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

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

For two days, the Crusaders dug trenches and laid out fences under the scorching sun above their heads.

But the shadow brought by the dragon is undoubtedly huge. Except for those who are so fanatical that their brains are broken, no one thinks that they can challenge this legendary monster.

In the king's royal tent.

A group of Crusader nobles gathered together, including powerful figures in the two knights. The two knights sent out a total of almost as many troops as Lothar and Duke Raymond, so they naturally had a place in the military discussion.

These people are all powerful nobles in Jerusalem. Each of them has thousands of troops and is the most prominent prince in the Holy Land.

Humphrey of Torun, the fiancé of Princess Isabella, said righteously: Your Majesty, it is time to show some color to the Saracens. We cannot enjoy comfort in the camp all day long.

The Prime Minister of Amalric said with a helpless look: Although I don't think that closing the camp and not coming out is greedy for comfort, but I must say that if the confrontation with the Saracens continues, the kingdom will go bankrupt.

This is Saladin's plan!

Duke Raymond said: He attacked Enrique's castle but did not take it, just to make us lose our minds and march rashly - once we fall into Saladin's trap, we will suffer heavy losses and the entire Holy Land will be exposed. Under the iron heel of the infidels, let them ravage you.”

The palace minister said helplessly: But the issue of military expenditure always needs to be solved?

Lothar said: It's time to let some people who are very willing to spend money shed blood. Wouldn't they rather watch the Holy Land fall, but also tighten their money bags and not leak half a copper to fund the establishment of this organization? A huge army and use all our strength?

Lothar paused slightly and then said: I remember, wasn't there someone coveting my new Habsburg? Didn't they claim that they had dozens of talents of gold and silver that could be exchanged? At this critical moment, they If you have money to lease my territory but are unwilling to donate it to the troops participating in the jihad, can you still be called a devout servant of the Heavenly Father?”

Lothar's opening seemed to signal a war against the church.

Lothar's men, except Leonard, the only Baron Argonne of Petra who was qualified to participate in this meeting shouted: Yes, we have given everything for this battle, and the poor donated their last They sacrificed grains of grain, and even their own lives, to participate in the battle to defend the Holy Land; citizens donated money and materials to arm hundreds of elite soldiers; knights of the order and devout clergy also bravely responded to the battle. .

But there are only a few monasteries that claim not to participate in secular affairs. They have dozens of talents of gold and silver in their warehouses, but they are unwilling to donate any money.

The nobles immediately understood that this was Lothar's counterattack against the priests who coveted their territory, but they were also happy to see the results. On the one hand, Lothar attracted the most firepower, and on the other hand, they were indeed short of money. .

Roger and Gerald, the two leaders of the knights, couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed after hearing this.

The several monasteries that Lothar opened fire on had a close relationship with His Majesty the Pope, and there was absolutely no way for them to accuse them.

With the voices of condemnation echoed by the nobles, His Majesty the King made the final decision: Grand Master Gerald and Grand Master Roger, please send people to contact these monasteries. In the name of the King of Jerusalem, I offer them Take a loan to fund jihad.”

The two looked at each other and responded helplessly: Yes, Your Majesty.

Although he said it was a loan, everyone knew that there was a high probability that His Majesty the King would not repay the money. This was a privilege given by righteousness, and it was a different concept from the King of France who later borrowed money from the Knights Templar.

But we do have to do something. The morale of the boys is very low.

That's right, Your Majesty, many people think that you and we are all frightened by that dragon. Many young men go to bed at night, worried that they will be dead in the sea of ​​fire when they wake up.

Lord Marquis, I have to admit that your command level is excellent and your soldiers are well-trained, but you cannot defeat the dragon with these. When can you show the extraordinary power given by Heavenly Father?

A series of eager eyes looked at Lothar.

Compared to Saladin, their intelligence sources were more hearsay. They only knew that Lothar had the feat of slaying dragons, but they didn't know how he did it.

At the moment, they actually want Lothar to give them a reassurance, even if it is just a little bit of exposure, it can make them feel more at ease.

Lothar cleared her throat and said loudly:

Everyone, the suffering we face is nothing compared to the crucifixion of the Son. The light of the Father shines in Galilee, and we will win in the end. So please be patient. impatient.

All the nobles felt helpless. This kind of scene was not what they wanted to hear.

But Lothar looked around and suddenly asked: Do you know why the dragons that pagans sold their souls to the devil in exchange for didn't swoop down and spit out dragon flames that are highly toxic and high-temperature?

Everyone was slightly stunned.

Lothar continued: Because I didn't take action, I was like a crossbowman hiding in the dark, making my opponent feel like a light on his back. As long as this continues, this will still be a secular war.

But our morale is very low.

Lothar quickly responded: Then take measures that can boost morale.

For example, sending knights to duel with pagans - Saladin is a self-proclaimed upright person. He will most likely not refuse. If he refuses, he can also spread the word that these pagans are afraid of us.

Determining the outcome by duel is a common method in European wars.

