Chapter 226 Bread, everyone has a share
Garris will not stay in Antioch for long. When he comes to this land, he does not mean that he will immediately transform this land.
His energy is limited, and so are the Paladins and priests under his command.
For example, the crash course in theology at Al Hadi School in Transjordan is currently producing more talents than even Transjordan itself can use.
If Garris hadn't taken the initiative to mobilize, it would have been difficult to start the transformation around Tire.
As for Tripoli and Antioch, it is even further out of reach.
In fact, if Transjordan is exerting influence on the homeland of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, then Antioch and Tripoli need to rely heavily on the systematic church in Cyprus.
At present, the Cyprus Church is a truly sound church with a complete system under the command of Gallis, and Alchos, who is the core of Gallis’ theological writers, is also currently reforming the church system in Cyprus.
It will surely shine brightly in the future.
Of course, Garris would not shirk all such responsibilities onto others. He still had to race against time and make good use of his time in Antioch to lay a solid foundation for subsequent missionary work.
Try to avoid detours.
Garris looked at so many Antiochians on the field, and he actually knew why these people came to participate in his sermon.
Not only because his soldiers conquered the city of Antioch, but also because Garris provided a free dinner through the [Eucharist].
[I arrived late, after you had already started distributing Holy Communion. Because for three days I had nothing to eat but water; I was starving to death. When I see you handing out communion, handing out those little slices of white bread, I go to receive communion just to eat that little bit of bread. 】
Why does bread become the Eucharist?
In everyone's eyes, the reasons may be different.
For Garris, he didn't care about the various rituals at all. He only used those rituals because it made other people feel more comfortable.
For Gérès, who is now distributing Holy Communion at sunset, bread is sacred.
Fish cannot live without water, people cannot live without air, and all living beings need food.
For those who live by "bread", "bread" as the source of life must also be sacred.
In the faces of these poor people of Antioch, Gareth could see all the sufferings endured by this world, that collection called "humanity".
"I can't stay out of it, and I can't escape alone..." Garris muttered.
People, as long as they are healthy and social people, will not live in a vacuum, but will inevitably live in a dual world.
The first level is material: be it water or soil, the sun in the sky and all living beings on the ground are all material.
The other level is consciousness: church, state, money, human rights, law, justice...
These only exist in people's consciousness, and are born from the stories weaved between people.
Nowadays, Garris will no longer discuss the issue of whether God really exists.
But he clearly knew that he was weaving a new story, and in this new story, everyone should have their own place.
This story is called "The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom".
Altaïr, among the poor who received Holy Communion.
He followed suit step by step, witnessing these people taking the "holy bodies" from Garris's hands, and seeing those people smile because of the food.
Just as Gareth was weaving a story called "The Kingdom of Heaven," Altaïr was also living in a story.
For example, two Muslims, even if they have never met, can participate in the pilgrimage to Mecca or raise funds for charity together.
Altaïr believed that he was here to create "heaven".
Because of what he had seen and heard these days, Altaïr had a lot of hesitations, but his worship of "Heaven", "Imam" and "Teacher" made him unwilling to think more.
The teachings of their sect emphasize a strict hierarchy. The entire organization presents a pyramid-shaped structure, and ordinary members must obey orders from above.
At the top is the Imam (who is of course now in seclusion), followed by agents responsible for carrying out the Imam's orders, such as Hassan, and then lower down to the cultists and assassins who carry out their missions.
They are often willing to sacrifice themselves to complete their mission. Therefore, their assassination operations usually do not consider escape routes, but complete the task with a "death determination".
He looked at Garris's smiling face and touched the cold dagger in his arms.
Now it was his turn to go to the front to receive "Holy Communion."
"Does the Eucharist really exist?"
When Altaïr walked to the front of the team, he couldn't help but ask.
In front of him was a very young man with blond hair that was particularly dazzling in the sunset and full of life.
This young man, not much younger than Altaïr, was now the master of Antioch.
"I just said the right words at the right time, but many people were nourished by it. Since many people live because of it, then it is the Eucharist."
