The sun was blazing, there was no breeze in the air, and the sultry breath was wandering between the nose and cheeks. There were awnings draped under the houses made of loess bricks. Men with dark eyes and dense curly hair sat under the awnings and hawked.
Occasionally, girls with graceful waists and veils wearing black veils walked through the streets with dustpans filled with fruits on their heads, lined up, and went straight to the majestic palace in the center of the city.
Voodoo Kingdom, Cairo, a city far away from the central continent, was once an important economic town.
Click!
The fresh and sweet pulp bursts with juice. On the soft wool blanket, a curly-bearded man with a black scarf on his head and eyes like an eagle leaned on the cushions to enjoy the fruits brought by the girls. There were no girls dancing in the luxuriously decorated room, but people gathered there.
There were many men wearing white scarves and dressed as officials.
While the curly-bearded man was eating the fruit, he glanced at the official kneeling in front of him. After the girls put down the fruit and quietly left the room with their bare feet, he said in a deep voice: "Sit down, sit down.
Come to me, put down your inhibitions, and talk to me like a friend."
"Thank you Sultan."
The officials looked at each other and did not dare to stand up. The old man who was kneeling at the front stood up first and set an example before leading everyone to sit on the blanket. Even so, everyone still did not dare to gasp loudly and lowered their heads to keep quiet.
The man called Sultan, nicknamed the Desert Eagle, was the monarch who fought against the invading army of the Knights 700 years ago. For hundreds of years, no one in the Voodoo Kingdom could surpass his achievements. His name is still carved on the Feng in front of the pyramid.
On the merit monument.
Amalric Saladin!
A legend!
Many of the officials present showed the highest respect to this great national hero. Even the enemies he defeated, the army of knights who crossed the sea to invade the Kingdom of Vodou, were all called Saladin.
As a 'chivalrous monarch'.
What a noble honor this is!
Of course you will be a little nervous when you see it in person.
"Arif, Arif, you are an elder that even I must respect. The former Sultan spoke highly of you, and I also believe that you are the best candidate for Pharaoh..."
Saladin picked a grape and handed it to the old man sitting on his left. The old man took it with both hands and said respectfully: "Great Sultan, you are the pioneer appointed by Dambala, the god of Voodoo. I am willing to assist you in creating a new era."
Let’s embark on a mission to recover the lost Holy Land...Jerusalem!”
"Jerusalem!"
The officials shouted in unison, their eyes filled with the desire to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It is said that Jerusalem is the birthplace of Dambala and the holiest place of the Witch God Cult. But now, Jerusalem does not belong to the Kingdom of Vodou and has been captured by the enemy.
.
"Yes, yes, I understand my responsibilities." Saladin nodded slowly: "In my last life, I followed God's will and led God's people to retake the Holy Land and defend the dignity of the sect. In this life, I also
Do the same thing."
Pharaoh Arif immediately lowered his head and crossed his hands on his chest: "Your greatness will surely shine in Cairo! Your gaze will surely cross the desert and take pity on the people of the Holy Land! Your name will definitely make the enemies tremble!"
Saladin also made the same move, responding to Pharaoh's praise: "God favors me and gives me strength. I am fearless."
After speaking, Saladin picked up the uneaten apple, took a bite, and asked: "Arif, I just woke up and don't know much about current events, but I heard that Caesar was resurrected, earlier than me.
is that so?"
"Yes, after Caesar was reborn, he restored the Roman Republic, led the dictator, and took charge of all matters. His return is obvious to all."
After a pause, Arif added: "As for Caesar being resurrected earlier than you... it's because God is watching, and no one knows whether the resurrection of the dead will have any impact on the world."
"Don't get me wrong, Arif, I believe God has his own considerations. I have fallen asleep. If there is no need, sleeping is the best destination for me." Saladin smiled.
"There is also Napoleon Bonaparte." An official said: "He is also a powerful monarch. He once led the Gauls to conquer the Central Continent and almost succeeded. I think his threat is not weaker than Caesar."
Saladin had never heard of Napoleon Bonaparte. He was so unfamiliar with this name that he had no memory at all. He was an active monarch half a century ago, 650 years later than himself. The time difference was too far, so he didn't hear it.
I said it's really normal.
