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

Lord Conrad, it is an honor to meet you.

Hans crossed himself.

He realized who the man in front of him was. In the world of yesterday's giant ship, Conrad was the savior of the Holy Land, and was eventually elected as the king of Jerusalem. However, he was assassinated not long after taking this position.

Conrad said with a smile: It's funny to say that when I left Constantinople, I was inspired by Count Lothar. Unexpectedly, it was precisely because of this that I passed him by.

Hans smiled and said: My lord is willing to resolutely give up the prominent position of Caesar in the empire in order to protect the Holy Land. Your piety really makes me ashamed.

Conrad laughed: It's just a title in name only. I brought two attendants and some followers. They are all devout and good warriors. Many of them were once members of the Imperial Latin Cavalry Company (employed by the Eastern Empire). (Western Knights), if Grand Master Hans can recommend it for me. I will be happy to join the Royal Knights and serve His Majesty the King.

Sir Conrad's status is so respected that he is willing to condescend to the Royal Knights?

Hans was a little surprised.

Conrad became serious: I came to the Holy Land not for money or fame, but just to protect the Holy City and fight against the infidels.

Hans crossed himself again: Praise the Father.

If there was not such a person in history, Hans would definitely think that Conrad was lying.

In fact, Conrad was also helpless. The Imperial Caesar was just a title. Although he had served as a general in command several times, he could not compare with those truly powerful aristocrats without his own territory.

All his power and status were dependent on the imperial power. Since the death of Emperor Alexios, the ascension of the regent Queen Lagaia, and the repeated rebellions of the Komnenos family, his position in Constantinople has become increasingly embarrassing.

This is one of the reasons why he just slapped his butt and left.

Without real estate, there is no money.

No money, no soldiers.

It is said that the status of Caesar is respected in the empire, but in fact it is not as good as that of a local count.

With his status, if he continues to hang out in a whirlpool of power like Constantinople, he may one day be uprooted as a remnant of the Komnenos and die without knowing how.

Returning to the Monferrato Kingdom is not a good choice. His father passed away on his pilgrimage to the Holy Land some time ago, and the territory was inherited by his elder brother. If he returns during such a sensitive period, there is no chance that his brothers will fall out with each other. .

His choice is also based on multiple factors such as his piety to the gods, his own personality, and considerations of pros and cons.

The attendants, servants and guards who followed him totaled less than thirty people. Being the so-called Caesar of the Empire was really frustrating, so why not come to the Holy Land and use your martial arts and strategy to gain fame.

After all, he was of noble birth and respected status. If he performed some meritorious deeds, he could easily obtain a territory - just like in history, after he saved the Holy Land, he was elected as the King of Jerusalem by the nobles of many Holy Lands.

Hans was a little confused and said: Of course I am willing to introduce Sir Conrad, but I don't understand that you obviously have other more suitable channels.

You mean Princess Isabella, right?

Princess Isabella is the child of the late King Amalric and Maria Komnenos. As the daughter of Amalric's first wife, she is also supported by the noble party. The other one is used to be with Sibylla. The princess's spokesperson for the succession to the throne.

It's just that the heir designated by Baldwin IV is Sibylla's son after all, so both in terms of prestige and reputation, he is far inferior to Princess Sibylla.

Conrad smiled bitterly and said: I have divorced the princess of Komnenos. After all, she is an Orthodox Christian and we do not get along well.

By divorcing Princess Komnenos and leaving without saying goodbye, he completely offended the Komnenos family. Although the Komnenos family has been squeezed out of the political center, it is still one of the largest princes in the empire.

But they are too busy taking care of themselves now and can't cause trouble to Conrad.

divorce?

Hans was a little stunned.

No wonder Conrad seemed so depressed. If he had the funding and support of the Komnenos family, Conrad would have brought at least hundreds of elite soldiers to the Holy Land.

Knight Hans, I have learned about your way of running the army. Although the Royal Knights are small in number, they are well-trained and disciplined. Except for a few armies in the empire, it is difficult to have Royal Knights. The group is so awesome.”

Hans said modestly: You are overly complimentary.

Conrad said seriously: This is by no means an exaggeration. I have served as the commander-in-chief of the imperial army many times. From my perspective, you are definitely an outstanding commander.

Hans waved his hand quickly: This is not my credit. The Royal Knights were originally controlled by Baron Godfrey, and later were handed over to Lord Lothar, the Lord I served. They improved their military training methods. I just stood on their side. It’s just on the shoulders.”

you are too humble.

