Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks-Chapter 494 - 274: The Plan

Even though it was already evening, the Crusaders’ camp was still in revelry.

Many soldiers had taken off their armor, singing and dancing around the bonfire. In some nobles’ or officers’ tents, the flickering lights painted a picturesque scene, attracting a crowd to comment on the affairs of the world.

As time went on, the two shadows in fierce collision never stopped their movements.

Many onlookers couldn’t help but gaze with awe.

"The boss is really amazing."

"How long has it been?"

"But why isn’t that woman screaming anymore?"

"Could she have fainted, haha!"

...

Inside the tent.

The prostitute looked helplessly at the sweating nobleman before her, lying on the bed dazed, her eyelids fighting heavily—she was about to fall asleep because the nobleman had barely gotten on top and it was over already.

"Don’t just lie there, cooperate with my movements and make some noise!"

The prostitute immediately looked reluctant: "Sir, I shouted for so long just now that my throat is a little uncomfortable."

"I’ll pay extra!"

"Alright!"

So, the camp heard the melodious singing again, making many soldiers itch with envy. If the camp gate hadn’t been closed, they couldn’t wait to take their salary to the merchant camp for some fun.

Losa’s tent, located at the very center of his troops’ camp, was fenced off, personally guarded by the Count’s Guard (Varangian Guard).

Since he dressed down deliberately today and advised no guards to follow, plus it was already late, he didn’t draw attention as he walked, though he was destined to miss out on the lively banquet.

The rumors were too outlandish.

For example, his simple gesture of patting someone’s shoulder to show appreciation was interpreted as "whoever gets patted by him can have a son." Please, that’s the effect of the Holy Prepuce, okay? Besides "granting a son," the scent of the Holy Prepuce also has a calming effect on the fetus, and in Losa’s eyes, among many bizarre Holy Objects, it’s the most explosive.

Two guards, one hand on a Danish Axe, the other holding a torch, saw Losa return and quickly said, "Good evening, sir."

"Good evening to you too."

Losa casually replied, about to return to his camp, when he saw the two hesitatingly say, "Sir, could you..."

Losa smiled wryly: "You two big guys, just say what you have to say. Who are you putting on this show for?"

"Sir, could you pat both our shoulders? Joseph’s wife is about to give birth, and I’m planning to marry when I go back..."

Losa readily nodded: "No problem, but let me say upfront, don’t blame me if you don’t get a son."

He understood their thoughts. Both of them had made significant contributions in this battle, enough to be knighted. With the land granted in previous wars, they were now part of the gentry.

In this context, having a son meant that even if they died in war later, their families could still inherit the titles and property they fought hard to earn.

Daughters were different.

Unless they found a son-in-law to join the family, they would end up like the union between Maximilian and Mary of Burgundy. After Mary’s death, although the bloodline continued in Maximilian’s Habsburg line, the Valois-Burgundy branch ended there.

This small episode, Losa didn’t dwell on it. He stopped outside Chelina’s tent, coughed lightly, waited for a while, and then lifted the curtain to enter.

Chelina was lying on the bed, covered with a thin blanket. Seeing Losa enter, she instinctively clutched the blanket’s edge tightly.

Being so defensive against me?

Losa felt somewhat wronged, looked around, and only then noticed her clothes for change hanging on the rack.

"Is it an inconvenient time for me to be here?"

"Not really..."

"How’s your body feeling?"

"Much better."

Chelina’s face was very pale, with chapped lips. No wonder, after first lurking in Adil’s army camp, waiting to assassinate the enemy’s Caster, she then had to travel a long distance at speed. It must have been tiring.

"It was thanks to you yesterday."

Losa looked at her gratefully.

If it weren’t for Chelina’s "Strangle," followed by an "Execution," even if they could still defeat the Karelian Fire Dragon, the price they would have paid would have been much greater.

She couldn’t help but laugh softly: "That was my duty."

Getting Losa’s acknowledgment, she still felt very content inside.

"If you want any reward, just let me know, and I’ll try my best to fulfill your request."

Chelina shook her head: "No need, your willingness to value me, to prioritize helping me improve my abilities, means more. Compared to that, these small merits mean nothing, Lady Prajna and Furin, Kurs, did no less than I."

"Fair is fair, anyway, consider if you have any requests."

Losa paused briefly, then asked, "Oh, by the way, where did Furinjira go? I thought it was her taking care of you."

Chelina nodded: "It was indeed Furin taking care of me, but before you came back, she said she had something to do and left."

Losa frowned: "Why do I feel like she’s deliberately avoiding me?"

The little girl wasn’t clinging anymore, thinking about it carefully, he missed it a bit.

"You must be mistaken. Furin likes you so much; how could she deliberately avoid you?"

Losa looked at the expression on Chelina’s face and couldn’t help but laugh: "Nina, you should know, you’re not good at lying."

...

With the seventy thousand gold coins sponsored by two Knight Orders, Losa felt a lot more affluent, but calculating with the monthly salary of fifteen Suludes per elite cavalry and three Suludes gold coins per armored infantry, he could probably sustain an elite force of twenty thousand soldiers for one month (refers to recruiting costs).

War is just burning money.

If the cost of recruiting wasn’t so high, the feudal fiefdom system wouldn’t have flourished.

But this is the Holy Crusade!

Those involved, knights, noble lords, dared ask me for money?

If it weren’t for the Crusader Soldiers preferring to live off the enemy, and Losa unwilling to condone such plundering and massacre, he wouldn’t need to maintain a large supply convoy, otherwise he’d spend even less to maintain this army.

The mercenary industry on the Apennine Peninsula was so developed because only the wealthy trade city-states could afford mercenaries.

So, the main expense was still supplies. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Thinking it over, Losa began to worry again; the recent wars had driven prices to an absurdly high level,

...

"What’s the sir been fretting about lately?"

"We clearly won, so why does he still look so worried?"