The official who spoke had already prepared relevant information about Napoleon and handed it over to Saladin for review.
While Saladin was reading Napoleon's information, a Siamese cat walked into the room with elegant steps. He walked onto the carpet without anyone else, sniffed the fruit placed in front of everyone, turned his head uninterested, and came to the Pharaoh.
In front of Arif, he was attracted by his curly beard, so he rushed forward and pulled off one of his beards. Arif grinned in pain, and patiently picked up the cat and let it play.
Everyone was accustomed to Maomao's behavior, and no one showed any surprise. Even Saladin glanced sideways at Maomao without any reaction.
Different from the statues enshrined by the Church of the Three Goddesses of Destiny and the God of Wisdom, the Witch God Cult has totem worship, and their totem is the cat. Cats have a lofty status in the Voodoo Kingdom and are protected by a complete set of laws, because in the eyes of the Witch God Cult, cats are cats.
Spiritual creatures can communicate with the dead and are worthy of worship.
"Napoleon Bonaparte..."
After reading the information, Saladin put down the document and his face was much more solemn than before: "He is indeed a character. He defended the revolution, promulgated laws, opened up new territories, established a country and proclaimed himself emperor... In terms of scope alone, he even did what Caesar failed to do.
When it comes to things, it’s not too much to call him a great emperor.”
"It's a pity that he failed in the end. He misestimated the strength of both the enemy and ourselves, failed to take into account the weather factors, and was dragged down alive. On his way back, he was ambushed by the Allies..."
Saladin shook his head and seemed to feel sorry for Napoleon's experience: "It's only one step away, but this also proves that his ambition does not match his strength. If he could stop as soon as possible and stabilize the territory he has already established, the outcome may be different.
.”
"Napoleon failed more than once, and he was still defeated the second time he rose." Pharaoh Arif said: "I think although he is a threat, he is not the enemy we need to be most afraid of. We must expand eastward and regain the Holy Land of Jerusalem.
It’s too far away from Bonaparte’s First Empire.”
"Such an emperor must have a long-term strategic vision." Saladin said solemnly: "Back then, the Knights marched eastward, and the Gauls participated. Their threat cannot be underestimated, not to mention that the transportation is so convenient now, and distances are no longer the same.
is the biggest problem..."
"So Sudan, what kind of strategic approach do you think we should implement next?" Arif asked: "Do you have any ideas?"
"Caesar is busy rectifying the internal affairs. The Rome now is not the Rome I know. The Rhine League has also collapsed. The Kingdom of Popon has become the First Empire of Bonaparte, and the Kingdom of Windsor is the leader...
"
Saladin thought deeply and said: "Originally, the biggest threat to us should be Caesar, but now he has no time to pay attention to what is happening in the outside world. In the same way, the Kingdom of Frederick is also busy annexing the Rhine League. They will never
He doesn’t jump around causing trouble, but he tries to keep a low profile as much as possible.”
"I think the biggest threat to us now should be the Kingdom of Windsor and the First Empire of Bonaparte. They currently have enough power to launch a war, but they are accumulating power to wait for changes. Such enemies will definitely keep an eye on them.
Don’t let go of any movement around you.”
"If we choose to march eastward at this moment to regain the Holy Land of Jerusalem, we will no doubt be blocked by them, because from a geographical point of view, if we control the coastline including Jerusalem, it will completely cut off the connection between the Central Continent and the Southern Continent.
, this is not what they want to see.”
All the officials listened carefully to Saladin's story and were amazed and even more convinced.
"Sultan, you mean that we cannot send troops to regain the Holy Land now, right?"
"It's not that I can't, but I have to wait for an opportunity." Saladin said: "Just like when I raised an army to fight against the invaders, if there was no invasion by the Knights, how would I have the chance to rise?"
Everyone looked at each other, some understood what Saladin meant, and some were confused. They felt they understood, but they seemed not to understand.
"There are many things I don't understand, such as...industry."
Speaking of the unfamiliar vocabulary, Saladin thought for a while and analyzed the meaning of industry: "How does the industrial level of the Kingdom of Vodou compare with the Kingdom of Windsor and the First Empire of Bonaparte?"
"this..."
