Crusade against the Pope

What is the significance of Chapter 55?

So many people have been killed. What should we do?
It's easy to handle.

Eric simply took some money out of the taxes and gave it to those who survived.

This is a tax refund.

But when Eric grabbed the money and threw it back, his iron-gray eyes, which should have been full of ruthlessness, were mixed with mockery.

The casualness with which he threw the gold coins was actually a humiliation, as he was enjoying the fear and hatred of these pagans.

What he had previously called killing one more person seemed more like a deliberate performance.

The houses on both sides of the surrounding roads stood motionless, looking at Eric and the townspeople, like silent audiences admiring the performance of the actors on stage.

Who can save the townspeople?
No one can save them.

This wonderful scene was exactly what Eric was eager to lead.

When all this was over, Eric still didn't get to eat the pork elbow he had been craving for, but it didn't matter anymore. He needed to prepare for the coming war.

He obviously had a different opinion about Garys.

When late at night came, the boy whose snake venom had been cleaned by Garys in the past escaped from the town under the cover of darkness.

He didn't know how long a devil like Eric would stay in the town.

If he kills one-tenth today, he can kill another tenth tomorrow!

After seeing the mockery in the guy's eyes, he knew that this guy did not regard Muslims as "people" at all, and the only reason he did not kill them all was that he was greedy for next year's taxes.

How can I sleep peacefully in the same town with such inhuman beings?
Even though his body was covered with scars, staining his clothes red, and even though his feet were covered with wounds, the pain was unbearable.

However, the young man felt that the physical torture was no match for the sadness in his heart.

There is no god but Allah. Everything in the world is arranged by Allah, just like the stars in the sky adhere to their tracks. No living creature can shake this sacred order.

So, is all this arranged by Allah?
Can people really change the future by obeying Allah and being patient, and following the instructions in the scriptures? Or is it just changing the future of the afterlife?

But if everything in the world is arranged by Allah, then aren't our daily prayers and adherence to the scriptures and precepts also set by Allah?
What's the point?

Was it Allah's arrangement that saved him from the snake's venom?

Was it God's arrangement that his father died by the sword?

Is it God's arrangement that makes him run wildly in the night?

At this moment, the contradiction between God's omniscience, omnipotence and determination and personal free will threw the boy into an unfathomable theological vortex.

And he was completely unable to save himself, so he could only let those thoughts linger in his mind.

But there is one thing the young man is clear about: in the East, there is a prophet who can exorcise demons.

The prophet had already killed Ahmed's entire family, and he would surely be able to banish the devil Eric to Hell.

When the first rays of light from the dawn sun shone on the earth, the young man fell to the ground. His weak body from the snake venom had not yet fully recovered, and being able to hold on until here was already his limit.

But even so, he still crawled, the courtyard that should have been the wolf's lair. For such a young man, it was the last straw to save his life. He had to crawl over there anyway and tell the prophet about the current situation in the town.

...Gailis stood on the platform behind the courtyard wall, leaning against the wall and looking in the direction of Alhadi Town.

Looking towards the town from here, all you can see is actually just a black dot, or a little thread, not noticeable at all.

He was thinking about Eric and recalling the past, which were clearly just memories from a month or so ago, but to Garys today, it seemed like a lifetime ago.

Gillis is no longer the same person he once was, but Eric remains the same.

Tap, tap, tap. There were footsteps climbing the stairs from the side. I lowered my head to the left and saw Isabel coming up to me.

"What's going on?" Gellis asked Isabel.

"He was just too weak to fall into a coma. It's nothing serious. What do you think about Eric?"

Isabel was talking about the young man who crawled out of the town and was found by the night guards. When he was rescued, he told the people around him what had happened in the town as briefly as possible.

After hearing the young man's description of the knight's appearance, John, Garys, and even Isabel all knew that it was Eric who came.

Among the many knights they knew, only Eric had those iron-gray and ruthless eyes.

"I didn't think Leonard would let him come over, but it doesn't really matter. It makes no difference. It's even better if we can resolve some personal grudges at the same time."

Garys did not continue looking at Isabel beside him, but turned his gaze again towards the direction of Alhadi Town.

"How did you become enemies with him?" Isabel asked Gaillis casually while also lying on the wall.

"Have a grudge? No, I don't have any hatred against him. It's more like he is jealous of me, and I can't stand some of his behaviors."

"Jealous?" Isabel was a little puzzled, her eyes that could speak revealed a strong curiosity.

Gailis narrowed his eyes, searched through the memories that seemed like those from his past life, and then continued, "Yes, jealousy. When I was still a servant, I was the one who was received by His Majesty Baldwin the most times, and he was the one who was received the least."

"He simply couldn't understand what His Majesty Baldwin was looking for under his iron face. He always thought that the meaning of the kingdom's existence was to kill all the pagans."

Isabel listened to Gailis talking about the past and began to miss her deceased brother.

"You know, Gillis, we Anjou have a family motto: We are all descendants of the devil and are destined to go to hell. Do you think my brother can go to heaven?"

Gailis was silent for a while. It was difficult for him to comment on the existence of heaven now. How could he answer Isabel's question?
Garys simply changed the subject and said, "By the way, there is another thing that annoys Eric."

"What?" Isabel asked curiously.

"He felt that your relationship with me was too close, which disgusted him very much. Therefore, after King Baldwin passed away, he did not choose to pledge allegiance to you, but directly switched to Reynald."

Hearing Garys talking about herself, Isabel couldn't help but snort, then lightly punched Garys to express her dissatisfaction.

Just as Isabel was about to continue chatting, Gailis signaled her to be quiet.

Ordinary people's eyesight might not be able to see it clearly, but Garys has noticed that in the direction of Alhadi Town, a group of people has already set out and is heading towards Ahmed's compound.

　This is the first update

　　The second update will be completed before 12 o'clock.
　　As for yesterday's overdue update, I may have to wait another day because I don't have enough time and energy today, mainly because I was busy with other things in the morning.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)