Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks-Chapter 491 - 271: The Call for a New Crusade

Godfrey stood amidst the crowd, somewhat sentimental, saying, "Losa is indeed striking."

Berian’s eyes were filled with curiosity: "Father, is the Marquis really the Holy Son?"

He did not doubt that Losa was a saint blessed and favored by God, but he found the rumors over the past two days, that Losa was the Holy Son, hard to believe.

"Perhaps."

Baron Goffrey’s expression was somewhat complicated, and he murmured softly, "Perhaps Marquis Losa is not even Werner’s child."

"What did you say?"

Berian didn’t hear clearly and asked again.

"I’ve met Lady Elise, she’s a very beautiful woman; Losa didn’t inherit Werner’s unfortunate appearance at all, like his cross-eyed look... If Losa is indeed the Holy Son, it would make sense."

After all, the Holy Mother Mary was a virgin mother who gave birth to Jesus without having had relations.

As Losa led in the Winged Cavalry and entered the royal tent with him, a host of nobles came forward to greet and pay respects. Many nobles had somewhat complex feelings, unable to accept that Losa, in such a short time, had leaped from a minor lord to the most prominent and illustrious lord in the kingdom.

Even Baldwin IV came outside the tent with a sword inlaid with jewels to greet Losa.

"Your Majesty."

Losa stepped forward first, holding a helmet with a crimson feather, knelt on one knee, and clasped Baldwin IV’s fingers.

The young king instinctively pulled away; the two looked at each other for a moment. In Losa’s eyes, he saw persistence and trust, and he could only smile wryly, allowing Losa to complete the ceremony.

Although he no longer appeared to have been a leper, Baldwin IV knew he only looked normal; the disease still lingered like a vicious curse, rooted in his body, even in his bloodline.

Losa’s action made everyone breathe a collective sigh of relief.

This indicated that Losa did not intend to use his great victory to proclaim himself the Holy Son, gaining authority above the king.

If he did, the entire kingdom’s situation would have to be reshuffled, which might be an opportunity for the Noble Faction and the Empress Faction, but it was obviously more of a risk.

"Lord Losa, I must thank you for bringing me victory once again."

"This is my duty, Your Majesty."

Losa smiled humbly, "Winning this battle is entirely due to the Heavenly Father’s blessing and Your Majesty’s wisdom."

Baldwin IV’s gaze remained gentle, though his face still involuntarily showed a hint of troubled emotion: "Lord Losa is too modest. We all know clearly why we could win this battle. What reward do you want?"

Losa thought that Baldwin IV might indeed be quite troubled.

Most of the kingdom’s lands were already owned, with no extra lands to bestow upon him.

Even if there were a few decent fiefs, it would be hard to adequately reward his contributions.

"Let me consider it a bit more, Your Majesty."

To many people’s surprise, Losa didn’t say much but sat calmly opposite Duke Raymond.

After a brief night of revelry, many problems posed themselves again to the Crusaders.

The largest and most pressing issue was the distribution of the spoils.

On this topic, many nobles engaged in fierce debates and disputes, as it was a defense battle, and given the kingdom’s situation, even Losa, the greatest contributor, had no land to divide. The benefits they could receive were just these spoils.

Losa observed for a moment and suddenly said, "With the Heavenly Father above, why are you all arguing endlessly over some insignificant spoils? Such vulture-like behavior surely tarnishes your noble bloodlines?"

The two men arguing in the field immediately showed expressions of shame, but someone still argued, "Marquis, your lands are rich, and you know the art of making money. How could you understand the hardships of us small folks?"

The enemy’s hasty retreat had actually left quite a substantial bounty, with many high-quality armors that were luxuries equivalent to an estate.

Additionally, pack animals, silk, gold, and silver represented a significant profit.

For many impoverished nobles who had resorted to plundering villages, this yield was too important to ignore their poor manners.

Within the kingdom, aside from Losa, Duke Raymond, and two Grand Masters of the Knight Order, there was not such a great desire for spoils, not even Baldwin IV.

Since the Holy Vault was long depleted, if the king had no money, what could he use to reward his loyalists? What could he maintain his close confidants’ loyalty with? Once or twice might be fine, but over time, the king would be as useless as a rubber stamp.

"Everyone, please quiet down and listen to me."

Losa spoke with a serious expression. After he spoke, indeed no one else argued; some people showed anticipation, while others were full of apprehension. Regardless, Losa’s current prestige in the Holy Land was unmatched.

