Adil leaned over the desk, writing fervently by candlelight. Once this letter is complete, it will be presented to Saladin, who is far away in Damascus, by a Caster.

Today, he has already sent a letter challenging the Crusaders to a battle.

Tomorrow, they will launch the campaign to recover Semanud City, and the outcome of this battle will determine the final ownership of Egypt.

No matter how long the preparations last, they never seem good enough, but he no longer has the confidence to delay.

After all, Egypt's resources are limited, and the manpower and materials needed to gather the magic materials for the advisory council are incredibly daunting. In addition, the war will ultimately be fought on home soil, affecting the morale of both civilians and soldiers.

"Under our king, this battle concerns the survival of the Ayyubid Dynasty. But as your humble brother, though I manage Egypt's military and political affairs, the victory or defeat of this battle seems unrelated to me, and all hinges on Shemir alone."

"The power of Master Shemir is awe-inspiring, but who is stronger between him and the Crusaders' Casters is hard for me to discern."

"If we lose this battle, Egypt will be lost, and without Egypt, the future of the Ayyubid Dynasty could only involve bowing to the Sassanid King."

That's the way it is, but things aren't that simple. Whether the Sassanid King is willing to accept their allegiance is one thing; whether Elanshahar, which is said to be at war in the River Region with nomads from the East, has any strength left to assist is another thing.

He had thought this year would be when the Ayyubid Dynasty would recover Jerusalem, push its prestige to the peak, overshadow the King of Kings in Tarsus, and become the Common Lord of the entire Zoroastrian world.

Who would have thought that the arrival of a mere Crusader Knight could cause the once-prestigious Ayyubid Dynasty to collapse to such an extent in just one year.

He sighed lightly, put down the pen, for tomorrow is the day of the decisive battle, and he could not sleep. He donned a coat and went to patrol the camp.

Egypt in winter nights already carried a hint of chill.

Like a small mountain, the enormous beast's belly rose and fell rhythmically, its nostrils emitting scorching breaths with a sulfur smell. Just approaching it, one could feel a heat wave.

Baron Fulk and Ivan commanded their men to transport cartloads of meat to the Giant Dragon's side—the big creature wasn't in a hurry to eat; it waited until the food was piled into a small mountain and lazily extended its tongue to sweep it in.

If not witnessed firsthand, who could imagine such a terrifying beast was actually "refined."

Fulk couldn't help but exclaim, "This creature is huge, absurdly so! Even if all the food prepared for the Giant Beast Corps were brought over, it probably wouldn't fill its belly."

"Don't worry about the Giant Beast Corps. Starving them for a few days will only incite their fierceness more readily once on the battlefield—besides, in my opinion, after this battle, those 'little things' will have to be disposed of anyway."

Ivan shrugged: "Perhaps they would serve as a dinner for this big fellow."

He finished speaking, couldn't help but smile: "Hey, mate, do you still think we'll lose?"

"I don't know."

Fulk shook his head, but on the surface, this Demon Dragon was truly unbeatable, more terrifying than the Fire Dragon of the past, and the Mage who "refined" this fearsome beast was evidently even more frightening.

"The mere fact that someone like you, a brain poisoned by Knight novels, can say 'I don't know' means you also think we are bound to win, right?"

Seeing Fulk not responding, Ivan lowered his voice: "Many will die in this battle, my brother."

"So what?"

"By then, Egypt will have lots of land vacant. You know how difficult it is to step from being a Mamluk commander to a Lord. We caught a good opportunity."

Fulk sneered: "The premise being that we won't die in this battle."

"My luck has always been good. You, running into me, such a capable leader, are clearly another fortunate fellow. The two of us are destined to survive, mate; we are destined to become big figures."

"How big is 'big'?"

"Like Losa himself!"

Fulk shot back: "If you're dreaming, you should go back to your tent."

Ivan laughed heartily: "Ahaha, your mouth really is as foul as ever!"

Laughing for a while, he seemed to lose interest and sighed quietly: "Under the holy fire, let's hope we can retreat alive from the battlefield tomorrow."

…

Emerging from the world of the book, Losa was resting in the courtyard.

According to the simulation in the world of the book, the power of the Dragon Slayer Crossbow hadn't diminished much even without the matching Crossbow Arrow. However, its inherently high consumption rose to a new level.

If the Highly Anticipated talent can exert enough effect by then, it seems replaying the scene of shooting down the Copper-Horned Red Dragon in Constantinople isn't impossible.

But the issue is with Shemir.

This guy, already adept at assisting, has now crossed into the Legendary Domain and also has the support of those Cuneiform Clay Tablets. Even with Losa's significant simulated combat progress this time, he still feels unsure.

Soft footsteps came from behind, a sound he had grown accustomed to hearing in Brahna Palace, naturally inquiring, "Still not resting so late? Are you not adjusting well?"

"There's another battle tomorrow."

Viviana's expression was somewhat heavy: "This time, surely more people will die than in the Constantinople defense battle, and now I lack the power to fight alongside you."

"I will retrieve your power for you as soon as possible."

Losa's tone paused, then said, "And also strive to minimize the casualties in this war, though achieving this is difficult. Once that Demon Dragon spits a Dragon Flame, the casualties will be in the thousands."

Even without the Dragon Flame, during his full use of the Volcanic Divinity, the ground fractures, lava flows, merely the aftershock can roast countless people.

"Moreover, our enemy has a lawless Legendary Mage, and in this world, there are almost no rules to bind such strong individuals."

Normal Casters might nominally have to abide by some Wizard Association conventions, lest they become common enemies like the Levant Wizard Association, but for a Legend... It's non-existent.

No Caster would step up against a Legend solely because of mortal targeting by the Legend—Anna might do so, but only if Shemir attempts to destroy Constantinople.

But Anna is a special case. She belongs to the Komnenos Imperial Family, deeply tied with the Eastern Empire, mutually achieving and depending on each other. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Viviana smiled wryly: "Seems this world isn't much better than our era."

When they had Power in the past, they didn't realize its importance; only after losing it did they understand that Power is necessary to safeguard the justice in one's mind.

"Hence why I want to change everything."

Losa's voice was firm, in truth he doesn't fully feel the Medieval World is less than Yesterday's Giant Ship World. The primary timeline for Yesterday's Giant Ship World's followers is at the end of the Victorian Era, during the bustling industrial revolution.

Though different timelines exist, the conflicts among countries have deepened, and new powers challenging old world hegemons is inevitable.

When that time comes, millions, even tens of millions, will die in a war.

Losa gently comforted, "Miss Viviana, get some rest; tomorrow will surely be a tough battle."