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

Following the patrolling soldiers all the way to the atrium garden of the house in Jaffa City, they were greeted by a sleepy-eyed butler.

Sire, please wait a moment. My Highness is already washing up. If you ladies are sleepy, please go down and rest. You are tired late at night, and His Highness cannot receive so many people at once.

Lothar looked at everyone and saw that Fringilla was already yawning from sleepiness. This little girl's schedule was so healthy that she didn't look like a vampire at all.

You guys go and have a rest.

Late at night, a man and a woman are alone.

Jeanne frowned, stretched out her finger and tapped her nose, indicating that she had a very sensitive sense of smell. Lothar immediately understood and nodded with a helpless smile.

This guy is worried that he will lose his virginity here.

Chelinina frowned and said: My lord, as your chief guard, do I want to stay by your side?

Lothar shook his head: No, I believe that Princess Sibylla's guard can completely guarantee our safety. We have worked hard these days, and there is still some time before dawn, so we should rest quickly.

After daybreak, they rushed to Hebron again, covered with travel.

The butler responded respectfully: Madam, please don't worry, no one can harm the lord here.

Chelinina nodded slightly: I understand.

The butler added: We will arrange for someone to take care of your horse. But I just heard from the groom that your horse needs to eat meat. He didn't know if he heard it wrong, so he asked me to ask you again. Fan.

That's right, Eclipse is a meat-eater, so it's time to work.

Lothar said politely.

Eclipse is a one-horned nightmare beast, not an immortal zombie. It naturally needs to eat, and the amount of food it eats is astonishing. More than half of the food stored on the Ocean Disaster was destroyed by it.

Fortunately, Jeanne's Grape returned to the Holy Land in advance with the remaining veterans, otherwise she might have been bullied by Eclipse on the ship.

Soon, Lothar was invited to the room.

This is a living room with a long table. The side walls are decorated with coats of arms, swords, tapestries, etc. Incense is lit on the windowsill, and the candlelight on the iron lamp stand illuminates the room brightly.

Princess Sibylla sat across from the long table, wearing only light makeup and a black cloak.

Good night, Your Highness. I'm sorry for disturbing you so late at night.

Have you just arrived at the Holy Land?

Um.

A lot of people said you weren't coming back.

Sibira looked at Lothar with a somewhat complicated look. She also thought that Lothar would stay in Constantinople, whether it was for the noble spellcaster, the eldest princess born in the purple house, or the aloof empress of the empire. .

I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint them.

Lothar looked indifferent. The prospect of staying in Constantinople was certainly tempting, but there was no poison hidden in the food and wine before he tasted it. He preferred the path he had originally envisioned to taking one step at a time.

The attendant poured red wine for both of them.

This wine glass?

Lothar picked up the wine glass and looked at it. Although the gloss could not be said to be very translucent, it was at least translucent white.

Yes, this is indeed something that was trial-produced in your workshop after you left.

Unexpectedly, Malles improved the glass process very quickly, and the finished product was produced so quickly.

Lothar was a little surprised. This was definitely more beautiful than the glass wine glass made by the Egyptian glass workshop.

Sibylla put her hands together and placed them on her chin. There was a hint of admiration in her eyes, but also a hint of unwillingness: Sometimes I really wonder, how do you, a little noble in the valley, know so many things?

Blessed by Heavenly Father.

Lothar said perfunctorily.

She didn't ask any more questions, but instead asked: His Majesty the King has recovered from his illness. This is your credit, right?

Lothar shook his head and said: It is the credit of Bishop Uldin. His medical skills are very superb. All the nobles in Jerusalem should be aware of this.

But Father Uldin is your man.

Lothar chuckled silently.

I heard that your Holy Treasurer has gathered an army of tens of thousands of people in the territory. It is indeed different from the past. How long has it been before you have such power? The lord who knows this news, I'm afraid No one is not surprised.

The tens of thousands of troops were already one-third of the mobile army that the entire Jerusalem could muster.

Lothar smiled bitterly and said: It's just a militancy. If this battle lasts for a long time, I don't know how much food and money will be consumed, and the original construction of the territory will have to be interrupted.

If the losses were too heavy, his previous efforts to recruit pilgrims would almost be in vain.

These are all grown-up workers.

This is true for the military, and so is the support staff.

The entire Transjordan has been tightened like a bowstring, and there is a risk of collapse if it takes a little longer.

This was different from when William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, attacked Albion.

At that time, Duke William could recruit a large number of nobles and knights from supporters of all parties. They were all equivalent to William's investors, and William had already paid them in advance, that is, after conquering Albion, they would be given land to them.

Lothar's people are all solid peasant soldiers.