Pharaoh Arif was silent, and so were all the officials. Seeing their reactions, Saladin understood.
There is no comparison at all. We are not on the same level at all.
"Sultan, in the age of magic, industry can only play a supporting role and cannot influence the situation of the war." An official said: "We should rely on the power of Dambala and use our own strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses!"
"Shortcomings?"
Saladin looked at the official who spoke, stared at him for a long time, and said quietly: "Are our strengths the enemy's shortcomings? Do you really think so?"
"The great Dambala is incomparable!"
Saladin withdrew his gaze and did not want to continue the discussion because it was meaningless.
Talking to a person who has no self-awareness is a waste of time, because any insights he offers are based on an unfair basis and are without nutrition.
Dambala is indeed very powerful, but that does not mean that he has no opponents. If Dambala is invincible, why did he resurrect Saladin?
Saladin was seriously discussing the rise plan with the officials, but some people were joking, so there was nothing to say.
Seeing Saladin's disappointed eyes, Pharaoh Arif said: "We should treat the enemy's true strength with caution. Although Dambala is powerful, if other sects join forces, it will also cause harm to him.
It’s a small trouble, it’s a fact, don’t forget, Napoleon was defeated by the Allies! Conceit will bring bad luck! Don’t you want to regain the Holy Land?”
"In the age of magic, magic is of course important, but magic is restrictive." Saladin said word for word: "Only believers who believe in gods can gain the power to use magic, and gods cannot give every believer a gift to use magic.
The number of believers is limited.”
"Limitedness determines the upper limit. For example, if I have a hundred fully armed heavy cavalry and the enemy has 5,000 people, I can lead the heavy cavalry to kill the 5,000 people and defeat them. But what if the enemy has 50,000 people?"
"Industry can raise the ceiling of a country. For example, the railways and cruise ships I saw in the suburbs are all industrial products and can change people's lives. A true king must fear the true God, understand the sentiments of the people, and care about the sufferings of the people.
.”
Saladin stood up and walked barefoot to the window. The midday sun shone on his resolute face: "I fight for God and for the people of Cairo. My name is Saladin. Before me, no one knew it.
Saladin, after me, Saladin belongs only to me."
He turned around, looked at the officials and said: "Industry can be used for war! Our soldiers need food, drinking water, railways and ships! We need cans and weapons! All of this requires an industrial base!"
"If we don't even have these, how can we fight against the Kingdom of Windsor and Bonaparte's First Empire? If the Knights' army attacks again, can we still resist the enemy's firearms and cavalry?"
The ministers were speechless and had no motivation to refute.
"Do you want reforms, Sultan?" Pharaoh Arif asked: "A reform of a powerful nation?"
"Yes, I want to initiate a reform. This is what God needs and what the people need!"
Saladin looked at the houses made of loess bricks outside the palace and couldn't help but shook his head: "If you want to conquer, you must first strengthen yourself! When God gave me a second life and gave me Cairo, I knew that sooner or later the gate of Jerusalem would open to me.
Open up! The Holy Land is waiting for us. We must seize the rope thrown by God and enrich the country and strengthen the army!”
Boom!
The door opened, and a masked maid came in, bowed to Saladin and said: "Sultan, a man named Adam claims to be your friend and wants to see you."
"My... friend?" Saladin frowned. He had been dead for 700 years. Where did he get his friend?
Could it be that he jumped out of the grave?
"He...he claims to be the boss of the Adams Chamber of Commerce..." the maid said.
Saladin looked at Pharaoh Arif, who explained: "Adams Chamber of Commerce is a potion company established in Cairo in recent months. It specializes in purchasing potions and has established a cooperative relationship with the Witch God Cult. Their president is named Adams.
, is from Windsor.”
"Why does he want to see me?"
The maid shook her head and said hesitantly: "He...he said that he had received instructions from the prophet and came here to visit..."
prophet!
A clergyman with a high status in the Witch God Cult! His status is equivalent to that of a saint in the Church of the Three Goddesses of Destiny! He specializes in conveying God’s will!
Saladin did not know the prophet's will in advance, but since the other party mentioned the prophet, he had to take it seriously.
After thinking for a moment, Saladin waved his hand and said:
"You guys go down first, I'll go see this businessman."
