Episode 164
After briefing the Crusaders on the events to come, I returned to Damascus, only to be taken aback by the city’s changed atmosphere.
The fall of Baghdad was indeed shocking, but I hadn’t expected the mood to turn so grim.
It was as if Saladin had broken his promise and revealed my prophecy prematurely, given the strange tension in Damascus.
The people seemed consumed by anger.
It appeared the faith of the Ayyubid Muslims was far stronger than I had anticipated.
“You’re here. The Sultan is waiting for you.”
Al-Adil, who had come to meet me on the main road, wore an expression even more intense than before.
When I first saw him, his eyes were filled with such fury that even I was taken aback.
To call it mere anger would be an understatement; there was a palpable murderous intent, as if he was ready to explode at any moment.
Clearly, something more was at play.
The fall of Baghdad alone couldn’t have provoked such a reaction.
“Did the Sultan hear about the events to come?”
“If by ‘events to come’ you mean tearing those damned bastards to pieces, then yes.”
“That’s… quite blunt, but not entirely inaccurate.”
“Apologies. I’m not in a state to choose my words carefully, so I might show you an unsightly side. The Sultan may not express it, but he likely feels the same, so please don’t mind.”
I nodded in response and followed Al-Adil.
As we made our way, other amirs summoned by Saladin joined us, yet none dared to speak to me.
They all kept their heads bowed, casting furtive glances at Al-Adil before retreating to the back.
Unless one held a high rank, offering even a word of consolation seemed unwise.
Anyone with a modicum of sense could guess the scale of the tragedy that had befallen Al-Adil.
And if Saladin shared the same sentiment, it was all the more certain.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to probe a little.
“I had written to the Sultan about the prophecy concerning Baghdad.”
As we approached the palace where Saladin awaited, Al-Adil’s eyes darted towards me with alarming speed.
“Did you tell His Majesty about that as well?”
“That… so it was true?”
“Yes. You knew my son would die at the hands of those wretched scoundrels, didn’t you?”
Of course.
Unless it was the loss of a child, someone like Al-Adil wouldn’t lose his composure so completely.
They couldn’t abandon Baghdad entirely, so they sent an army to test the enemy, with Saladin and Al-Adil’s sons leading the charge.
The Ayyubid army, primarily cavalry, wouldn’t engage in direct combat, so they likely believed they could escape even if things turned dangerous.
Normally, that would be true, but the ones in Baghdad were none other than Genghis Khan and his generals.
Escaping unscathed from any of them would have been nearly impossible, so their fate was likely sealed the moment they left Damascus.
Honestly, I did feel a pang of sympathy.
I sighed deeply and shook my head.
“If I had known perfectly, would the Sultan have sent his beloved nephew to the battlefield?”
“True. My brother lost his son as well. If he had known, he wouldn’t have done it.”
“It’s still unfortunate. If he had truly believed my prophecy, he would have known they were merciless.”
Even if they turned Baghdad into chaos and slaughtered its nobles and caliph, it wouldn’t necessarily prove the superiority of Mongol tactics.
Who would have guessed that these seemingly savage barbarians were also brilliant strategists?
Personally, it’s regrettable, but perhaps they needed this level of shock.
The overall flow wouldn’t turn against us, and Al-Adil’s reaction confirmed that.
“Sigh… I understand in my head, but I can’t help but resent my brother. Whatever you wrote to him, if he had trusted it completely, my son might still be alive.”
“Even I was skeptical when I received the prophecy, so how could others not be? It sounds irresponsible, but it was a tragedy that would have been hard to avoid for anyone. If Baghdad and Rome had switched places, this disaster might have occurred in Christendom instead of the Islamic world.”
The greater impact on Islam was simply because they were closer to the east.
As history shows, Eastern Europe, which bordered the Mongols, was utterly devastated.
Al-Adil, his eyes bloodshot, quickened the pace of the procession.
After a few minutes of silent travel, the vast assembly area came into view.
It was meticulously prepared, filled with high-ranking amirs, imams, and influential merchants.
The thorough preparation indicated the immense impact of the Mongol shock therapy.
“Prophet, does this mean Saladin has decided to follow your will?”
The future events here were clear without needing to see them.
Fatima, who had accompanied me for protection, seemed to realize the impending future, her expression slightly flushed as she surveyed the surroundings.
“Those fools are finally ready to accept you, Prophet… The day has finally come. By the way, what about the Crusaders? Have you already spoken with them?”
“Yes. As per my prophecy, they agreed that if Islam cooperated with me, they would have no choice but to accept. It was inevitable.”
“Then you will finally ascend, Prophet.”
“Well, that depends on what the Sultan does here.”
Just as our conversation ended, Saladin appeared to the sound of grand music.
If this were a simple event, cheers and praises would have filled the assembly, but given the circumstances, the atmosphere remained solemn.
The music, too, carried a somber tone.
I followed Al-Adil up to the platform and took my place behind Saladin.
As intended, all eyes in the assembly turned towards me as I moved forward without hesitation.
In such a sensitive situation, a representative of the Christian side, who also claimed to be a prophet, was present, so not all the gazes were friendly.
-Doesn’t that guy have any sense? Does he even know where he is?
-Why did the Sultan invite someone like him?
-There’s a rumor he made some prophecy to the Sultan… Could it be?
Even without hearing the words, the emotions were palpable.
Good, good. This level of tension will make the upcoming performance all the more dramatic.
Now, let’s see how well Saladin can orchestrate this stage.
“As you all know, we recently received tragic news.”
It had only been a few months since our last conversation, yet Saladin looked as if he had aged several years.
But that didn’t mean he appeared weak.
Rather, like a flame flickering before it extinguishes, his eyes burned with intense emotion.
After all, knowing that his son’s body was not only lost but desecrated by the enemy would incite rage in anyone.
Even in his advanced age, no one would dare provoke the wrath of a lion whose claws and teeth remained sharp.
The imams, who had previously eyed me with discontent, now straightened up and listened intently to Saladin’s words.
“The Mongols, who have invaded our lands, have committed unspeakable atrocities in Baghdad, as you all know. To put it bluntly, every rumor you’ve heard is true.”
”…!”
“The city of Baghdad no longer exists. While the skeleton remains, all its facilities have been burned or destroyed, and its inhabitants massacred, rendering it incapable of functioning as a city. A city that stood for 500 years, a beacon of peace, has been utterly trampled by the hooves of those barbaric hordes.”
Though not a holy city like Mecca, Medina, or Jerusalem, Baghdad was once the capital during the Islamic Empire’s golden age, boasting immense prestige.
It was revered as a repository of all the history and wisdom Islam had accumulated.
When Saladin confirmed its complete destruction, the faces of the audience, who had been in disbelief, turned to stone.
“If anyone has questions, feel free to ask them now. This gathering is also to prevent the spread of false rumors.”
“Y-Your Majesty, does that mean the rumors are true?”
An amir in the front row stood up, his voice trembling.
“Is it true that the House of Wisdom was burned and all the books in Baghdad were destroyed?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Gasp!”
“How could such a thing happen!”
The room was filled with gasps of shock, as the intellectuals gathered there understood the true value of Baghdad better than anyone else.
This wasn’t just about destroying a library or burning books.
The loss of the books stored in over thirty libraries in Baghdad was not merely an issue for the Islamic world.
It was a loss for all of human civilization, comparable to the destruction of the Library of Alexandria.
An immense repository of knowledge, invaluable and beyond any monetary compensation, had been wiped from existence.
If I could have, I would have preserved those books beforehand, but my influence didn’t extend to Baghdad, and that was a regret I had to live with.
Had it been Damascus, I might have been able to use the Syrian Assassins to smuggle out important documents.
As this unthinkable atrocity became official, the initial confusion and dismay gradually turned into anger and hatred.
Saladin, in a calm yet restrained tone, continued to fan the flames of the people’s fury.
“To save Baghdad, I too dispatched reinforcements. As everyone here knows, my second son, Usman, and my nephew, Ahwad, were in command. As Sultan, I felt it necessary to set an example, which is why I carefully chose them for the task.
However, having heard a foreboding prophecy, I warned them to avoid a full-scale battle, fearing the enemy might be too strong. Yet, by some twist of fate, I received news that I will regret for the rest of my life.”
Saladin naturally mentioned the prophecy, then sighed deeply and slowly turned to look at me.
Following his gaze, everyone in the room turned their eyes toward me.
“How could I have believed it? If the prophecy had come from one of the renowned imams, the outcome might have been different. But it was a Christian figure who delivered it, and at first, I did not believe it. No, more than disbelief, I desperately hoped it wasn’t true. I think anyone in my position would have felt the same.”
The word had already spread through Al-Adil that Saladin had heard something from me beforehand.
Everyone was on the edge of their seats, unable to contain their curiosity about what kind of prophecy had elicited such a reaction from Saladin.
Finally, Saladin slowly.
With a grand gesture visible to all, he retrieved a parchment sealed in multiple layers from his robes.
“This is the prophecy I received from Edward Marshall here, long before Baghdad fell. I received it in the presence of my attendants and my brother Al-Adil, and I never let it out of my sight to prevent any forgery. Now, the time has come to reveal it to everyone. Once again, I assure you that this is the original document I received that day, and everyone present then can attest to it.
I will read it as it is, without adding any of my own opinions, so you can hear it with your own ears and judge for yourselves.”
With careful hands, Saladin broke the wax seal and unfolded the parchment.
Taking a deep breath, he raised his voice in the most solemn tone he could muster.
“Behold. Unaware of the approaching army of destruction that will set the world ablaze, Christianity and Islam continue their meaningless conflicts, and they will pay the price for their ignorance.”
The grand event to awaken the slumbering Islamic and Christian worlds had just begun.