Chapter 424: Chapter 109: Divine Wood

A gull flew across the sky.

On the deck, it transformed into the elegantly dressed Princess Anna in her purple robe.

She surveyed the Ghost Ship. Although she had seen the Ocean Disaster and Captain Hog before Losa left, seeing it again still left her deeply shocked.

“Good day, Your Highness.”

Losa greeted with a smile.

Anna frowned, “Are you so eager to return to your vast desert? After you helped General Nikiforos retrieve the treasure, he would certainly host a banquet in your honor, which would greatly help boost your reputation.”

The importance of reputation in this era is beyond doubt. A Legendary Knight would be treated with respect by any high-ranking Lord.

But Losa thought for a moment and still refused, “I don’t really like such occasions, and besides, in the Empire, having connections with you and Her Majesty the Empress is enough for me. As the noble Purple Robe Princess, there’s no problem in covering for me, right?”

“Ha, there’s no problem, but it depends on my mood.”

Anna took the box from Losa’s hand and weighed it, “Oh, it’s not light. Exactly how heavy is Nikiforos’s heirloom ruby?”

Losa explained, “It’s not as heavy as you might think. I wrapped it in several layers. After all, that thing can emit light without any light source and has no magic power fluctuations. I always feel it’s dangerous.”

Anna nodded, “Alright, I understand. I’ll hand it over to Nikiforos, but what about your reward?”

Losa thought for a moment, saying, “Just exchange it directly for Nishaya. Doesn’t her office have a reserve fund? I’ll just take it from there.”

…

In the wilderness.

“Holy Fire above!”

The attendants and guards escorting Princess Basima were stunned, gazing at the enormous oak tree whose crown seemed to cover the sky.

Princess Basima, sister to Saladin, still had smooth skin despite the fine lines at the corners of her eyes. Like Saladin, her appearance wasn’t particularly striking but had its distinct features.

“Is this what the Franks call the Divine Tree?”

She stepped down from the camel onto the ground with the help of a strong black slave. Perhaps too astonished, she almost lost her footing.

“Such a creation, how magnificent.”

“Fetch pen and paper, I want to record this scene.”

Princess Basima once studied at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the theological center of the Arab World, second only to Baghdad. Here, countless imams and scholars engage in theological debates and teachings every year.

But Basima was not a theologian, nor was she particularly devout. Rather than obscure scriptures, she preferred studying herbology, astrology, and agronomy.

Someone murmured, “Last year, I passed through here with a caravan. How long has it been since then? It’s like a complete upheaval.”

“The Franks say it’s a gift from their Heavenly Father.”

Someone spoke angrily, “Blasphemy! This is the birthplace of the first Holy Fire. The great Prophet returned to Hashim in an instant from the Ascension Stone in Goodes (Arabic for ’Holy City’, that is Jerusalem). This is certainly the creation of the Holy Fire, but the Franks have stolen it.”

“These barbaric Frankish thieves!”

Basima furrowed her brow and then relaxed it.

She instinctively opposed the so-called holy war but understood that her brother’s legal claim to rule the Saracen World rested on his promise to reclaim the Holy Land.

Therefore, war was unavoidable.

A black slave held up a large umbrella for Basima. These Nubian slaves were carefully selected for their robust physique, immense strength, and loyal reliability, much favored by princes and nobles.

Ahead, a squad of Winged Cavalry, their armor shining and feather ornaments on their backs,

Behind them followed a troop of armored cavalry, wearing face-covering helmets, full Zha Armor, and Chain Armor Liners. Their equipment bore an Eastern style distinct from the Franks.

“It’s the Winged Cavalry!”

A Turkic slave in the team who had previously fought against the Winged Cavalry warned, “Their combat strength is formidable. Do not provoke them; prioritize the safety of Her Highness the Princess.”

The Winged Cavalry halted atop a small mound, observing the convoy. After a moment, one rider dashed out from among them.

“I am the Chief Patrol Officer under Count Ulm, honoring who is the sister of Saladin, Her Highness Princess Basima?”

“Indeed, my mistress is Her Highness Princess Basima.”

The Turkic slave spoke.

As a Mamluk Personal Guard, though a slave, his status in the team was anything but low.

After all, the Mamluks, as an independent military group, and the local nobles belong to two completely different systems. They are an important reliance for Saladin, and it is impossible not to appoint them to a high position, at the same time Goodes

“Esteemed guests, I am obliged as a Patrol Officer to escort you out of the territory and ensure the safety of your caravan within our borders.”

