kingdom of nations

Chapter 77: To Egypt! (8) (Monthly Ticket Bonus!)
Cesar didn't think that what Walter and Geoffrey said was anything good. It would have been fine if he had just arrived, but he had been in the Holy Land for so many years, how could he not know what kind of people these Knights Templar were?

Sure enough, the so-called good thing was that they left him a most valuable prisoner. If it was a battlefield between Christians and Christians, this would be equivalent to giving him a sum of money, but this was a battlefield between Christians and pagans, and Amalric I said that no prisoners were needed in this battle.

So his usefulness was to have Cesar chop off his head.

Cesar remembered that the prince had once told him that when he was nine years old, a criminal was executed under the supervision of the king and Heraclius. The person who died was not a thief or a beggar, but a lord who was charged with a serious crime.

This may have been a tradition for the Frankish nobility.

Walter saw the man behind him. The elder was riding a horse. He looked more like a friend he had met by chance than a prisoner. "I heard that the first person you killed after arriving in Alasar was just a stupid servant. Now you can make up for that regret."

As the Templar spoke, he looked at Cesar's face with a smile, as if trying to discover something buried deep in his heart. But Cesar just nodded silently.

The leader, who was tied up and placed on an open space, also saw the elder. He showed an expression of grief, anger and despair.

After hearing the Franks say that he would be executed by this child who was obviously not yet a knight, he became very angry. It was obvious that knights were not the only Christians who demanded treatment commensurate with their status.

Walter was ready to chop off the other man's hands or feet, but the elder just spoke a few words to him in Greek, and the leader calmed down.

He scratched his ear and turned to Cesar.

"What did they say?"

The knights who came to the Holy Land were generally adults, some even having enjoyed years of fame, but their academic performance was generally poor. They spoke Frankish and even Vulgar Latin with a stammer.

After spending a few years in the Holy Land, some knights were able to understand some simple Saracens, but they were embarrassed because the elders spoke Greek.

When the elder spoke to Cesar before, he also used Greek.

Greek was not a foreign language to Saracen scholars. They were busy translating and studying ancient Greek academic texts, and had a very thorough understanding and mastery of the language.

When Cesar was in another world, he systematically learned Greek out of interest. After arriving here, under the guidance of Heraclius, Greek and Latin became like his mother tongue, and he had no difficulty communicating with the old man.

"He is trying to persuade another Saracen to accept his fate."

"Really?" Walter asked doubtfully. "But he said a lot."

"That's because Greek is not as concise as our language."

"I'm not a fool," Walter muttered, but did not ask any further questions.

Cesar swung his sword, and everyone present was a little nervous. Until the sword fell and the leader's head fell to the ground, they could still let out a sigh of comfort - killing a person who could not resist was completely different from fighting on the battlefield. Geoffrey was relieved. Cesar did a great job. Any hesitation or delay at this time would lead to extremely bad consequences.

There were many cases where the knights who were brave and skilled in fighting on the battlefield failed to cut off the neck at once during the execution, causing the criminal to struggle frantically, bleeding profusely, and a horrific sight.

Then came the elder, whose last words were, "What a shame, child."

Although this sentence was in Saracen, everyone present could understand it, and then his head rolled together with the leader's.

This being done, the knights and attendants set out, and having chopped off the heads of the Saracens, they washed them roughly in a small lake nearby, sealed the cut ends with lime, and then piled them in wooden boxes, loaded them into the four-wheeled cart, and left the bodies in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts.

"Is it him? Is it them?"

When they returned to the camp, Damara, who had already received the news, ran ahead of everyone. She didn't know which Saracen killed her good sister Elena, but that didn't stop her from boldly opening the boxes and looking at them one by one.

After watching it, she didn't even have time to wash her hands before rushing to Cesar, hugging his waist tightly with both hands, and expressing endless gratitude until her father ran over with a strange look on his face and pulled her away.

He was of course delighted that his daughter had such a knight who had demonstrated wisdom and bravery at a young age, but he also had some concerns.

