In the early hours of the morning, Šafate.

The battered wooden towers on all sides were limp and hung on the walls, and the dense arrows on them showed the great damage suffered by the siege tower. The battering ram that had been lying in the middle of the gate was slowly being pushed away by a group of soldiers to clear the way for the soldiers behind to enter the city of Safat. And a group of priests of the Holy Order, dressed in white or black, who had come with the army from the principality, were a little bored, with a kind of lazy eyes, splashing their hands with water from precious vessels, and the avenues of the city were slowly soaked with these holy waters.

Soon, the young king of the duchy will enter through this breached gate, conquer the city, cut down the sign of the crescent moon, and make the Holy Cross stand on the highest point in the city. In doing so, the priests sprayed with their own hands holy water, which represented the glory of godly service to God, on the path the king was about to travel, so that God could bless the pious monarch and bless him with invincibility and peace and contentment.

But is the seemingly pious truth really such a noble piety?

You know, the leader of the priests who accompanied the army is now in a cold sweat, the Count of Aimo, who was supported by the Duchy Church, has died, and Alphonse V, who was not looked down upon by them before and even acquiesced in the persecution of Count Aimo, is gradually mastering the army, capturing the city, and establishing his own prestige. It is evident that when Alphonse returned home, when he sat on the throne of St. Colesman, holding the scepter representing the king's authority, it would not be long before he would be the most powerful man in the Duchy of St. Colesman. Power in the Duchy will be highly concentrated, and Alphonse will be far superior to his incompetent grandfather and Count Amor. As long as Alphonse is not an idiot. He will surely know how to use the fighting forces of his subordinates to his best interests.

Now, the leader of the priest is trying to do something that will please Alphonse. to mend the rift between the former Church forces and Alphonse. Although the power of the Church is incomparably large among the human nations in the Western Continent, far exceeding any country or organization formed by humans on the Western Continent. But let's not forget that the dignity and strength of the Church is sustained by these nations, organizations, large and small, whether it is finance, manpower, land, or otherwise.

And the Duchy of St. Chres is a country that the Holy Church values more. You must know that the east and south of St. Cleres are the territory of the infidels, and the north is a heretical country, and such a country that is incompatible with the religions of the eastern regions is the breakthrough point that the Holy Religious Church dreams of, and an important stronghold for the Holy Religious Church to expand its power to the east.

With such a stronghold, the Holy Church was able to use its means to expand its influence in the East and earn more profits.

Therefore. The leading priest would be so nervous, if the Church and the Principality were broken due to his own reasons with the Patriarch of St. Colesman, then the status of Metropolitan of the Diocese of St. Colesman, which he had so hard obtained, would only be in suspense. The Metropolitan who was in charge of the secular power of the Holy Religious Order of the Duchy of Colesmane sounded imposing, but in fact the hardships were only known to him.

"Thorn ......" a soldier drew the sword from his waist and gave a shining sword flower to a soldier of Ikzar who was lying on the ground without dying.

"Hmm............" His hands and feet had already been cut off, and he didn't have the strength to hide the bubbling blood on his neck, and his eyes widened, looking at the skyline in the distance. Slowly closed his eyelids, and the blood soaked into the cracks of the masonry little by little, oozing a charming red color.

"Damn, it's finally cleaned up......," the soldier said, drawing his sword. Glancing at the layers of corpses lying on the wall around him, he couldn't help but say with some joy that it was not easy to check and fill in the gaps on the battlefield and give death to those who did not die. But it is still worth rejoicing about making a fortune from the dead. Perhaps these heretics will carry something of great delight in their bodies.

As early as an hour earlier, the Crusaders had already captured the city. At this moment, the streets had already been controlled by the Crusaders. The defenders of the Safat died to death. Wounded, only a few lucky Iqzar soldiers escaped death and were taken prisoner by the Crusaders. Of course, they may not have been so lucky.

He may be sold as a slave or executed in a centralized manner, who can know for sure.

And the nobles were united and imprisoned, waiting for the king's disposal, whether to kill or release, depending on God's will.

On the walls of the Safed, the corpses of the dead were everywhere under the corners, some of the defenders, some of the besieging sides, with empty eyes and stiff bodies, turning the color of the wall solemn, solemn and unbearable. The destroyed ladders were scattered and collapsed to the ground, some of the walls were deeply embedded in the boulders thrown by the siege trucks, and there were also a slight cracks in the well-textured masonry structure. Fortunately, none of the walls collapsed, so the army that took over the city did not have to bother to rebuild the walls. In fact, the power of siege trucks alone could not cause the walls to collapse.

The wood burned by the boulder turned into a cloud of ashes and scattered on the ground, the earth mixed with blood and flames mixed into an uncomfortable color, and a cry of difficulty came from all sides of the city, whether it was a soldier who had escaped from the defenders who had been caught and killed by the Crusaders, or it could have been an innocent citizen's house that had been robbed by the excited Crusaders.

The black clouds in the sky dissipated little by little, and the skyline watched the morning sun slowly rise, cold, icy as the tide poured into the army of the Safed, and the long, red carpet that represented the authority of the monarch all the way to the Doge's Palace.

Thanks to the book friend - not the banana comment: "Why is this plot so familiar?

Actually, I really want to write a work with a rich background like the Heavenly Dynasty movie, but the level is not enough~~

Moreover, the book's inspiration for the Holy City does come from the Heavenly Dynasty, of course. Naturally, the content in it is not, at least there is no young man named Vickers.

Saying. It was only today that I suddenly noticed something, I seem to have been confusing Chrysmang with Chrysman......

A straight avenue leads to the Saphat Governor's Palace running through the city. In some years, on both sides of the bluestone pavement stood slaying soldiers armed with swords and other weapons, their bodies embroidered with crosses, and the shields inserted on the ground were also engraved with a large sacred coat of arms.

Now, the blood in the body of this group of soldiers was beating excessively with excitement, and even the bruises on their faces were indescribably proud, and they, the soldiers standing on the road to the conquered city, were waiting for the new master of the city, Alphonse of St. Cles Man.

Although they were soaked in blood. The blood on their clothes was dripping dripping from their clothes, and the tip of their noses was filled with a fishy smell, but they were not in the slightest dissatisfaction, for they would be successful crusaders, the only preachers who could conquer the land of the pagans in nearly half a century, and let the glory of the Lord shine on the East, the preacher of war. Propagator of the Divine Doctrine. God taught them how to fight with their fingers and how to use violence to subdue the infidels.

To put it more realistically, this group of soldiers is excitedly waiting for the reward after the completion of this siege, according to the rules of the Western Continent. When a soldier successfully captures a city, their monarch or lord will give generously to each soldier.

Although it's just a thing that seems very normal. But don't forget jì, in the now chaotic western continent. How many real people can give every soldier a generous reward? I am afraid that those rewards will only allow a soldier to squander a week in a brothel or tavern.

I want the horse to help, but I don't give the horse grazing. This is the true portrayal of the current war on the mainland, in fact, it is no wonder that they (monarchs, lords), it is true that after years of war in the western continent, there is not much money to reward the war.

But when he heard that Alphonse V was going to reward every soldier this time, and even took out 60,000 Tolian gold coins to reward him, the soldiers' faces inevitably bloomed with smiles, even if these gold coins were distributed to each soldier according to the most unequal average (not calculated by capitation), each of them would be rewarded with three gold coins.

One gold coin is enough for them who have no family to spend lavishly for two months, three gold coins, at least they don't have to worry about the luxury expenses of half a year.

It seems that this time the service industry in the Duchy of Klesmang has to set off a new wave of money.

However, from this point, it can also be seen that Alphonse is very determined, and under financial pressure, he rewards the soldiers with huge sums of money. His plan is definitely not just as simple as Safed City, you must know that the annual tax revenue of Safed, which is a major grain-producing region, is only 100,000 gold coins. The treasury of the Duchy has survived years of losing wars by Alphonse IV, and it is unknown how many gold coins are left.

Fortunately, after capturing the city of Safat this time, Alphonse will carry out a purge of the wealthy merchants and officials in the city, of course, the remaining property after the purge will naturally be managed by the king, presumably from those who usually eat birds and beasts.

Dense Crusader soldiers spread all sides of the bluestone avenue, their helmets and armor shining, exuding a kind of killing intent unique to the aftermath of the war, with strong bodies and round eyes.

But there was a very strange phenomenon among this group of soldiers, that is, the cavalry that used to ride tall horses was gone.

In the siege battle, because everyone was a soldier fighting on foot, and the horses would be placed in the rear according to the rules, no one noticed the disappearance of the cavalry in the army. However, after the capture of the city, when the soldiers stood on both sides according to the etiquette of welcoming the king that has been passed down from ancient times, they were surprised to find that there were no cavalry in the army, except for the five hundred royal guards who came with the army. Even the Knights of John and the Knights of the Templar, the cavalry of the Knights inside had disappeared completely.

However, both of Everey Ray Barres (Knights of the Templar) and Riga de Monrance (Knights of John) showed a flat expression, and did not seem to have a trace of suspicion because of the disappearance of their cavalry, and there was not even a slight fluctuation in their expressions. It seems that there must be something inside to the disappearance of the cavalry.

The 2,000 or so cavalry of the army disappeared. This is no small matter, and the people who can mobilize these cavalry and the knights of the two major knights. In the current Duchy of Colesman, there is only one person - and that is Alphonse V.

His amazing brain. I don't know what plans I'm thinking about again.

What kind of plan did Alphonse have? The inside story of this must only be known to the two thousand cavalry and the two knights who were transferred, as well as Alphonse himself.

"Woo~~~~" The herald standing on the ruins of the city gate put the horn in his hand to his mouth and blew out a whining military horn. Alphonse was about to enter the city, entering it as a conqueror.

Alphonse looked at the ruined ramparts not far away and smiled self-deprecatingly. Continue to ride on a war horse, pacing forward. He was surrounded by a dense array of royal guards guarding him, followed closely by an elderly magician (Ira Bumer), five hundred and two of them rode slowly into the city of Safed on warhorses. Among them, Sebas is missing. As for Sebas, I'm afraid that he won't have the opportunity to be by Alphons' side now. With him conquered the city.

......The sound of the hooves of the horses came from outside the city gate, and all the soldiers stretched their necks, their eyes widened, and their shields were fiercely supported in both hands, and they looked towards the city gate, wanting to see the appearance of the master of the city.

The sound ............of horses' hooves approached, and one after another of cavalry (royal guards) dressed in elite armor rushed in, and behind them, they wore golden cross cloaks representing the majesty of the royal family, slowly waving in the blazing wind.

"Wow......" With the opening of the way for the previous royal guard. Finally, today's much-anticipated protagonist, Alphonse, slowly appeared in front of everyone.

He rode a group of divine horses, and held a valuable sword and a shield in his hands. In order to show his current identity, a monarch who fights on the battlefield and kills the enemy with the soldiers.

But again, it is commensurate with being a monarch. It was on his head that he wore a crown of the cross given by the pope who sat upright in the Holy See, representing the legitimacy of the reign.

A cross made of yellow gold is set in the crown. In the light of the new rising sun, it shines with a divine light.

Just one night at a time. The city of Safed had already been captured, which was unexpected by everyone, but at the same time it was expected. The tall city wall did not play a big role, and even because the wall was too wide, the garrison was insufficient.

It is a great irony that the defense of the big city, which has nearly 50,000 people, is only more than 2,000 people.

In fact, this is also a kind of helpless expression.

Because of the years of civil war in the Iqzar dynasty, the various nobles were divided from each other, and most of the young people in the dynasty were sent to the front. The young men in and around the city were no exception, most of them were conscripted into the army, and the men in the city who did not participate in the war were either young children of very young age or old men who had no strength, and most of the remaining young men were arranged by the governor's palace to leave the city to reclaim the surrounding land. Of course, there are some middle-aged people with families, most of them are reluctant to leave their homes, and similarly, it is even more impossible to go to the front line to meet the enemy.

During the siege of the city of Safed, 1,000 of the 2,000 defenders were temporarily conscripted, so that an untrained army could not withstand a fierce attack by the army of the principality, and one night was enough.

Moreover, Alphonse's choice to besiege the city of Safed this time also had his own considerations. He already knew from the information he had received before, and at this time, Sebas must have been in a tug of war with the army of Khairifan, to which Governor Safat belonged.