Conrad smiled and said: However, Count Lothar is indeed a master of military training. The winged cavalry under his command is very famous. The square shield guard even won the championship in the competition in Constantinople.

He knew the gold content of the Constantinople Athletic Competition, which was definitely not comparable to the competition held by some rural lords.

To be honest, I have heard about the Earl's policies in Transjordan. Earl Lothar not only recruited and resettled a large number of people in the territory, but also built water conservancy projects, reduced taxes for the people, and rented farm tools for free. For some pagan people in the territory, , and we basically treat everyone equally.”

Conrad's eyes were full of doubts.

The Crusader lords exploited the people under their command very seriously, especially the pagan people. A high unbeliever tax can make them breathless.

But the more this happens, the harder it is to win their loyalty.

But the lords don't care about the so-called loyalty of these untouchables. If they dare to rebel, they will be dealt with by themselves.

Even the so-called compatriots find it difficult to live a good life in this land.

The entire Crusader Kingdom's rule over the Holy Land was more like a colonial regime, only superficial and never reaching the bottom.

But how long will it take for such an investment to recover the cost?

Conrad had a feeling of doubt from the bottom of his heart. Such a huge expenditure, if converted into gold coins, would probably pile up into a mountain. Even if it was not used for enjoyment, it should be used to expand the military and recruit more soldiers.

Investing in land for construction, if the territory falls, wouldn't it be reduced to someone else's wedding dress?

This is also the reason why most nobles engage in large-scale exploitation in the Holy Land to accumulate wealth for themselves and their families.

Even if the Holy Land falls one day, they can return to Europe with a lot of wealth.

If you have money and a distinguished title, you can regain a fiefdom for yourself if you work hard.

I don't know. This may be a loss-making business, but your Excellency is not a businessman either.

Hans considered his words. He was not a man of words.

He just hopes that the people of his territory can live a slightly better life, and do not have to work hard all day long to have enough food and clothing due to excessively heavy taxes. And obviously, my family does not think that he will lose his territory.

Conrad was slightly startled.

What a pity. I really want to see with my own eyes what kind of young hero your adults are.

There was a hint of yearning in Conrad's eyes.

He had seen many young knights and nobles in Constantinople, but there had never been anyone like Lothar. Such a person was more like a character described in a legendary novel. He had always suspected that in this world, Is there really such a person?

Perhaps the legend is exaggerated.

But after arriving at the Holy Land, I discovered that not only were all these exaggerations, but they were not detailed enough because of the distance.

Hans smiled and said: There will be a chance.

He sighed softly: Saladin, that pagan king has solved his troubles. Sooner or later, he will set his sights on the Holy Land again. My family will come back. By then, there is a high probability that we can still be together. Fight.

I'm looking forward to that day, Conrad laughed.

Hans stood up and said: Come on, I will take you to see His Majesty. He will be very happy to have the service of a pious warrior like you.

When we left the tavern, the temperature was no longer so unbearably hot.

It's now autumn, and the temperature in the Holy Land is gradually becoming more pleasant.

There are ascetics wearing red crosses, preaching on the streets to the newly arrived pilgrims in the Holy Land.

The theological level of the monks of St. Lazarus is indeed not outstanding, but the poor still prefer these ascetics.

Because they not only preach but also distribute medicine.

Conrad said: I heard that the monks of the Saint Lazarus Order recently developed a trauma ointment called Lazarus Potion. As long as it is applied to the wound, the healing speed will be greatly accelerated. At the same time, it will promote blood circulation and promote blood circulation. Blood stasis is also very effective.”

Hans nodded and said: It is true.

It is precisely because of the development of such an immediate potion that the reputation of the Order of Saint Lazarus has further expanded.

During this time, more and more people joined the cult, and they could be seen almost everywhere on the streets of Jerusalem.

Such effective medicines should be promoted to use in the army. A war is about to break out. These medicines

Conrad didn't finish his sentence, but Hans could understand what he meant.

This precious medicine should not be wasted on civilians.

It's not that Conrad is indifferent, but he feels that things have priorities. The safety of the Holy Land is undoubtedly the most important in the current situation.

In fact, there are not many pilgrims suffering from external injuries. What is actually used on them are usually ordinary potions. The stock of Lazarus potion is quite sufficient, so Sir, there is no need to worry.

Hans knew the inside story.

The Lazarus potion was developed by Father Uldin and the little witch Nysaya. The leaves of the Tree of Life were used in the formula, so it had such an immediate effect, and the output was actually not low.