Gerard's father was a good father who did not expect his daughter to win much glory and wealth for him. He only hoped that she could find a gentle and unambitious lord, even if it was not in the Holy Land, but in Frank or the Apennines, he would accept it.

But Cesar is destined to be entangled in endless conspiracies and tricks, and he may not be able to escape until his death.

Even though people said that this former slave had a bright future, as the head of the Gerald family, he knew it best - immense wealth and power often meant countless oppression, fighting and death.

He knew that his daughter was not the kind of woman who enjoyed intrigues and schemes, and if she were to be engaged to Cesar, it would not be a good thing for either her or Cesar.

"You should go back to Yalasaru," he said to Damara.

Baldwin was somewhat displeased, however slightly, by Gerard's parents' attitude.

He knew that the Gerald family had invested in Cesar, but that didn't mean Gerald's parents could adopt such a rejection attitude.

Although he would not choose a girl like Damara as Cesar's wife, in his opinion, Damara was too childish.

Moreover, although she was a girl from the Gerald family, she had several older sisters, which meant that she would not get much dowry, let alone territory - obtaining territory through marriage was the fastest way for knights without inheritance rights to become lords. Otherwise, they would have to wait until he ascended the throne to find an opportunity to enthrone Cesar.

He has entrusted Cesar's marriage to his mother, Countess of Jaffa, and his sister, Princess Sibylle. They will definitely be able to choose a good marriage for Cesar.

------

That evening, Amalric I hosted a lively banquet. It lasted all night, and Cesar drank a great deal, many times more than he normally would. This was certainly due to the enthusiastic requests and invitations, but more importantly, it was a way to release the unbearable pressure.

Baldwin said nothing. But as dawn approached the next day, and all the tents fell silent except for the guards, he suddenly touched Cesar's arm and said, "Want to take a shower?"

Before going to bed, they all washed simply, wiping their faces and bodies with linen. It was possible to take a hot bath in the military camp, but it would definitely disturb many people - those carrying tubs, hot and cold water, and servants - and generally only the king or the commander-in-chief had the right to do so.

So from the knights and their squires, to the waiters and servants who ran around, to even the lowest-level errand boys, they could only bathe in nearby rivers or lakes. It is human nature to hate dirt - even monkeys can take a bath.

This nature was not forced to change until one or two hundred years later due to the rampant spread of the Black Death.

There was a small lake near their camp, connected to a tributary, and even though many people came here to draw water, it showed no signs of drying up or becoming muddy.

Some patrolling knights saw them and saluted the prince - a monk reminded them that the water here was extremely cold.

The place Baldwin found was a depression connected to the small lake. It looked particularly dark under the cobalt blue sky, and was surrounded by dense reeds, forming a natural barrier.

Cesar suspected that there had been an exceptionally thick tree growing here, which had fallen down and left a cave. The lake water poured into the cave, creating a proper and clean "small pond". Baldwin reached out to try it, and it was just as the monk said. Although it was October in Egypt, the lake water was still a little cold.

So they went to find some stones, heated them on the campfire, and threw them into the "small pond". When the hot stones touched the water, they made a crackling sound and a lot of white smoke rose.

A few knights came to look, then walked away laughing.

They then jumped in. It must be said that the stones did not provide much warmth, but they made the water less icy.

But it was this coldness that took away the heat accumulated in Cesar's body.

He looked at Baldwin. They were already thirteen years old. In another year, they would officially become adults, be able to talk about marriage, have power, and be respected. Amalric I was also preparing to promote them to knights.

Their heights were taller than those of ordinary squires, and some knights were not as tall as them, but both Baldwin and he still had a childish look on their faces.

Cesar is extremely eager to grow up, but he also knows that nothing can be achieved overnight. And even if he grows up, before he can break free from the constraints of the world, he will still have to suffer the torment of reality and ideals.

"Don't be impatient." Baldwin said. He saw Cesar looking up at him in surprise, and he smiled, "Do you think I can't see what you are thinking?

In fact, I am also very disgusted by this kind of behavior. Every time I see them, I feel like I see a devil crawling out of hell. I don’t understand, if we are righteous and those Saracens are evil, how can our knights be more greedy and violent than them?