When Garris gave his answer, Altaïr stepped forward, and in just a blink of an eye, he was in front of Garris. He took out the dagger in his arms and stabbed the young man in front of him.
In the material world, there is no heaven, no country, no money, no human rights, no law, and no justice.
But in the world of human consciousness, these do exist, and countless people are willing to sacrifice for them, or to kill each other.
In Altaïr's opinion, Gareth was much easier to deal with than Leonard, because Leonard would place himself in a safe castle and only trust the Franks who came from afar.
As for Garris...he held religious ceremonies in Antioch again and again.
This young man was so defenseless that even the guards found it difficult to follow him.
Such a scene is not only conducive to promoting the reputation of the Assassin sect, but also easy to create chaos, giving Altaïr a chance to escape in the chaos.
However, unlike other assassinations in the past, this time Altaïr did not know what he was facing.
……
An eagle landed on the eaves near the square, tilting its head to examine the human world.
Antioch at this time was only a county town or a larger town in later generations.
There is wilderness everywhere outside the city walls, and the boundaries between bipeds and other animals are not clear.
In the eagle's pupils, it saw a biped distributing food, and other bipeds lined up to claim it.
When it was the turn of a biped with an inexplicable temperament to receive the food, the biped stretched out its claws towards the biped sharing the food.
All kinds of screams and explosions suddenly broke out. The bipeds receiving the food suddenly exploded like rabbits gathered together when they found themselves. No one stepped forward to stop this scene.
The eagle made a shrill cry, echoing the actions of those scattered on the ground.
But, after all, Garris is not Jesus, nor is he the priests of later generations. His blood has not yet reached the point of dyeing the Holy Body red.
When the eagle screamed shrilly, Altaïr stabbed Garris with his dagger and found that he was caught by the wrist.
It was too fast. Altaïr drew out the dagger and stabbed it. When the dagger was about to penetrate the opponent's body, the opponent realized it.
Then, at a speed that was as fast as Altaïr's vision shrank, he took a step sideways.
Altaïr then tried a sweeping blow, trying to stab Gareth again.
But it was still too fast. This kind of speed no longer refers to how fast a person reacts, but Altaïr clearly sensed that at this moment, Garris seemed to be slightly distorted.
Then he ducked beside him and grabbed his right hand holding the dagger.
"Who are you?"
Garris asked softly.
Altaïr tried to struggle, but he felt his hands trapped in the granite.
Of course, as members of the cult, their assassinations were for political purposes, so they naturally did not mind exposing their identities.
Therefore, in this situation, he answered Galis calmly.
"Who are you, Altaïr from Masyaf?"
"The Holy One of Jerusalem, of all the peoples of the earth..."
"...Imam."
The eagle that landed on the eaves took off into the sky and circled the square for a long time.
[Hassan came down from the castle, wearing a white robe and a white turban, approached the pulpit from the right and walked slowly onto the pulpit. 】
[He sat for a while, then stood up again, took hold of his sword, and addressing the inhabitants of the three worlds loudly, he announced that he had received news of the missing Imam. 】
[He said: Elves, angels, humans! Greetings and peace to you from the Imam of our time, who has liberated you from the burden of Sharia law! 】
[After Hassan announced his resurrection, he distributed letters in which he said: Although he is superficially called the grandson of Bozl Jamid; however, in the hidden truth, he is the Imam of this era. , also the son of the previous Imam, was a descendant of Imam Nizar who was killed in Alexandria. 】
"Another guy claiming to be an imam..."
"Why do even the Franks say that..."
……
Exciting rumors spread throughout the streets of Antioch.
Their new lord fought with Assassin's assassins in the square for hundreds of rounds. The two sides went back and forth. How exciting!
"I just remember that at that time, Altaïr, who was so well disguised, took out a dagger from his arms and stabbed Lord Garris."
"Lord Garris's agility is also extraordinary. In the blink of an eye, he dodged the close blow, and then knocked away Altaïr's dagger with a hand strike."
