In the Middle Ages, people drew cards to be promoted to nobility.

The iron hooves played a high song.

The strong wind blew past my ears.

The little witch standing next to Baldwin IV nervously clenched the staff in her hand, and her fingers looked a little white due to excessive exertion.

There was clearly a hint of excitement on the face beneath the hood.

The summoned knight is just a puppet and has no independent consciousness. Therefore, she is now more like a role-playing.

This feeling is as if I have truly transformed into a knight driving a war horse.

boom--

There was a loud noise from the high-speed collision.

The lance in Guy's hand exploded into countless pieces of wood like a goddess scattering flowers.

A spearhead shining with golden light fell to the ground.

The shield in the hand of the heroic spirit knight on the opposite side also had cracks, and it was immediately broken into countless crystal fragments, vaporized and dissipated invisible.

The heroic knight held a lance in his hand, and there was no expression on his face under the mask.

But Nysaya frowned: Your Majesty, you are right as you expected. This Guy really used the magic-blocking gold.

Baldwin IV said Yeah: Guy is not a brainless idiot. Although he is not very smart, how can he challenge you if he is not certain?

The onlookers began to whisper.

In this first round of confrontation, it seems that Knight Guy has the upper hand. The shield of the Heroic Knight was shattered, but Knight Guy was unscathed.

According to the rules of the Knights Tournament, lances are replaceable.

Shields are often not included.

It seems that Knight Guy has a high chance of passing Heavenly Father's test.

It's magic gold!

Unfortunately, if it hits, the knights summoned by the witch will definitely be scattered.

Some knowledgeable nobles said with pity on their faces.

Spells, after all, are manifestations of magic.

Demon-blocking gold, which has a restraining effect on magic, can produce a demon-blocking restraint effect when dealing with any magical creation.

Just because it has a restraining effect, it doesn't mean that any mortal can rely on the magic-blocking gold to kill the wizard.

A knight holding a magic-blocking gold shield, even if the shield can block the fire spell cast by the wizard, he will be roasted into a mummy by the surrounding high temperature.

Guy's face didn't look good under his mask.

He drove his mount back to his starting point, took the brand-new lance handed over by the attendant, and tried to make his breathing even.

He knew very well that his plan had failed.

The heroic knight on the opposite side appears to be wearing a helmet and armor, and is fully armed, but its armor cannot hinder the penetration of the magic-blocking gold at all.

As long as you are stronger.

If you let the lance penetrate the opponent's shield and touch the opponent's body at the same time, you will win.

Nisaya was not panicked. Under the veil, only the red lips on her white chin were exposed, slightly curved. Since she had expected it, she was naturally not unprepared.

I saw the heroic knight open his hand, and the crystal golden light spots gathered in his hand. In the blink of an eye, it had been reassembled into a brand new shield.

The Shield Curse and the Guardian Knight Curse are two entities.

As long as the opponent does not touch the knight's body and the shield spell is broken a hundred times, she can recast it a hundred times.

Horse hooves sounded.

A new round of charge begins.

The heroic knight rushed towards Guy face to face, crashing into each other like two high-speed chariots.

The lance shattered.

Guy fell from his horse.

The heroic knight's lance also pierced his shield, but the terrifying force forced him down.

The heroic knight sat condescendingly on his horse, and the shield in his hand was broken again, but it remained unmoved.

Swish——

A sharp short-handled spear condensed in the hand of the heroic knight, pressed against Guy's throat, and then retracted gracefully.

The Heroic Knight looked at Archbishop William.

He also spoke at the right time: It is a pity that the brave Baron Mengissa and Knight Guy failed to pass the challenge of Heavenly Father. But his courage to dare to challenge will inspire us to continue to fight to spread the glory of Heavenly Father .”

Amid the boos of the people, the attendants came to help Guy.

He stood up feebly and looked at the gradually dissipating Heroic Knights on the other side, his face a little defeated: I lost again. It seems that Miss Nesaya really has no intention of me.

Why?

How come Lothar was favored by witches when he was still a little knight?

He couldn't figure it out, and the frustration in his heart made him feel ten years older for a moment.

Just in time.

The crowd of onlookers was pushed away.

More than a dozen hussars on foot, wearing the iconic feathers, came to the venue surrounded by a young nobleman wearing a flying wing helmet, black scale armor and a dragon-head cloak.

It's Count Lothar!

I heard that the Earl has just defeated the two brothers of the Aladdin family, taken back the Port of Ella, the Bishopric of Alandre, and also occupied the vast territory in southeastern Sinai.

People couldn't help but show a hint of envy in their eyes.

Even the Sinai territory, which is a wasteland, is a very precious industry in the eyes of many landless nobles.