Who isn't?

Princess Sibera sighed softly.

During this period, in the entire Central and Western Europe, only the Gaul region had a population of around 10 million. The Apennine Peninsula countries, which had a smaller territory but were also richer, had a combined population of more than 7 million.

On the contrary, Germania, which seemed to have a larger territory than Gaul, had a population less than that of the countries on the Apennine Peninsula. This is why the German emperors of all generations were obsessed with bringing the Apennine Peninsula under their control.

In comparison.

The total population of the Kingdom of Jerusalem is less than one million, which is equivalent to that of a small country in Europe such as the Kingdom of Gael. If you want to support a field army estimated to be no less than 30,000, and send enough manpower to transport supplies, It's really quite difficult.

This place is far away from mainland Europe, and it is difficult to pay for a reliable mercenary.

The closest Christian country is the Kingdom of Armenia, which believes in the Apostolic Church.

They are surrounded by the Turks and Ayyubids and have too much time to take care of themselves. At most, they can send an expeditionary force to support them, which is more symbolic than practical. It is not certain when it will arrive.

The eyes of the Greeks and Germans were focused on Sicily.

The Gauls and Albion also stood still.

Jerusalem is in an unprecedented state of isolation.

There was a hint of sarcasm in Lothar's tone: When I set out to come to the Holy Land, I heard that Gaul had sent several princes and was about to lead a massive crusade, but it hasn't arrived yet.

There have always been scattered Gallic Crusader nobles. After all, the Gauls were the main force of the Crusaders, and the Germanic Crusaders could only take second place.

But they are not large-scale.

Austria's Count Leopold also promised to participate in the Eastern Crusade, and now he is probably trapped in the chaos in Sicily and cannot escape. This is also the abbreviation of the current European Crusade situation, and there is no hope at all.

Sibera sighed: People are fighting for their own selfish desires. Justice and justice have become empty talk. As you said at the court meeting, we can only rely on ourselves.

In the last war, the Crusader princes had realized that the European rulers were unreliable. Unless the Holy Land fell, it would be impossible for them to take all kinds of risks and come to rescue a kingdom that had no real benefit to them.

Hopefully we can achieve final victory.

Lothar crossed herself.

The contrast between the strength of the enemy and ourselves should not be too great. After all, the Kingdom of Jerusalem can be said to have mobilized the entire country's military strength, while Saladin was limited by his projection ability and could only mobilize tens of thousands of troops at most.

Speaking of which, this time Saladin's excuse for declaring war on us fell on you.

Lothar was stunned for a moment and said helplessly: You mean I captured Rauf's territory?

It was indeed his fault to start a war against Zain, but he also had an excuse for Zain to kidnap Leonard's fiancée. As for the subsequent war with Rauf, it was Rauf who took the initiative to declare war on him.

You expected that?

If Saladin wants to start a war, he can find a hundred reasons. I am lucky that His Majesty the King is in good health and can quickly stabilize the situation and take charge of the overall situation at this time.

The new pope's envoy, a cardinal named Sebastian, has taken a fancy to your new Habsburg and plans to lease the land there. If His Majesty the King had not recovered, he would definitely attack you.

Fancy the new Habsburg?

Lothar frowned.

This was not what he expected.

If he wants to hold both secular power and church power in his own territory, he will definitely offend the church.

It would be strange for a miracle like the Tree of Life, which cannot be hidden at all, not to be coveted by others.

Yes, after all, there are miracles of Heavenly Father in the world. Some monks claim that the sacred tree is the tree of wisdom recorded in the New Testament. As long as you eat its fruit, you can have the best wisdom in the world. .

She spoke with a strong tone and added: There are also monks who refute, saying that this sacred tree is actually the legendary Tower of Babel. It will grow infinitely and extend to the kingdom of heaven.

Lothar was thoughtful.

At this time, he found Sibera staring at him with bright eyes: Tell me what it is, I know you must know it.

Lothar did not hesitate this time, and said calmly: It's just an oak tree full of vitality. It won't grow indefinitely, it's not a Tower of Babel, and it won't bear wisdom fruit. Its biggest role is to green the tree.

Sibylla said seriously: Are you telling the truth?

Lothar said sincerely: Of course it is true.

Even so, it is an incredible miracle.

Greening is nothing for other places, but in holy places full of deserts, it may be more effective than the Tower of Babel and the Tree of Wisdom.

Sibylla was silent for a moment and said: I am a woman and cannot go to the battlefield in person. Since you set off from me, lead my army to Jerusalem together. I only hope that you can win the victory for the Holy Land and Jerusalem. Victory in this war.”

Lothar stood up and said sincerely: I will do my best.