"Unexpectedly, Altaïr had hidden a hidden weapon in his boots. When he saw Lord Garris approaching, he kicked him away, revealing a poisoned sharp blade at the toe of his boots."
"But, Gareth is taking his time..."
In the tavern in Antioch, Lance invited a guest. At their drinking table, the rumors about Garris fighting the assassins were the trend in Antioch today. After all, there were many witnesses at that time, but a noble lord was not only not afraid of the assassin from Assassin, but actually defeated the opponent with his bare hands.
This is too legendary.
So much so that even the guests invited by Lance were particularly entranced.
As one of the original twelve apostles and a knight, Lance's figure was obviously much plumper and he spoke in a gentle manner without the sharpness that a knight should have.
This kind of temperament makes him not have a particularly famous name in the sect.
But that doesn't mean that he has no advantages over everyone else. At least Lance can always mingle easily with people from all walks of life.
After arriving in Antioch, Lance learned about all aspects of this city down to earth.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that after Garris left Antioch, the person who took charge of the situation in Antioch for Garris was none other than Lance.
"Lance, this, Lord Saint, is he really that powerful?!"
Sitting opposite Lance was a guy with typical Central Asian features.
He has high cheekbones, deep eye sockets and thick eyebrows. He has medium skin color, dark eyes and hair, and facial features between Central Asian and Mediterranean people. He also has a big cross hanging on his face.
"Uh, Lord Saint, he is more powerful than what these say..."
"At that time, I saw with my own eyes that Villeroy captured the assassin directly. There was no back-and-forth fighting..."
Lance patiently promoted the deeds of Garris to this Turkic man who was mixed with Frankish blood.
After Altaïr was captured by Garris, the situation in Antioch City became a little strange.
The two letters recovered from Altaïr clearly stated that the assassination came from Saladin and Bohemond.
Saladin is now beyond his reach and can't control it for the time being, but Bohemond has something to say.
For Lance, now because of what Bohemond had done, some of his original plans could not help but become more intense.
After all, if Bohemond couldn't believe it, how could the other nobles of Antioch believe it?
As Gareth once said:
The needs of the people are often simple and unpretentious, but the greed of the big shots is never-ending.
What most people seek is just not to be oppressed, and what they seek is just a fair and just society; but the big shots often try to infringe on the interests of others through various unfair methods.
Generally speaking, the monarch is the spokesperson of the ruling class, so the monarch always needs to consider the needs of the nobles.
But these nobles in Antioch, especially some guys represented by Bohemond, seem to really think that Garris is a good man and will not kill people...
Indeed, Garris is a prophet, a king, and a priest, and he will not go on a killing spree easily.
But not Lance, this guy with a big smile and a plump figure, after understanding what kind of idiot Bohemond is.
He then realized how he should deal with Antiochus.
However, although the decision was made, and even with Garris's acquiescence, Lance still had to wait for the opportunity.
One of the opportunities is the man in front of me.
This guy's name is Arslan. Although he seems to have clear Turkic ancestry, he believes in Christianity.
Arslan is a well-known person, he is a well-known mercenary captain in this land.
Everyone said that Arslan was the result of a cross between a Turk and a Frankish slave girl. His people regarded him as a shameful traitor, and the Franks also had deep suspicions about him.
As for why he appears here.
That's because his last employer was named Leonard de Chatillon.
Now, Leonard has been imprisoned in the dungeon, and Arslan has become a prisoner of war, but Lance realizes that this man can be used.
Others have faith mixed with water, but this guy has faith mixed with water.
This guy didn't care about his defeat. Compared with other guys who were in constant panic, he just ate when he had food, drank when he had water, and lay down in the sun to sleep all day long.
Such a person is naturally not an ordinary person, and he naturally does not care about changing employers.
After chatting a lot about Gareth's deeds, we drank a few sips of wine.
Lance said bluntly: "I need a team of Tucopo."
When it came to business, Arslan also became more serious.
"Tukopo." Arslan repeated the word, and then he asked: "My lord, why do you want Tukopo?"
"I lack a team of light cavalry who can handle various matters for me."