As far as the nobles are concerned - having land and having no land are completely different things.

Even if he would never visit those territories in his lifetime, the landed nobles would still be head and shoulders above the landless nobles who had only empty titles.

Lothar raised her head and looked at Baldwin IV, who was sitting in the stands and holding a scepter.

He took off his helmet and knelt down on one knee respectfully: Your Majesty.

There was a smile in the eyes of Baldwin IV: Get up, Count Lothar, I have not seen you for a long time, the Grand Master of the Royal Knights. Now, come to me and perform your duties.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Lothar stood up, led the hussars under his command, and walked towards the stands.

Along the way, he glanced at Guy who looked unwilling, smiled, stretched out his hand, and patted his shoulder: Although you lost, your courage is commendable. I look forward to your future achievements on the battlefield.

Guy was stunned for a moment.

For a moment, a feeling of flattery emerged in my heart.

Knights who have served under Lothar all know that being patted on the shoulder by Lothar means being recognized by the Earl, which is definitely something to be proud of.

Immediately, I felt a little ashamed again.

Under the spotlight, Lothar came behind Baldwin IV.

Balian looked at his friend who had become famous in the Holy Land, took a step back, and said excitedly: Sir, you are here.

Lothar lowered his voice and said with a smile: Who asked His Majesty to ask me to perform my duties?

A grand knight competition came to an end.

Many onlookers were surprised and talking about today's duel with their peers. Although it ended quickly, being able to witness the magic with their own eyes still made many people feel that their trip was worthwhile.

In addition, the fact that the witch officially came to the stage in the Holy Land also gave many nobles a feeling that the world is going to change.

For example, in Germania Magna, the witch advisors around Emperor Henry even had a higher status than some of the great nobles.

Lothar and his entourage escorted Baldwin IV back to the palace's bedroom.

The king and his ministers are opposite each other.

Ms. Prajna.

Ms. Fringilla.

Madame Jeanne.

Baldwin IV greeted everyone with a smile.

When it was Cellinina's turn, his expression paused slightly, and he couldn't help but have a subtle emotion in his heart: Why is there another one?

Chelinina, who was wearing a black windbreaker, took off her hood, revealing a pair of fluffy animal ears: Your Majesty, just call me Chelinina.

There was a hint of surprise on Baldwin IV's face, but he quickly calmed down.

He said to Cellinina with a smile: It's an honor to meet you, beautiful Miss Cellinina.

He did not ask about Cellinina's origins, and his curiosity about the supernatural world was not that strong.

Sir Lothar, the whole of Jerusalem is praising your achievements. What do you think now?

Lothar said helplessly: As long as you don't punish me for provoking the war, I will be satisfied.

Baldwin IV sighed softly: There is indeed such a sound in Jerusalem. You should be glad that the war did not break out.

He paused slightly and asked again: I heard that you and Savoddin met in Sinai?

Lothar sighed softly: Yes, this newly appointed Egyptian governor brought two thousand Mamluk cavalry and gave me a big show of strength.

Look, just one Savoy can pull out two thousand Mamluk cavalry and hold a massive armed parade.

This is the crisis in the Holy Land now. The Holy Land is small and has few people. Without the help of the Crusaders from Europe, sooner or later it will fall under the siege of the pagans.

Lothar nodded and said: Yes, the size of the kingdom, even when the Principality of Antioch and the County of Edessa still exist, the two countries combined are not as big as Egypt. This is the gap in hard power.

Baldwin IV nodded and said: Fortunately, Saladin can't put his five fingers together into a fist. But we all know that sooner or later he will clear up the internal problems and start a new war with us.

Lothar said Yeah: This is also the consensus between Adil and I, but obviously not now. That's why I am eager to expand my territory and increase my military strength.

Baldwin IV sighed softly: Of course I know what you are thinking, but time waits for no one, and expansion has its limits. If this limit is exceeded, war will usher in.

You want to set up a border jurisdiction, I don't object, but you have to know that after Saladin has sorted out the chaos in the country, he will definitely raise his weapons again and invade the Holy Land. By then, you, like Leonard, will be the ones causing the war. sinner.

Lothar frowned.

Is Leonard the culprit who started the war? of course!

But at most it can only be regarded as a trigger.

As long as Saladin wanted to regain the Holy Land, there was no possibility of compromise between the two sides.

After all, Saladin's background was not noble enough. He needed to regain the huge reputation of the Holy Land to subdue the domestic resistance.

Only in this way can it be possible for the Ayyubid dynasty to survive stably, instead of falling apart immediately after his death.

Lothar solemnly said: Your Majesty, the last war has proven that unless the Holy Land falls, the Crusaders formed by the kings will not be able to reach the Holy Land in the short term.

