Chapter 154: |
“Are you okay?”
Saladin asked as he approached the boy who had lost his mother.
“Mom’s… Mom’s not waking up, Your Grace. Huhuhu.”
The boy sobbed.
“Your mother… she’s gone to be with God.”
“Is…. Is she really gone? huhuhu.”
“Everyone goes to be with God at some point in their lives. Your mother just went a little sooner.”
“Huhuhhu.”
“Stand up, your mother would want you to stand strong.”
“Take the body of this boy’s mother to the mosque. There should be no shortage of rites and doctrines.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Saladin looked back at the boy.
“Huhuhu.”
The boy didn’t stop crying for a while, and Saladin stayed quietly by his side.
Then he asked.
“My lord, the Nuristanis killed my mother, right? Is that true?”
The boy, who had finally accepted his mother’s death, spoke up.
“The Nuristan people are bad people who have betrayed the will of God! They killed my mother! They killed her!”
Hatred and rage flashed in the boy’s eyes.
“The Nuristanis say they obey the will of God, so why did they kill my mom? Why did they do such a bad thing?”
“…That is.”
“I’m going to kill the Nuristanis.”
The boy snarled.
“When I grow up and become a warrior, I will kill all the Nuristan people, because they are demons.”
The boy’s hatred and resentment at losing his mother fueled his vengeance.
This was not uncommon.
A very common occurrence, one that had been happening here in the Caliphate for hundreds of years.
It was a bloody history of revenge and retribution, repeated generation after generation.
“Child.”
Saladin chided the boy.
“The Nuristanis who killed your mother will be punished according to God’s will. The Almighty Anan never forgives those who commit evil deeds.”
“Yes, they will be punished by God, and I will kill them on God’s behalf!”
“But not all Nuristanis are devils.”
Saladin coaxed the boy.
“Foolish people who misinterpreted God’s will did this horrible thing, and they will be punished, so you don’t have to hate all Nuristanis.”
“B-But.”
“If you surrender to each other, peace will be in your hearts, and you will cease to fight against each other.”
Prince Saladin recited a passage of scripture to the boy.
“It won’t be easy, how your young heart hates them, but… God would never want us to die and kill.”
“….”
“I will definitely bring peace so that no one goes to God prematurely like your mother. I swear to you.”
Saladin traveled around the city of Jalalabad for days afterward, visiting the injured and comforting them.
In addition, he fulfilled his role as crown prince by collecting the bodies of those who had lost their lives in the attack.
“His Royal Highness, it’s too dangerous.”
“Leave this to us.”
The knights urged Saladin on, but to no avail.
“They are my people! How can I, the crown prince, care only for the safety of my own body? Do you see it here? It’s the body of a knight who died defending me. If I don’t take care of it myself, who will?”
Even though Saladin’s safety was not assured, his heart was unable to resist the urge he felt.
‘That’s a real Lord. A sovereign.’
Otto was deeply impressed by the sight of Crown Prince Saladin.
‘What about me?’
Otto looked back at himself.
Looking back, all he could remember was running and jumping around in an effort to survive.
After all, he was just an ordinary gamer who had never studied imperial studies…..
‘I’m also the king of a country, a lord, I should observe and learn from him.’
Otto took it a step further.
“Kingdom of Lota Army.”
Otto stepped up and spoke.
“Yes, we are here.”
“Yes, we are here.”
“Yes, we are here.”
The knights and soldiers who had followed Otto dropped to one knee in unison.
“We will assist in the recovery operations. We won’t be here long. Therefore, attend to the wounded and help recover the bodies.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
As soon as Otto’s order was given, all those wearing the uniform of the Kingdom of Lota began to move in a coordinated manner and began helping the Caliphate army.
And….
‘Excellent, sire.’
‘Hahaha. Looks like that brat picked up something from watching.’
Camille and Kairos shared a small knowing smile.
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Otto’s decision to help Caliphate by treating the wounded and retrieving the bodies of the dead was an excellent choice.
According to the tenets of the Caliphate’s state religion, [Inshallah], all members were to be buried and given a simple funeral within 24 hours of death.
However, due to the situation, it was impossible to bury all the bodies within 24 hours due to the lack of manpower.
‘Treating the wounded and recovering the bodies is the priority.’
Otto was familiar with the culture of the Kingdom of Caliphate, and was able to give a very apt command.
“magic swordsmen and mages, focus on treating the wounded.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The mages and magic swordsmen were well versed in magic, so their healing spells were invaluable in saving those on the threshold of death.
“Do your best to retrieve the dead. This is more important than anything else. According to the local customs and rites, assist in collecting and preparing the body for burial. We must conduct this in a proper and solemn manner.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
At Otto’s command, the Lota Kingdom soldiers did their best to help the Caliphs retrieve the dead as best they could.
Retrieving the bodies was no ordinary task.
Apart from being physically draining, it was also mentally exhausting.
After the massive explosions and indiscriminate carnage that had taken place throughout the city, there was absolutely no guarantee that the bodies would be intact.
Some of the corpses had one of their limbs missing.
Others were blown to pieces beyond recognition.
It would require a great deal of fortitude and a great deal of discipline to carry out such a task.
One might be haunted by nightmares for the rest of one’s life.
Yet, the Lota Kingdom soldiers continued to retrieve the dead in a solemn atmosphere.
The reason?
Well, even the King himself, Otto, participated in the process of retrieving the dead with his sleeves rolled up.
‘If I personally participate, the psychological stress on my soldiers will be alleviated. So that they can carry out their duties with the utmost determination.’
Thus, Otto quickly managed to win the hearts and minds of the Caliphs.
It was strange to see a foreign army, with whom they had never met, willing to assist in retrieving the dead, and if the people were not moved, it would be even stranger.
