave.

Walking through the alley and passing the last corner before his home, Gossel stopped. In front of him was a "canary" with wet feathers, looking downcast and desperate. The originally melodious chirping was now only a sad sob.

"Adelinde," Gothel called softly.

Adelinde looked up and saw Gothel walking out of the alley. At this moment, the panic that had been pent up in her found someone to confide in and rely on.

She threw herself into that majestic and broad chest and began to sob.

"What's going on?" Gothel asked after hugging Adelinde.

When she calmed down a little, Adelinde answered in a slightly hoarse voice: "...Denise is missing. She disappeared when I went back. I couldn't find her no matter how hard I looked."

Denise is a seven-year-old girl. Gothel has a good impression of her. She is well-educated, sensible and cute.

"She's missing?"

"Yes...she is missing. Her house looked exactly the same as before I went to the pub. There was no sign of it being disturbed. I knocked on the neighbors' doors and they all said that they hadn't seen Denise since the evening."

Adelinde hugged Gothel tightly. At this moment, this man was the only one she could rely on.

Missing? Lost? Accident?
The worst possibility is being trafficked.

Although he hadn't heard of human traffickers in Tyre for some time, Gothel didn't dare to take any chances.

The moment you receive the message, you must race against time.

"Are your legs still okay? Can you run?"

"Ah."

"Then let's go find Gilles. This matter will have a result no matter what."

If there really are human traffickers in Tyre, Denise would not be the only victim. She may or may not be the first one.

The latter's words actually meant that Gossel and Gilles were derelict in their duty.

Bring shame to the cause established by Prophet Garys.

Gossel walked very fast, but Adelinde was out of breath after just a few steps. Gossel simply carried the slightly light girl on his back and ran with big strides on the streets of the civilian area, crossing the quiet and deserted intersection in the rainy night.

When Gothel brought Adelinde to the government district, he put Adelinde down, took a deep breath and controlled his condition, and his face was covered with water droplets, and he could not tell which were raindrops and which were sweat.

After taking a breath, Gossel hurriedly told the sentry on duty in the government area who he was and why he was here: "It's me, Gossel. I'm here to see Minister Gilles. I have something urgent to ask."

When Gothel appeared in front of Gilles with Adelinde, his eyes were terribly gloomy.

When Gossel finished explaining the situation, Gilles was quite confused. In the past three months, there might have been cases of children getting lost or having accidents, but there had been no reports of any abduction or trafficking.

He even wondered if Gothel was overreacting.

But Gothel just looked at Gilles quietly, with pressure in his eyes. Faced with such a situation, Gilles finally said, "What do you want to do?"

“Can we seal off the city?”

"Impossible. Your proposal is unrealistic. If you seal off the city without knowing the specific situation, what do you think of Tyre?"

Gothel said nothing. He knew that his proposal was unreasonable, but he couldn't think of how Gilles could help him other than that.

"I will notify the Tyre City Police Department and ask them to increase monitoring at the city gate and check passing vehicles. In addition, I can also help mobilize a group of people to help you find someone."

This is the limit of what Gilles can do, and it may even be an abuse of power.

But he trusted Gosel. Even if he was not a human trafficker, he would not just sit there and do nothing as long as a child was missing.

Because as a role model, Garys would never stand idly by in such a situation!
After getting Gilles' promise, Gossel turned around and left the government district. One thing he was clear about was that the police system represented by Gilles would not be the dominant force in this incident.

As mentioned before, there are too few police officers in Tyre and too many people to manage, so they are unable to perform their duties efficiently.

But before parting with Gilles, he asked Gilles for a carriage so that he and Adelinde could travel with him.

After considering it for a moment, Gilles agreed to the request, which was actually a misuse of public resources for personal gain.

(End of this chapter)