Episode 32
Nasr and Fatima pledged their loyalty to me in their own way.
In games and movies, assassins often make grandiose oaths during their ceremonies, so I thought it would be something like that.
I imagined they might have some secretive ritual, given they were part of a clandestine organization.
But, alas, it seems such things are only for the movies.
Nasr and Fatima simply declared their loyalty to me in the manner of a Muslim prayer, invoking Allah’s name.
Once Allah’s name is invoked, there’s no going back on their word.
Though I didn’t get to witness the dramatic scene I had hoped for, I was satisfied nonetheless.
After all, when extremists are on your side, they can be incredibly reliable, even if they’re terrifying as enemies.
Especially if they believe my words to be divine.
“Then I’ll return to Syria to prepare to take over the organization.”
“Yes, and don’t forget to look into the things I asked about.”
Now that they were essentially my subordinates, I gave orders without hesitation. Nasr nodded without any sign of discomfort.
“Of course. You’ve given me the general direction, so I’ll follow your words, Apostle.”
“Do so.”
“But are you sure it’s okay not to share the Apostle’s words with everyone else?”
“Do you think others would believe it so easily? It would only put your life in danger.”
Fatima, listening nearby, frowned as if displeased.
“Shouldn’t those lacking faith be judged?”
“Oh, so you believed my words right away when you first heard them?”
“Well… that’s…”
“People need evidence to believe. It’s not something to blame them for. Just start when the situation is right for people to accept Nasr’s words.”
“That might take quite a while…”
“That’s fine. I already have a rough timeline in mind.”
Fatima smiled, looking reassured.
“As expected of the Apostle. I understand. I will follow your will without doubt. Though I don’t fully trust my brother, if he follows your words, there should be no problem.”
“Let’s be clear. I’m not comfortable leaving you with the Apostle. You’re inflexible and only good at killing…”
“Oh, is that why you’ve relied on me for assassinations until now? Truly, wise people are different.”
“Sending me alone means the Apostle trusts me, you fool.”
As the siblings began to display their charming camaraderie, I tapped the table to refocus their attention.
“Alright, enough of that. I believe each of you has your strengths, and I’ve assigned roles accordingly.”
The reason I sent Nasr alone to Syria was simple.
Nasr was originally Rashid’s successor, and he was much more skilled at planning and managing people.
On the other hand, Fatima, being a woman, could easily lower people’s guards, but she was too single-minded and only skilled in assassination, limiting her usefulness.
However, her abilities were undeniable, so keeping her close would be advantageous.
“Understood. I’ll return to Syria and prepare for the promised time as you instructed, Apostle.”
“I trust you. And…”
“Yes, I’ll also contact Baghdad to find intellectuals who can assist you, Apostle. Don’t worry.”
Once Nasr takes control of Syria and drives out the Assassins of Alamut, the underworld of the Middle East will be under my influence.
Of course, that will take a considerable amount of time, but my immediate goal isn’t that.
The priority is to bring intellectuals loyal to me, using Nasr’s influence as a foundation.
Baghdad, though declining since the 12th century, was still unmatched as a cradle of learning.
Even though the Mongol Empire would eventually destroy it, for now, it was a treasure trove of invaluable ancient texts.
If I could bring scholars from there to serve me, it would greatly aid the development of my domain.
Any conflicts arising from their Islamic faith could be smoothed over with my influence.
After all, scholars truly dedicated to research were relatively free from such issues, even in this era.
In this time, a domain is essentially a small country, and I intend to continue expanding mine.
As a result, Europe and the Middle East of this era will differ from actual history, which is precisely what I desire.
I can’t predict exactly what it will look like, but it will undoubtedly be more advanced.
Otherwise, we would be helpless against the disasters of the distant future.
But with me here, history won’t be so easily repeated.
After Nasr left, I began focusing on developing my domain.
First, I instructed Fatima to cultivate an intelligence network that would operate under my command.
While I planned to control the Islamic underworld through Nasr, it was crucial to first secure the European underworld.
For those in power, the greatest fear is assassination and covert operations.
By nurturing such an organization, I would gain a weapon to discreetly eliminate threats.
Additionally, the security system against assassins would become more robust.
Indeed, as soon as Fatima began acting as my shadow, she started overhauling the estate’s security system.
While physical threats were nearly perfectly blocked, the handling of spies seemed lacking.
In just a week, she captured three spies who had infiltrated.
Ah, the warm camaraderie and cheer of the medieval era.
Outwardly, they praised our prophet, but behind the scenes, they were all sending spies.
