Episode 129
Assassins have never been on good terms with the Islamic dynasties. This is largely because most Islamic dynasties are Sunni, while the Assassins are Shia.
One might wonder why a difference in sects is such a big deal, but in Islam, the divide between sects can lead to conflicts more intense than those between entirely different religions. It’s not just a matter of differing doctrines like between Presbyterian and Methodist churches; it’s more akin to calling the other side heretical without hesitation.
For instance, in Sunni Islam, Muhammad’s wife Aisha is revered almost like the Virgin Mary in Catholicism. However, in Shia Islam, she is not held in such high regard. Some extremists even accuse her of poisoning Muhammad.
Moreover, assassins are inherently a threat to secular rulers. For this reason, neither the Ayyubids nor the Khwarazmian Empire ever considered befriending the Assassins; they only sought to suppress them. The Assassins, in turn, viewed the Sunni dynasties as corrupt and never offered them genuine loyalty.
Knowing this background, I couldn’t comprehend the news Fatima brought. Since Richard’s boasting dominated 90% of the meeting, my absence wouldn’t be missed. I slipped away to reread the note Fatima had given me, but it still made no sense.
“They’re requesting urgent cooperation. What could they possibly want? Does Alamut want a stake in this war?”
“It seems so. They’re proposing to assassinate key Crusader figures and are asking for our cooperation.”
“Are Syria and Alamut really on such good terms?”
“Not at all. We broke away from them to assert our independence. It wasn’t long ago that Alamut sent assassins to attack us.”
“And what about Khwarazm and Alamut?”
The current leader of Alamut is particularly hostile towards Sunnis, even going so far as to threaten Sunni scholars to convert to Shia. Naturally, their relationship with Khwarazm isn’t good either, so why are they doing this?
Fatima shook her head slowly, as if she too found it puzzling.
“Their relationship is as bad as it gets. Khwarazm’s army likely swept through Alamut on their way north.”
“So their main base was hit. Where are they now?”
“With Khwarazm’s army moving northwest, they probably headed southeast.”
“This makes even less sense…”
Throughout history, one absolute truth remains: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. It’s not unusual to prefer a distant bully over a local thug.
If I were Alamut’s leader, I’d consider aligning with the Crusaders to crush Khwarazm. Different religions? Khwarazm is just as heretical to Alamut as the Crusaders are.
Fatima seemed to share my thoughts, judging by her uneasy expression.
“Let’s hear them out first. Who did they say they plan to assassinate?”
“One of the three kings, or perhaps the Apostle.”
“Ambitious, aren’t they?”
This isn’t even Islamic territory, and the idea of those far-off Assassins infiltrating the heart of an army to kill a king is nearly impossible. That’s probably why they’re seeking Syria’s cooperation.
“I haven’t agreed or refused yet. I informed the Apostle first. What should I tell them?”
“Is there any chance Alamut knows you’re under my command?”
“None. If they did, they would’ve leaked it to the Ayyubids. Saladin wouldn’t leave us alone.”
“True. So they genuinely want cooperation. But it doesn’t make sense. Even if you weren’t under my command, would you entertain Alamut’s request?”
“Normally, no. But they’ve offered some incredible terms this time.”
I thought they might be testing us with an impossible proposal, but apparently not. This is getting more confusing.
“Did they offer terms tempting enough for Syria?”
“Yes. If my brother weren’t absolutely loyal to the Apostle, he might have considered it.”
“What’s so urgent for them?”
Offering up their own interests to take down a target suggests they’re desperate. Perhaps Khwarazm has already crushed them, and now they’re just a pawn.
If that’s the case, it makes some sense.
“First, we need to understand their intentions. Pretend to cooperate and gather more information.”
“Are you saying we should accept?”
“If we refuse, they might act alone, making it harder to track their movements.”
“Ah, I see. Pretend to cooperate, gather intel, and then betray them.”
The best way to extract information is to infiltrate. By pretending to work with them, we can learn all about their assassination plans and even destroy Alamut’s Assassins entirely. Then, we can absorb Alamut’s Assassins into Syria’s, making the Middle Eastern assassin network ours.
