Chapter 441: Chapter 123: Abdullah’s Allegiance

The sound of hooves was like thunder.

For the first time in a long time, Eclipse galloped freely, leaving a cloud of dust as it charged ahead. Even Grapevine, with its unruly nature and speed not inferior to it, had to concede and follow behind.

Jeanne lightly squeezed the horse’s belly, urging, “Catch up, what are you afraid of with me here?”

After speaking, she turned her head provocatively to glance at Prajna, who was falling behind.

Prajna was riding a fine Arabian horse, a breed excellent in many aspects, especially adapted to the arid climate of the Holy Land. Yet it was still a common horse, incomparable to the speed of Eclipse and Grapevine.

Prajna’s eyes under the helmet looked at her calmly, without any reaction.

Recently, there was a palpable tension between the two. The elite Jeanne had already distanced herself from Prajna in terms of strength, thus she was confident enough to taunt her.

Behind Losa, the Crusaders of Jaffa halted on a small hill, their lances adorned with iris banners or square flags pointing skywards like a forest. Although the hundreds of armored cavalry showed no sign of movement, the pressure they exerted on those in the battlefield was significant.

“That’s the emblem of Princess Sibilla!”

Guy of Lusignan sneered, “It seems Sibilla’s knights also want a share of the spoils. Instruct everyone to cease the attack and withdraw. These Kurdish knights are not weak; they’re a tough nut to crack, and it would cost us dearly to take them down by ourselves.”

Guy, who was ennobled as the Baron of Mongisa, was not wealthy at all.

In the struggle for the right to speak, he was squeezing this impoverished fief to fund his expenses in the Holy Land. Being a fallen Lusignan, he had no concept of finance.

Recently, to acquire a set of decorated plate armor, he squandered away nearly all of the newly collected shield tax. When he encountered a so-called Saracen “merchant caravan,” how could he not be tempted?

“That person’s horse is so tall!”

“Looks familiar, a double-headed eagle emblem… Could it be that man has returned?”

“Impossible, Marquis Losa had long gone to enjoy life in Constantinople. It’s said both the Purple Robe Princess and the Empress hold him in high regard.”

Guy’s knights buzzed with discussions. Most of them were rogue knights from Europe. Guy’s assassination escapades in Aquitaine had brought him considerable loss but not without benefits.

Many who knew of his reputation or had once mingled with him were willing to come to the Holy Land to join him.

After all, Guy had a brother who was a lover to Empress Angnis. Compared to the occupied positions among the great nobles and the restrictive life under Lord Losa, these young colts preferred to join Guy, a similarly rising lord.

Drawing closer.

Guy realized the horse was even taller than he imagined. It stood at least two meters high, with a metallic sheen on its horn, making one feel daunted.

“Baron Guy.”

The knight on the horse removed a golden mask helmet, revealing a handsome face that left a deep impression on Guy, appearing in his dreams even more frequently than the Sibilla Princess or little Witch Nishaya, whom he desperately sought but couldn’t have.

Of course, the content wasn’t romantic, mostly nightmares.

“Lo… Lord Losa!”

He was somewhat incredulous.

“What, so surprised to see me?”

Losa asked with a smile. He actually had no grudge against Guy. Though he didn’t particularly like him, he didn’t consider him an enemy either. In fact, not even Reynard was taken seriously by him.

In his previous life, he coincidentally ascended to the throne of Jerusalem and occupied Cyprus for a long period.

Guy forced a smile and said, “I just didn’t expect you to be leading Princess Sibilla’s army.”

Losa’s face turned stern as he pointed to the Kurdish caravan resting opposite, “Speak, why did you attack our ally?”

“Ally?”

Guy looked surprised, “They are Saracens, and during the time of war between the two nations, they sneaked into our territory; they could very well be spies here to gather military intelligence!”

The term “Saracens” sometimes specifically referred to Arabs or Arab pirates, but in the Frankish context, it often referred to “all nations under the rule of the peak Arab Empire.”

Just like how the Eastern Empire referred to “Latins,” narrowly referring to Apennines or broadly encompassing all Western Europeans, including Germans.

Losa’s tone became harsh, “But they are Saladin’s enemies. Both I and Baron Godfrey have fought alongside them. His Majesty the King has met their leader ’Salah’ personally and forged an alliance—you should have heard this name; he gave Saladin quite some trouble.”

“The son of Nuruddin?”

Guy’s expression turned awkward.

Losa nodded slightly, “Indeed. I believe they should have stated their identity to you.”

“They mentioned it?”

The nearby knights’ eyes flickered a bit.

Guy paused, reflecting that this was likely the case; he just hadn’t paid attention.

He couldn’t help it; he was desperately impoverished. As long as it wasn’t a Public Teaching merchant caravan, even an Orthodox caravan, he would rob without hesitation.

By now, no one would bother holding him accountable for this minor transgression.

After all, with Saladin having “betrayed his promises” and declared war on Jerusalem, the previously calming religious fervor in the Holy Land was once again rising sharply. Heretics residing in Jerusalem didn’t dare step out these days.

