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 be this 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 say he was angry would be an understatement; he exuded a murderous intent, as if he could explode at any moment.
Clearly, there was more to this than just the fall of Baghdad.
Such a reaction couldn’t be solely due to that.
“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 walked, other amirs summoned by Saladin joined us, but curiously, none spoke to me.
They all kept their heads down, casting furtive glances at Al-Adil, and then retreated to the back.
No one dared offer words of comfort unless they were of high status.
Anyone with half a brain could guess the scale of the tragedy that had befallen Al-Adil.
And if Saladin felt similarly, it was even more evident.
Still, I decided to probe a little, just in case.
“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 just abandon Baghdad, so they sent an army to test the enemy, with Saladin and Al-Adil’s sons leading it.
The Ayyubid army was mostly cavalry, unlikely to engage in direct combat, so they probably thought they could escape if things got dangerous.
Normally, that would be true, but the ones in Baghdad were 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 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 killed the nobles and caliph, it wouldn’t necessarily prove the superiority of Mongol tactics.
Who would have thought that these seemingly savage barbarians were also brilliant strategists?
Personally, it’s regrettable, but perhaps they needed this kind 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. I don’t know what you wrote to him, but 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 the Christian world instead of the Islamic one.”
Islam suffered more from the Mongols simply because they were closer to the east.
As evidence, Eastern Europe, which bordered the Mongols, was completely devastated in history.
Al-Adil, with bloodshot eyes, quickened the pace of the procession.
After a few minutes of silently swaying in the carriage, a vast assembly hall 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?”
It was clear what would happen here, even without seeing it.
Fatima, who had accompanied me for protection, seemed to realize the future as well, looking around with a slightly flushed expression.
“Those foolish ones 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. They agreed that if Islam cooperates with me, they have no choice but to accept it. It was inevitable.”
“Then you will finally ascend, Prophet.”
“Well, that depends on what the Sultan does here, doesn’t it?”
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 hall, 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 focused on me as I moved forward without hesitation.
In such a sensitive situation, having a representative of the Christian side, who also claimed to be a prophet, present couldn’t possibly garner only friendly gazes.
-Doesn’t that guy have any sense? Does he 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 will make the upcoming performance even 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 we last spoke, but Saladin looked as if he had aged several years.
Yet, that didn’t mean he appeared weak.
On the contrary, 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 anger anyone.
Despite his age, no one would dare provoke a lion whose claws and teeth were still sharp.
Even the imams, who had been glaring at me moments ago, straightened up and listened intently to Saladin’s words.
“The Mongols who invaded our lands 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 madmen.”
Though not a holy city like Mecca, Medina, or Jerusalem, Baghdad was a city of immense stature during the Islamic Empire’s golden age.
It was revered as a repository of all the history and wisdom Islam had accumulated.
With Saladin confirming its complete destruction, the audience’s faces hardened with disbelief.
“If anyone has questions, feel free to ask 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 reach as far as 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, confusion and dismay gradually turned into anger and hatred.
Saladin, in a calm yet restrained tone, continued to speak, further fanning the flames of the people’s fury.
“To save Baghdad, I too sent reinforcements. As everyone here knows, my second son, Usman, and my nephew, Ahwad, were in command. As Sultan, I felt it was 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 let out a deep sigh 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 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 straining to hear, curious about what kind of prophecy could have elicited such a reaction from Saladin.
Finally, Saladin slowly.
With a grand gesture visible to all, he pulled out a parchment sealed in several layers from his robe.
“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 have kept it with me at all times 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 those present can attest to it.
I will read it as it is, without adding any opinion, 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 greatest main event to awaken the slumbering Islam and Christianity had just begun.