The pilgrim group glanced at each other in confusion.

“Would you be so kind?”

Ulm, neither humble nor arrogant, said:

“There is no need for misunderstanding, esteemed guests. I have escorted many pilgrim groups before. Transjordan is a hub on the pilgrimage route. My lord has the duty to protect any legitimate pilgrim, with no ulterior motives towards you.”

The hub status of Transjordan lies in that pilgrims from the north either have to cross the much longer desert or travel south through the Mashriq region, board a ship at Basra to enter the Persian Gulf, and then circle the entire Arabian Peninsula into the Red Sea.

Time-consuming and labor-intensive, not to mention fraught with dangers; the Mashriq region is also the ruling center of the Sassanid Empire, with Baghdad, the second capital of the Sassan outside of Tarsus, located there.

The relationship between Saladin and the Sassanid Dynasty elevates the danger level of this route even further.

Princess Basima said, “Thank you for your kind offer, Patrol Officer. I am willing to accept your escort. However, we wish to see the Divine Tree up close now. Is it possible?”

Ulm nodded humbly and said, “Your Highness, you flatter me. The Divine Tree is right here, and any legitimate pilgrim has the right to view it. As long as Your Highness’s group does not violate the laws of Transjordan, no one has the right to interfere in your actions.”

Princess Basima smiled and said, “Saladin once told me that your lord is his acknowledged opponent, as well as a noble and upright knight. You also have such demeanor as his subordinate. It seems that what Saladin said is true.”

“Indeed, my lord is the most just and open-minded monarch I have ever seen.”

Ulm’s dark face revealed two rows of large white teeth.

…

Inside the city of Jerusalem.

Hans, accompanied by two colleagues, walked into a small tavern built in the shade, from where the towering David Tower was visible in the distance. It was the palace and fortification Herod the Great constructed for himself.

Many cities of this era shared this characteristic.

Each family built tall towers in the districts they controlled to monitor the movements of opposing families. The Jerusalem Knight Order, led by Godfrey, had a permanent garrison at the David Tower, which was also an important armory.

The tavern was still bustling.

The changes Losa brought to this city were enormous. Nowadays, many knights in Jerusalem had donned brand-new chest armor. They adorned their cloaks atop the chest armor with various emblems, paired with black chain armor shirts, greatly enhancing their defense.

Losa’s subordinates had not completely replaced their equipment with plate armor yet. Even though chest armor was relatively simple, the production capacity was not sufficient to equip every soldier thoroughly.

Unlike in Jerusalem, where even knights who were relatively strapped for cash, due to the popularity of plate armor, were willing to grit their teeth and buy a piece of chest armor, while the other supporting equipment could still be made do with used ones.

The tavern was quite lively.

It was currently the hottest time of the day, and Hans and his group, having been baked by the sun during their patrol, decided to stop by the tavern for a couple of cool drinks to rest for a while.

“Grand Master, I heard Losa won a highly anticipated tournament in Constantinople, and the Empress appointed him as the military zone general of Cyprus. Do you think he will return?”

“Of course, why do you suddenly ask?”

“Recently, everyone has been discussing this matter. Some say he has abandoned the true faith to convert to the Greek Church, while others claim he has caught the eye of Her Majesty the Empress and became an intimate guest.”

The knight speaking was a typical Apennines man, gesturing as he spoke, though his accent wasn’t as thick as that of southern people like Chelina’s.

Hans frowned. He had heard these rumors but hadn’t paid them much attention. After all, he had met Losa not long ago in the world of combat records.

He knew of Losa’s plans.

“That person looks familiar…”

“Conrad!”

Suddenly, a knight waved enthusiastically at the distance: “Over here, long time no see. I almost didn’t recognize you earlier. Weren’t you serving the Empress in Constantinople?”

The knight opposite seemed pleasantly surprised as well: “Luca, long time no see.”

Knight Luca solemnly introduced to Hans: “This is my friend, Conrad of Monferrat, who served the Emperor in the Eastern Empire. Not only did he marry the Purple Robe Princess of the Komnenos Family, but he also attained the high rank of Caesar in the Empire.”

Hans was slightly taken aback.

According to Luca, this was indeed a significant figure, but from his appearance and demeanor, it was difficult to associate this person with those high-ranking nobility.

Conrad smiled and said, “Haha, Luca, so-called power and prestige are but a fleeting cloud to me. I have given up the title of Empire’s Caesar, determined to participate in the war against the heretics and defend the Holy Land.”

“Pleased to meet you, Grand Master Hans.”

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