Chapter 910 - 134: Is He Really a Saint?
The sound of nobles’ noisy discussions rose from below the stage.
The two paths given by Losa undoubtedly seemed like good options to the Crusader nobles, who were now caught in a dilemma.
Yet, even with Losa’s guarantee, compared to "working for the Emperor of Greece," the vast majority still preferred to trust the Crusader King, who was "one of their own."
There were, in fact, two Crusader Kings, but Losa’s brilliance was too dazzling. Additionally, Baldwin IV suffered from the "curse of God"—leprosy. He was personally content to see Losa surpass him in prestige, thus when people mentioned the "Crusader King," they only thought of Losa.
However, the East Africa described by Losa seemed too far off, causing hesitation among them. Most of them had not even heard that Saracens still occupied that territory.
As for resisting and fighting against Losa?
That was just the ravings of some unhappy Crusader nobles who, having gained nothing and been sent back to Europe in disgrace, found themselves without options.
When choices are available, who would choose such a hopeless and doomed path?
Moreover, they had already incurred an Excommunication Decree by ignoring the Pope’s prohibition and insisting on attacking Constantinople. Now, they were fated not to capture Constantinople, and hoping for Papal forgiveness through "mending the split in the Church," if they attacked and killed Losa, they would still become enemies of the entire Christian world.
Losa let them talk, and even graciously ceded the high platform, allowing the Crusader nobles to come up and closely examine the map—more accurate than any in this era—depicting the whole of Europe, Africa, and most of Asia.
"So the world is this vast!"
"My God, is this what they call the Kara Khitay? It looks as big as several Gauls. Even the Sassanid territories are not this large."
The nobles exclaimed with astonishment, witnessing the world for the first time.
Losa stated calmly:
"There is no need for haste, gentlemen. You have ample time to consider this matter. Next, I will request the Empress of the Eastern Empire to temporarily lease Galata to you as a temporary residence, and provide you with partial supplies."
Of course, just "partial supplies," as he couldn’t possibly bear the expense of accommodating so many people for free.
For the Crusaders heading to East Africa, Losa was naturally willing to cover their passage and supplies to transport them to Egypt. When they captured those city-state trading posts in East Africa, Losa would also require them to become his protectorates, providing him benefits.
These Crusader nobles had limited business acumen; even after seizing the territories, they’d still rely on Losa’s fleets and merchant ships to transport goods to Europe. Even if these nobles didn’t swear fealty to him, he could still rake in profits from controlling this chain.
But to be frank, this matter was not urgent. Taking over the Saracen colonists’ legacy in East Africa would inevitably be a long-drawn affair and, in the short term, a financial burden.
Bella III silently observed this scene for a long while, then sighed.
He initially thought Losa would use a tough stance to pressure the Crusader nobles, enabling him to unify the Crusaders around himself and increase his bargaining power.
Of course, increasing bargaining power didn’t mean he wanted to go to war with Losa, only to improve the leverage in his hands for more benefits.
Never did he expect Losa to quickly divide and win the Crusaders over to his side.
Losa came before him: "Your Majesty Bella, your passion for the Crusade, your piety to the Heavenly Lord, is well known. Are you interested in joining this expedition to Africa?"
Bella III’s face twitched; forgoing the Hungarian Crown to become a slave master in godforsaken Black Africa?
He feigned a smile and said, "Better not. Since His Majesty Losa mentioned that the Saracens there have already suffered a severe blow, I imagine my participation is unnecessary for victory."
"I thought, Your Majesty, would be moved by the gold, silver, ivory, and spices there."
"Ha ha, in the palace of Esztergom, my wealth is piled as high as the mountain. Be it the foxes of Gaul, the lions of Albion, or the tigers of Aachen, they are inferior to me. Would I become a slave to wealth?"
Indeed, at this time, Hungary, due to its numerous gold and silver mines, coupled with Bella III’s studies in Constantinople, had implemented reforms similar to the Eastern Empire, greatly enhancing the King’s authority. His finances were the most ample among monarchs.
Losa snorted, "Perhaps."
"Your Majesty Losa, you have obtained so much already. From a Border Count, now you’ve swallowed the whole of Egypt, crowned as the Crusader King, and accepted the title of Basileus from the Empire, becoming the master of half of the Eastern Empire."
What troubled Bella III most was that this only took Losa a year.
This same duration was spent by him and the Governor of Venice just on planning.
He took a deep breath and, somewhat reluctantly, asked, "Are you being too greedy?"
"Your Majesty Bella has already the Saint Stephen’s Crown and seeks to occupy Croatia, Dalmatia, and the frontier provinces of the Eastern Empire, aiming for glory and merit not meant for you. Aren’t you too ambitious?"
Losa retorted.
When he defeated Saladin and advanced into Egypt, all of Europe’s kings wanted a share. Besides Philip and Richard, who acted decisively, Bella III was the most active.
"I only think your hand shouldn’t reach so far,"
Bella frowned. He had always sought to expand his territories into the Balkan Region, foreseeing inevitable conflicts with the Eastern Empire. If Losa intervened in every war, he couldn’t continue expanding.
Losa shook his head, "You may have misunderstood me. I do not intend to stay in Constantinople to rule this land with the Empress."
This time, Bella III was the one shocked.
As an "exchange student" in the Empire, he knew better than anyone the veneration for the Imperial throne.
He could not become Emperor simply because he couldn’t, not because he didn’t want to.
"Then what do you desire?"
If not for the Empire’s supreme position, he couldn’t fathom why Losa would pay such a hefty price to rush from the frontlines in Cairo to Constantinople.
Was it just for an empty title?
Losa chuckled softly, "If I must say, it’s for justice."
At that moment, he seemed to radiate a golden glow, like a saint enshrined on a Shen Kan.
Could he truly be a saint with divine inspiration?
Even Bella III found himself starting to believe for a moment,
He had previously assumed Losa, a country noble from the Germanic regions, was a symbol of ignorance, greed, and impulsiveness.
Yet Losa possessed such talent; even his conversations and logical reasoning as he arrived were unmatched by many scholars graduating from Divinity Schools.
He had previously assumed Losa, a country noble from the Germanic regions, was a symbol of ignorance, greed, and impulsiveness.
Yet Losa possessed such talent; even his conversations and logical reasoning as he arrived were unmatched by many scholars graduating from Divinity Schools.