Shouldn't we demand of ourselves a broader mind, a fairer attitude, and stricter discipline?
This is also the most sacred place in the world.

However, after arriving at the Holy Land, these knights not only failed to receive the enlightenment they deserved and become more humble, honest, and kind, but instead seemed to have released the beasts in their hearts, becoming unscrupulous and without any bottom line.

Sometimes I wonder what kind of people they were when they were in Frankish, Hungarian, and Apenninian lands? Would they do this to their own people or to the people of others?
If so, how terrible are the sufferings of the peasants and artisans who are also Christians? "Tell me," he asked Cesar, "if I become the king of Alaska, will this situation change?"

"Of course," Cesar said, "but it's going to be very, very, very difficult.

After all, we and the Saracens are on two completely different sides.

I'm not just talking about faith, I'm talking about this land, which originally belonged to the Isaacs, then to the Romans, and then to the Saracens.

Of course, we can also become the new masters of this land, but it will inevitably require a painful struggle and brewing. After all, no one will selflessly give the power and interests in their hands to others.

Jesus Christ was framed and killed by the Isaacite priests because he only shook a little of their power.

Alaska is the center of the world. The golden crown is inlaid with the pearls of religion, the rubies of economy, and the sapphire of orthodoxy. Who could easily give it up?

If you are the king of Alaska, you cannot fight against the entire Saracen world alone. You need helpers, vassals, and endless resources, but these are not free.

Just like this expedition, your father Amalric I has raised a huge amount of assets, but still cannot afford the consumption of the entire army. If he does not allow them to plunder, rape, burn and kill, he will only be regarded as cowardly or stingy.

They don't think your father is a good man, they just think he's not worth following. They've come here, and if they don't get what they want, you know what will happen."

Baldwin slapped the water. "What else could it be? Reckless behavior against everyone! If possible, they would even ask Alasar to replace the king. This kind of thing has happened before.

But there is always a way, right? "

Cesar recalled what had happened in his world: "Yes, but it would take a saint to accomplish it."

"Who? Jesus Christ?" Baldwin said, then realized that he was a little too frivolous. He quickly prayed silently and made a cross on his chest to express his repentance. But then the punishment came. He sneezed very loudly. Cesar immediately interrupted the conversation and pulled him out of the water.

They quickly wiped their bodies with cotton cloth, changed into clean and warm clothes, ran back to their tents, pulled up the fur to wrap themselves, and slept comfortably.

When they woke up the next day, Amalric I's rewards and the gifts from the nobles were already placed in front of their tent. The most conspicuous ones were the silver-plated chain mail and helmet given by Elena's husband, and the long sword given by Gerard.

Because Cesar was always inseparable from Baldwin, their gifts were double.

"This chainmail needs to be resized," Baldwin said somewhat dissatisfiedly. "It doesn't fit well."

He was a bit picky. After all, William Marshall, who had been highly praised by the king, only received a set of silver-plated chain mail from Amalric I.

"Just make it loose. I can tighten it with a belt." Cesar didn't care. At this time, armor, whether it was cotton armor, leather armor or chain armor, needed to be made according to the wearer's body shape and was a custom-made product.

Let Cesar take a look. The height and width of the chain mail are just right, just a little too big. It may have originally belonged to a lord and was won or bought by Elena's husband as a gift.

If he wanted to adjust it to the same size as his current body, the blacksmith would have to remove a lot of excess parts, but he thought that as long as they had enough nutrition, he and Baldwin would become strong quickly. Wouldn't it be unnecessary to add back the parts that were cut off at that time?
Besides, he couldn't possibly wear such a suit of mail on the battlefield. This kind of silver or gold-plated mail was purely an expensive decoration. If he wore it on the battlefield, wouldn't it make the enemy look like you?

"Yes, you can wear it when you are promoted to knight." Baldwin said, but soon Cesar put on the chain mail - for no other reason, the decree sent by Amalric I to Bilbais finally received a reply.

(End of this chapter)