Chapter 930 - 153: Return to Jerusalem
Jerusalem Royal Palace, in the courtyard.
"Lord Godfrey, have you also come to persuade me?"
Godfrey gazed at Baldwin IV’s youthful face and shook his head with a smile: "Your Majesty, you are much more handsome now."
Baldwin couldn’t help but touch his cheek; he had worn an iron mask since he was thirteen due to facial sores. If that was the last time he "met" Godfrey, it had been exactly ten years.
He chuckled wryly and said, "Ten years, Lord Godfrey, I’ve forgotten what I looked like back then."
Godfrey sighed lightly: "Your Majesty, in my memory, your appearance remains as it was ten years ago. My visit this time is not to dissuade you from passing the throne to Losa, but to consider if there’s a more legally appropriate way?"
He had never thought of pushing the Ibelin Family towards the kingship, especially since Baldwin intended to pair Sibilla with Belian after his health improved.
At that time, although Princess Sibilla’s son, young Baldwin, was still the first heir to the throne, almost no one believed Sibilla could still become the Regent Queen of Jerusalem.
"What do you think?"
Godfrey frowned and said, "Why not marry Princess Sibilla to Losa? This way, legally, it would still make sense."
"Lord Godfrey, you really are..."
Baldwin chuckled wryly: "I understand your concerns, but Lord Godfrey, do you think the law is above the king, or is the king above the law?"
Godfrey hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, the king is certainly above the law, but if a king provokes opposition from everyone, he is not truly a king."
"Lord Godfrey, power is above the law and above the king."
Baldwin IV gently pushed over the chess pieces of the "King," "Queen," and "Bishop" on the board: "In my view, the only difficulty in passing the throne to Losa is whether he is willing to take it, not whether he can."
Godfrey was slightly startled, frightened by Baldwin’s blatant words: "If power truly surpasses all, Your Majesty, Raymond would have been much more than just a regent."
"Even at his most prominent, Raymond could only represent half of the kingdom’s voice; the other half were always his adversaries. Moreover, there are still formidable enemies lurking outside."
"And Losa, even if he were to unite the entire kingdom’s power and bring in the support of Richard and Philip, he could not resist his will. This is why I admire him most; despite possessing such immense power, he acts with restraint."
Godfrey fell silent for a moment; he had seen Losa’s power firsthand and did not doubt it.
"But Your Majesty, this could likely provoke a war, turning the entire kingdom into a wasteland."
"You overestimate them."
Baldwin laughed lightly: "With the power disparity so apparent, no matter how much they protest or oppose, they dare not venture into armed conflict. Even if there are those reckless enough, when a giant dragon flies overhead, they will become subdued."
Baldwin looked at Godfrey and said with a smile: "I believe he will be the greatest King of Jerusalem, a true monarch capable of creating the Earthly Heaven we envision."
Godfrey was evidently persuaded, and he couldn’t help but ask again: "After you step down, Your Majesty, where do you plan to go? Return to Europe? Or stay in the current royal territory and make it your own fiefdom?"
Baldwin smiled without answering. Godfrey’s loyalty was beyond doubt, but precisely because of this, Baldwin felt if he revealed his desire to become a Ranger Knight, Godfrey would certainly try his utmost to stop him.
But he really had enough of the dark, endless palace life. Now that his health had recovered, he just wanted to see this colorful world outside.
"How has the news about Losa coming to assume the throne of Jerusalem spread throughout the city?"
This news was deliberately spread by Baldwin to gauge public reaction and lay the groundwork for his subsequent actions.
"The news is being discussed everywhere; the overwhelming majority of voices express approval. However, in many closed-door meetings, opposition is the mainstream."
Baldwin smiled: "Closed-door meetings, who would’ve thought how quickly the Franks learned the Greeks’ bad habits after arriving in the Holy Land. But Godfrey, you should know any crafty tricks are but ripples in the face of overwhelming prospects."
His tone paused slightly, emphasizing: "Since they only dare to shout in the shadows, it indicates that Losa’s ascendancy as King of Jerusalem is already highly anticipated!"
Just as his words fell, three resounding dragon roars echoed from afar.
Baldwin and Godfrey looked up to see a giant Three-headed Demon Dragon soaring in the sky, its wings casting shadows that seemed to obscure even the sun in the sky.
Jerusalem City was in chaos.
Although they had heard of Losa taming a demon dragon, few had ever seen the Three-headed Ladon. Previously, even if they saw it, what they saw was Losa’s True Dragon Transformation into the Red-Black Dragon.
In an instant, the entire city was in an uproar.
"The demon dragon attacks, hurry to the city walls and prepare for defense!"
"Quick, hide in the houses."
Children’s cries, women’s frightened screams, and men’s desperate wails resounded endlessly.
A priest of the Church raised his Bible high: "Do not panic, do not shout, this is God’s test. As long as we hold firm in our faith and pray devoutly, no matter how fierce the demon dragon, it will not harm us."
But he was quickly shoved aside by the panicked crowd.
After all, Jerusalem City was not only inhabited by Franks, but also Saracens, Greeks, Armenians, who couldn’t understand his words.
"Everyone, do not panic."
A penetrating, authoritative voice suddenly rang out.
Atop the central head of the Three-headed Demon Dragon in the clouds, a monarch crowned with a golden crown and draped with a cloak held aloft the Holy Spear, the sacred golden radiance soothing the hearts of the anxious, granting them peace.
"It’s His Majesty Losa!"
"That three-headed strange dragon is the mount tamed by His Majesty Losa!"
"Everyone, do not panic."
A penetrating, authoritative voice suddenly rang out.
Atop the central head of the Three-headed Demon Dragon in the clouds, a monarch crowned with a golden crown and draped with a cloak held aloft the Holy Spear, the sacred golden radiance soothing the hearts of the anxious, granting them peace.
"It’s His Majesty Losa!"
"That three-headed strange dragon is the mount tamed by His Majesty Losa!"
"Everyone, do not panic."
A penetrating, authoritative voice suddenly rang out.
Atop the central head of the Three-headed Demon Dragon in the clouds, a monarch crowned with a golden crown and draped with a cloak held aloft the Holy Spear, the sacred golden radiance soothing the hearts of the anxious, granting them peace.
"It’s His Majesty Losa!"
"That three-headed strange dragon is the mount tamed by His Majesty Losa!"