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

Derim finally got his wish and got old Hassan's treasure armor.

This is a set of Gulam cavalry armor with interlocking iron ropes and anti-rust grease.

He spread the disassembled components flat on the table and looked at them carefully. It seemed to be well maintained, but it was too old and the ring pieces were relatively large, not as fine as fine chainmail.

On some of the broken lock rings, obvious traces of recasting can be seen, and the workmanship is not very good. It is probably because the repair skills of the blacksmiths are very average.

But Drim was still full of joy. This was not only a set of armor, but also a symbol of status.

For nomads whose iron tools are expensive, those who can wear armor are definitely the noble class of nomads. Even for the Crusaders, only the wealthier sergeants can wear armor, and the bottom soldiers can only wear a burqa.

Dad, help me put it on quickly.

Derem said to his biological father with some excitement.

As a conscript who provides his own equipment, the type of equipment he provides often determines his career. Although Lothar is considered a big family now, after some expansion of the army, the arsenal is still empty enough to let a mouse run away.

The newly built plate armor must not only be sold in Jerusalem to generate revenue, but also prioritize meeting the needs of the edict knights. Individual rough breastplates must also be prioritized for distribution to the standing army and local guards.

Therefore, it is impossible for the Hebron court, temporarily in charge of Kurs, to meet the equipment needs of levies like Derem. leather shield.

The father helped Derim put on his armor and looked at his son up and down. He couldn't help but sigh with emotion on his face: He looks like a real cavalry - but don't be complacent too early, with those Mamuru who kill without blinking an eye. Kebi, you are just a new recruit, you have to put your own life first.

Derem nodded and said: I know, I plan to talk to Lord Ulm. If he is willing, I want to be his flag-bearing retinue. That will definitely be much safer and safer than going directly to the battlefield. There is a possibility that Lord Ulm will take notice and become his cavalry attendant.

Lord Ulm is indeed trustworthy.

Dad was silent for a while, but hesitated to speak - there was nothing more worth admonishing. After all, what is not dangerous on the battlefield?

Being a light horseman makes it easier to escape when the battle is unfavorable than those who are armed with spears.

Derem comforted him: Don't worry, Dad, don't you know my riding skills? If I really suffer defeat, I will definitely run faster than anyone else.

Dad thought for a while. As a nomad with little knowledge, he had also fought against wolves and bandits, but that was still too far away from a real war.

Remember to find your friends tomorrow and unite them together. Lions are also afraid of groups of hyenas. We are all members of the same tribe and are on the battlefield. Only you can trust each other.

Don't worry, Dad, since several brothers died in the battle, everyone now listens to me.

He put on the covered mail helmet, only showing his eyes: Well~ I'm a little out of breath. This set of things is really heavy. Mom, please make me a set of leather shoulder pads.

The loving woman on the side smiled and responded: Okay, there happens to be a piece of lambskin in the warehouse. Your father got it from the cobbler the day before yesterday. I will make it for you with the help of an oil lamp later. You will get it tomorrow morning. its.

Dad said from the side: Take it off, has Shehe taught you how to take care of it? You can't wash this iron thing with water, right?

Of course, this thing needs to be washed with sand - it needs to be very fine, rub it carefully, and apply oil after each cleaning. It would be bad if it rains. Fortunately, the rain here is like a beautiful girl. rare.

Dad spat: You little brat.

…

Early the next morning, Derem took ten carefully selected friends and embarked on the journey to Alandele City.

I don’t know if it was an illusion, but he was riding on the back of a camel, and he felt that the pedestrians on the road looked at him differently.

Some nomads driving their sheep would even make way for him in fear and call him Master. They were really a bunch of ignorant country people.

How can I be considered a master?

Only Lord Ulm, who is qualified to wear a knight with his own coat of arms on a silver plate armor, is qualified to be called a lord!

I will also become a knight in the future!

When he arrived at Alandre, he couldn't help but slow down and whispered: Don't provoke those people in rags. They are probably so-called ascetics. If you provoke them, the guards will throw you in. Drowned in the water prison.

Even though he felt a little distracted, Derem still knew very well that this was the territory of the Franks, but the lord was more open-minded.

The friends nodded one after another, looking at this city they had never set foot in with the eyes of Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden - among these people, only Derem had been here.

Ahead, a group of knights wearing cross robes and plate armor came forward. He quickly led his friends to get out of the way. These people were all guardian knights of the Order of Saint Lazarus and were well-equipped. Excellent martial arts.

When can we be like them?

One of the friends let out an envious sigh.

Derem looked at everyone's eyes, and he laughed and said: That's not possible, these are monastic knights, the kind who can never get married. Senmut, if you dare to become a priest, your mother will definitely Kill you.