It not only follows the divine decree, but it is also a necessary means that can greatly reduce the losses of both sides and quickly end the war.

Because there are so many castles in Europe, a war would be extremely expensive and time-consuming.

As for the attackers, they do not have large siege equipment that can destroy the city walls. If they want to capture a strong castle, the casualties they have to pay are definitely several times that of the defenders.

For the defender, if the enemy cannot retreat, they will naturally have no choice but to attack their own side. However, the villages and towns in the territory will be plundered by the enemy, or even burned to the ground.

In a war, even the most worthless serf is an important property of a lord. A normal person who knows how to weigh the pros and cons will not be like the cruel lord Hans mentioned, who did not care about the life and death of his subjects.

Therefore, if a protracted war is fought, it will definitely result in losses for both sides.

At that time, it may lead to interference from a third party.

Therefore, a duel to determine the outcome may seem like a child's play, but in fact it is reasonable.

That's true, but how do we ensure we win?

Some Crusader nobles looked solemn.

Today, everyone present has also excluded those little ponies who have just arrived. Everyone is familiar with the pagans and naturally knows how powerful the Saracens are in combat.

Many of the elite Mamluk cavalry have been rigorously trained since childhood. They live and eat together. They have strong martial arts skills and strict discipline. Their combat effectiveness is no less powerful than that of European knights.

Lothar looked at the looks from everyone and suddenly remembered the scene outside Hulao Pass.

I have General Pan Feng who can kill Hua Xiong.

Although he felt that his words sounded like planting a flag, Lothar still said: I have two generals who can take the lead in the battle.

…

News of the duel with the heretics spread quickly.

After everyone left the camp, the young king was a little worried and asked, Will anything be exposed?

Lothar shook his head and said: We have to show our opponent some of our cards. If we don't play our cards first, Saladin will have the upper hand and won't make any moves. Don't worry, Your Majesty, I have a lot of cards. It doesn't matter if I play one or two first. .”

Veneto and Hans's fighting ability is pretty good, even if he doesn't show his trump card, he is no match for these two people.

Lothar thought of the duel between the two that he had personally watched a while ago, with a smile on his face: We can also take this opportunity to see what the quality of the opponent is. If even Hans and Veneto can't cope with it, just rely on a giant If it’s a dragon, we don’t have to be nervous.”

The combat effectiveness of wizards is generally not reflected in their physical bodies. There are not many wizards who follow the body modification trend, but they are very few.

For example, the wizard who used the transformation stream to create fusion monsters.

But the person on the other side is not necessarily a wizard.

It's best to force out one or two of the enemy's trump cards.

let's go.

As His Majesty the King finished dressing up, Lothar followed the King out of the tent.

The military camp that had been set up started to move like a giant beast that came to life.

The sky is filled with smoke and dust.

In the camp surrounded by two layers of wooden fences, first the light cavalry flew past the arrow tower at the opening of the camp like the wind, followed closely by the secular knights, who followed their respective lords.

Finally, there are the knights of the Order in black or white robes.

Compared with these Crusader knights, the heavily armored horse archers in Eastern attire were too eye-catching. They were once regarded as mercenaries from the empire or the East, but after taking off their helmets, what was revealed was Frankish appearance.

The Crusader cavalry quickly occupied two highlands outside the camp.

In the sky, the falcon colony is like a carrion-eating vulture, looking forward to a bloody battle, so that they can have a feast after the war.

Naturally, the movement here could not be concealed from the Saracens who had been monitoring the place. They responded immediately and sent soldiers to leave the camp in an orderly manner, forming a standard cavalry wings, infantry backbone formation.

Both sides are forming formations, like fighting cocks trying to spread their wings and show their strength to the other side.

In addition to Lothar's peasant soldiers, Black Eagle Flag Troops, Woodland Shooters, Varangian Guards, retained veterans and other infantry, the Crusader sergeants and the dismounted knights who lost their mounts were also in good order.

They were armed with halberds, flails, warhammers, spears, equipped with kite shields, kite-shaped shields or bucklers, and wore Norman-style ridged helmets, shaped like an inverted iron bowl, with a nose guard added.

The clergy holding various holy images walked and preached loudly to the surrounding believers.

White-robed priests surrounded the cart containing the box of the True Cross. On the cart stood a giant gilded wooden cross, shining in the midday sun, boosting the morale of all the Crusaders.

“The red cross of the eternal Saint Michael, Vice-Prince of Heaven, protects us.”

The various coats of arms and flags of the Crusaders, as well as the almost uniform cross flags of the Knights of the Order, were like wheat fields blown by the wind, setting off waves.

Opposite, the flaming flag of the Saracens.

It can be seen almost at a glance that these Saracens, even if they are infantry formations that they have never paid much attention to, are well-trained, well-armored, and leather-armored light infantry companies; not to mention those Mamluk cavalry wearing different clothes. Nearly one-third of them are heavy cavalry equipped with men and horses, carrying bows on their backs, and are steadily distributed on both wings of the infantry phalanx.