The inhabitants of the city locked their doors tightly behind their backs, and carefully watched the movements of the troops in the streets with the small holes in the windows or walls, and even the slightest movement of the soldiers drawing their swords was enough to make their hearts pound. The old men, women and children in the house gathered together to comfort each other and ask Allah Almighty to bless them.

The man, who is the head of the family, holds tightly the few lethal weapons in the family, such as kitchen knives and hoes. Hide behind the door and listen carefully to the movement outside the door, even if you can't fight this group of soldiers, it is enough to save your family from disaster.

No one could have predicted the actions of the soldiers who had just followed the Great War. If there is really a soldier who is in a frenzy, wouldn't it be the greatest sorrow to let his family suffer misfortune.

As a matter of fact. Even more uneasy than these commoners are the wealthy aristocrats who are usually high up. Now, there are 20 royal guards in front of their doors or in their homes.

Pay the money and don't kill. Don't pay the money, and after the killing, you're sweeping.

This is the means of these royal guards, they are subordinate to the royal family, naturally they don't have to worry about their actions, anyway, the sky is falling, and there is this layer of the royal fortress covering them.

The ordinary soldiers had little time to take care of the civilians' property, and their attention was now focused on the square in front of the Doge's Palace.

One after another, soldiers began to walk towards the square, even the members of the two highly disciplined knightly orders.

Because now, their king. Alphonse V was to reward the soldiers, each with three gold coins. In such a situation, even the two chief regiment commanders have no way to prevent their subordinates from getting rewards at this moment, and cutting off people's financial routes is the most hateful move, even if the person who blocks the financial path is their own chief regimental commander. Although it is not easy to show on the face, it is still certain that I feel guilty.

Therefore, the two regiment commanders also turned a blind eye, and did not pay attention to Alphonse's behavior that obviously had a sense of enveloping people's hearts, and besides, at this moment. It's not easy for the two heads of the two regiments to take time out to meddle in their affairs. The Knights of John and the Knights Templar are bustling with activity.

Alphonstone Guò did this to consolidate his control over the army, and the two commanders did not pay attention to the behavior of the two commanders to show their goodwill to the new king. Both sides have their own needs.

"Your Majesty, a total of 120,000 gold coins were found in the homes of wealthy merchants and officials who were seized. As well as pearl gems worth tens of thousands, because there is no professional jewelry master, there is no way to count the specific value. The chief of the royal guard meticulously stood in front of Alphonse and reported their "achievements".

"Oh......" Alphonse raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn't expect that just by investigating and dealing with the family of an official's wealthy businessman in a city, he would be able to receive so many goods. It seems that war, if used properly. It's really a likable way to make money.

"Well, in that case, you can go down and get ready, hand out the rewards in front of the Doge's Palace, and then prepare for tonight's dinner. There was no need to choose a location, but this governor's palace was used as the center of the dinner, and all the nobles and officers of the army were invited, whether they were new or old. By the way, remember to promote the outstanding soldiers in the army, and try to arrange them in various important grassroots positions. Also, the warriors who will be given to the dragon slayer will be rewarded with thirty gold coins each after they return with Sebas," Alphonse tapped his fingers on the table, sat down in his chair, and ordered.

Thirty gold coins sounds like a lot, but if it is only given to three hundred people, it is not a huge financial burden. Let these three hundred people get a little profit, in order to establish their own image in the hearts of the sergeants with clear rewards and punishments, this is a good business.

"Yes...... Won't you go to reward the soldiers?" asked the chief of the guard, a little suspicious.

"No, you just have to deal with these things. Alphonse smiled slightly.

"Yes. ”

Let me go on my own? Alphonse hadn't felt good enough about himself to do so, and the mere fact that he insisted on handing out rewards to the soldiers in the army had already made the captains of the two knights feel uneasy, and if he went to treat himself again, he wouldn't have to make the two captains uneasy.

Although Evra is now on the same front as himself, he may turn his face and deny people one day. Moreover, his behavior this time is not so much to win people's hearts, but to consolidate his position in the army, so that he can have the strength to compete with the two major knights.

As long as he uses some means to gain the support of this group of old nobles, and then win over some new nobles and the loyalty of ordinary soldiers, no one can shake his position in the principality.

But is that really all Alphonse has to offer? (To be continued......)