Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks-Chapter 425 - 110: Lazarus Potion

"Lord Conrad, it is an honor to meet you."

Hans made a cross gesture in front of him.

He realized who the person before him was—in the world of Yesterday’s Giant Ship, Conrad was the Savior of the Holy Land and was eventually elected as the King of Jerusalem, only to be assassinated shortly after assuming the throne.

Conrad smiled and said, "It’s rather amusing. I left Constantinople, inspired by Count Losa, yet found myself narrowly missing him."

Hans replied with a smile, "To protect the Holy Land, Your Lordship willingly gave up the prestigious position of Caesar of the Empire. Your devotion truly puts me to shame."

Conrad laughed heartily, "It’s merely an empty title. I have two attendants and a group of followers with me—loyal and battle-hardened warriors. Many have served in the Empire’s Latin Cavalry units (Western knights employed by the Eastern Empire). If Grand Master Hans could recommend me, I would gladly join the Royal Knight Order to serve His Majesty the King."

"Sir Conrad, with your esteemed status, you would lower yourself to join the Royal Knight Order?"

Hans was a bit surprised.

Conrad turned serious: "I came to the Holy Land not for money or fame, but to protect the Holy City and fight against the heretics."

Hans made another cross in front of him, saying, "Praise the Heavenly Father."

If such a person didn’t exist in history, Hans would surely think Conrad was speaking nonsense.

In truth, Conrad felt quite helpless. Being the Caesar of the Empire was only a name. Although he had served as a military commander several times, without his own territory, he couldn’t compare to those truly powerful nobles.

All his power and status depended on imperial authority. Since Emperor Alexios passed away and Regent Empress Ragaya ascended the throne, with repeated rebellions from the Komnenos Family, his position in Constantinople became increasingly awkward.

This was one of the reasons he walked away abruptly.

No land means no money.

No money means no army.

Despite his esteemed position as Caesar, he was practically less than a local count.

With his status, mingling further in the power vortex of Constantinople would likely get him eradicated as a remnant of the Komnenos Family, not even knowing how he died.

Returning to the Montferrat Marquisate was no good option either. His father passed away on the pilgrimage to the Holy Land recently, and his elder brother inherited the territory. Returning at such a sensitive time could very well lead to a fraternal conflict.

His choice was a result of his devotion to the deities, his character, and the consideration of various pros and cons.

The attendants, servants, and guards he brought totaled less than thirty people. Being the Caesar of the Empire was truly suffocating, and it was better for him to come to the Holy Land to earn a reputation through his martial arts and strategies.

After all, with his noble lineage and esteemed status, if he achieved some meritorious deeds, he could easily gain a piece of territory—just like in history, where after saving the Holy Land, various nobles of the Holy Land elected him as the King of Jerusalem.

Hans was somewhat puzzled: "I am certainly willing to refer you, Lord Conrad, but I don’t understand. You clearly have more suitable channels."

"You mean Princess Isabella?"

Princess Isabella was the child of the late King Amalric and Maria Komnenos. As the daughter born to Amalric’s legitimate wife and endorsed by the noble faction, she was another contender vying for the throne in opposition to Princess Sibilla.

However, the designated heir by Baldwin IV was Sibilla’s son, so in terms of prestige and reputation, Isabella fell significantly short of Princess Sibilla.

Conrad smiled bitterly, "I divorced the Komnenos princess. After all, she was an Orthodox Christian, and we did not get along well."

Divorcing and leaving without notice thoroughly offended the Komnenos family. Though they had been marginalized from the political center, they remained one of the largest lords within the empire.

But currently, they are deeply embroiled in their affairs, unable to trouble Conrad.

Divorce?

Hans was a bit dumbfounded.

No wonder Conrad appeared so downcast. If he had the support and assistance of the Komnenos family, he would at least have brought several hundred elite soldiers to the Holy Land.

"Knight Hans, I have studied your military governance. Although the Royal Knight Order is small in number, they are well-trained, disciplined, and very strong—much stronger than most of the Empire’s troops."

Hans humbly replied, "You overpraise me."

Conrad asserted seriously, "This is no overpraise. Having commanded the Empire’s army multiple times, I can assure you, you are an outstanding conductor."

Hans quickly waved his hand, "This is not due to my efforts. The Royal Knight Order was originally managed by Baron Godfrey, then handed over to my feudal lord, Count Losa, who reformed the methods of training. I am merely standing on their shoulders."

