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

When Turiados returned to the mansion, he sent out his men and began to make preparations with great fanfare.

Count Lothar is a man who knows how to advance and retreat. Otherwise, if he insists on me sending troops to fight with him, I really don't know how to refuse.

Turiados opened his hands and allowed the maids to come forward to take off his heavy robe and put on a short shirt.

He warned:

The food, fodder and baggage he requested should be prepared as soon as possible. It is best to send a batch over tomorrow morning to show my sincerity.

By the way, remember to remind the defenders everywhere to be more alert. That Count Lothar is not leading the imperial army, but a group of barbaric Franks.

You have all heard of the Crusaders' reputation for brutality. Don't stop them from advancing.

But remember, you must not open the city gates and invite them to enter.

After taking care of the matters at hand, Turiados fell asleep.

It was just dawn.

An urgent and secret letter was passed through the courier to the hands of Turiados, who was still sleeping.

He opened the fire paint seal on it and after just a cursory reading, his eyes widened with an expression of disbelief.

The original sleepiness has long been forgotten.

The fleets of the Empire and the Crusaders were defeated!

Lost to fleets rented from two Apennine city-states? How is this possible!

Turiados felt as if he had been fooled. Even if the imperial fleet was declining, wasn't there a Crusader fleet to help this time?

Add the two together, and even the fleets of the Venetians or Genoese can compete, right?

He continued to look down.

His face turned blue and white for a while.

A layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

Issac rode a black dragon, spitting out blazing dragon flames, and defeated the combined fleet. They had no choice but to flee far away, and the sea was covered with floating corpses.

His heart skipped a beat.

I just had a reaction, and then I received this kind of news.

Omniscient and almighty father, does this tyrant Isaac really have a destiny? Should the empire continue to be led by the Komnenos royal family?

His heart was cold.

This Isaac was not an easy-to-serve monarch. He had only been ruling Cyprus for a short time before he gained the reputation of a tyrant.

If the news of his secret appointment with Lothar leaks out... Damn it, with all the fanfare he did last night to prepare supplies for the Crusaders, it is almost inevitable that the news will leak out.

No, I have to make amends!

A cold light flashed in Turiados's eyes.

…

Lothar received the news almost at the same time as Turiados.

He woke up from his sleep and broke into a cold sweat at the news: This Isaac actually has a black dragon. Anna, you don't know such important news?

Anna apologized: I'm sorry, Isaac is indeed an ordinary person. I don't know how he tamed a sleeping black dragon.

Perhaps there are also wizards who have taken refuge with him.

This black dragon is also a fire dragon?

Lothar asked.

Well, it's a winged dragon. It shouldn't be as powerful as the Indominus dragon you killed before, but it won't be much worse. When I arrived, I only saw shipwrecks and dead bodies floating on the sea. .”

Lothar quickly calmed down and asked: How much is the loss of our fleet? When will reinforcements arrive?

Anna said bitterly: The Imperial fleet suffered heavy losses, especially several large ships loaded with Greek fire oil - but the Crusaders' fleet obviously did not suffer any losses, but they were unwilling to attack again.

In other words, we are now completely reduced to a lone army?

Lothar frowned.

For the time being, that's it.

Anna's tone was full of apologies. If she had known this would be the result, she should not have advised Lothar to take advantage of the opportunity to land in the north of Cyprus while the enemy ships were concentrated.

If we change to a safer approach, the most we can do now is to withdraw our troops.

Anna was silent for a moment and said with some difficulty: If it doesn't work, just ask your subordinates to surrender. I will compensate you for your losses and do my best.

Lothar felt warm in her heart.

He couldn't help laughing and said: This is not your fault, you don't need to worry about it, you just made a suggestion, wasn't it me who adopted it?

Furthermore, if he persuaded me to surrender before the fight started, am I still considered Belisarius?

Ah? Did you hear that?

Lothar chuckled and said: Are you kidding? I'm not deaf. Okay. That's it. Keep me informed of any news.

