Chapter 401 - 284: Seizing Cilicia

Soon, the two Armenian soldiers were stabbed until they were covered in blood. They had actually died of fright long ago, but the villagers refused to spare their corpses. They continued to desecrate the bodies with daggers, slicing open their abdomens and spilling their organs. The foul stench of blood and viscera began to spread, turning one’s stomach.

Even some of the children joined in, their frenzy surpassing that of the adults.

The remaining Armenian soldiers were horrified by the brutal scene. They screamed, their resolve shattering, and begged the surrounding Knights for mercy in Armenian. But none of the Knights paid them any mind. They simply tied two more men to the fence, preparing for the next slaughter.

Laila, who had rushed over from the Church, was shocked by the cruel slaughter.

"No, this is wrong! Lord Eric, you can’t do this. You’re turning them into murderers."

"Everyone here is a murderer."

"That’s not what I mean. You said you were their savior, you can’t let them..."

Eric cut Laila off. "Yes, but you can’t expect salvation without paying a price. If you’re unwilling to part with your food, then pay with hatred and slaughter. They’re cheaper than food and easier to come by, aren’t they?

If you don’t want to fight the Turkic People, then hate Ruben and his lackeys. They’re weaker and more familiar to you than the Turkic People, are they not?"

"But..."

"You should know better than I that there’s hardly any food left in this region. Food can’t satisfy the starving masses, but hatred and slaughter can."

The Turkic People were still ravaging the coastal plains of Cilicia, and Chenxi Village was by far the best-off village Eric had encountered. It was safe to assume the nearby villages were in no better shape.

’Dilapidated villages, a few surviving villagers... this is likely all there is.’

If the Normans were to establish their rule in Cilicia, they had to feed these people.

With the food supplies in Cilicia all but squeezed dry by Ruben and the Turkic People, the only option was to ship grain from Cyprus. This was no easy task. They first had to clear out the roaming Turkic raiders in the coastal areas.

They first had to redirect the Armenians’ hunger for food toward a hunger for hatred and slaughter, allowing them to vent their frustrations. At the same time, this shared sin would bind the Armenians and the Normans together.

As long as the Normans remained in Cilicia to protect the Armenians, Duke Ruben would never have the chance to punish those who had committed these ’sins’.

This was also the only thing the Normans could currently provide them in endless supply.

"Ruben is a fool. He arrogantly believes he can rest easy, relying on the mercenary Nobility gathered around him and the rugged terrain of the Talos Mountains. He thinks he can just wait for time to drive out the Turkic People.

A ruler should ensure he regularly appears before his subjects, but all he has brought to the Armenians is stark famine. His rule is built on hunger and an illusory goal. Moreover, he lacks troops and commanders; he’s frighteningly weak.

I believe destroying his rule in Cilicia will be child’s play."

Eric clapped his hands at the Knights who were preparing to tie up the next group of Armenian soldiers. "Alright, killing six is enough," he said. "Save the rest for the Armenians in the next village."

The Knights nodded and took away the soldiers, who were scared out of their wits.

Then, Eric looked at the still-indignant Laila and said, "If you don’t care for matters of faith, then let us tell you: this is real war. To achieve victory, one must use any means necessary."

....

For the next few days, Eric and his party used Chenxi Village as a base to scout the surrounding area. With Laila’s help, they found several more villages.

Laila ultimately did not leave. ’I’ve brought a band of demons to Chenxi Village,’ she thought.

During this time, they also caused immense trouble for the Turkic raiding parties in Cilicia.

Eric crushed them with ease. The Turkic People had never imagined that Christians in Anatolia would dare to launch an unprovoked attack against them, nor did they expect Norman Knights to appear in Cilicia. Previously arrogant toward Christians, the Turkic Cavalry charged head-on without evasion and were caught completely off guard by the Normans.

Eric would have his Knight’s Squires impale the heads of the Turkic soldiers on their spears and display them to the Armenian villagers as proof of the Normans’ success.

The Turkic People gradually realized that a new power had arrived in Cilicia.

After this, they grew more cautious. Eric, in turn, stopped insisting on hunting them all down. Instead, he focused on raiding the Turkic camps, ensuring their Cavalry Archers would return from their forays empty-handed. Some of the exasperated Turkic raiding parties chose to confront the Norman Knights in direct battle.

At the same time, Eric contacted the Pisans on Cyprus Island. He ordered their fleet to patrol the coast of Cilicia, search for movements of the Turkic People, and repair and occupy the coastal fortresses abandoned by the Greeks, as well as restore Cilicia’s ports.

Eric began to deliberately relocate the villagers to the ports restored by the Pisans, making it easier for them to receive grain from Cyprus.

During this period, besides dealing with scattered Turkic Light Cavalry, they also encountered recruitment parties sent by Ruben.

The latter had almost no fighting ability, and the Norman Knights captured them with ease.

Upon arriving at the next village, the Knights would tie these captives to a fence. They then forced or coerced the Armenian villagers into executing them. Afterward, Eric would deliver a timely speech.

As the executions became more frequent, the villagers began to take increasing pleasure in them.

"Did you know? These soldiers are just the sons of other villagers," Laila said to Eric, looking at the corpses of Ruben’s men.

"And these soldiers knew that these villagers are the fathers of other soldiers," Eric replied.

.....

Meanwhile, Eric bribed some Armenian villagers to spread negative rumors about Ruben among the Armenians, further destroying his Reputation.

"You’d rather trust a group of foreigners than a noble of our own people. Think of how much Duke Ruben has sacrificed for the Armenians of Cilicia!"

"Friend, to be honest, I understand why Duke Ruben did what he did. If I were in his position, I’d have done the same. But I’m a shepherd. He took all my sheep, leaving me with just one sickly lamb.

It’s just too painful. If we have to drive out the Turkic People, why can’t we seek help from the Normans? You know, even the Emperor is willing to hire Normans; they’re the best mercenaries.

Now they’re not even asking for money, doing it solely in the name of the Lord of Heaven."

"Remember that detestable Norman, Russell? How many times did he rebel against the Empire? How can you guarantee these Normans don’t have ulterior motives? You know Russell always wanted to establish his own kingdom."

"So what? Didn’t our ancestors come to this land from the Armenian Highlands to seek the protection of the Greeks? And weren’t we doing pretty well for ourselves a decade or so ago?

Besides, under Duke Ruben’s current rule, is there any ruler harsher than him? He’s only marginally better than the Turkic People."

"I remember the Galatians were very happy to have Russell as their ruler."

"Speaking of rule, aren’t the coastal plains of Cilicia basically split half and half between the Turkic People and Ruben now? As far as Ruben is concerned, only the villagers living in the mountains count as his subjects. We Armenians on the coast were abandoned long ago.

When have we ever received an ounce of his protection? The Turkic raiders come and go as they please, but Ruben only remembers we exist when it’s time to collect taxes!"

"Ruben... I heard recently that he’s already bowed his head to the Turkic People. They say he’s going to divide Cilicia with them—that he sold the coastal region to them. How else can you explain how the Turkic raiders come and go as they please?

Without a doubt, we’ve been sold out!"