"You are too humble."

Conrad laughed, "Yet, Count Losa is indeed a master of training troops. His Winged Cavalry is renowned, and that Square Shield Guard won the championship in the tournament in Constantinople."

He knew the weight of the Constantinople tournament; it was incomparable to some rural lords’ competitions.

"To be honest, I have heard of Count Losa’s governance policies in Transjordan. Not only did he attract and settle a large number of people, but he also vigorously built irrigation works, reduced taxes for the people, provided free rental of farming tools, and treated the heretic populace with fairness."

Conrad’s eyes were full of doubt.

The Crusader Lords’ exploitation of their subjects is severe, especially for the heretic subjects, as a steep "infidel tax" can leave them breathless.

But the harder it is to win their loyalty.

Yet the Lords do not care about these lowly subjects’ so-called loyalty; if they dare to rebel, the sabers will handle them.

Even the so-called "compatriots" find it hard to live well on this land.

The entire Crusader Kingdom’s rule over the Holy Land is more like a colonial regime, merely floating on the surface, never reaching the deepest layers.

"But how long will it take to recoup such an investment?"

Conrad had a heartfelt doubt; such a huge expense, converted to gold coins, might pile up like a mountain. Even if not used for pleasure, it should be used to expand the military and recruit more soldiers.

If invested in land for construction but the territory falls, wouldn’t it all become someone else’s garment?

This is also why most nobles in the Holy Land engage heavily in exploitation to accumulate wealth for themselves and their families.

Even if one day the Holy Land falls, they can return to Europe with great wealth.

With money and noble titles, they can maneuver to reclaim a piece of land for themselves.

"I don’t know, perhaps it’s a losing business, but the Lord is not a businessman."

Hans pondered his words; he was not skilled in speech.

"He simply hopes his subjects can live a bit better, not toil day and night with heavy taxes without being able to have a meal, and evidently, my Lord does not believe he will lose his land."

Conrad paused.

"It’s a pity; I really want to see your Lord in person and witness what kind of young hero he is."

Conrad’s eyes revealed a hint of longing.

In Constantinople, he had seen numerous young knights and nobles, but none like Losa; someone like him had never existed before, resembling more of the characters depicted in legendary novels. He had always doubted whether such people truly existed.

Perhaps the legend exaggerated.

But upon arriving at the Holy Land, he discovered that not only was everything not exaggerated, but it was less detailed due to the distance.

Hans laughed: "You will have the chance."

He sighed: "Saladin, that heretic king, has resolved his issues. He will soon turn his attention back to the Holy Land; my Lord will return, and by then, we might have a chance to fight side by side."

Conrad smiled: "I look forward to that day."

Hans stood up: "Let’s go; I’ll take you to see His Majesty. He will surely be delighted to have the service of a devout warrior like you."

As they left the tavern, the temperature was no longer unbearably hot.

It was already autumn, and the temperature in the Holy Land was becoming pleasant.

Monks adorned with red cross badges were preaching to the newly arrived pilgrims on the streets.

The theological level of the Saint Lazarus Order monks wasn’t particularly outstanding, but the poor preferred these ascetics.

Because they not only preach but also distribute medicine.

Conrad said: "I heard that the monks of the Saint Lazarus Order recently developed a topical ointment called Lazarus Potion that significantly accelerates healing when applied to wounds and is also effective for promoting blood circulation and removing clots."

Hans nodded: "Indeed." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Due to the development of such effective medicine, the fame of the Saint Lazarus Order has further expanded.

This period, more people joined the Order, and their presence was almost everywhere on the streets of Jerusalem.

"Such effective medicine should be promoted for use in the army; a big war is about to erupt, and these medicines..."

Conrad didn’t finish, but Hans understood his meaning.

Such precious medicine should not be wasted on civilians.

It’s not that Conrad was indifferent, but he felt that priorities should be set, and the safety of the Holy Land was undoubtedly the most important in the current situation.

"Among pilgrims, not many actually suffer from external injuries; what is generally used on them are ordinary medicines. The stock of Lazarus Potion is still adequate, there’s no need to worry."

Hans was aware of the situation.

Lazarus Potion was jointly developed by Father Urding and the young Witch Nishaya, and the formula included the leaves from the Tree of Life, resulting in its immediate effect, and its production was not low.