Episode 45
The capital of the Khwarazmian Empire, Gurganj, once the seat of power in Western Asia.
Tekish, who had nearly eradicated the influence of his half-brother Arslan and ascended to the pinnacle of the dynasty, found himself in a less than cheerful mood lately.
Until now, he had ignored the chaos in the west, focusing solely on expanding his own power.
He had no direct conflict with the Ayyubids, as they served as a convenient buffer against the noisy European invaders.
This allowed him to concentrate entirely on consolidating his power without worrying about the west.
Everything had been going well.
With the help of the Western Liao, founded by the remnants of the Liao dynasty, he had ousted his half-brother and seized control of Khwarazm.
Arslan had tried to retaliate, but with only the remnants of the Seljuks to aid him, his efforts were futile.
Now, as the undisputed Shah of Khwarazm, Tekish was burning with ambition to conquer the entire eastern Islamic world within a few years.
Having severed ties with the Western Liao, who had initially aided him, he now planned to devour them as well.
The surrounding nations were like toothless old lions, relics of a bygone era clinging to past glories.
Conquering these ghosts of the past would not be difficult.
Even the Ghurid dynasty, which was expanding its power, was merely a hollow shell, rotten to the core.
The Khwarazmian dynasty, once a small state ruling only the Khwarazm region, was now on the verge of becoming a great empire, stretching eastward.
Yet, Tekish could not take the final step.
He couldn’t completely crush the insignificant forces of his half-brother Arslan.
Though their power was incomparable, Arslan’s stubborn resistance was a constant annoyance.
If only he could eliminate Arslan, he could march westward, end the Seljuk facade, and ascend as Sultan.
While he was stewing over this for months, another bothersome piece of news arrived from the west.
“Europeans are uniting to invade, and they want to discuss a pan-Islamic alliance? Have they lost their minds…?”
A pan-Islamic alliance, they said.
It was as absurd as Muslims holding a pork festival.
If they sent an envoy expecting him to agree, he seriously doubted Saladin’s sanity.
Tekish looked down at the Ayyubid envoy and asked, “Did they send this request only to us?”
“No, Your Majesty. The Sultan seeks a pan-Islamic alliance. He has also sent envoys to the Almohads.”
“Well, they might consider it.”
The Almohads, who were fiercely battling Europeans in Iberia, might entertain Saladin’s proposal.
After all, they had been fighting Christians the longest.
“But we have no reason to fight them, do we? The Christians’ goal is to reclaim Jerusalem. No matter how much they stir, they won’t reach here.”
“For now, yes. But Khwarazm will soon absorb the Seljuks and take over the Iranian plateau. Who knows what might happen then?”
“Does the Ayyubid Sultan really think that highly of me?”
“Yes, he believes the Shah of Khwarazm is a great ruler capable of such achievements.”
Flattering words, but not entirely unpleasant.
“If I expand my territory westward, it’s not impossible. But that’s a future concern. Why should I join them without any compensation?”
“The Sultan does not expect help without compensation.”
“Then the conversation changes. What kind of help are they offering?”
“The Sultan has appointed his brother, Al-Adil, the Governor of Egypt, as the commander of the northeastern frontier. He will assist the Shah of Khwarazm.”
Tekish quickly calculated in his mind.
It seemed the mastermind behind this plan was Saladin’s brother, Al-Adil.
Sending someone from Egypt to assist him was telling enough.
“If the Ayyubids help, absorbing the tattered Seljuks would be a breeze. Is this an opportunity… or a trap?”
The offer was tempting, but it seemed too sweet, raising suspicions of a hidden trap.
“Can the Ayyubids really hand over the Seljuks to me? Have they reached an agreement with the Abbasid Caliph?”
“The Sultan has a close relationship with the Caliph. He was overjoyed when the Sultan reclaimed the Holy Land in the Caliph’s name.”
“With the Christians constantly sending Crusades, the Ayyubid northeast won’t have the resources to focus here.”
“After the Holy Roman Emperor drowned, struck by divine punishment, they are also assessing the situation. They seek to secure a strong ally during this lull.”
The envoy’s words flowed smoothly, as if anticipating Tekish’s doubts.
“Shah, you may not know, but the Christians have rallied around a false prophet named Edward Marshall, uniting like never before. The next Crusade might be larger than we expect.”
“Edward Marshall… yes, I’ve heard of him. The Christians are up to some bizarre antics, aren’t they?”
“A great war is brewing, one that will dwarf anything we’ve seen. The Sultan predicts it will happen within a few years, or at most a decade. When that time comes, shouldn’t Islam unite under Allah’s banner?”
Could this be a plot by the Caliph to restore past glory?
While the Pope, a figure similar to the Caliph, wielded great power in Christianity, the Caliph’s political authority had waned.