Everyone burst into laughter, and the original tense and timid atmosphere gradually disappeared.

Derem said loudly: What we want to do is to be a real knight like Lord Ulm, who can have his own fief, and is no different from the lord. When the time comes, maybe your father will have to bow to you when he sees you. Woolen cloth.

In fact, there are differences between the knights and the lords of the Transjordan Border Territory.

Ulm was the patrol officer and local guard appointed by Lothar. He had no ownership of the land and only had management rights.

It’s just that most people don’t know the inside story.

Enter the spacious City Hall.

Derem immediately saw Ulm sitting at the table, sorting documents, wearing a soft hat with goose feathers on top.

Lord Ulm!

Little Drim?

Ulm, who was sitting at the table, raised his head in surprise and looked at the proud young man: Is old Hassan willing to pass on his precious armor to you?

Yeah, it's useless for Sheikh to keep it.

Well, all the people required by the recruitment order are here, right?

They are waiting outside the door. There are ten of them, many of them, and they are all young lads. They are skilled in riding and can shoot bows and arrows on the back of a hunchback. We have all fought against Rauf's regular army before.

There is definitely something in Derem's words. Although Rauf's soldiers are not very elite, it is still easy and ordinary to wipe out a group of nomads.

But Ulm knew that Old Hassan's tribe was indeed pursued by Rauf's troops on the way to migration. The two parties should have had a brief confrontation. This is no problem. This is much better than half of the recruits. .

Well done.

Hey, sir, do you think I'm qualified to be a cavalry captain now?

Ulm thought for a while: Derim, you are a very clever young man. Since you accepted the call and took pride in your armor, I am also happy to grant you the responsibility of cavalry captain and let you govern your tribe.

Thank you, sir!

Derem's face was filled with surprise.

Ulm shook his head and said: Don't be too happy. The Kurs Consul recruited you to serve as pathfinding scouts.

It's easier to get meritorious service than being an ordinary soldier, but the risk is also much higher. You have to know that this is when the Saracens control the sky. Being a pathfinder scout can easily become one of those hunters. Souls dead in the eagle’s talons.”

Derem was slightly startled.

This is indeed a difficult problem.

Don't worry, sir. Although the Saracens also started out as nomads, they are still far behind us Kurds. I know a little bit about falcon training, but I don't have the blood of the Eagle Whisperer.

Ulm's eyes lit up: Oh? How do you plan to deal with Falcon?

Derem said confidently: This beast is very big and needs to eat a lot of meat in one meal, so it cannot fly for long before it has to return to eat. It is impossible for it to hover above our heads forever.

But Saladin was famously wealthy, and feeding dozens of falcons was no problem for him.

Ulm sighed, feeling that he too was ill and had to seek medical treatment.

The falconer team formed by Muller only had three falcons. When it encountered Saladin's army, it was no different than having none. It was not easy to win this battle without losing air supremacy.

Okay, Derem, get ready to go to the boot camp in Hebron. Your Frankish is pretty good and you should be able to make your way on your own.

Derem stammered: My lord, won't I follow you?

Ulm said sternly: Derem, everyone must obey the unified command during the war. I am the same as you. Once the war breaks out, I am just an ordinary cavalry and must obey the instructions of my superiors.

If it were an infantry officer like Lane and Merdel, he would have definitely continued to serve as an officer during the war.

But with Lothar as the cavalry commander, Jeanne and Hans were there, so it was not Ulm's turn to lead the troops alone.

He stood up, adjusted Derem's clothes, and warned: Train well. The boot camp will be the place where you are reborn and become a truly qualified cavalryman. That is the foundation for you to save your life in this battle.

The recruit training camp in Hebron has such a unique magic power. After each recruit comes in, within a week, they will be able to line up in a relatively neat queue and stab the enemy with a spear.

Because this thing is also a product of the system, it naturally increases the speed of recruit training.

However, it is only effective for recruits to master some basic skills, such as formation, basic riding, basic swordsmanship, spear thrusting, etc.

Slightly more advanced ones, such as lance charge and Parthian tactics, have no additional increase at all.

But the recruits just need to be qualified.

Those with truly outstanding talents will be selected and trained as professional soldiers, that is, a standing army.

Only those who have made outstanding achievements will enter various special military camps and be transferred into special companies such as winged cavalry and horse archers.

There are quite a few of these heroes. Many of them have fought in consecutive battles before, and many of them are still waiting in line for the opportunity to change jobs.

The rest of them had no fighting talent. They basically served as militiamen in various towns. They usually worked as farmers. When encountering invasion by foreign enemies, they would take up arms to fight under the organization of local officials.