"Dirty work?"
"Almost."
"Of course, Lord Garris, he also needs skirmishers, scouts and mounted archers, as well as second-line cavalry during the charge, and wolves that can pursue the enemy after the battle is won."
Transjordan's system can provide a large number of rapid infantry in batches, but in today's era, the importance of cavalry cannot be ignored in two sentences.
Lance has his own needs for Tukpo, and so does Gareth.
If you want to get mercenaries these days, especially some special types of mercenaries, you often need to rely on middlemen, or mercenary captains.
Indeed, trusting mercenaries may lead to bad things, but if he wants to effectively deal with the current Antioch nobles, Lance needs a group of light cavalry who can help do the dirty work and kill them all.
"What price? How many people to hire?"
"At least three hundred people. If you can gather them all within a month, then I can offer 50 gold dinars per year for each tukobo."
This is a very high price. During the training period, the soldiers in Transjordan received only 6 gold dinars as a year-round allowance.
Of course, soldiers in Transjordan do not rely on allowances to live, and they have a large number of benefits that other armies do not have.
Such a price really made Arslan's heart flutter. But he wanted more than just money, so he shook his head.
“I heard that the Holy One of Jerusalem treated all peoples and all faiths equally.”
"I heard that he pardoned the poll tax for everyone in his territory. I also heard that he had hanged soldiers who violated Muslim women."
"Can you tell me this is true?"
Looking into Arslan's eyes, Lance gave a clear and clear answer.
"It's true. In fact, you and the soldiers you recruited have to accept such strict military discipline when receiving military pay of dozens of gold dinars every year."
"Those who commit crimes will be hanged."
Plump Lance said these words coldly.
The two of them seemed to be separated into two different worlds from the noisy tavern environment around them.
"So, when my people come to this land, will they receive the same gifts as those Muslims?"
Tukpo, it is unclear whether they are a group of Turks, Greeks, or Armenians.
They are not even necessarily mixed race in the traditional sense, because many Turks will choose to convert superficially due to simple financial problems, so as to make a living under the Crusader lords.
But many of them are often from Turkic tribes, with Muslim fathers and Christian mothers.
Because he accepted the Christian faith, he was not tolerated by his original tribe, so he wandered in Asia Minor.
It has been 117 years since the Middle Eastern Empire suffered a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Manchikert in 1071. A large number of Turkic tribes poured into Asia Minor and went south to occupy Jerusalem.
There are six or seven generations of the original Tukpo. They are a double heterogeneity in traditional Christian culture and among the Turkic people.
No matter which side they were on, they were outliers.
Even when they joined the Crusaders, they were not even qualified to eat together.
Christian countries treat them this way, let alone the dangers they face in Islamic countries.
Now, the appearance of Garris seems to have given all this a glimmer of change.
Naturally, Arslan was a little desperate to catch it.
"I want a fiefdom, I want to be a lord, I want to leave a future for people like me..."
Lance took another glass of wine from the waiter on the side, tapped the table, and pondered.
However, he still couldn't help but think: The situation in Antioch was already very chaotic. How much worse could it be if there was a group of Tucobos?
Therefore, he directly said: "I can promise that all Tukobo who have integrated into the 'Order' faith, as long as you obey the laws of the kingdom, settle in this land, and pay taxes, then you will be one of us."
"But you won't have a fiefdom. At most, some of you will become nobles because of military merit."
Regarding the fiefdom matter, Garris had actually reached a consensus with Lance and the other apostles.
There may still be nobles, but there will be fewer and fewer real lords, at least while they are still alive...
Arslan was satisfied without being discriminated against. He high-fived Lance and then gave a clear answer.
"I can give you a 20% discount. I hope everything goes well."
"Yes."
Lance and Arslan continued to drink and eat bread together.
This world is very big, a bit desolate, and full of birds and beasts.
This world is too small to tolerate "evils" like them.
Gareth's "heaven" has become a banquet for everyone. At this banquet, everyone will be reborn and resurrected because of the "bread".
(End of chapter)