Episode 139
The shock of having all the beliefs and truths you’ve held dear your entire life crumble is indescribable.
This wasn’t just a problem for Nur al-Din; it was a phenomenon experienced by all the Assassins of Alamut.
Until now, they had unwaveringly believed that the Shia doctrine was the ultimate truth, and they hadn’t hesitated to take the lives of those who rejected it.
Their belief was that the truth of Islam descended solely through the bloodline of Muhammad, and anyone else was merely an usurper.
But now, they had seen undeniable evidence before their eyes and had come to accept Edward Marshall as a prophet of God.
The truths that had shone so brightly were suddenly painted over with new colors, and it was time to refurbish all their old beliefs.
Yet, in some ways, Nur al-Din thought they might be able to accept Marshall more easily than the Sunnis could.
According to Sunni doctrine, the line of prophets ended perfectly with Muhammad, and no one after him was granted divinity.
Even the Caliph, the highest religious leader, was seen merely as a leader, without the right to interpret the Quran arbitrarily.
In contrast, the Shia, whom the Assassins followed, believed that prophets were those who conveyed God’s words, and they even attributed a kind of divinity to the Caliph.
Of course, this was why they believed the Caliph had to be a descendant of Muhammad.
Nevertheless, for Nur al-Din, the emergence of a new prophet conveying God’s words was something he could accept.
Even though Muhammad was considered the last prophet, didn’t the Shia view three out of the four rightly guided Caliphs as usurpers?
Perhaps someone among them had distorted or tainted some of the sacred words given by Muhammad.
If not, then the sending of a new prophet by God wouldn’t make sense.
“Have you ever seriously pondered this issue?” he asked.
The question was directed at Nasr, the leader of the Syrian Assassins, who had become a devoted follower of Marshall long before Nur al-Din.
Riding side by side towards the Khwarazmian stronghold, Nasr turned his head and replied, “What is there to ponder? There’s nothing to think about.”
“The doctrine, I mean.”
Though only a few days had passed, Nur al-Din’s tone towards Nasr had become much more respectful.
He planned to claim that their camaraderie had grown through shared assassination missions if Khwarazm raised any issues.
“The doctrine? You mean the Shia doctrine?”
“Exactly. You also recognize Marshall as a prophet who appeared after Muhammad, don’t you? But according to the doctrine we’ve believed in until now, that’s impossible.”
“We’ve been believing in something wrong, so it’s inevitable. Or rather, it was a misunderstanding.”
“Someone tainted Muhammad’s words… So God sent a new prophet to correct it. That makes some sense. But why did God choose to have the prophet born among Christians?”
If Marshall had been born as a descendant of Muhammad, his existence wouldn’t have conflicted so much with Shia doctrine.
But since he emerged from Europe, completely unrelated, it necessitated a fundamental revision of the doctrine.
Nur al-Din was curious about how the Syrian Assassins had resolved this contradiction.
“If we have to overhaul our doctrine from the ground up, we should establish it quickly to avoid future interpretative issues.”
“There’s no need to overthink it. His words are the light, and we just need to follow without doubt. I believe he was born in Europe for a reason. If he had been born in the Islamic world, could he have grown up safely? Not a chance.”
“Indeed, there would have been many who would have raged, calling it blasphemy. It might have been better to establish his power safely in Europe before coming over.”
And who knows, though it’s a slim possibility, maybe Marshall has a trace of Muhammad’s blood in him.
In 500 years, anything could have happened.
As he pondered this, Nasr continued his explanation.
“And the prophet has clearly stated that he intends to change not just our Islam. I believe Christianity will also transform under his influence into something completely different.”
Indeed, even Christianity, which was once at each other’s throats, has united the Catholics and the Orthodox Church.
In the past, it was said that the Orthodox Church despised the Catholics even more than they did Islam.
It was akin to the divide between Sunnis and Shias.
Yet now, they have united to fight against Khwarazm.
“Could it be that he’s going to end the long-standing conflict between Christianity and Islam? Is that really possible?”
“To us, it seems impossible. But isn’t that precisely why God sent him? If it were something we could achieve on our own, there would be no need for God to send a prophet.”
“Now that you mention it, that makes sense.”
It’s something beyond human capability, requiring divine intervention… Indeed, when viewed this way, everything falls into place.
If someone truly tainted the words of the Quran, then the words Islam currently believes in aren’t pure truth.
It’s an uncomfortable and unpleasant thought, but the reality is that there’s a high possibility that even their words have been slightly tainted.
From the perspective of an omniscient and perfect God, they too are just pitiable beings clinging to corrupted words.
In other words, the extreme division and conflict between Christianity and Islam must have seemed like a ridiculous farce to God.
Thus, God sent a chosen one to end this tragic play, and they have now met that person.
Thinking this way, a sense of responsibility swells within him, filling him with a sense of mission.
“Thinking that we’re creating a new history from now on, the responsibility is indeed immense.”
“So let’s keep our wits about us and carry out our tasks carefully. If we slip up here… well, you know what happens next.”
There’s no need to hear more.
Failing the first mission of serving the prophet would render their existence meaningless.
Nur al-Din steeled himself and discussed the detailed plans with Nasr.
In truth, Tekish and his successor, Ala ud-Din Muhammad, didn’t believe the Assassins would succeed.
The chances of failure were about nine out of ten, with success being a mere one, if that.
Even that was being generous.
No matter how well-prepared they were, if assassination were that easy, his own head wouldn’t have stayed on his shoulders for so long.
Of course, if they succeeded, it would be a boon.
The moment Marshall was assassinated, the Crusaders’ morale would plummet, sinking below the ground.
And that wasn’t all.
With a well-timed conspiracy theory, the Crusaders, unable to trust each other, would quickly fall into disarray.
Seizing that opportunity, they could easily take Anatolia.
But this was merely a favorable assumption for them.
In reality, if the assassination failed, the Crusaders, enraged by the “vile Islamic plot,” would likely unite even more tightly.
Despite this, Tekish accepted the Assassins’ proposal because he needed time to reorganize his army.
If they failed, most of the detestable Assassins would be buried there, which was a small advantage.
If they managed to return alive, he could simply hold them accountable and execute them himself.
But then, to his surprise.
While nearly finishing the reorganization of his army and discussing future plans with his son, Tekish received an unbelievable report.
”…What? Marshall is dead?”
“Could it be… did the Assassins really succeed?”
Even his son, who had brought the Assassins, was left speechless, listening to the messenger’s report with his mouth agape.
“Yes. The leaders of Alamut and Syria are waiting outside the tent. They claim to have succeeded in killing Marshall and have brought evidence.”
”…They wouldn’t just spout nonsense, would they…?”
“Your Majesty, perhaps it would be best to meet them and hear their story.”
“Of course. Bring them in immediately!”
Though still skeptical, if they had truly succeeded, this was an unparalleled opportunity for Khwarazm.
Forcing his racing heart to calm, he soon saw Nur al-Din and Nasr stride in with a confident gait.
It was clear from their demeanor that they believed they had accomplished something monumental.
Could it be that they had really done it?
No, he mustn’t overlook the possibility that they were merely acting to claim their reward and flee.
From now on, he needed to scrutinize every word and action they took.
“As promised, we have returned after delivering divine retribution to that false prophet.”
“Incredible. I honestly thought it was a fifty-fifty chance.”
Lying through his teeth, Tekish closely observed Nur al-Din, who stepped forward to speak.
With eyes brimming with confidence, Nur al-Din slowly pulled a small bundle from his robe.
“We intended to bring back his head, but the situation was too urgent. Instead, we brought other items. Please verify them.”
“Is this… a seal and a cross?”
“Yes. It’s the cross and seal that Marshal wore around his neck. If you look at the back of the cross, you’ll see the signatures and seals engraved by the Pope of the Catholic Church and the Emperor of the Orthodox Church. And if you compare this seal with the one Marshal used on official documents, you’ll find they match perfectly, without a single discrepancy.”
”…I can’t believe they actually pulled it off.”
Though more investigation is needed, their confidence makes it hard to believe they’re lying. A lie like this would be exposed in no time once properly scrutinized.
“The Lord will surely be pleased with your efforts. To celebrate this success, how about staying here for a few days so we can throw a grand feast?”
In other words, he’s asking if they can stay until the truth is verified. If they were lying, they’d likely try to make excuses to leave.
But, as if mocking Tekish’s suspicion, Nur al-Din and Nasr nodded almost simultaneously.
“Of course.”
“We’d be delighted to attend a banquet prepared by Your Majesty.”
Not stopping there, Nur al-Din added with a broad smile and a touch of cheekiness.
“Honestly, not just us, but our men put in a lot of effort this time. If it’s not too much trouble, could you reward them generously as well? Hahaha!”
“Naturally. Once your achievement is confirmed, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
When they accepted this mission, they had already infiltrated a few Khwarazm spies disguised as merchants into Antioch. They might not be able to enter the palace, but they can quickly gather any rumors circulating among the citizens.
And yet, despite knowing this, they still choose to stay in the Khwarazm camp… there’s no other way to interpret it.
Marshal is truly dead.
“Wow… is this really happening?”
Even as he sees it with his own eyes, Tekish finds it hard to believe it’s real. He continued to stare blankly at Marshal’s seal, as if entranced.