Ulm looked at Derem's slightly disappointed back, was silent for a moment, and looked up out of the window.

In Alandreau in the afternoon, the shade of the trees makes a rustling sound.

Groups of stevedores were gathering to play dice, laughing happily from time to time.

The ascetics chatted softly with the patients who came from afar to seek medical advice and asked about their conditions.

The young Knights of the Order were in an inconspicuous corner, carrying wine bottles and playing homemade Gwent cards - they had made a lifelong vow and had no money left to buy genuine card packs, but because everyone No, there is no such thing as genuine or pirated.

It’s unclear how long this peaceful scene will last.

He murmured in a low voice: Sir, I don't know whether your insistence on establishing an ideal of heaven on earth in the Holy Land is right or wrong, but I will always stand by your side.

…

Jerusalem, in the palace gardens.

Lord Hans!

Lord Conrad.

Hans nodded to the son of the Marquis who was walking across from him.

This former imperial Caesar received great courtesy in Jerusalem. On the one hand, the Marquis of Monferrato came for pilgrimage just a few days ago. With his strong financial resources as the Apennine vassal, he and many Jerusalem nobles All formed friendships.

On the other hand, although they always look down on the Greeks, the Eastern Empire is actually the well-deserved center of Europe and recognized as the city that the world longs for.

For Conrad, who was able to sit on the high position of Caesar in the Empire in Constantinople, and for the nobles of Jerusalem who gave up such a prestigious position for their faith, they gave him a high evaluation.

King Baldwin also appointed him commander of the Royal Knights, temporarily serving as Hans's deputy.

In fact, this should be just an excessive position. If Conrad can make meritorious service, even if it is not too outstanding compared with others, His Majesty the King will still not be stingy with the reward of a fief.

This is why Conrad made his choice.

Should he live under someone else's roof and be a Caesar who appears to be noble, has enough food and clothing, but is actually just a mascot, and might be stabbed in the dark and tortured to death in a dungeon? Or should he be in the Holy Land, display his talents and defend his beliefs with a sword? , Is it good to make great achievements?

You have something to do with me?

Hans also had a good impression of Conrad. He was an upright, brave and resourceful man. Not long after he arrived, he handled the affairs at hand in an orderly manner. He was much more reliable than the vast majority of the illiterate Frankish knights. .

Master Hans, I would like to delay for a few days to go to New Habsburg to worship the holy tree.

Hans was a little surprised: At this time?

I have finished taking care of the affairs at hand. All the equipment in the arsenal is ready, the grain depot is fully stocked with rations, and the medicines donated by Father Uldin have been sealed...

Sir Conrad, you are really capable. You can go ahead, but you have to leave early and come back early. No one knows which day the war will break out.

I will, and... I want to trouble you with one thing. I hope to order a few sets of plate armor for my attendants, but the order has been queued up to fifty. Before the war comes, I will not be able to catch up in any case. .”

Conrad was a little helpless about this.

These reservations are not all orders from the Holy Land Knights. As far away as Constantinople, there are many servants of nobles who personally come with their master's sizes and want to order a set of refined plate armor.

These customers were conquered by Lothar's Seller Show at the competition, and they were generous. The blacksmith workshop in charge of Malles really had no reason to refuse.

Hans said helplessly: There is nothing we can do about it. This is the rule that my lord made before he left... Well, let me ask Lord Malus for you. He is the chief craftsman appointed by my lord. If there is anything left, The standard size plate armor, I will get it for you.

Thank you very much, Lord Hans.

Hans smiled and said: It's a trivial matter. We are both warriors fighting side by side and colleagues serving the Royal Knights. It is natural to help each other.

The retinues under Conrad's command have also temporarily belonged to the Royal Knights. Most of them were formerly soldiers who settled in Constantinople and participated in the Latin Knights, and their combat effectiveness is still very reliable.

In the next few days, you will have to worry about the affairs of the Knights.

Conrad said apologetically.

As the commander, he is only responsible for logistics-oriented matters. There are many and cumbersome matters, and it is not really a good position.

This is my responsibility.

After the two said goodbye, Conrad, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped.

Lord Hans, will Count Lothar come back?

certainly.

A wry smile appeared on Conrad's face.

During this time, the nobles and common people in Jerusalem were praising his pious deeds, but in fact Conrad knew very well that he was not as noble as others said. If he could be friends with the noble princess in purple, he would be blessed. The empress favored him, and he would not leave Constantinople no matter what.

After all, it is a place that countless people dream of.

Any thing else?

Hans frowned slightly.

Conrad shook his head and said, Sorry, I was the one who offended.

He crossed himself: May Heavenly Father bless you, Lord Hans.