Whether we just sit back and wait for death, or take advantage of the enemy's internal instability and seize the time to expand our own strength, I think this is not a choice at all.

Baldwin IV couldn't help but smile and said: You are right. I agreed to the establishment of a border region, but now I can only give you the treatment of a border region, not a real title.

Seeing that Lothar was a little disappointed, he couldn't help laughing and said: Why, do you value fame so much?

Lothar said helplessly: This is not a false reputation. I also plan to recruit people from the territory during this trip. Can the treatment in the border area be the same as that in ordinary counties?

Baldwin IV sighed: There is nothing we can do about it. Your title has been promoted too quickly, you are jealous, and there are too many people who are jealous of you. I have to consider this part of the impact.

Also, your Transjordan belongs to the border area, and the several counties in the north are also border areas. Should they all be established?

Lothar put away her disappointment and nodded: I understand.

He paused slightly and then asked: Your Majesty, how is your health lately?

Baldwin IV smiled and said: It's no big deal anymore. Uldin no longer needs to be by my side every day.

He looked at Lothar's side with a hint of teasing in his eyes: You should go back first. I wanted to compete with you on my card skills, but it's obvious that Miss Flynn is already feeling bored.

Fulin, who was looking around at the furnishings in the hall, raised her head in surprise when she heard this.

It's so rare that I feel a bit embarrassed.

Leave the king's chamber.

Nysaya is waiting outside.

Lothar smiled and said: Miss Nisaya, I haven't had time to say hello to you yet.

Nisanya said nervously: It's okay, Mr. Lothar.

She hesitated slightly, then hurriedly said: I am now the head of the Levant Wizards Association's office in Jerusalem.

In the future, if you have any extraordinary materials that you want to sell or liquidate, you can come to me.

Lothar nodded: I understand.

She said sincerely: Also, I have to thank you again for your life-saving grace.

You're welcome, Anna and I are friends.

Lothar thought for a moment and said: By the way, Miss Nysaya, I need some information about dragon habitats, preferably in the Levant region, because I have no time to leave the territory too far.

how much do you need?

Seven heads.

Nysaya frowned: There may be more dragons in the Levant, but once they fall asleep, it will be difficult to find traces.

It doesn't matter, as many as there are.

It is also very important to awaken the Dragonborn bloodline as soon as possible.

The news that Saladin summoned spellcasters in Damascus put a lot of pressure on the kingdom. This is probably the reason why the clergy acquiesced in the witch Nisaya becoming the palace counselor of Baldwin IV.

However, Nisaya is obviously not qualified.

Although she was a very talented witch, she had just left the apprenticeship stage, and in a real fight, Lothar felt that she might not be his opponent.

…

There was no obstacle to recruiting people.

That afternoon.

There were long queues for registration in front of several industries in Losa, especially the printing workshop.

What kind of reputation a lord had and whether he was generous or stingy could be found out with almost a simple inquiry.

Lothar's reputation in the eyes of the pagan powerful was notorious, but his reputation in the eyes of the common people at the bottom was definitely excellent.

Regarding the treatment of its own citizens, if not one of the best in Jerusalem, it is definitely among the best.

The existence of the Crusader countries is actually a disguised attempt to suck the blood of the European countries.

But in this era, the countries in Europe are happy to see this blood.

We are now in the High Middle Ages, and the primogeniture system is prevalent among the nobility. In some areas, the common people practice the eldest son inheritance system, and in some areas, the primogeniture system is implemented.

But there is absolutely no continuation of the equal inheritance system.

Because the land they passed to their hands is generally becoming less and less. If it were divided equally, they would really not be able to support their families.

Coupled with factors such as drought, locust plague, and floods.

Many civilians and landless knights began to become refugees, becoming unstable factors in the eyes of the European countries.

Although it is impossible to rebel, there is no such thing as Princes, generals, ministers, would rather have the seed in Europe.

However, it is still feasible to turn a fallen grass into a bandit, occupy the mountain to become a king, and plunder the countryside and passing caravans.

Therefore, the European countries that were sucked by the blood of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the Holy Land were happy to see the results. It was called bloodletting, which can also be understood as releasing floods.

But the Holy Land is prosperous due to commerce, and is surrounded by pagans. Its territory is shrinking day by day. How can it accommodate so many people?

Therefore, it is a good thing for all parties that Lothar recruits people in Jerusalem. Even some nobles who dislike Lothar will not hinder him in this matter.

at dusk.

When Baldwin IV invited Lothar into the palace for a chat.

The number of people who have signed up has reached an astonishing one thousand!

You know, this is just one afternoon.

Moreover, the number of applicants is not equal to the actual number of people. Many applicants are bringing their families with them, and very few are alone.