Hang up communication.

The smile on Lothar's face gradually faded.

The reason why the Crusader fleet retreated without suffering much losses is simple. On the one hand, the Crusader fleet could not withstand such a heavy loss.

The Kingdom of Jerusalem's survival to this day is largely due to the Crusader fleet's superiority over Saladin's fleet and its dominance of the sea.

Otherwise, port cities such as Jaffa and Acre will definitely be looted frequently, and support from the European continent will be more difficult to reach.

on the other hand.

The bargaining chips given by Queen Lagaia were obviously not enough for the two knights to fully assist.

It's just a fiefdom. If they don't have a common enemy, how can the two knights be so eye-catching?

In addition, Lothar's relationship with the two major knights is also quite average.

First, they poached the younger brother trained by the Knights Hospitaller, the Teutonic Knights.

In Jerusalem, there was also a falling out with the radical knights, including the Knights Templar, which was also one of the reasons.

But this is also a helpless move. Those ambitious knights who are new to the Holy Land are both a help and a burden.

He couldn't provoke Saladin endlessly, so what was the difference between him and Leonard?

Moreover, even if Raouf's territory is really captured in the future, at least half of it must be brought under his own direct jurisdiction, rather than being given to the knights who are new to the Holy Land in order to satisfy the interests of all parties.

Otherwise, he would have almost no room for expansion. To deal with the Shengsi family to the south would be equivalent to slapping the entire Zoroastrian world in the face.

To the east, there is a wasteland of wasteland.

With the power at hand, when can he face Egypt's Adil?

Jeanna reminded: Sir, if this happens, Turiados, who originally planned to jump to our side, will probably jump back to Isaac's side.

It's not possible, it's certain.

Lothar said with a firm tone: We only have 1,400 people. Now the enemy is strong and we are weak - at least, that's how it is on the surface.

Jeanne sighed softly: It seems that the logistical supplies in the original plan are gone.

No. If he doesn't give it, I'll take it myself.

Lothar's voice was slightly cold: Turiados's meeting with me was not a secret matter. Isaac is a tyrant, and there is no place for a kid like him.

To remedy this, he would have to attack us. As long as he does not rely on fortresses and defeats his main force in the field, Limassol will be in our own hands.

Jeanne's eyes lit up.

Then after the war, will the territory we conquered be returned to the Eastern Empire?

Of course, I am a person who values ​​credibility, but by then, it will definitely not be enough to give me a small town and a few attached castles. I want at least half of Cyprus.

Lothar said in a relaxed tone.

Although the Eastern Empire will definitely not give it to me, I still have to say this.

Only when the price is made can there be room for bargaining.

If it really doesn't work, we don't want the land anymore. You can exchange it for gold coins for me.

…

early morning.

Under the escort of Turiados' military servants, the baggage vehicles drove into the Crusaders' camp. These were all fresh food, which immediately attracted cheers from the crowd.

Who wants to eat dry, hard old bread and jerky that has no taste when you can eat new bread?

Turiados, who was waiting on the hillside, asked again and again: Are you sure they ate the bread and meat we provided?

I cannot be sure, my lord, for they were still eating when I left.

However, I warned them that if the bread and meat delivered this time are not eaten as soon as possible, it may cause spoilage.

Those stingy Franks will eat them up as soon as possible.

Turiados breathed a sigh of relief: Act according to the original plan, recruit troops from all over the country, and wipe out this lonely crusade as soon as possible.

He saw his master looking gloomy.

The soldier comforted him: Don't worry, sir. Only a few of us know about the defeat of the enemy fleet. They certainly didn't expect that His Majesty the Emperor actually surrendered a black dragon.

Yes, that's right!

Turiados cheered up: They went deep alone, and it was impossible to get news from the outside world. At this time, they must have thought that we sincerely wanted to help.

After all, in everyone's eyes, Isaac is a broken ship about to sink.

Due to emotions and reasons, it was natural for him to jump to Lothar's side.