Chapter 920 - 143: Your Majesty
"Did you see their banners clearly?"
"There are fierce dragon heads, double-headed eagles, various Crusader banners in different colors, and a few marks of St. Mark’s lion."
The captain’s expression was very tense. Such a complex array of flags was beyond his comprehension; he felt it was likely a pirate’s ruse.
"Are you sure you didn’t see it wrong?"
"Of course, my lord, Jacob is the fleet’s best lookout. Judging by their course, they must have sailed from the northern Aegean Sea."
Duke Leopold’s expression relaxed, and his tone lightened considerably: "In this world, some things indeed turn out to be surprisingly coincidental. It’s His Majesty Losa’s fleet, quick, let’s go welcome them."
Apart from Losa, who had just subdued the Crusaders besieging Constantinople, he couldn’t think of anyone who could display so many banners at once.
"Lo, Losa, Your Majesty?"
The captain opened his mouth wide in shock: "The Crusader King of Egypt, Regent King of the Eastern Empire?"
"Yes, old chap, don’t just stand there. Now, immediately hoist the welcoming flags and clean the deck until it shines. We must invite this noble guest to meet with us on our flagship!"
After the captain hurried away, the red-robed witch slowly emerged from the shadows, snorting with a hint of sarcasm in her voice: "Welcome... you really have no sense of dignity."
Leopold did not mind her words, saying: "The most pitiful people in this world are those who are unaware of their own identity and status, stubbornly adhering to old perspectives. When he was still insignificant, he bowed to me. Now that he has gained prominence, I bow to him. There’s nothing shameful about that."
The witch snorted but didn’t continue the conversation. Having lived so long, she was no stranger to the ways of the world, but she felt that Leopold’s behavior made her lose face, as if the person she had chosen was not as good as those of the witches beside Losa.
Leopold had no time to worry about his witch companion’s little thoughts and called for attendants to help him don his elaborate formal attire.
From the deck, melodious horns echoed.
The knights who received the message hurriedly donned the armor fetched by attendants from the cargo hold, and even the slovenly sailors put on their best clothes.
This was not as simple as receiving a king.
This was a legendary figure, deemed by countless clergy, knights, and nobles as a holy saint on earth, who had performed countless miracles since his rise, exuding a divine aura from head to toe, dimming even the presence of the Pope before him.
Leopold quickly dressed in a luxurious wool robe with the help of attendants, draped in a mink cloak, and took out a simplified version of a gold circlet crown from his chest.
The red-robed witch couldn’t help but mutter: "You look just like a peacock showing off its feathers now— even when you went to see your Emperor, you weren’t this formal."
As she spoke, the red-robed witch suddenly looked up in astonishment, catching sight of an enormous three-headed demon dragon hovering like a colossal whale in the clouds.
Below its massive dragon form was a three-deck oar-sail battleship with a prominently displayed dragon head banner, both moving at an astonishingly synchronized speed. This creature, capable of causing catastrophic disaster in any human city, was evidently escorting this battleship!
"A three-headed variant, with such pure blood of a high-level dragon!"
She had naturally heard of Losa’s reputation as a "Dragon Tamer," but had always scoffed at the tales in the extraordinary world claiming that Losa could tame high-level dragons.
After all, she was a high-level practitioner specialized in the art of transformation techniques, deeply knowledgeable in the "Giant Dragon Transformation Technique," and thus understood better than others the proud nature of high-level dragons.
In this world, subdued dragons—whether among Venetians or in Constantinople under Princess Anna—were limited to mid-to-low-level dragon species. High-level dragons with their arrogant nature would never submit to human control.
Not to mention this was no juvenile high-level dragon, but a mature variant with three heads!
The red-robed witch even had a faint intuition that just this one dragon alone, even if she transformed into her most powerful battle form as the "Serpent of the Earth," would be utterly unable to match.
At that moment, her mind went blank, unable to even process what Leopold was saying in her ear.
Two of the largest ships of the era gradually anchored side by side on the sea.
Knights, attendants, soldiers, and sailors from Austria could clearly see on the other ship, smiling knights in bright, new-style battle armor projecting a commanding presence.
Thud!
The gangway was laid across the gunwales, and under the watchful eyes of all, the young monarch draped in the Dragon Head Cloak stepped onto their ship.
"Holy Majesty!"
Duke Leopold quickly advanced, and before Losa could react, knelt on one knee, placing his crown on the ground, hand over heart, bowing his head to the level of Losa’s knee.
At that moment, everyone on the ship knelt down, following Leopold in the salutation.
"Holy Majesty!"
They chanted in different tones and accents.
Losa helped Leopold up, saying with some helplessness, "Your salute is indeed excessive."
Leopold chuckled softly, "Any conscientious Christian cannot overlook your merits, Your Majesty, and any noble professing dignity would feel ashamed of their own flaws before your impeccable morality."
"Your Majesty, I’ve heard something."
"In the Holy Land, conflicts between our compatriots and the Crusaders from Gaul are escalating,
yet all Crusader leaders are from Gaul— including local Crusader leader Duke Raymond, and Lionheart and Philip from Europe, we—"
"I received a complaint from a noble knight; they were even asked to give up their warhorses and fight as infantry because, to those Gauls, the best knights have always come from Gaul."
Losa remained calm; these small matters, he
"Your Majesty, I actually want to discuss a business deal with you."
"That’s quite unusual."
"Vienna is the jewel of the Danube, with thriving trade routes contributing to the city’s greatness, Babenburgers wouldn’t—"
"Venetian merchants— those so-called city nobles are making a fortune, even managing to buy a vast army that almost breached one of the world’s greatest empires’ capitals."
"While self-proclaimed noble lords still wallow in fields and mud pits, scraping meager taxes from the grimy fingers of impoverished farmers, counting the days until they can enjoy a decent meal with venison."
Losa, amused, said: "What does that have to do with you?"
Even if Tyrol’s silver mines were yet untapped, Austria remained one of the richest lands within the Western Empire, also known as the Germania Empire.
"While self-proclaimed noble lords still wallow in fields and mud pits, scraping meager taxes from the grimy fingers of impoverished farmers, counting the days until they can enjoy a decent meal with venison."
Losa, amused, said: "What does that have to do with you?"
Even if Tyrol’s silver mines were yet untapped, Austria remained one of the richest lands within the Western Empire, also known as the Germania Empire.