Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks-Chapter 302 - 265: Losa, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order
Losa pushed open the door and said, "Jeanne, get ready, we are deploying troops."
Just back from outside, with a touch of heat, Jeanne succinctly asked, "Who are we fighting?"
"Isaac Komnenos."
"Hm, I seem to have heard of this name — the ’Emperor of Cyprus Island’ whom Richard the Lionheart crushed underfoot with only a thousand elite warriors in our world’s history?"
This title clearly carried a sarcastic tone.
As Jeanne spoke, she gulped down the chilled wine.
It’s said that this "His Majesty the Emperor," after occupying Cyprus Island, crazily looted internally, acting recklessly and arbitrarily.
Externally, he leveraged geographical advantages to organize a fleet, brazenly plundering surrounding merchant ships.
During the Third Crusade, he even kidnapped Richard the Lionheart’s sister "Joan" and fiancée "Belengaria of Navarre."
This also became an exemplary story of a brutal and unwise tyrant unwisely provoking a courageous and wise "Sage King" and getting defeated.
Of course, these events haven’t happened yet, and they likely won’t occur.
"Indeed, this Emperor of Cyprus Island, he was defeated in Cilicia and then fled to Cyprus Island, using a forged document and the Komnenos imperial lineage to seize the entire island, forcing the local Archbishop to crown him as the emperor of the Empire." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
Jeanne remarked, "This experience actually sounds pretty legendary."
"Heh, rather than saying he has a ’legendary experience,’ it’s more accurate to say the Empire, though superficially brilliant, is already rotten and decaying. The peasant-soldier and military district system founded by Emperor Heraclius has become merely nominal due to land annexation. Those local military leaders differ little from the feudal lords in Europe."
Losa’s tone was mocking, yet tinged with regret.
Heraclius’s peasant-soldier system was quite similar to the one Losa implemented on his estate, both involved distributing land to farming peasants in exchange for military service and taxation.
And land annexation’s blow to such a system was undoubtedly devastating.
When the vast majority of the original peasants, who could afford weapons and equipment, lost their land and became peasant slaves.
In future battles for the Eastern Empire, they could only rely on mercenaries and those disobedient military district leaders.
Jeanne spoke fairly: "Actually, it’s still alright now, it’s after Constantinople gets sacked by the Crusaders that the Eastern Empire truly becomes a ’giant with feet of clay.’"
"Indeed, at this point, the Eastern Empire still has hope, it depends on how adept Empress Ragaya’s maneuvers are."
Losa paused, feeling a bit troubled as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "So, my Six-star Template simulation battle requires me to defeat the Ottoman Empire during its peak in 1453, causing ’Phoenix Nirvana, rebirth from fire,’ which is basically an impossible task. You must know, at that time, the entire population of Constantinople barely reached fifty thousand."
Whenever he recalled such an "abyss-like" task, Losa felt even if he fully awakened his Dragon Bloodline, manifesting into the form of a Giant Dragon, it was still unlikely to change fate.
"Perhaps you could try a different approach."
Having once fought alongside Losa, Jeanne knew what simulation battles entailed.
She rested her chin on her hand, offering a distinctively unconventional suggestion: "For example, take Constantinople’s remaining wealth and soldiers loyal to you and make a thousand-mile shift to Ireland."
"Open..."
Losa initially intended to protest what kind of joke was this.
But then, he realized that the simulation battle’s requirement was to defeat the Ottomans, without specifying when to defeat them.
A thousand-mile shift sounds absurd, but maybe it’s not impossible — Ireland is too distant, he could shift to Naples and sell the crown to kings of Europe.
By then, would patience in adversity and three thousand armored warriors conquer the Ottomans?
At worst, endure alongside the Ottomans, after all, he possesses the Dragon Bloodline and has a long lifespan.
Wait until the Ottomans become the sick man of Western Asia before making a move.
Jeanne couldn’t help but laugh, "Lord, I was joking, surely you wouldn’t be serious about this? By then, where would you find a fleet for migration? Better to defend the fortress."
Losa seriously said, "No fleet then seize one from the Heretics, as long as my personal strength is formidable, there’s a chance to reverse the situation."
Jeanne was slightly stunned, then earnestly asked, "Lord, are you serious?"
Losa chuckled, "Just talk on paper, without experiencing the circumstances of that time, how could one know where the way out is? Go arrange the troop deployment matter."
Jeanne lightly coughed, pulling this boundless discussion back on track, "Lord, how many troops do you think we should dispatch to Cyprus Island?"