If it were others, it might be ignored.

But unfortunately, it was Losa who witnessed it, rendering Guy too intimidated to oppose him. The disparities in wealth, power, and status were too vast; many of Losa’s vassals held higher positions than Guy.

“Apologies, my lord, we couldn’t understand what they were saying. It was a misunderstanding.”

Guy said rather stiffly.

Although some knights were disgruntled in their hearts, they evidently did not have the courage to defy Losa, let alone the fact that Losa had deliberately worn that mask helmet with the “aura of fear,” which gave them a heavy sense of oppression.

“Since it’s a misunderstanding, let’s cease the fight.”

Losa obviously couldn’t just throw Guy into the dungeon because of this; he wasn’t Guy’s lord and had no authority to deal with him, so this was the most he could do.

Guy, like an eggplant hit by frost, responded honestly, “I have no objections.”

Losa made a sound of agreement and then rode quickly towards the Kurdish convoy.

Behind him, Prajna and Jeanne closely followed.

The uniquely styled female armor first caught their attention as unusual.

“Which one of them is the legendary ’Iron Knight’?”

“The one in the back, I heard the Iron Knight always wears a helmet and never shows their true face.”

“But the female knight in the front is so beautiful, Lord Losa is really fortunate.”

Some knights excitedly whispered among themselves.

Others muttered discontentedly, “Why should we abandon the spoils that are almost in our grasp? Killing heretics is a duty and obligation for every Christian. Why should we listen to him?”

Someone pointed to the hillside, “Do you see those cavalry?”

“What are you afraid of? Those aren’t even his soldiers. Would they really follow his orders to attack us?”

The person shook his head, “I mean, the cavalry under Lord Losa’s command is even more elite, and there are ten times as many of them.”

The dissatisfied knight was momentarily taken aback and could only stifle his grievances, having already regarded Losa as a villain with influence over the Holy Land.

Guy reassured, “Enough. This group of Saracens is a tough nut to crack. I have to admit we picked a less than ideal target. Withdrawing now when we haven’t suffered much loss is the best outcome.”

…

“The Franks have stopped their attack?”

“Aren’t they allied with them?”

“I told you, heretics are unreliable. We should never have come to the Franks’ territory; the leader really messed up.”

Inside the makeshift fortress of carts and horses, the Kurdish soldiers were vigilant, observing the outside.

The Kurdish cavalry who returned to the encampment started to rest and recover their strength, ready to fight again. They knew very well that without hurting the enemy, there was no chance of entering negotiations.

“Someone’s coming, only three people!”

“The one in the front looks familiar.”

“It’s Losa!”

“Don’t shoot!”

As Losa approached, the leader of the Kurds, wearing a black turban, rode out to meet him, “Holy Fire Everlasting, I saw more Crusaders arriving and thought today would be my burial ground, but unexpectedly, it’s you!”

Losa looked at the Kurdish knights behind Abdullah, noticing many unfamiliar faces, with few old acquaintances remaining.

Many were initially very wary of Losa, but after hearing the introductions from their companions, they calmed down a bit, but still clutched their weapons tightly, hiding behind the barricade, ready to face an attack at any moment.

Losa made the sign of the cross on his chest, “Abdullah, weren’t you following your lord to resist Saladin in the north? How did you end up in the Holy Land?”

“We were defeated outside Antakya (Antioch).”

Abdullah’s expression turned somber, “My lord was captured by Saladin, and the entire Aleppo region is hunting us ’rebels.’ We have no choice but to find a new path for ourselves.”

Losa sighed lightly, “I noticed many familiar faces missing from your ranks…”

“Indeed, they all died on the battlefield.”

Abdullah was full of guilt, “It’s all my responsibility; I underestimated the strength of Saladin. His Mamluk Guards are numerous and better equipped than us. Our gathered army was no match for them.”

“They will return to the Holy Fire, Abdullah.”

Losa offered a brief consolation, then said, “I’ve ordered those Crusaders to leave. You’re temporarily safe now, but forgive my bluntness, your presence in the Holy Land is still overly sensitive. Do you have any plans?”

Abdullah replied helplessly, “Losa, I initially wanted to lead the lads to join you.”

Losa questioned, “Initially?”

Abdullah looked at Losa, smiling bitterly, “I worried that you no longer needed this ragtag group of ours. Since leaving Jerusalem, your legends are everywhere.”

“No, I need you very much.”

Losa approached Abdullah, and the imposing eclipse made his horse instinctively recoil.

“Welcome to join my ranks, Abdullah.”

Abdullah was momentarily stunned, his guilt deepening. How could he not have seen through Losa’s intention to recruit them initially? Yet, failing in that gesture in times of need makes it awkward to seek refuge now, given Losa’s high status.

Losa patted Abdullah’s shoulder, “Don’t overthink it. We were comrades in arms, and I welcome you to join my ranks at any time.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep