Episode 195

I remember reading history books as a child.

People naturally gravitate towards strength over weakness, often harboring an unconscious admiration for the powerful.

We are captivated by epic tales of heroes, and when first learning about history, most people are drawn to the stories of conquering rulers.

Why do you think figures like King Gwanggaeto and the kingdom of Goguryeo are so popular among Koreans?

Simply put, it’s because they were formidable in battle.

They expanded our nation’s territory significantly!

A great conquering ruler!

It’s not just in Korea; there’s no place in the world that dislikes rulers who spread their influence far and wide.

And given humanity’s penchant for ranking everything, even the numerous conquerors throughout history couldn’t escape being ranked.

Such topics often spark intense debates and keyboard battles.

People argue endlessly about why one figure ranks higher than another, or whether a certain ranking makes any sense at all.

However, when it comes to ranking conquerors, the debate usually centers around who comes second, rather than first.

The top spot is just too obvious.

The greatest and most notorious conqueror in human history.

The one who laid the foundation for the largest contiguous empire ever.

Genghis Khan always takes the number one spot, leaving no room for others to challenge him.

Even those with little knowledge of history have likely heard of Genghis Khan.

His reputation is matched by the sheer number of nicknames he has.

Some call him the “Alexander of the East” for the vast lands he conquered, while others dub him the “Hitler of the Middle Ages” for the countless lives he took.

Of course, both titles might be a bit insulting from Genghis Khan’s perspective.

In terms of territory conquered, he far surpassed Alexander, and the number of people he killed was greater than Hitler’s.

Scholars estimate that nearly 40 million people died because of Genghis Khan, which was about 10% of the world’s population at the time.

Even by sheer numbers, you’d have to combine Hitler and Stalin to match that figure, and he achieved this massacre in the Middle Ages.

At this point, one might imagine Hitler in the afterlife protesting, “How can you compare me to someone like that?”

Of course, comparing the 20th century, with its established human rights, to the Middle Ages is somewhat misleading.

Some might argue that, considering the times, Hitler remains the worst, while others might say Genghis Khan went too far.

One thing is certain: Genghis Khan killed an extraordinary number of people, enough to earn the dark joke of being the greatest carbon-neutral activist, delaying the planet’s destruction by a century.

Naturally, no one would take that as a compliment, given the implication of so many deaths.

Because of this background, I too had a firm image of Genghis Khan in my mind.

Meeting such a figure face-to-face is overwhelming.

My heart swells with emotion.

Strictly speaking, this isn’t my first encounter with a historical figure.

I’ve met the likes of Richard the Lionheart, King Philip II, and Saladin, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty.

I’ve met so many giants of history that I can’t count them on one hand.

But they all belonged to European history.

This was my first time meeting a giant from Asia.

And to meet Genghis Khan from a position where I could look down on him was a unique experience.

What kind of face would the greatest conqueror and worst mass murderer of the Middle Ages have?

Would he look just like the portraits I’ve seen, or would he be completely different?

With a heart full of anticipation, I met Genghis Khan… and he was a bit different from the image I had.

In fact, there’s a saying that Genghis Khan’s portraits were drawn posthumously, and in person, he appeared younger and more robust than I expected.

It made sense, given that he had reached Europe much earlier than in the original timeline, so it would have been odd if he looked old.

The amusing part was that, as intrigued as I was by him, Genghis Khan was staring at me with eyes nearly popping out of his head.

I could understand his feelings.

He must have wanted to see for himself the person responsible for such an unprecedented event.

“It’s our first time meeting face-to-face. I am Edward Marshall.”

”…I am Genghis Khan, the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire.”

What can I say?

There was an unexpected humanity in his voice.

It’s a feeling I had when I met Richard and Saladin too, that even historical figures are just people in the end.

No matter how fearsome their reputation, they are made of flesh and blood.

And it seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling this way.

As I approached to offer a handshake, he hesitated for a moment, scrutinizing my face carefully.

“Worried about catching smallpox late in life?”

“No, it’s not that. I was just surprised at how… human you look.”

Realizing how odd his words sounded, Genghis Khan added as he shook my hand.

“I don’t mean it in a bad way. Just that it was unexpected.”

“I understand completely. Please, have a seat.”

I gestured to a prepared seat, and Genghis Khan nodded awkwardly before sitting down with a slow, yet still dignified, movement.

