Chapter 909 - 133: Africa’s 10-Letter Crusader Army
In the midst of the dispute, a wave of scorching heat was blown over by the wind.
The two-winged, three-headed Demon Dragon, with its fierce wind pressure, clung its talons to the stone wall. Its muscular body, covered in black scale armor, rose like marbled peaks under the sunlight.
Humans have always been realistic creatures. When you show enough power, even a heretic monarch can receive the reverence of Christians.
The crusader noble, who had been vowing to confront Losa, now trembled, his legs shaking as he stood so close to the Demon Dragon that he seemed to feel the heatwave from the three dragon heads above.
This was a sense of oppression that could not be felt from afar.
If Saint George had sought to slay such a dragon, would he have also met with regret?
Some nobles, knights, and soldiers, frightened, fled in panic, hiding behind the stone wall and screaming in terror.
"Oh God, don’t let it eat me!"
Yet this seemingly ferocious Demon Dragon, which could devour a hundred people in a single meal, at this moment tamedly lowered its three heads, placing them on the plaza.
On the middle head of the Red Dragon, wearing a golden crown and draped in a black double-headed eagle cloak, the King of the Crusaders slowly stepped onto the Demon Dragon’s spine, covered in bone spurs and fearsome ridges, coming to face the people.
Many crusader nobles gaped in astonishment; this scene, like a flame, was forever etched into their lives as the most magnificent and awe-inspiring miracle.
"Great Dragon Rider, Divinely chosen King of the Crusaders, the noble His Majesty Basileus!"
The crusader noble who had openly confronted Bella III earlier approached with fervor, kneeling on one knee: "I am Charles of the Montmorency Family, honored to meet you."
Another Charles.
Losa forced a faint smile, extending his finger adorned with the double-headed eagle signet: "It’s an honor to meet you too, Sir Charles."
Before Sir Charles could say more, the surrounding nobles, eager to pay their respects, began to cluster around, talking over one another.
"Your Majesty, I am Henry of Baal. We met at a banquet in Algo; my mother was your father’s sister, we are brothers of the same bloodline."
"Your Majesty, I am Hugo of Grisson, your close neighbor."
"I am Raoul of Clermont."
"Your Majesty, how did you tame this terrible fierce beast, was it God’s decree?"
...
"Such ridiculousness! Despicable! Shameful conduct!"
Standing at the back of the crowd, watching coldly, besides Bella III, was Marquis Buonafede of Montferrat.
His father, Marquis William, was a significant collaborator with the Eastern Empire in the Northern Apennine Region. His brother, Conrad of Montferrat, had married a Purple Robe Princess of the Komnenos Family but had recently departed to join Losa’s forces.
This Marquis was also a crucial supporter of the Crusade, alongside Bella III and the Governor of Venice, recruiting thousands of Crusaders on his own.
After a brief meeting with those paying homage, Losa directed his gaze toward Bella III and the Marquis of Montferrat beside him.
He first nodded slightly, as a greeting to the former, then walked straight up to the Marquis of Montferrat.
"You must be the Marquis of Montferrat? Your brother, Conrad, is serving under me, an excellent knight, skilled and virtuous. So I don’t understand why you are here."
Montferrat’s entanglements with the East were far from simple.
Apart from Conrad, Marquis Buonafede had another brother, the renowned "Longsword William" in the Holy Land, who married Princess Sibilla and fathered a posthumous son, who was initially to succeed as the Crown Prince of Jerusalem, young Baldwin.
Unfortunately, not long after their marriage, Longsword William died of illness due to the climate.
Perhaps due to close ties with the Eastern Empire, the Marquis of Montferrat could better understand the abundant benefits that could be seized after conquering Constantinople.
After all, his brothers, one married Princess Sibilla and nearly became the King of Jerusalem, another married a princess of the Komnenos Family, becoming a prince of the Eastern Empire, leaving him to guard the Montferrat Duchy, forced to partake in the struggles against Emperor Henry and the Apennine States.
It’s only natural for him to feel imbalanced.
Marquis Buonafede coldly said, "For the cause of the Crusade, the Greeks have been erratic, standing in the way of our Eastern expedition. Only by capturing Constantinople can we establish a bridgehead to advance against the Eastern heretics."
Losa smiled lightly: "I don’t know what I’ve done to earn your hostility, but let it be known, I am not your enemy. On the contrary, I have come to Constantinople to redeem you."
Losa’s tone was very calm, but his words were exceptionally persuasive.
"The overseas territories are limitless; Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Persia, and even farther east are all fertile lands occupied by heretics. Compared to Constantinople, I think Egypt and Jerusalem are undoubtedly more suitable to serve as this bridgehead."