But before that, we need to understand why they’re acting so irrationally. We must eliminate any potential variables in this war.
So far, most things have gone as I expected.
While Richard’s extraordinary feats echoed throughout Anatolia, boosting the Crusaders’ morale to the skies, the East was in chaos as well.
People tend to ignore disturbances behind them when a massive wildfire rages right in front. Whether it’s a real disturbance or not will only become clear with time, but you can’t know from the start.
Naturally, the focus of both Islam and Christianity was on Anatolia. Neither the Caliph, the supreme leader of the Islamic world, nor Saladin, considered the greatest ruler, was an exception.
“The war in the northwest will determine the future of world affairs.”
Islamic scholars flocked to the Ayyubid capital to learn how the great battle between the Crusaders and Khwarazm would end. Directly visiting the battlefield was too dangerous, so they gathered where information was most accessible.
As a result, Damascus unexpectedly thrived, with discussions of the Crusader war blooming everywhere. Conversations everywhere revolved around the Crusader-Khwarazm war and predictions of how the world would be reshaped afterward.
“The Crusaders’ strength lies with Marshal and Richard. If Khwarazm can’t counter them, I believe the Crusaders have the upper hand.”
“That may be true in the short term, but what about the long term? The Crusaders are an alliance of four states, while Khwarazm is a single power. The Crusaders have always fallen to infighting, and I believe this time will be no different.”
“You’re only seeing part of the picture. The element keeping the Crusaders united is Marshal. As long as he’s alive, there won’t be any division among the Christians.”
“So Khwarazm’s greatest enemy isn’t Richard, but Marshal?”
“Exactly! And though it’s troubling for us, Marshal is young. Once this war ends, the entire Islamic world could be at risk.”
“Well, we have our great Sultan, so there’s nothing to worry about… except that he’s getting on in years.”
No matter what anyone says, scholars’ trust in Saladin remains unshaken. However, the Ayyubids’ biggest concern is the leadership after Saladin. Things are fine now, but can the Ayyubids maintain their peak after Saladin?
Whether the Crusaders win or lose, the Ayyubids will face challenges. If the Crusaders win, the Ayyubids will have to contend with a stronger Crusader force at their borders. The Eastern Roman Empire is also a concern.
“With the Catholic and Orthodox churches reconciled, the Eastern Romans will likely stay allied with the Crusaders. If the Crusaders march to reclaim Jerusalem, can we stop them?”
“The Sultan eliminated their pretext for declaring a holy war on Jerusalem, so we should be fine.”
“They’ll just find another pretext. How can we be sure?”
It might seem advantageous for the Crusaders to lose, but that also poses problems. If Khwarazm wins and takes over Anatolia, their power will surpass the Ayyubids. Khwarazm has been expanding eastward, but now they’re eyeing the west.
Eventually, a clash for dominance in the Islamic world is inevitable. Can the Ayyubids withstand it without Saladin?
“Well, maybe it won’t end with a clear winner. Both sides are formidable, so the war might just fizzle out.”
“That’s probably the easiest way for us to keep our peace of mind—maintaining the status quo without any major upheavals.”
Regardless of anything else, the most pressing issue right now is the outcome of the Crusades. This wasn’t just the opinion of scholars; Saladin shared the same view.
“Gather all possible intelligence on how the war in the north is progressing. If the perfect opportunity arises for us to intervene, we might have to take it.”
“Understood. Should we redirect the personnel monitoring the east towards the north as well?”
“Of course. Have everyone available keep a close watch on the northern conflict and devise strategies for how we should respond.”
Some might call this a crisis, but Saladin didn’t see it that way at all. In fact, he felt relieved that such a war had erupted during his lifetime. It was a chance to solidify the Ayyubid dynasty’s position, easing the burden on his successors.
“Alright, everyone, move quickly. In chaotic times like these, those who act swiftly gain the advantage.”
“Your Majesty, this is the latest intelligence from the spies we had stationed in the east. They’ll be reassigned to the north, so this will likely be the last report from the east.”
“Good. Make sure to commend them for their hard work.”
When people focus on something, their vision tends to narrow. But not Saladin. He was certain he was the exception.