Ch.191Anatolia (2)

The Sultanate of Rum became a vassal state of the Ulus.

This naturally allowed Ulus soldiers to travel freely through the territory.

As a result, the people of the Sultanate of Rum began to encounter Mongol soldiers.

“They look similar to us.”

“Indeed. I heard they were nomads like our ancestors.”

The Sultanate of Rum, or more precisely the Rum Seljuk Dynasty, had Turkic roots.

Their ancestors had descended from the steppes to establish the Seljuk Dynasty, which eventually expanded to reach the Anatolian Peninsula.

This made them Turkic people who had adopted Persian culture, which was accurate.

However, after a long time, they had completely settled into Greco-Persian culture, and while they looked similar, many lived lives far removed from nomadic ways.

In any case, since the Mongols included the Mongolized Turkic Kereits tribe, they naturally looked similar.

“So they’re coming to suppress the rebellion?”

“Brotherhood between nations is truly different.”

The common people spoke such naive words, viewing the Mongol soldiers’ visit optimistically.

In diplomacy, politics, and military matters, there was no such thing as brotherhood between nations.

Besides, while their ancestors might have had connections, they had never actually formed an alliance.

So these comments from the people were nothing but empty words.

On the opposite side from these talkative citizens were those who viewed the Mongol soldiers’ visit with suspicion.

“Won’t they cause trouble like the Crusaders did?”

“I know. I heard every city on their path here was burned to the ground.”

“Barbarians.”

At a man’s words, a Mongol soldier suddenly glared at him.

The man immediately lowered his head and mumbled as if he hadn’t said anything.

The soldier then turned away and continued with the procession.

“You just lost ten years of your life, friend.”

“Don’t joke about that. I really thought I was going to die.”

The man recalled the soldier who had just glared at him.

His mind was filled with the image of a body too large and muscular to be considered normal.

The appearance was like that of a bear. That’s why he was afraid. He was gripped by the fear that such men couldn’t be stopped if they went on a rampage.

“Hey, snap out of it.”

“Ha ha… s-sorry.”

His friends expressed concern at his slightly dazed appearance.

Just then, one man seemed to remember something and spoke to his friend.

“By the way, haven’t we seen those people somewhere before?”

“Where do you mean?”

“How would you know? You’re the one who sells goods to Armenians.”

“Armenia… Armenia… Ah! I did see them once before.”

The man who had been comforting his frightened friend nodded at his companion’s words.

Then he remembered a unique statue he had seen during his trading journey.

“That’s right. I’ve seen it before. It was a statue of a muscular man extending one leg and arm in a strange pose. It said it was made by a sculptor named Liam.”

“I finally remember now, friend. Yes, that’s right. I was thinking of that statue too. Could that sculptor Liam have made it after seeing the Mongols?”

The man nodded at his friend’s question.

When he first saw the statue, he thought it was a purely imaginative creation, not based on a real person.

But after seeing the Mongol army’s march today, he had to change his mind.

Humans covered in muscle did exist, after all.

While he was thinking this, the sound of a cheerful flute came from somewhere.

Along with the sound, mounted soldiers shouted loudly in Arabic.

“The great Gurkhan is passing! Everyone bow your heads!”

“Those who raise their heads will not escape death!”

The men who had been conversing bowed their heads.

But the man who was too curious about what this Gurkhan looked like slightly raised his head to peek.

The Gurkhan he saw was identical to the statue.

A figure with enormous muscles and an impossible physique.

So he immediately knew that the statue had been made based on the real Gurkhan.

While he was looking surprised, a soldier noticed him.

“You there!”

The man thought he was done for, having been caught raising his head.

Especially since the soldier had already given one warning.

He tried to beg for mercy, but the Mongol soldier’s sword was faster.

Just as his head was about to be severed, the barbarian king called Gurkhan stopped the soldier.

“!@#*($)*”

Though he couldn’t understand what was said, from the context it seemed like an order to spare the man.

The soldier sheathed his sword and warned the man in a chilling voice.

“The great Gurkhan has shown you mercy. But this is only a one-time act of mercy. If you raise your head again, I will cut you down.”

The man bowed at the soldier’s warning.

And he expressed his gratitude to the Gurkhan for sparing his life.

* * *

We arrived at Kayseri.

As soon as we arrived, I gave orders to my son Temujin.

“Lead the troops to capture Aksaray and bring back the rebel Qutb al-Din.”

“I will follow the Khagan’s orders.”

Temujin bowed and led the soldiers forward.