It was not just his prestige.

With extraordinary power, even his fists were the largest.

"Gentlemen, do you think the gains from this battle are merely the few spoils left by the enemy?"

He paused briefly and continued:

"Turn your gaze to Egypt. This is Saladin’s most crucial foundation, the granary of the entire Mediterranean. We only need to occupy half of the Nile Delta to double the power of our Kingdom."

His gaze swept over everyone’s faces, and he said earnestly, "There are countless Christians there awaiting our liberation. This is a new crusade, to liberate our compatriots, recover our homeland, restore the Alexandria District. This day, we have delayed too long."

The Christians here refer to the Copts.

After the Arabs conquered Egypt, they called all the natives here Copts. Now it has evolved into a synonym for those in Egypt who still adhere to the Christian faith.

Many Copts who converted to Fire Worship were entirely grouped by the Crusaders under the broad label of "Saracens". In reality, they all belong to the same ethnicity, and these people are also viewed by Losa as targets that can be won over.

If they can turn to Fire Worship, naturally, they can also reconvert to Christianity, just like grass on the wall.

The true enemies are those Saracens.

Otherwise, if truly caught in a sea of people’s war, Egypt, with a population ten times that of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, could bury the Crusaders with sheer numbers alone.

Someone hesitated and said, "But Adil’s army, although failing to capture Gaza City, did not suffer any loss either. The Saracen power in Egypt remains strong, and although we won this battle, our losses are also considerable, especially in provisions and pay..."

Duke Raymond suddenly spoke, "Saladin was newly defeated. I also think this is an excellent opportunity for us to counterattack. But why should we attack Egypt? Why not march directly towards nearby Syria?"

Immediately someone replied, "That’s right, this is the perfect time to reclaim Edessa and Antioch."

Speaking was Count Georgelin of Edessa, whose current territory is a small, poor town near Acre. He had long hoped to reclaim his land so that his title could truly be restored.

Losa shook his head and said, "Aleppo, Damascus, are Saladin’s most prized territories. Although he was defeated, his elite are intact, and without numerous siege weapons, it is difficult to achieve significant gains."

Though Egypt is apparently more fertile than Syria, and also where Saladin started, for some reason, Saladin values Syria’s land more and regards Egypt as a wallet for easy access.

As for what Losa said, he was reminding Raymond that if you want to attack Syria, you might as well go ahead and do it yourself. Without his help, it’s uncertain if it can be taken.

Someone wanted to refute Losa’s loophole in his speech but was stopped by Duke Raymond. He said, "Since Marquis Losa says so, I also think Egypt is a good target."

Losa smiled and glanced at Duke Raymond. Now the decision of where to strike is his to make.

"I will form a new cavalry unit and welcome every warrior aspiring to liberate Egypt’s Christian compatriots to join. I guarantee that after taking that promised land, everyone will receive more than they have given."

The nobles were also moved.

They had witnessed how strong Losa and the Casters under his command truly were.

Engaging in such a surefire and lucrative battle, if not now, then when? 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

...

The council meeting ended quickly.

The excited Crusader nobles spread the news that Losa was about to organize a new crusade.

The entire camp was like a pot of boiling water set on a stove, already boiling over.

Losa stood side by side with Baldwin IV, watching this scene. Baldwin IV said somewhat helplessly, "I understand what you want now."

"What?"

"The most I can do is title you Duke of Cairo. If you want to be crowned King of Egypt, you might still need to get along well with the Church."

Losa did not hide his ambition and said frankly, "Let’s take it one step at a time."

He and the young king returned to the tent, played a game of chess, and then left.

Hans, following at his side, wearing the purple and crimson robe of the Royal Knight Order, asked with a somewhat complicated expression, "Sir, do you still believe the Crusade is an unjust war?"

Losa was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "In this era, there is no such thing as a just war."

After the rise of the Arabs, they conquered the Empire’s Egypt, the Levant, and North Africa, and defeated the Visigoths who occupied Iberia. But whether Goths, Empire people, or Arabs, none were the original inhabitants of this place.

So where is the justice to be found?

He patted Hans on the shoulder: "What you and I can do is to restrain our subordinates well, and after the war, not start one massacre after another, so that ordinary people’s lives can quickly recover from the war. This is the greatest justice we can practice."

Hans nodded: "I understand, Sir."