Episode 239
“Shall we hear what you have to say first? We need to make sure you’re in your right mind.”
”…In my right mind, you say… Well, you’re not wrong. Anyone could see I was out of my mind.”
“Surprising. You’re admitting it so easily?”
I expected him to scream and shout like a madman, but his calm response caught me off guard.
“You’re more composed than I thought. It’s a different vibe from when we met in Jerusalem.”
“This state of mind is only a few days old… No, since I’ve decided to humble myself, I’ll act accordingly from now on.”
“This is hard to get used to. They say people can change completely after a shock. It doesn’t seem like you’re pretending to save yourself, which is fascinating.”
I thought I could use him for my purposes, but with such a drastic change, my curiosity was piqued.
I turned to Al Adil, who had been observing from behind, and asked, “Did you notice Nasir’s change?”
“I sensed a shift in his demeanor, but I haven’t spoken with him, so I wasn’t sure. However, when I captured him at the palace, he was definitely half out of his mind.”
“What was he like then?”
“A complete disaster. How should I put it… If you imagined a madman, he’d fit the description perfectly.”
Indeed, being dragged from the throne in a daze would be enough to drive anyone insane.
Yet, despite Al Adil’s harsh words, Nasir showed no reaction.
Al Adil squinted, surprised by Nasir’s calmness.
“When we first detained him, he was cursing and struggling. Now, he’s so composed that I wonder if he’s been swapped with someone else.”
“Nasir, can you tell us what changed your mind?”
Understanding Nasir’s current state and thoughts is crucial for planning a more dynamic show.
It shouldn’t be hard to discern whether he’s truly sane or just pretending through conversation.
Nasir, who had been staring at me, finally spoke in a calm tone.
“Looking back now, I did many strange things. But to be honest, I don’t think I was the one who was strange. Wouldn’t most rulers in my position have acted the same?”
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
“To be precise, perhaps it was because I claimed the title of Caliph. When I first went to Jerusalem, the feeling I had could be summed up in one word: resentment.”
Of course, it made sense.
He had been flaunting the grand title of God’s representative, only to have someone claiming to be the real one appear out of nowhere.
The sense of crisis must have overshadowed any confusion.
People instinctively want to exclude those who invade their territory.
The Caliph had ruled under the pretense of being God’s representative, so being told, “You’re a fake, and here’s the real one,” would have been infuriating.
Initially, he must have dismissed it as absurd nonsense.
When Nasir arrived in Jerusalem, he was likely in that state.
But seeing other kings and even his own amirs and imams side with me must have been a huge shock.
With everyone rising against him, questioning his right to the Caliph title, and accusing him of religious oppression, it would have been hard to stay sane.
Add to that a rebellion and an invasion by Ayyub, and his subordinates betraying him one by one?
Looking at it this way, it’s no wonder he lost his mind.
In such a situation, anyone without a steel will would have ended up like Nasir.
“So, we understand why you lost your mind, but what made you change your perspective?”
“When even my own blood betrayed me and handed me over to Ayyub, it was as if my madness reached its peak… As I was brought here, I thought and thought until suddenly, it was like waking from a foggy dream.”
So, he went from losing his mind 180 degrees to another 180, making a full 360 back to sanity.
“In summary, you can now think clearly. Can you tell us what you think you should have done? We’ll make our final decision based on that.”
“The title of Caliph has lost its meaning. I fought so hard to keep it, but once it was gone, I realized it was a meaningless name.”
“Wow. I didn’t expect you to say that.”
He hasn’t even heard our intentions yet, but his words show he’s grasped reality.
“The position of Caliph could be seen as blasphemous now, so I should have humbly relinquished it and asked the Apostle for the title of Sultan. If I had, the Muwahhidun might still be under my control.”
Impressive. With such a sharp mind, he clung to the wrong answers until his downfall?
It really hits home how ambition and greed can blind a person.
“What a waste. With that level of judgment, you could have remained the Sultan of the Muwahhidun.”
“Indeed. But if I hadn’t been hit so hard, I might never have thought this way. It was probably destined.”
“That’s one way to see it.”
In this era, many believed in predestination, so they might see it as God’s will.
Especially if the subject is me.
“Apostle, what happens to me now? Execution, or do I get another chance at redemption?”
“If you were out of your mind, it couldn’t be helped, but since you’ve realized and repented, you deserve another chance. As I said in Jerusalem, neither I nor God desires bloodshed or violence. It seems some in Cairo still don’t understand that.”
”…So, what should I do now?”
Can a person really become this sharp after regaining their sanity?
Even Philip II, watching from behind, looked at him with interest.
“For now, take some time to clear your head and think about what you should do next. You might need to have a moment of repentance in front of Cairo’s people, so think about what you’ll say then.”
It’s something that needs to be dealt with eventually, but for now, I was unsure how to proceed. Unexpectedly, a useful tool has fallen into my lap.
If I can’t make use of this, I should retire and reflect on my incompetence.
After sending Nasir off in a carriage, I took a deep breath and sat on a makeshift chair.
As I was catching my breath, Philip II approached and sat across from me.
“Prophet, things are getting interesting.”
“Is that how you see it?”
“I honestly didn’t expect Nasir to be in such a state. I was contemplating how best to use his death, but my expectations were completely off. It seems no matter how much humans think, they can’t match divine wisdom.”
“Indeed. Even Al Adil didn’t know, so the Sultan must be unaware too, right?”
Al Adil nodded immediately.
“Yes. The Sultan was completely unaware.”
“Then it’s clear. Nasir must have hidden his sanity on purpose. He knew he would eventually face the Prophet, so he planned to reveal his sanity then.”
“Why do you think that?”
“I don’t know what Al Adil or Sultan Saladin think, but in Cairo, there’s a strong call for Nasir’s execution. If it’s revealed he’s sane, it could create a new public opinion or a countermeasure. So, he wanted to speak with the Prophet without any external influence.”
“Was he really that cunning?”
Al Adil seemed skeptical, but I agreed with Philip II’s analysis.
People can change drastically after a shock, and Nasir experienced it twice.
He wasn’t inherently incompetent; his obsession and greed blinded him.
“Prophet, your plan just got a lot easier. Or perhaps you foresaw this all along?”
“Who knows? Maybe, maybe not.”
“No one but the Prophet could have predicted Nasir’s return to sanity. Even Sultan Saladin didn’t consider it. So, the future plans could only have been conceived by you…”
Honestly, I just wanted to see how mad he was.
How could I have predicted things would turn out like this?
However, already lost in his own world, Philip II was deep in thought, endlessly laying out his plans in his mind, occasionally letting out a self-satisfied exclamation.
“Indeed. The once-mad Caliph, after meeting the Prophet, has calmed his raging madness. He repented for his sins and received forgiveness, emerging wiser than before. If things unfold this way, no one will dare curse or harm Al Nasir.
Instead, they will praise and marvel at the Prophet’s miraculous power once again.”
“You truly are a visionary! How could you foresee all of this…?”
“Al Adil, the Prophet can observe the countless futures branching out like grains of sand from above. Naturally, walking the path that leads to the best outcome is no challenge. I knew this, but experiencing it again has truly impressed me.
Ah, I’m glad you see it that way.
Moreover, even though Philip II seemed unaware, he had unknowingly suggested the best course of action for us. What a stroke of luck.
I had intended to go in that direction, but I wanted someone to confirm it. Now that Philip II and I are on the same page, there’s nothing holding me back.
“Excellent. Since both of you understand my intentions, let’s proceed without hesitation. At this meeting, we will abolish the titles of Caliph and Pope and create a new one.”