“Would you like some tea?”

“No, thank you.”

“It’s our custom to treat guests generously. We have some fine tea from Song, so please try it.”

Whether he refused or not, I was going to do what I wanted.

I subtly asserted who held the upper hand in this meeting by pouring the tea myself.

This isn’t just any tea; I’m not being a poor host.

He stared at the tea for a moment before awkwardly lifting the cup with a smile.

“You prepared this tea because you knew I was coming?”

“Of course. I considered offering you kumis, but serving alcohol on the battlefield didn’t seem appropriate, so I settled on tea.”

I had originally acquired it for myself, but Edward Marshall needed to project an image of knowing everything that would happen.

For that, I could part with my cherished tea leaves by the sackful.

“By the way, did General Jelme return safely? He wasn’t in the best health, and he didn’t look much better when he left.”

“Can’t you foresee what happened to him?”

“I’m not omnipotent. If I could see everything I wanted, I wouldn’t be human, would I? I’d be a god.”

“Is that so? I felt like I was fighting a living god, but to hear you’re not one is a complex feeling.”

I suppose it would be.

Even I think I got lucky this time, using methods that seemed almost too much.

From his perspective, he couldn’t comprehend what kind of being he was up against.

“I’m merely an agent. It’s true I’m not ordinary, but…”

“You don’t deny that you can read the will of heaven… It’s unbelievable, yet you’ve shown things that can’t be denied. May I ask you one question?”

“Ask anything.”

“They say it was your will that brought us down with disease. But why weren’t the traitors who cooperated with you affected by the disease? They should be just as unforgivable from your perspective.”

Well, that’s because they were my spies, instrumental in winning this war. But I can’t say that out loud.

“It seems there’s a misunderstanding. The smallpox disaster that befell Mongolia wasn’t simply because you were our enemies.”

”…Then why?”

“Reflect on what your country did when you conquered Baghdad. You didn’t stop there; you massacred civilians and tried to bring us down. In Eastern terms, it’s called karma. As for the traitors, they can be dealt with later.”

“So, if we hadn’t razed Baghdad and committed massacres, we wouldn’t have been struck by smallpox?”

“Exactly.”

I glanced back to see a historian in the corner furiously recording our conversation.

With this official meeting, the contents of today’s discussion would soon spread throughout Europe and the Islamic world.

Perhaps it’s time to score some more points.

“As an envoy of Islam, how could I stand by and watch the suffering and despair of Muslims? Using disease as a weapon in war is not a commendable tactic. But for the sake of those who suffered, it was unavoidable.”

“War is inherently…”

“Of course, war is ruthless, and there are winners and losers. Sacrifices are inevitable, and not all methods can be clean. But there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed, and as a representative of both Christianity and Islam, I have a duty to protect the faithful. If similar events occur in the future, I’m prepared to do even more drastic things.

You might call me a demon for unleashing disease, but I don’t care. I can bear that burden a hundred times over.”

With this, I’ve preemptively addressed any future criticism.

This isn’t just an excuse built from conversations with kings; it’s a statement made in an official meeting.

Today’s conversation will be recorded in both the East and the West, so cross-verification won’t be an issue. My words today will be echoed by countless historians.

The reaction from the audience was overwhelmingly positive.

Especially the expressions on the faces of Al Adil and the other amirs watching from the back were priceless.

If someone were to ask what pure emotion looks like, I’d tell them to look at those faces.

It’s as if their expressions have distilled pure, 100% emotion into a visible form. Maybe I should subtly suggest they manage their expressions a bit.

“Now that we’ve covered smallpox, let’s move on to the main topic. Please tell us why you’ve come here.”

“Do you really need me to say it? Isn’t it something you already know? You said you can’t see everything you want, so is this something you can’t see?”

“Of course, I know. But this is an official meeting. It won’t proceed if I’m the only one speaking.”

“True enough. Then let’s cut to the chase. You probably already know, so I’m sure you have a response prepared.”

Wait, does that mean if I don’t respond immediately, they’ll suspect something?

In that case, I need to respond with the air of someone who already knows everything.

Go ahead, say whatever you want.

I’ll be ready with a solid comeback.

“How about we call this war a draw and agree to a ceasefire?”

Are they seriously suggesting a draw at this stage?

Surely they don’t expect me to just nod and agree. What are they up to?

Well, our response is already decided, so at least I don’t have to worry about that.