In another life, with Jerusalem fallen, the Crusaders claiming Constantinople as a stronghold for holy war might have made sense, but in this timeline, there’s no credibility at all.
Buonafede scoffed coldly: "That’s easy to say. Are you willing to cover our fare to Egypt, along with all military supplies? If it weren’t for the lack of funds for the crusade, we would have already been to Jerusalem to protect the Holy Land and wouldn’t need to compromise with the Venetians."
All the Crusader nobles responded by lamenting, hoping to lessen their guilt.
"Indeed, the ticket prices from the Apennine City-States are extremely high. We’ve sold off ancestral properties and come to port in hopes of joining the crusade, yet we can’t even afford a fare, and are forced to struggle daily for sustenance."
"Our true intention was never to wield weapons against our Christian brethren; it’s simply because we have no other choice."
Losa raised a hand, signaling everyone to stop talking temporarily, and then briskly walked up to the podium in the council hall: "Everyone, the originator of this erroneous, sinful war—Greece’s usurper Alexios, who treated you as lowly mercenaries, desecrating the holy expedition, has already been punished."
It was impossible for him to fund it himself; though Egypt’s financial situation has somewhat improved, it cannot be wasted on such matters.
"Next, I hope you can emulate the wisdom of the Crusader forebears and reach a mutually beneficial agreement with the Empress of the Empire. On one hand, the Empire should provide all military supplies and ships to transport you across the strait; on the other hand, you should take up arms against the heretics of Asia Minor to earn this aid. After the war, each of you can be rewarded according to merit and receive land, but you will need to pledge loyalty to the Empress of the Eastern Empire."
These terms were actually quite favorable, yet the Crusader nobles hesitated.
"Your Majesty, are the Greeks trustworthy?"
"What if they break the agreement, cut off our supplies, and leave us on the other side to die?"
Losa shook his head: "Perhaps the Greeks are not very reliable, but I guarantee on my honor that they will fulfill this agreement, unless they want to see me riding a Giant Dragon, flying over their heads one day."
"Well said!"
"I knew His Majesty was on our side!"
"Praise King Losa!"
Amid the praises, Losa slowly waved his hand: "Besides, if you are unwilling to fight the heretics in Asia Minor, I have another path for you."
He’s indeed short of manpower now, not to mention far-off places like India and Malacca, but nearby, the East African Coast visited by Captain Hog, claiming those Saracen coastal trade ports could yield unimaginable profits.
Gold, ivory, spices, coral, pearls, and even the unspeakable black living gold...
Currently in Europe, a castrated and briefly trained black slave can be sold for hundreds of gold coins in Persian or Greek courts, equivalent to ten ordinary pack horses, a full suit of armor worn by a medium noble.
Even if Losa does not intend to delve deeply into the slave trade, nor go to Black Africa as a slave trader, it doesn’t mean he will watch the Saracens monopolize this trade route.
Losa took out a sea map and spread it before everyone: "Gentlemen, starting from Eira Port, exiting the Red Sea, crossing Socotra Island southwards, and traveling the coast, it will only take a few days to reach the Saracen-established ’Land of Myrrh and Frankincense’, Mogadishu overseas."
"Further south are Mombasa and Kilwa, both countries of gems, ivory, and gold. It is said that in their capital Kilwa City, the Fire Temple piles mountains of gold and gems."
"These overseas countries founded by Saracens, their navy has now been completely defeated by my fleet. Now, we only await warriors willing to fight to collect these ripe ’fruits.’"
The words had just fallen when they incited a huge reaction.
Some merely sneered at this, viewing the destinations Losa mentioned as "Mogadishu", "Kilwa", "Mombasa" like an overseas overseas, fearing there would scarcely be any chance to return home in a lifetime.
It’s simply too far!
Others were quite tempted—being able to get rich yet also spread the glory of the Heavenly Lord, fighting heretics with lesser danger, what is there to hesitate over?
At worst, once wealthy, they could buy some tickets and bring the overseas properties back to Europe later!
After all, the Red Sea trade route is already under Crusader control, making it much safer.
As for whether Losa is lying?
What a joke, now revered as the representative of the Knight of Chivalry, even donned with the sacred mantle of the Egyptian King of the Crusaders, personally acknowledged by the Emperor of the Eastern Empire as His Majesty Basileus, how could he possibly lie?
Losa indeed wasn’t lying, just exaggerated a little.
Those Saracen trade ports and city-states in East Africa do indeed hold enormous commercial value, and naturally risks exist—disasters, diseases, fierce beasts—but since Saracens can overcome these dangers, the Crusaders surely can too.
If you want to become wealthy, want to be a ruler of a country, own vast farmlands, countless slaves, isn’t taking some risk necessary?