Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks-Chapter 499 - 278: The New Crusade of Ten Thousand
"This is a speech as great as that of Urban II, my Lord Marquis. I eagerly anticipate fighting under your banner."
"Recovering the Holy Land is a duty and responsibility that every devout Christian must fulfill. I have been mired in the turmoil of the Holy Land and entangled in courtly politics and petty gains, for which I deeply repent."
"My Lord Marquis, though I am advanced in age, my son will take my place, leading fifteen Knights and a hundred armored cavalrymen from our lands to serve under you."
"I believe the unfinished undertaking of ’recovering the Alexandria District’ left by numerous Crusader ancestors will surely be accomplished in your hands."
One by one, the princes and nobles eagerly stepped forward to converse with Losa.
If Losa’s earlier conquest of several barren territories on the Sinai Peninsula and his generous gifts of them to his vassals were merely appetizers not worth competing for to them,
then Egypt was undoubtedly a lavish feast that could fill everyone’s appetite.
Even if Losa were to claim the choicest portion of the meat, just the scraps would be enough to satisfy the greed in each of them.
Of course, only Losa could have such a persuasive power.
Since Baldwin IV’s father, King Amalric, failed repeatedly to invade Egypt,
and the ruler of Egypt, King Saladin’s Ayyubid Dynasty, had unified half of the Zoroastrian World, the Crusader nobles seemed to have long stopped coveting this fertile land so near.
Because they knew that after the Kingdom’s most crucial allies, the Antioch Duchy and Edessa, were successively annexed by Saladin, the military strength of the Kingdom of Jerusalem had long lost the potential for advancement.
But Losa was different.
Even if one disregarded the divine halo surrounding him and attributed everything he possessed to magic, he still managed to inspire immense confidence, as if the moment his winged cavalry charged, every battlefield predicament would be effortlessly resolved.
This trust was built on Losa’s unblemished record of absolute victories since his debut, and also on the countless miracles he had once created.
Towering city walls that sprang up overnight and the Siegfried High Tower that seemed like the Tower of Babel itself.
In just less than half a year, the Divine Tree bloomed over a vast stretch of fertile land in the desert under a sky-like dome.
Spotless paper and text seemingly printed from the same mold. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
Plate armor with exceptional defense and remarkable aesthetics.
And those numerous soldiers, who despite being born commoners, with just a few months of training, became even more valiant than veteran soldiers.
No matter how demanding and harsh the lord, after carefully analyzing Losa’s experiences, they would have to marvel that this man had too many things about him that defied common sense. Were it not for God’s protection, how could an ordinary person accomplish such great feats?
"How can one blessed by God not achieve something remarkable?"
"Perhaps, this is just the beginning."
Your Majesty the King sat upon the throne, a hint of admiration in his eyes.
Losa conversed with one prince and noble after another with a smile.
He initiated a new Crusade.
Soon, tens of thousands of self-sufficient troops, requiring no wages, would gather under his banner. As long as they received the necessary logistics and supplies, they would be invincible on the battlefield.
He would also receive generous donations from various sectors.
The "donations" from two Knight Orders were only the beginning.
...
"Saladin."
"She... Shemir Master?"
The man in the black robe removed his hood, revealing bloodshot eyes: "Losa has initiated a new Crusade. He will soon head south to strike at your critical point, Egypt."
Saladin
To this day, he would not underestimate this young Crusader Prince, Losa, by the slightest degree.
He knew well that Adil would struggle to hold Egypt. Once the bridgeheads on the Sinai Peninsula fell, unless Adil was willing to breach the Nile River’s levees and use the floods to "resist" the enemy, Egypt’s fall seemed imminent.
"Master Shemir, the news you bring is important, but what can I do?"
Saladin’s gaze was somewhat dim.
In the annals of history, he was supposed to be in high spirits at this time, having swallowed most of the Crusader forces in the East, ready to advance on Jerusalem and reclaim the Holy Land occupied by the Franks for nearly a hundred years.
But now, he found himself in a predicament both internally and externally.
A third of the lords who followed him were killed, a third only said goodbye before returning to their lands, and the remaining third left without even a word.
His prestige had plummeted following two defeats in war.
"Do not lose heart. I will help you, King Saladin."
Shemir’s tone was very calm, but his words were indeed somewhat unexpected.
Saladin couldn’t quite believe it: "You are willing to help me?"
This did not resemble the Shemir he had in mind at all. This anomaly only made him more cautious, fearing Shemir might have ulterior motives.
"Yes, I am willing to help you."
Shemir said solemnly: "I want to avenge my brother Ileirean."
Saladin was taken aback before realizing that the brother Shemir mentioned should be the ill-tempered Fire Dragon.
"Does this explanation surprise you?"
"Yes, I always thought, given a wizard’s long lifespan, they wouldn’t risk their lives for anyone."
"But even a wizard can have people they care about."
Shemir’s expression turned somber: "Before I made this decision, I hesitated for an entire day, considering whether to symbolically venture into Losa’s territory, cast a few significant spells, and be done with revenge."
"However, I couldn’t do it."
His demeanor was earnest, without much apparent hatred in his gaze, rather a complete sense of peace.
Saladin sighed softly: "This isn’t a rational choice."
Shemir grimaced: "Indeed, but when I consider enduring such pain and regret every day for the rest of my extended life, I feel it’s worth risking it once."
To be honest, he did not hate Losa.
In a direct confrontation between two armies, where is there room for hatred?
He just felt that perhaps doing so would make him more at peace, enabling him to continuing enduring his long and solitary life in the future.
"Master Shemir, I need more casters to help me defend Egypt."
He spoke earnestly.
"It must be done quickly."
The strategy of flooding the Crusaders, used by the Grand Vizier of the Fatimid Dynasty, had already been employed, and he did not intend to adopt this strategy of harming the enemy by eight thousand whilst losing thirty thousand himself—because that did not align with his sense of morality.
