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Chapter 876 - 100: Demon Dragon Soars Over the City
When the army reached the outskirts of Cairo City, it was noon. Before them lay a defense network composed of numerous castles, the most prominent being "Saladin Castle," standing atop Mukattam Hill.
This castle was built by the Saracens to resist the Crusaders led by the late King Amalric, occupying the highest point of the entire Cairo region. To take Cairo, one must first capture this castle.
Inside the grand tent.
Losa, having dismounted from his Dragon Saddle, was drinking sweet honey water. For this siege, he planned not to exert too much effort; if he had to do everything himself, being a King would be terribly monotonous.
Besides, there were so many Knights and soldiers awaiting ennoblement, without achievements or merits, they wouldn’t be able to convince the masses.
Recently, Losa had drawn a blank battle record and planned to use it for himself.
After his promotion, although he couldn’t use wealth to upgrade quickly, he could unlock two new skills: "Saint Sophia’s Prayer" and the "Well-Trained" skill attached to his Five-Star Sun King Template.
"Kurs, I heard that Cairo has a university renowned across the world, from the east to Khorasan, Persia, Malacca, and from the west to Iberia, Morocco, and south to Mogadishu, Kilwa, where Ahongs and scholars come and go, practicing and debating here."
What Losa mentioned was none other than the famous Al-Azhar University, which originated from the Cairo Great Holy Fire Altar built during the Fatimid Dynasty. Now, it was a theological center second only to Baghdad, its status akin to Jerusalem’s for the Christians.
"Indeed, since we started marching towards Cairo, scattered Ghazi Warriors have been flocking to Cairo from various places. If we take this city, even the Sassanid King might, like the Pope before, rally the whole Zoroastrian World to launch a great jihad."
Losa chuckled coldly: "Then let them come, the more they come, the quicker they will calm down."
After taking Cairo, he naturally wouldn’t allow the place to continue teaching Zoroastrian theology. Instead, he planned to exclude theology and turn it into a secular school teaching mathematics, Latin, agronomy, medicine, astronomy, law, and other disciplines.
Knowledge being monopolized by the Clergy in this era was never a good thing. Just consider Transjordan under Losa’s rule. If it weren’t for the Imperial Knights being literate, any edict or legal texts issued would be subject to misinterpretation by the Clergy.
Thinking of the "Whip of God" on the distant eastern Great Grassland, Losa couldn’t help but smirk: "Speaking of which, the Sassanid King might not even have the energy to bother me. Who knows, maybe in a few years, Baghdad itself will tremble under the Tatar’s iron hooves."
...
The Frankish army pressing the border made those guarding the walls most anxious.
At this moment, the people at Al-Azhar University were in a state of panic, with many Clergy packing up precious manuscripts and documents, trying to take these valuable writings out of Cairo when the city falls.
Beneath the Great Holy Fire Altar, someone raised their arm high, passionately stirring the Clergy to join the battle.
"Everyone, are we going to submit to the barbaric Franks and offer this sacred hall to the hands of savages? Stand up, the time has come to fight for God, to sacrifice for God."
Many scholars viewed this with cold eyes, especially the Extraordinary ones; they were more aware than ordinary people of the Crusaders’ terrors. Even the renowned masters fell at the hands of Heretics, and if not for their greed for rare manuscripts and precious archives here, they would have already fled.
It could be said that prior defeats of Saladin and Adil at the hands of Losa had already wiped out the fervent Holy Warriors.
Not only those scholars but also many Saracen civilians inside the city were unwilling to support Governor Buri and defend the city.
Not everyone is a hot-headed fool who gets incited easily. Though the Franks are said to be vicious and murderous, who doesn’t have relatives to the north? Many border places are just a river apart, across it is a scene of tranquility.
Additionally, the Shadow of Darkness secretly propagates, suggesting that when the Franks arrive, their lives as these lower-class citizens might actually improve compared to before.
In the southern part of Cairo, based on the old city from the Empire era, lies the main residence area of the Copts, still home to many Coptic churches, including the Saint George’s Suspended Cathedral, Saint Sergius and Bacchus Church, Abu Serga Cave Church, etc.
With the flames of war reaching Cairo, the Copts aren’t as terribly frightened as the Saracens.
But Governor Buri wouldn’t let them off. He had long demanded that Copts, divided by districts, must provide ten soldiers per district equipped with Shields, Long Spears, and at least one Helmet as armor.
Moreover, as the Crusaders draw closer, the newly appointed Governor’s extortion becomes heavier, especially on the Copts, who suffer even more severe servitude and taxes than the Saracens.
In many streets and alleys, there are people attempting to revolt, planning to collude with the Crusaders inside and outside, hoping to embark on a new path.
They connected with each other and sent messengers trying to get in touch with the Crusaders, but unfortunately, their "open conspiracy" was simply too conspicuous, and it wasn’t long before they were betrayed by informants, hung on the gallows.
On the day of execution, the Copts caused a scene, ruthlessly suppressed by Governor Buri.
In the southern part of Cairo, based on the old city from the Empire era, lies the main residence area of the Copts, still home to many Coptic churches, including the Saint George’s Suspended Cathedral, Saint Sergius and Bacchus Church, Abu Serga Cave Church, etc.
With the flames of war reaching Cairo, the Copts aren’t as terribly frightened as the Saracens.
But Governor Buri wouldn’t let them off. He had long demanded that Copts, divided by districts, must provide ten soldiers per district equipped with Shields, Long Spears, and at least one Helmet as armor.
Moreover, as the Crusaders draw closer, the newly appointed Governor’s extortion becomes heavier, especially on the Copts, who suffer even more severe servitude and taxes than the Saracens.
In many streets and alleys, there are people attempting to revolt, planning to collude with the Crusaders inside and outside, hoping to embark on a new path.
They connected with each other and sent messengers trying to get in touch with the Crusaders, but unfortunately, their "open conspiracy" was simply too conspicuous, and it wasn’t long before they were betrayed by informants, hung on the gallows.
On the day of execution, the Copts caused a scene, ruthlessly suppressed by Governor Buri.
In the southern part of Cairo, based on the old city from the Empire era, lies the main residence area of the Copts, still home to many Coptic churches, including the Saint George’s Suspended Cathedral, Saint Sergius and Bacchus Church, Abu Serga Cave Church, etc.
With the flames of war reaching Cairo, the Copts aren’t as terribly frightened as the Saracens.
But Governor Buri wouldn’t let them off. He had long demanded that Copts, divided by districts, must provide ten soldiers per district equipped with Shields, Long Spears, and at least one Helmet as armor.
Moreover, as the Crusaders draw closer, the newly appointed Governor’s extortion becomes heavier, especially on the Copts, who suffer even more severe servitude and taxes than the Saracens.
In many streets and alleys, there are people attempting to revolt, planning to collude with the Crusaders inside and outside, hoping to embark on a new path.
They connected with each other and sent messengers trying to get in touch with the Crusaders, but unfortunately, their "open conspiracy" was simply too conspicuous, and it wasn’t long before they were betrayed by informants, hung on the gallows.
On the day of execution, the Copts caused a scene, ruthlessly suppressed by Governor Buri.