Particularly for the Caliphs, whose religious tenets emphasize the importance of burial within 24 hours of death.
Later that night.
After the funeral, Saladin grasped Otto’s hand and thanked him over and over again.
“Thank you so much, I really can’t thank you enough, because of the help you provided, we were able to finish the funeral ceremony properly. We appreciate it tremendously.”
“No.”
Otto shook his head.
“I’m just a businessman here to do business with the Kingdom of Caliphate in the interest of my kingdom.”
Otto said bluntly.
“I would like to continue to trade with Caliphate on friendly diplomatic relations, so it is only natural that I would assist you.”
“Hahaha.”
Saladin laughed.
“Now that you’ve spoken so freely, I find myself liking you even more.”
“What…?”
“Even if it’s for the national interest, it’s not every day that a King of any kingdom steps up to do such a thing, and I’m honestly quite surprised that you’re willing to go to such lengths, especially considering the arduous task of retrieving the deceased.”
“Hahaha….”
“May peace be upon you, our benefactor.”
Saladin gave his blessing to Otto, who was stunned, before continuing.
“I will be leaving for Al-Salam early tomorrow morning. As the crown prince, I cannot stay here much longer.”
“Ah, I see.”
“I have written to the Sultan and requested a meeting with His Highness.”
“Thank you very much.”
“You are welcome. When the Sultan hears of the noble service you have provided, he will be sure to treat you with the utmost hospitality, as is customary.”
“Thank you for your kind consideration.”
“Well, I’ll take my leave now, and I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Have a restful night.”
Saladin smiled at Otto, before turning to leave for the mosque.
It seemed likely that he intended to stay up all night offering his prayers for the dead.
“Still, wandering around this late at night is dangerous.”
Otto glanced at Saladin’s back and gave him an anxious glance.
Despite the fact that nearly fifty knights were following behind…….
“Are you certain?”
Camille asked Otto, also worried about Saladin.
“What?”
Otto narrowed his eyes and glared at Camille.
“You look like you’re completely captivated.”
“Crown Prince Saladin is a man who has the makings of a great sovereign. As a knight, it’s only natural to admire such a person, isn’t it?”
“Huh?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Are you really going to switch? Do you want to change? Leave? If you want to go, then go! Go ahead! I won’t stop you!”
“My lord is none other than His Majesty.”
“Are you really saying that with a bit of drool hanging out of your mouth?”¹
“I really do.”
“Funny. You sound like a teenager, I’ll have you know.”
Otto glowered at Camille.
“It’s a matter that barely merits an eye roll.”
“You’re mistaken.”
“I’ll crush you if you dare to have second thoughts. While you were free to pledge allegiance, remember that you’re not free to retract it.”
“You’re overly concerned about trivial matters.”
“Hmm.”
Otto snorted, then followed Saladin toward the mosque.
“Where are you going?”
“To protect him.”
“What?”
“Just in case. There might be more assassins targeting the crown prince.”
“Oh?”
“We shouldn’t be complacent. Even with the Caliphate’s soldiers and knights protecting him, if a skilled assassin decides to strike, the crown prince is a goner. Until we reach Al-Salam, we shouldn’t relax.”
“You’re going yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Will His Highness even go in person, if you give the order….?”
“Uh-huh.”
Otto rolled his eyes and scowled at Camille.
“You’re really trying to screw with me, aren’t you, eh.”
“What…?”
“You think I don’t know that you’re so desperate to be alone with Saladin that you’re trying to pull a fast one? What are you going to do when the two of you are alone, whisper sweet words of fealty?”²
“…..”
“You talk about a knight’s pride of heart, but I see you grunting around Saladin like a stallion in heat?”
“What the fuck….”
“Anyway, no! Absolutely not! Not until dirt gets in my eyes… No! Even if dirt gets in!”³
Camille closed his eyes tightly against the fatigue that washed over him as Otto continued.
‘Had he gotten jealous?’
Just when he thought he’d gotten a little serious for a while, he’s back to blabbering nonsense….
“Why don’t you just kill him with your own hands, huh? Swoosh!”
Otto stomped off, scowling.
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Near to the mosque.
*Ooohh!*
Otto’s eyes glowed green.
‘Let’s have a look.’
Otto used his clairvoyance to look inside the mosque.
The mosque was empty.
“Please, Anan, look down upon these poor people. May the blood of our brothers and sisters in this land flow no more.”
The words of Saladin’s prayer flowed from his mouth.
Predictably, Saladin clearly intended to pray for the dead all night.
‘Ugh.’
Honestly, Otto couldn’t understand Saladin.
In the first place, such saints were not the kind of people a secular man could understand.
His devout faith and noble character were beyond Otto’s ability to understand.
‘I’ll just stand by and be on guard.’
Otto sat outside the mosque, using his clairvoyance to monitor Saladin’s surroundings.
“I’m craving a cup of ramyeon. Huu…”
Standing guard after such a long time reminded him of his military days.
‘Ah!’
Memories of those cup noodles!
How delicious the cup noodles tasted after a night of guard duty….
“What is cup ramyeon?”
“It’s….”
Then.
“……!”
Black silhouettes began to creep across the ceiling of the mosque.
** ** **
TL/N:
1. In summary, Otto is telling Camille not to be dishonest, but with a hint of humor or skepticism.
2. Otto is having thoughts that after Camille sees how Crown Prince Saladin behaves while on the path of being a Saint Warrior, Camille will jump ship and pledge fealty to Saladin. Original setting after having fed up by Otto’s antics in Lota Kingdom Camille decided to a different Lord.
3. Dirt gets in Otto’s eyes meaning when Otto dies and get buried.