If the Islamic world united to fight Europe, the biggest beneficiaries would be the Caliph and the Sultan leading this alliance.
Agreeing without caution might only serve their interests.
Yet, the prospect of using Ayyubid power to swallow the hollow Seljuks was incredibly enticing.
Even knowing it might be bait, he wanted to take a bite.
The Ayyubid envoy watched Tekish’s conflicted expression with a faint smile.
Everything was unfolding as the great Sultan had anticipated.
Tekish might think he was being clever, but to someone who served the Sultan, he was merely average.
“The Sultan also offers advice on the most efficient way for Khwarazm to neutralize the Western Liao.”
“Is there such a method?”
“Yes. If the Western Liao is a concern, it would be difficult for you to assist us fully. The Sultan offers this advice to ensure you are well-prepared.”
“To bring the Western Liao to their knees…”
Imagining an empire stretching from Iran to Khwarazm, the Ghurids, and the Western Liao, rivaling the Islamic Empire at its peak, or perhaps even surpassing it, brought a smile to his face.
To achieve this, whose help should he enlist?
What kind of aftermath would this proposal bring?
Neither Tekish, Saladin, nor even Edward Marshall, the catalyst of this storm, could foresee how this whirlwind would unfold.
“This is a direct attack and provocation against our Christianity! We will respond decisively and use every means at our disposal!”
I sat in my chair, listening to Cardinal Lothaire’s impassioned speech, his voice booming.
Despite attempts to keep it under wraps, rumors of another assassination attempt on my life spread like wildfire.
Given the sensational nature of the news, it was no surprise it spread so quickly.
The problem was that Cardinal Lothaire and the Vatican seized upon this, eagerly inciting the masses.
“Why would those distant Islamic ruffians try to assassinate our prophet? Because they are afraid! Afraid that their doctrine, built on lies and hypocrisy, will be exposed! It was a pathetic scheme to prevent this truth from spreading!”
Look at him, thriving like a fish in water.
He seemed genuinely delighted by the assassination attempt, and it wasn’t just my imagination.
Nobles, unaware of the full story, were already swept up in Cardinal Lothaire’s fervor.
Even the envoys sent by Richard and Philip II to investigate were shouting and cursing Islam.
“Have you ever seen such bastards!”
“This is why we should never have lost the Holy Land!”
“Let’s repay them in kind! Behead the Sultan or the Caliph, and those bastards will—”
“Things will calm down eventually!”
Of course, no one here seriously considered sending assassins all the way to Damascus or Baghdad. They were just caught up in the moment, letting their words run wild. But even this kind of atmosphere was dangerous in itself.
Cardinal Lothaire—or rather, the Pope who maneuvered him from behind—clearly intended to use this as a new pretext for their plans.
“We can no longer hesitate! After this failure, who knows what other petty and vile schemes they might concoct? Not only the Prophet but also His Holiness the Pope and all the kings of Europe will be at risk. Eventually, even the noble lords present here will become their targets. But unlike them, we don’t have a professional assassin organization. We are not as despicable as they are. Everyone here fights honorably on the battlefield, like true knights. Retaliating in the same way would only bring us down to their level.”
“Then what do you propose we do?”
“His Holiness has declared that we must proceed with a direct approach. Indeed! In the end, the righteous path will prevail! The very existence of the Prophet proves that Islam lacks a just cause. So we must rise up to establish the true Kingdom of God!”
Who would listen to such madness? Yet, surprisingly, it was well-received. Not because they were fanatics, but because they had already calculated the odds in their heads and decided to play along, pretending to be devout believers.
It was inevitable. From the moment this situation erupted, I had anticipated it would unfold this way. But that didn’t mean I could just sit back and do nothing. If war broke out under these circumstances, I would inevitably be dragged to the front lines as a symbol of the conflict.
My domain was just beginning to spread its wings, and now they wanted to launch a full-scale war against Islam? Not just a simple crusade, but a united European offensive? The enemy wouldn’t just sit idly by. They would rally together, and the chaos would be of no benefit to me.
I had been relieved to delay the Third Crusade, only to find an even greater threat looming.
Sensing the tension, Fatima approached me, pretending to pour wine, and asked in a strained voice, “Apostle, will everything be alright?”
“Not likely. I’ll have to take action.”
“Are you going to request the Vatican to postpone the expedition?”
“No. This time, they’re serious. If I want to assert my will, I’ll have to be prepared for significant opposition.”
“Sigh… In the end, they’re no different from the worldly fools.”
The Vatican had staked its fate on reclaiming the Holy Land. Even I couldn’t openly challenge them without jeopardizing our relationship. So, there was only one solution.
I looked at Cardinal Lothaire, still delivering his speech on the podium, and spoke in a cold tone, “If they insist on pushing this far, then it’s time to deal with the Vatican.”