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

In the Crusader camp.

Derem was holding his shield and painting it. The attendants beside him were leading a group of ponies that had not yet adapted to bits and saddles, training their riding skills in the open space.

Their master never paid much attention to such trivial matters.

Smart boy, you couldn't have been wiser in not leaving the shield to those stupid military servants. Their craftsmanship is terrible - the shield is the face of a knight. You must carry it with you wherever you go.

The tall and burly knight, wearing a thin linen shirt, smiled and handed over a wine glass.

Thanks, April.

Derem smiled and took the glass and drank the beer in it.

There are specialized military servants in the heavy cavalry company. Even cavalry without attendants or knight titles can still get the care they deserve, but as Eprit said, their skills are quite average.

Because those who were a little smarter were all accepted as squires by the knights.

Most of the rest are a group of stupid, clumsy, and cowards who are afraid of going to the battlefield to kill the enemy head-on.

Knight Eprit asked casually: By the way, Camel Boy, are you going to Bishop Uldin's place tonight?

Derem nodded: Yes, although there are no wounded, Bishop Uldin will teach us herbalism - I originally thought it would be difficult, well, it was actually very difficult, but last night Bishop Uldin asked me By the time I got on stage, I was actually able to make a cloverleaf potion, the purple ointment we usually use to treat bruises.”

Aprile gave a thumbs up: Well done, Camel Boy.

Take this.

The bearded knight threw out a heavy money bag.

This is?

Donation to Redemption Order.

Drim was surprised.

Like most of the knights from Europe in this era, Aprit was drunk, rude, advocating violence, and full of swear words. They were the most unstable factor in local stability in this era.

Especially those bankrupt knights.

The reason why the European monarchs responded so eagerly to the Crusades was because they had the dark idea of ​​sending these militants to the Holy War to consume them as soon as possible.

Don't you want to donate this money to the church?

The bearded knight smiled and said: Ha, donating to the Redemption Order is more reliable than just finding a church and paying for indulgences - I always feel that it is difficult for that light ticket to bear the responsibility for the things I have committed. Sin.”

After laughing, he couldn't help but said with some envy: If my hands weren't better at killing people, I might have chosen to go to the Redemption Order to learn some knowledge after training.

Derem couldn't help but look sideways.

He felt like he was getting acquainted with the first friend he had made since joining the heavy cavalry company.

Aprit was a little embarrassed by Derem's look and abruptly changed the subject: Don't look at me like that, man, you have to study hard. Maybe next time I go to the battlefield, I have to count on you to save my life. Woolen cloth.

good.

Derem smiled gently.

He has not yet discovered how much he has changed since entering the Redemption Order. Uldin and Ulm are the benchmarks in Derem's eyes. He told him that after gaining fame, wealth and status, Another path to take.

This may be the true way of knighthood.

Derem, I'm leaving soon.

This was the first time that Aprile called him by his name. In the past, he had been called Camel Boy.

Where to go?

Hey, we are heavy cavalry, where else can we go? To the battlefield of course! In the Sinai Corridor, the winged cavalry are already competing with the infidels for water. It may not be long before you new recruits will also have to support them.

Derem was slightly startled, stood up, and crossed himself: May God protect you and keep you away from bad weather, sandstorms, stray arrows, and poisonous insects. May you kill more infidels and be saved.

Aprit smiled and crossed himself on his chest: I hope we can meet again soon - if I die in battle, it will be treated as if I didn't say this.

In a mansion in Gaza City.

Lothar picked up the communication.

Hans's voice on the opposite side was a little hoarse: Sorry, sir, we arrived too late. We only defended four small water sources, and the enemy is still fighting for them repeatedly, trying to destroy them.

Those Bedouin nomads are indeed pretending to surrender. If Miss Chelinina had not led the team, I am afraid that the entire team of winged cavalry would have died in the enemy's trap.

Lothar frowned.

Four water sources may sound like a lot, but 30,000 crusaders will easily turn these water sources into a wasteland like locusts passing by.

During the time when the Crusaders were stationed outside Gaza City, Gaza City was already struggling.

Every day, civilians come to complain. Either the knights have trampled on their land, or the poor crusaders have stolen crops from their fields. If they are caught, they keep saying that these are tributes that should be given to the crusaders. .

Only four water sources were captured, which meant that his army had to stay in Gaza for a while longer, waiting for the arrival of more water tanks, supplies, and convoys.

However, although Lothar was in a bad mood, he did not show it. Just from the fatigue in Hans' tone, it can be seen that he has never even closed his eyes and had a good sleep in the past few days. He has tried his best. .

Relax, Hans. Our generous Cardinal Sebastian is calling on various monasteries and churches to provide us with supplies. The Jewish merchants who are driving up prices have also been punished a lot. It doesn't matter even if these water sources are lost.

I'm sorry, my lord, I couldn't complete your mission.

