Chapter 32: Jerusalem
Chapter 32: Jerusalem
Jerusalem was not a trade hub like Aleppo or Antioch. It was situated between the southeastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, nearly fifty kilometers from the nearest coastline, far from major trade routes, perched high amidst cliffs, valleys, and rocky hills, enduring scorching summers and harsh winters. From a military and commercial perspective, Jerusalem was not truly a strategic key point. But religion endowed it with an extraordinary sacred significance.
Saladin sought to reclaim Jerusalem, to reforge the crown of the Grand Patriarch, thereby gaining supreme prestige to suppress internal opposition and even unite the Zoroastrian world.
The Crusader states, on the other hand, desperately defended it, not only because it was the heart of their faith but also the root of all their ruling legitimacy. Having enjoyed the luxurious life of Eastern nobles, they could no longer adapt to the cold, damp climate of Western Europe. Moreover, positions were limited; after their ancestors left Western Europe, they had long since renounced all claims and inheritance rights to their lands there.
In Jaffa, Knight Kevin introduced Lothar to Baron Godfrey, who had come to meet his son. This was a middle-aged man accustomed to the Eastern heat, with neatly cut short hair, wearing a silk outer robe over his mail shirt. Truly a good friend of Count Werner. When he learned Lothar’s identity, his attitude was even more fervent than towards his own long-lost son.
When he heard Lothar intended to follow his father’s wishes and join the King’s party, he was instantly overjoyed. "I knew it! That old fellow Werner would never have the heart to let his old friend fight alone! Look, he has sent his most valiant son to me!" Baron Godfrey couldn’t stop smiling, clapping Lothar hard on the shoulder. "I guarantee, His Majesty the King will also be very happy to learn of your arrival."
Lothar showed a modest smile. "I am also greatly honored to serve His Majesty alongside my father’s comrade-in-arms." He could sense Baron Godfrey’s sincerity, which made him curious as to what great deeds Werner, that country count, had accomplished here to win the favor of so many. ’Perhaps Count Werner was the one with the protagonist template?’
By evening, they finally crossed the vast desert and arrived at the Holy City of Jerusalem. The city looked entirely different in style from those in Western Europe. Parts of it appeared extremely cramped and narrow, yet the enormous fortress towering in the city’s center was as majestic a stronghold as Lothar had ever seen. Mud-brick houses were everywhere, with domes, spires, and buildings of Frankish and Arab styles intermingled throughout the city.
After the initial crusaders conquered Jerusalem, they carried out an atrocious massacre, slaughtering Arabs, Jews... all infidels. Their wealth was plundered, and the remaining buildings, including Zoroastrian temples and altars, were occupied by the crusaders, some even directly converted into domed churches. Even after more than a hundred years, Jerusalem still retained significant Arab characteristics.
Pilgrims from all lands, speaking different languages, converged here. This was a holy land for three faiths, encompassing almost all beliefs from Eastern and Western Europe, plus Central Asia and North Africa. An endless stream of merchant caravans and pilgrims: Jews, Persians, Aksumites, Indians, Turks... and even Chinese from the distant East.