"Bring along eight hundred peasant soldiers, including the Black Eagle Banner Team (originally four hundred farmer soldiers), along with the Count’s Guard (Varangian Guard), Eagle Banner Brigade (veteran soldiers remained in service), ten Woodland Archers, plus twenty Winged Cavalry."
Losa paused slightly before continuing, "Gather a thousand people, Anna has offered quite a reward, we shouldn’t be too stingy as well."
Jeanne frowned and said, "The combat strength of the Black Eagle Banner Team is passable, but with the four hundred farmer soldiers summoned thereafter, the combat strength is somewhat worrying."
These four hundred peasant soldiers are not included in this military expansion.
They are a newly formed army by Losa after capturing Alandler and Eira Port, using the four hundred peasant soldiers originally summoned from Hebron as the backbone. Their training time is much better compared to that group of recruits who can’t even line up properly.
Losa waved his hand and said: "No matter, Isaac Komnenos is not a formidable figure. The significance of this expedition is more on training soldiers, for how can one forge elite troops without going to the battlefield?"
He further said:
"Although Cyprus Island has gathered some opposition to Empress Ragaya, Isaac’s control over Cyprus has been brief. The rest are mostly fence-sitters or potential opposition forced to ’follow the regime’ due to Isaiah’s terror.
As long as we win the naval battle, the subsequent fights shouldn’t be too difficult."
Jeanne nodded: "You have a point, I’ll go prepare now."
Watched Jeanne leave.
The maid hurriedly approached: "Sir, the monastic knights who visited you yesterday are here again."
"Teutonic Order?"
Losa was momentarily stunned and nodded: "Let them in."
Hiberland’s face was evidently somewhat haggard. These knights most likely stayed up all night. Upon seeing Losa, they all kneeled on one knee, lowering their proud heads.
"Count, we are willing to nominate you as the second Grand Master and Patron of the Teutonic Order, only wishing to gain a haven from your hands."
Losa was clearly surprised by this result.
In his view, although the Teutonic Order is in a difficult situation, they are far from being unable to sustain.
Moreover, according to historical trends, it won’t be long before the Teutonic Order will have the opportunity for development, receiving many Germanic nobles’ joining and donations.
However, he also realized that the third Eastern Expedition was delayed, and Emperor Henry evidently did not prioritize the Crusaders as much as Emperor Frederick the Red Beard did historically.
Whether this opportunity will come is still uncertain.
At this bleak moment, the choice of the Teutonic Order to throw their lot in with him, the most powerful Germanic Lord in the Holy Land, was quite reasonable.
Furthermore, these Teutonic Knights probably also held the idea that if they can elect him as Grand Master, they can also depose him.
Unfortunately, once in Losa’s hands, the Teutonic Order would certainly not have the possibility of being a state within a state like a cuckoo occupying a robin’s nest.
Losa had accumulated ten nominations for the Imperial Knights, intending to use them all on the members of the Teutonic Order.
Moreover, upon careful consideration, the Teutonic Order might not necessarily have the ambition to supplant and retaliate against him. Ambition changes with status.
His attitude, therefore, became much milder.
"Hiberland Knights, it is an honor to receive your unanimous nomination. As the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, I am very willing to donate a fief to the Order."
His voice paused slightly.
Seeing the Teutonic knights reveal expressions of anticipation, he continued to say, "Now, you have two choices: one is to follow me in the expedition to Cyprus..."
Losa spoke of his agreement with Anna and continued, "or I will bestow Philorn upon you as the residence of the Order."
Hiberland was silent for a moment, then said, "Grand Master, this is a matter you should decide, not us."
Losa was somewhat surprised by Hiberland’s discernment but still spoke candidly, "Rest assured, this isn’t a test. We all have the tradition of elections as Germanic people, and the principle of the minority accepting the majority applies here."
The knights then relaxed and spoke freely.
In the end, as expected.
The knights unanimously chose to go on the expedition to Cyprus.
A port town in Cyprus, plus three affiliated castles, compared to the desert town of Philorn...no, there’s simply no comparison.
"Moreover, I will organize the Great Knight Council, consisting of ten knights from among you, to decide matters for the entire knight order."
Losa’s smiling appearance seemed to show no attachment to the power of the Grand Master.
Hiberland and other Teutonic knights, upon hearing these words, showed expressions of joyful surprise.
This was not much different from before either.
Thinking they would have to depend on others, the treatment they received was beyond their expectations.
Losa clanged his sword on Hiberland’s shoulder.
"Now, swear your loyalty to me, knight."