Hans's tone was full of guilt. Only when he really entered the Sinai Peninsula did he realize how bad the climate here was - if there was a sandstorm and the army lost their way, no matter how strong their personal combat effectiveness was, they would die here.

It's okay Hans, I'm not comforting you, but to your adults, this little trouble is just a pebble on the road. I can kick it away with just a light kick.

Hans said quickly: Sir, you must not underestimate the danger of marching in the desert. The enemy has destroyed all the signposts along the way. Unless we keep marching along the coast and abandon all oases and water sources, Otherwise, even a local guide may not be able to find the oasis.

Lothar said angrily:

I know the seriousness of the matter, Hans. You are right. I was just comforting you. This matter is indeed very bad. Come on!

Snap, he hung up the communication.

Are you done talking?

Um.

It's a pity that I'm not a water mage. Otherwise, I might be able to help you in this matter. By the way, there are actually blueprints for seawater desalination formations in the Imperial Library, but the casting materials are all extinct, so we have to find them again. alternatives.

Forget it, it takes too long and I can't afford to delay it.

Apart from the casting materials, the cost of this seawater desalination array is not much lower. It can meet personal needs. If you want to maintain an army, you might as well hope to extract another sub-strain of the Tree of Life and turn the entire Sinai Peninsula turned into an oasis.

Lothar asked: By the way, your war in Sicily went smoothly, right?

Anna on the opposite side hesitated for a moment: Originally it went very smoothly, but the Sicilian tyrant hired an extraordinary witch from nowhere and destroyed the siege machine we were building.

So you're going out?

To deal with a spell caster, you can only count on the caster.

The magic-blocking gold is said to restrain the caster, but the more powerful the caster, the weaker the restraining effect.

It was originally like this, but later, she came to me personally and claimed that we, spell casters, should not be beaten to death for the sake of worldly interests - in fact, I think she was probably scared by you.

Lothar was a little surprised: Are you scared by me?

Salman, Mudriji, Shemail.

They are all well-known spellcasters in the Levant. As a result, one was seriously injured and escaped, vowing never to participate in the secular world again. One was killed by you on the spot, and the other, although he escaped by chance, his The fire dragon whose head is famous and can almost be said to be your own arm was killed by you. That was the Karelian fire dragon, even among the advanced dragons, it can be ranked at the forefront.

You probably don't know how famous you are in the extraordinary world now.

Lothar couldn't help laughing and said: I really don't understand much.

In short, it's big. I didn't expect that one day I would be able to rely on your reputation to scare away a powerful spellcaster that even makes me feel a little troublesome.

Anna's voice was filled with emotion.

In her relationship with Lothar, she was by no means selfish and without desires.

But she didn't expect that the reward would be unfolded in this way, nor did she expect that Lothar would become a powerful transcendent who could be equal to her, or even better, so quickly.

This is too fast for a wizard who has a long life and studying a potion recipe may take several years.

Haha, I'm honored to be able to help you.

But Lothar, don't you think what this woman said makes sense? If a spell caster with a long life really participates in a war, no matter how elite the soldier is, he will be cut down like straw. If all of us spell casters Hiding behind the scenes may be the best option.”

Lothar frowned: Indeed, but such regulations are not binding at all.

Anna's cheerful laughter came from the opposite side.

Yes, so, Lothar, if one day you become the monarch of all Western Europe, how about we work together to formulate this rule?

Lothar said helplessly: I am still just a young marquis, but I can't think as far as you said.

Less than a year ago, you were not even a knight.

Anna said lightly: And now, you are ready to win a gold-rich crown for yourself. Who knows that one day, you will take your army and take a boat to fight back to Western Europe?

If that day comes, will you stand by me?

Lothar asked with a smile.

Okay, then it depends on what price you can offer - not to me, but to our Majesty the Queen. After all, she is the one in charge of the empire, and I am just an insignificant palace advisor.

Lothar teased: Okay, just think that what you said is true.

The voice on the other side stopped for a moment.

Anna spoke again: Losa, can you promise me something?

you say.

In the future, even if we cannot be our own people, at least we should not be our enemies.

Lothar said with a smile: Aren't we always our own people? I almost forgot that as the military general of Limassol, I should first pay tribute to the distinguished princess in purple.

There was silence on the other side for a moment, and then Anna's satisfied laughter sounded: Yes, we have always been our own people.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a few more words before hanging up the communication.

The smile on Lothar's face gradually faded.

He rubbed his eyebrows. In the future, he might really return to Europe and seek an emperor's crown. After all, in the Christian world, crowns are everywhere, but there is only one crown, which is the imperial crown.

Who knows that one day, they will go to the opposite side.

However, it is too early to consider this now.

The title of King of Egypt is lying there, waiting for him to take it with his own hands. Once he fails, he may have to devote himself to farming for a long time in the future.