“So, where are they from?”
“All three are from different places. One from Paris, one from Toulouse, and one from the Papal States.”
“No one from the Angevin Empire, then.”
I felt a bit relieved.
If there had been evidence that Richard was secretly monitoring me, things would have gotten tense.
Fortunately, Richard, though hot-tempered, wasn’t sneaky.
Finding a spy from Paris wasn’t surprising.
If Philip II hadn’t placed anyone near me, that would have been more shocking.
The same goes for the Papal States.
I expected Clement III, with his paranoia, to be gathering information on me somehow.
In any case, according to history, he would be departing for the afterlife within a few months, so I wasn’t too concerned.
The priority was dealing with those from Paris to the north and Toulouse to the south.
“Should I kill those who dared to spy on the Apostle?”
“No, no. Killing them isn’t the answer.”
“Then I’ll use torture and poison to extract all the information they have.”
”…What would that make me look like? Just extract some information and let them go.”
“Then I’ll go and deliver judgment to those behind them.”
Oh… planning to kill the King of France and the Pope?
I didn’t even have the energy to respond, so I just waved my hand dismissively.
The spies likely hadn’t gathered any useful information anyway.
Rather than purging them and raising suspicions, it was better to maintain a magnanimous facade.
“But Apostle, if we don’t set an example, they might send more people.”
“No, they’ll be cautious for a while, fearing I might use this as a pretext. And later, I might use this as leverage to gain concessions from them, so it’s not a bad thing. Thanks to you, I have a good card to play. Well done.”
“It’s my duty. I’m honored to serve the Apostle and do meaningful work. If there’s anyone who bothers you, just say the word, and I’ll…”
“Uh, sure. I’ll definitely ask if I need anything.”
I brushed off Fatima’s words and sent her out.
Why does she always want to kill anyone who bothers her? It’s quite intense.
Maybe that’s normal where she’s from, but it won’t work here.
Of course, I could have Fatima assassinate someone and blame it on the Islamic side.
Under certain conditions, it could be an effective strategy, but now wasn’t the time.
After sending Fatima out, I summoned the bishops overseeing education in the domain.
In the medieval era, education was entirely led by the church, so discussing education without involving the church was impossible.
Naturally, since the church was educating people, the education system of the time was vastly different from modern times.
The goal wasn’t to produce cultured and knowledgeable professionals but to train clergy well-versed in theology.
There were some changes after the Crusades, though.
Thanks to the influx of advanced Arab knowledge in science, medicine, and law, European intellectuals developed a strong desire for learning.
This led to the founding of Europe’s first universities, like the University of Bologna and the University of Paris, from the late 11th to the 12th century.
The famous University of Oxford was established not long ago.
In Clermont, where I was, there was no university, but Bishop Bruno, who had studied at the University of Paris, was running several schools.
“Count, you summoned us?”
“Ah, welcome. How are things at the church these days?”
“Thanks to your support, my lord, everything is running smoothly. The fact that this is the land of the prophet has inspired the farmers to take a greater interest in theology.”
“That’s certainly a positive development.”
The mere fact of my presence seems to have shifted the mindset of the farmers, which means they truly feel the weight of my influence.
This should make the task at hand much easier and quicker to accomplish.
I turned to Bishop Bruno with a subtle suggestion.
“Bishop, since we’re on the topic, don’t you think it’s about time we established a university here?”
“Are you referring to an institution like the University of Paris?”
“Yes. France has the University of Paris, and the Italian Peninsula has the University of Bologna. Yet, we lack a university to cultivate intellectuals.”
“I understand there’s Oxford in England, but…”
“Realistically, it’s quite difficult for people living inland to travel all the way to England. That’s why I believe it’s essential to have a university accessible to those in the interior.”
In the medieval era, universities were granted extraordinary privileges, to the extent of being recognized as extraterritorial entities.
Naturally, such prestigious institutions attracted scholars and researchers in droves.
“I agree with you, my lord. However, founding a university isn’t something that can be done on a whim… But perhaps you could make it happen.”
“Indeed. I’ll speak with His Majesty to formally initiate the establishment of a university. But first, I’ll need to understand the current state of education in my domain. Could you assist me with that?”
“Of course!”
I clasped Bishop Bruno’s hand, matching his bright smile with one of my own.
To develop the estate, I’ll extract funds from Richard and leverage the church’s religious authority to shift the farmers’ perceptions.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and reform often starts with someone else’s money.
Naturally, the one to reap all the benefits will be none other than me, Edward Marshall.