The Norman procession of pilgrims, armed to the teeth, was extremely comfortable, and Peter inquired about the identity of the leader nobleman, but he only said that he was now only a guilty pilgrim, hoping to go to the Holy Land and wash away his sins, and he was not worthy of mentioning his worldly status.

"But in Anatolia, due to the lack of mules and horses, and the possibility of storms in the seas in winter, we have not returned, and I am going to return to Taranto first to make careful preparations, and then in two years I will go by sea to pay homage to the Holy Sepulchre."

When Peter learned of the nobleman's intentions, he told him that he was going to Constantinople to meet the Roman Emperor, so they had to part ways in the port of Ephesus.

"Yes, we will sail to Athens, and then through the mountains, and then take a boat from Durazo back to Taranto, and you will have to take another route, monk."

"That's right, we sailed to the fortress of Gallipoli, and soon entered Constantinople from the Golden Gate."

At this moment, there was an earth-shattering sound from the bottom of the hill where they were walking, and everyone looked towards the plain in the distance, but saw that in the vast cloud of dust and smoke, two armies were fighting fiercely, one of them all carrying a square banner of "La Blan's Cross", which consisted of the Greek letters "x" and "p", which means "XPαt", that is, "Christ" in Greek; A banner full of black fangs with curly Turkic letters on it.

"It was the war of Zahas against Caesar Myaulinus of the Greeks." The noble man stood on the hillside, watching with all his attendants, as well as Gawain and Peter, and in a few moments he judged, "The Turks and Turkmen are about to be victorious, and the people of Myacollinus, an old and desolate waste, are a complete rabble." ”

Sure enough, after a while, in Zahas's camp, a stream of scale armor and chain mail flashed brightly, and the elite slave knights with feathers flying on their helmets, shouting the slogan of Allah, holding long maces and scimitars, broke into the infantry defense line of the already exhausted Byzantine Roman army, and then the Byzantine military flag began to panic, Gawain was sharp-eyed, the first to see a small group of heavy cavalry, escorting an old man in splendid clothes, quickly leaving the battlefield, "That should be the so-called imperial Caesar in the mouth of Fiobis, He abandoned the group and fled. ”

At the sound of a shrill trumpet, the Turkmen light cavalry of Zahas's two wings lined up in the shape of a crescent, waiting for the opportunity to roar, stirring up terrible dust like lightning, and the Byzantine infantry, who had no time to escape, were sandwiched in the middle of the battle position, and then the whole scene was like the favorite steppe hunting of this group of Turkic herders, arrows intertwined and fell, and the Byzantine rabble corpses piled up like a mountain.

"After this battle, it is estimated that the Greeks will have to abandon more territory in Asia Minor, and soon the capital will become their only remaining fortress - I remember a prophecy in the Crescentists that the flag of Allah would fly on the masts of ships in the Marimara Sea for the second time after five hundred years. Poor Myaulinus, but I pity his emperor even more, Alexios in Constantinople, he is in the prime of life, I am afraid that there will be a few more strands of gray hair on his sideburns, and the years will make people old. Then the nobleman said sarcastically, then turned his horse's head and said to Peter, "A little further on we will reach Smyrna, where we will part."

Under the stars, in the countryside outside Smyrna, a procession of Norman pilgrims cleared a patch of snow, erected several beautiful tents, and set up grills and chairs, and the nobles insisted on entertaining Peter and Gawain's companions, or their master, before parting.

Gawain tore at the roasted venison, roe deer, and rabbit meat with his white teeth, and for the first time he thought the meat was so delicious, and then one of the servants handed him the wine in a bronze goblet, and he did not hesitate to drink it.

"Your name is Stephen. Gawain? Judging by your appearance and demeanor, you are not a vulgar peasant, and you and the barbecue I entertain feel so compatible—sorry, for only nobles can eat meat, so we have the characteristics of noble beasts, leopards, lions, falcons, etc., but the serfs at a glance look like they have grown from eating acorns and lettuce leaves, and are full of the smell of lowly earth, so that it is convenient to report your family name? The nobleman was playing with a gold-plated wine glass inlaid with turquoise, and with great interest, the eagle's gaze on his shoulder burned brighter than a campfire.

Gawain lowered his eyebrows and turned his eyes to look at Peter beside him, this old man is a fasting and does not drink, and tonight he looks preoccupied, Gawain's heart secretly turned twice, and then replied to the nobleman, "The despicable man was born on a Scandinavian island, and then my father and I were baptized by a missionary from Denmark, and then I went to the Kyiv steppe, and then to Asia Minor to prepare for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and was captured by the Turks, and then escaped and met a respected hermit. ”

The nobleman raised his mouth and sighed, "It's a good example of a legend, but it's a pity that I don't have a bard with me, otherwise I'm sure the unsheathed sword on your belt will give them more material." At this time, on either side of the feast, the nobleman's servants, guided by the man who had never appeared in his cloak, loaded his suitcases on the mule cart and began to set out in advance in the direction of the city of Smyrna, "Here are the Byzantine Greeks - I am sorry, I don't want to call them Romans, even if they would be angry to hear me say so - and the Romans, the intersecting border with the Zahas, and your own safety after I leave at once." ”

After the nobleman had said this, the man in black with his cloak and several knights came to stand with his hands in hand, indicating that the baggage convoy had left smoothly, so the nobleman patted his knees and stood up, and the four Norman knights who were still standing at the side of the feast to protect him, seeing that his master was leaving, leaned on the hilt of his sword and leaned over, "Why, respected monk Peter, at this sad moment, you should come forward and hug me, and give us sincere blessings for our future." ”

After saying that, the noble man smiled and opened his arms widely.

But Peter didn't move, he glanced at Gawain, although Gawain was a little confused, but the two had been together for so long on the road, there was still some tacit understanding, Gawain stood up, pulled out the Turkic scimitar in the sheath, and held it with his backhand along his arm, which was a standard Turkic warrior's starting position, and the other hand also held the hilt of the "Sword of Phosphorus Fire" - but in the genes of the Grumnu soldier he plundered, there did not seem to be the use of a long straight sword, so this sword was quite alienated compared to the scimitar.

"What does that mean?" The nobleman snorted and laughed, and the four Norman knights around him quickly drew their swords.

The eagle, too, felt the uneasiness in the air, and screamed violently!