Jamukha, Muqali, Jelme, and Jebe followed behind him.

As they moved out, Munglig approached me with a question.

“I thought you would take the lead, brother.”

“It’s right for my son to take the lead this time. That way, they will feel even more fear.”

It was like modern chaebol chairmen bringing their children along and introducing them as successors.

Of course, I wasn’t a chaebol in the modern world, so I’m not sure if this is correct, but it was generally good to announce one’s successor everywhere.

That way, even after my death, they would remember Temujin’s fearsome appearance and not dare to dream of rebellion.

“Besides, this suppression is at their request. So it’s fine to show brutality.”

As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, we were the ones who first proposed suppressing this rebellion.

However, it was the Sultanate of Rum that accepted the proposal.

In crude terms, they were using our hands to kill their own child.

So they couldn’t complain even if we killed him in our own way.

Therefore, I planned to use this politically and diplomatically.

I intended to brutally kill Qutb al-Din who had rebelled against the old Sultan, and to slaughter the soldiers who followed him.

And I planned to show mercy to the vast majority of the common people.

That way, even if we filled the power vacuum left by the rebels, they wouldn’t resent us.

“And since Temujin is brutally suppressing the rebellion under my orders, it will help his reputation without causing him harm.”

This was the key point.

Let Temujin take the good and let me take the bad.

That way, Temujin would shine even more.

“Seeing this, brother, you really seem to care for your children.”

“Is that a compliment? Or are you mocking me?”

“Both. You care for your children, but your wives…”

I smiled at Munglig’s joke.

And I clenched my fist, pretending to hit him.

Not wanting to be hit, Munglig suddenly changed the subject.

“B-by the way, brother. I-I have something to tell you.”

“Speak. If you’re making up something just to avoid being hit, you’ll get hit even more.”

“Ha-haha. O-of course not. Do you remember a sculptor named Liam?”

“Liam…”

It was a name I’d heard somewhere.

But it had been so long that I couldn’t remember clearly.

So Munglig gave me more hints.

“The foreigner we met when we went to pay tribute to the Jin Dynasty long ago.”

“Ah! I remember now.”

I had gone with Munglig to the capital to pay tribute as demanded by the Jin Dynasty.

During that tribute journey, we met a foreign sculptor named Liam.

That sculptor had boldly proposed to make statues based on Munglig and me.

I was going to refuse, but at Munglig’s request, I accepted the proposal.

For this reason, I suffered by posing in a side chest pose, the position for opening a kurultai.

As these memories came back, I recalled that man named Liam.

“But why are you talking about that sculptor?”

“I sent the Kheshig to gather information about this place. And…”

Having become a skilled commander, Munglig didn’t neglect the importance of reconnaissance and intelligence, even in vassal territories.

So he had sent the Kheshig to check this place, gauge public sentiment, and collect information.

Among that information was knowledge about citizens who knew about Ulus soldiers.

“When I asked how they knew, merchants who travel to and from Armenia said they had seen statues of you and me.”

“…Statues? Even here?”

“Yes. It seems he made statues in various places before returning here.”

“Huh.”

The more I thought about him, the more remarkable Liam was.

Though afflicted with an artistic obsession, he didn’t spare his life for his artistic spirit.

Yet he diligently(?) made statues of Munglig and me as he traveled, so he deserved praise.

“How about appointing him as the Ulus’s official sculptor?”

“Appoint a sculptor? What nonsense are you talking, Munglig?”

“Think about it, brother. A training ground lined with statues made with magnificent muscles.”

Munglig said this with an ecstatic expression.

This was because he had been recognized for his contribution to the conquest of the Great Capital and had become the largest landowner there.

Normally, such landowners would farm or build structures to make money.

But since Munglig was from a nomadic background and had little desire for wealth, he had turned all that vast land into a health club… or in the local language, a physical training facility.

And he was selling all the spoils he received to fill the place with exercise equipment.

So in fact, all the spoils Munglig gained from participating in the Crusades were essentially for making this exercise equipment.

Being so passionate about exercise, Munglig apparently wanted to place statues in front of his training facility.

So he was trying to persuade me like this.

“I’m not interested. If you really want it, send someone to hire him as your personal sculptor.”

“Can I really do that?!”

Munglig was as happy as a child.

I waved my hand dismissively at the sight.

My focus was currently on suppressing the rebellion and stationing troops in Aksaray.

However, I would later come to regret this decision.

At the time, I had no idea that this casual decision would turn the Great Capital into a holy land of fitness.