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

When fighting in a place like the Holy Land, the supply issue is the most important issue that cannot be ignored.

The historical Battle of Harding, where the Crusaders were annihilated due to lack of water, always reminded Lothar of this.

Nowadays, the scale of the Crusaders is growing day by day, with the number of people increasing from more than 20,000 at the beginning to 30,000 without stopping.

The mileage that such a huge team can march every day is only about 20 kilometers. In other words, even if the road is smooth, it will take at least three days to reach El-Arish, the gateway to Egypt, from Gaza.

But everyone knows this is impossible.

As long as Adil has no problem with his mind, he will never let go of the idea of ​​attacking the Crusaders. Those Bedouin cavalry who are familiar with the local environment can continue to tear apart like hyenas attacking lions under the guidance of falcons in the sky. Consuming the energy of the Crusader lion.

In addition, al-Arish has been burned, and even if they arrive there, it will be impossible to obtain any supplies. They will need to walk for at least three more days before they can reach the gates of Ferai Mai.

At that time, we don't know how much combat strength our army will have left.

Lothar looked worried about this.

With sufficient supplies, he could restrain his soldiers.

Otherwise, even if he invades Egypt, he will only lead a group of hungry bandits with gleaming eyes. They will plunder and destroy every town in sight. This will undermine his original intention of gaining the allegiance of the Copts. Absolutely contradictory.

If you choose to march by sea, you don't know how long you will have to wait. In addition, the number of Crusaders' fleet transport ships is definitely not enough to transport nearly 30,000 Crusaders to Egypt at once.

This requires logging in in batches, and there is a risk of being defeated by the enemy one by one.

And if they want more transport ships - the Eastern Empire definitely has no hope. Half of their fleet was first destroyed by the pseudo-emperor Isaac, and the rest was devoted to the war with the Kingdom of Sicily.

Therefore, Lothar's only choices were those greedy trading city-states.

These Apennines who are desperate for money will definitely kill Lothar, just like the Venetians during the Fourth Crusade. What they want is either the monopoly of trade in coastal cities or even the governance of some urban areas. right.

In the Fourth Crusade, weren't the Venetians who rented ships from the Crusaders the most benefit? They even had the name Three-Eighths of Rome since then.

In addition, the kings of the European continent, who covet to regain the honor and wealth of Egypt, will definitely hinder his negotiations with the Apennine merchants, so they march by sea. Although Lothar said it to Raymond easily, but for him For me, it is definitely a path that I have to choose.

There is not enough time, and the longer you delay, the greater the variability.

He was almost certain that Saladin must be trying to find support from the caster now.

For example, those priests of the Zoroastrian Cult, although most of them are only good at one or two small tricks, but who knows if there are more powerful hermits among them. Once the crusade fails, Lothar will not be able to find such a good opportunity in the short term. Needless to say, it was also a heavy blow to his personal prestige.

Sir, my recent expenses have been a bit high.

Coors held a thick account book: Every day, pilgrims come empty-handed to participate in the Crusade. Our logistical pressure is getting heavier and heavier. Now, the entire Crusade has to be maintained by us alone.

Lothar rubbed his brows and looked helpless: There is no other way. If you want to use the banner of the Crusaders, you have to carry these burdens.

Otherwise, where would there be so many volunteers who bring their own rations and do not need military pay?

Because their number is too large, the training camp in Hebron cannot accommodate them all, and most of them are still moving forward with the army. The combat effectiveness of this group of people is very average, but it is still no problem to do some hard work.

If Lothar is not kind, the cannon fodder battalion that consumes the enemy's arrows when directly charged into the siege is considered worthwhile.

Even if Lothar couldn't do such a thing, it would be a good choice to keep them and garrison the cities he captured. Thirty thousand troops were a lot, but when put into the whole of Egypt, they immediately seemed to be stretched thin.

Coors suddenly said: By the way, sir, I think you don't need to worry about the enemy's falcon now. Do you still remember the gargoyle that Miss Flynn called out when she dealt with the dragon?

certainly.

Lothar realized in hindsight: You mean, Fulin can now use the spell to summon gargoyles at will?

I think so.

Cools said with a smile: During this period, you rarely see Miss Flynn because she is undergoing difficult special training in private.

Lothar couldn't help but sigh: Flynn really gave me a surprise without saying a word. Without the falcon, the Saracens are like a blind eye. If they want to harass us, they just You have to pay a heavier price!

Since the first confrontation with the Saracens, Lothar has suffered from the enemy's full map attack, which makes it difficult for him to win with surprise. Every time, at best, it will create a head-on situation.

…

Before my eyes, everything was dim.

The wind and sand made the whole world fall into a haze.

Cellinina tightened her windbreaker, covering her from head to toe, but the wind and sand still seemed to be pervasive.

Can you really find an oasis in a place like this?

Cellinina frowned, wondering if she had taken the wrong path.

At this time.

She suddenly let go of the hand holding the veil, her hands made no movement, and the two sharp blades behind her back appeared in her hands.

She held her breath and looked at the silhouette of a figure gradually appearing in the dust in front of her.

Is it Miss Cellinina?

A charming female voice came from afar.

Chelinina felt relieved and asked, Yes, it's me.

The visitor immediately walked forward quickly against the wind and sand.

It was a plump young woman with skin as smooth as milk.

There was a flattering smile on her face, which added a bit of a bitch temperament to her whole image of a lady that was completely inconsistent with her temperament - to be honest, she might be a bit like Hans.

Under the mask, Cellinina pursed her lips. She recognized this woman - the manager of the Shadow of Darkness under Butler Coors. She was a native vampire, with good strength, but just okay.

Good day, Ms. Julia.

Hey, no, no, no, just call me Xiao Zhu.

Julia seemed a little frightened. She knew very well that she could only be regarded as a minor role under Lothar, the terrifying and admirable dark tyrant, while Chelinina was the direct descendant. .

Cellinina twitched the corners of her mouth helplessly: You are too polite, Ms. Julia.

Where is the oasis?

just in front.

In the yellow sand, more than a dozen figures wearing light armor and khaki hoods gradually emerged. In this environment, they were quite inconspicuous. Each of them was carrying a long bow that was nearly a person tall.

This means that they are all woodland shooters, with strong skills, good at light armor combat, and sniping enemies from long distances. No one is more suitable for the job of Shadow of Darkness than them.

Julia introduced: These are the members of the Shadow of Darkness who have been assigned to us recently by your Excellency. Each of them is a good player.

Ahead is the largest oasis nearby. The lord Yasar here sent a cavalry to burn it down.

Chelinina wondered: Where are the cavalry?

Buried under the small slope in front, the horses they left behind were gathered in the oasis - there is a temporary camp left by the Bedouin nomads there, which is now ours.

Julia was a little proud. More than a dozen woodland shooters, plus her extraordinary strength as a vampire, and just a few dozen cavalry were well ambush in advance, and they could be easily eliminated without any damage.