Oh oh oh !!!oh So we need a monthly pass! We need a monthly pass to keep this passion alive and keep it burning!

"What did you say? The minotaur bit down and bit half of the guy......'s body?

"The Papal States took out the army at the bottom of the box, and the last one didn't run away......?

"The Italian army is almost completely annihilated? ahahahahaha......"

"Werther injured an arm, Hield broke a leg, Andrew just hung up......?

"Who is Maffeo?"

In this way, the legendary reinforcements were not felt at all. In fact, it was too late to feel it even - Egil's army was almost three hundred kilometers away from the battlefield. Even the rangers can't get there.

However, none of this prevented Egil from looking at the "good news" sent by his spies, and then he had nothing to do and find a place where no one was to steal the fun. Egil really didn't expect that the Italian army would be so capable of fighting. In the end, the 8,000 Italian troops were almost completely wiped out. At the last minute, Werther and Hield managed to escape. And Andrew finally fulfilled his promise to "die with them". As for Maffeo, this stubborn trickster didn't know when the Eastern Romans attacked and hung up. didn't make it to the end.

The Eastern Roman army also suffered heavy losses, a total of two professional legions were disabled, three temporary conscription legions were almost completely wiped out, and the ironclad paladier legion and the Guards cavalry legion also suffered heavy losses, and a Germanic legion and a Latin legion also suffered a lot of casualties. The Royal Guards, the last trump card, was reduced by two hundred and eighty-five men, and the 1st Minotaur Wing suffered most of the casualties.

Inside and out, the Eastern Roman legions lost more than 60,000 troops. It can be said that the losses were heavy - the Eastern Roman army combined was only in the early 200,000s - eight professional legions, ten temporary conscription legions, two mercenary legions, as well as the Guards Cavalry Legion, the Iron Paladinary Legion, seven Royal Guards brigades, and three Minotaur wings. Together, there are more than 220,000 troops. Went around Hungary with a loss of less than a tenth.

In this battle, however, more than 40,000 were lost! 40,000! 40,000 eh! In addition, because of the loss of the army's establishment, the wear and tear of morale, and the depreciation of weapons...... It is difficult to say whether this army can now have half of the combat strength of its heyday! If it does not go up and beat the reservoir dogs at this time, Egil will not be Egil.

"So, really, the Italians - and the rabble pilgrims and crusaders. You've worked really hard. Your death was not in vain. You are the best stepping stone for me, Egil Skadergrímsson, on the road to glory. It is simply the best example of selfless dedication. It's really, really hard for you. The death of so many devout believers, the death of so many brave warriors. It's a very sad thing to do - but I don't know why, I just want to laugh hahahahahaha......"

Egil muttered to himself as he rolled and laughed in his tent. It's like crazy.

"Well, I'll avenge you. ”

Egir sighed, covered his face with his hands, and took a deep breath. Then he said in a low voice.

Afterwards, King Egil Skadergrímsson, who was in good form, came out of his tent. looked indifferently at his henchmen.

"You guys, you should know. Egil said in a deep voice: "The Italians have been defeated. Although they are brave. But still no match for the Greeks. ”

At this point, Egil paused again: "Well, they won. The Italians have fought hard - now it is our turn! Norman warriors! Now I give the order to go all the way south! I dare not guarantee whether the Greeks, struck by the great casualties and the bravery of the Catholics, will retreat into their own territory! Therefore I will pursue them as fast as I can, and entangle them! Crush them! Otherwise, the greatest glory in the fight against heresy will belong to the Italians! They will enjoy the blessings of the whole Catholic world. And we can only come in second place - I will not allow this to happen!",

After saying these words, Egil began to set up his task: "Alpha, you go and send out all the professional hussars, as well as the Finnish hussars, and the Hungarian rangers who have recently defected, to harass them and entangle the Greeks! So it's definitely not going to be too good at the moment - keep them tired. Don't recover so fast. Also, try to help our Italian allies. Keep an eye out for news from Cardinal Hilde and Governor Werther. ”

"Yes, my lord. Captain Alpha, the Death Knight, who had a gloomy face all year round, grinned, bared his teeth, and then left with a bow.

After this, Egil looked at Forster, the leader of the diplomats who had not played for a long time: "You yourself take someone to the Greeks." Find out how many Italian captives they have in their hands, and try to find a way to keep them restrained and not to destroy the corpses of the Italians. Especially Governor Andrew. Alive, dead - tell him that I am willing to exchange the Greeks whom I have captive. If the amount is insufficient, I am willing to use money instead. ”

"This ...... It seems like a difficult task. But I'll do my best, my lord. Foster replied.

"Hmm. Egil nodded, "And you, Nemulis—you want all your men to move." Destroying roads, bridges, poisoning, polluting water - use whatever means you can to hold back the Greeks. Slow them down. ”

"Yes, my lord. Nemulis replied.

"Bishop Peter, my friend. I think that after this failure, and the great loss, the Pope will be very angry. Or even to say, to make some irrational judgments. I hope that you will be able to give some persuasion to the Holy See in your personal capacity. Let him calm down a bit. ”

"I see, my lord. Bishop Peter said.

Egir said this in an attempt to silence Pope Innocent III - after defeating the foreign enemy. The struggle between the pope and the feudal royal family within the Catholic Church will surely become the mainstream contradiction again. At that time, if the Pope was the Holy See, then this mattered. It was because of Egil's misjudgment that the Italian army was wiped out - or even more viciously. It is said that the Italian army was completely annihilated because Egil could not save him when he saw death. Deliberately arranged. and so on. This deliberately tarnishes Egil's reputation.

And Egil's arrangement, aiding the remnants of the Italian army, and even being willing to spend his own private money to ransom Italian prisoners of war, was just to gag his mouth. And the so-called resignation of Archbishop Peter or something, this is just a step down the table to the Pope's Holy See. What can really shut him up is the exchange of interests under the table, coercion and temptation, and the like......

That's it. Each has its own task. Egil sent another messenger. Let the French army quickly come to the meeting and make peace, and then send messengers to run under the city of Budapest every day. "You have been abandoned by your Emperor!"

The Greek generals on the walls would shout: "We will never surrender! His Majesty's army will soon defeat you! Then it will be your turn to be persuaded to surrender!"

Then the Norman messenger would say, "Don't be delusional! Your emperor has decided to leave you behind!

Evidence of this was evidenced by the throwing of legionary flags on the ground, as well as a large number of Eastern Roman helmets, armor and shields, all of which had been captured during the previous battles in Italy.

The reply to the messenger was not such a polite rebuttal, but the arrows fired from the compound bow and the Greek crossbow......

In this way, the morale of Budapest City was worn down little by little......

At the same time, with great eloquence, a little skill, and a little compliment and a little bit of unobtrusive threat, Forster succeeded in earning a promise from Basil II at the cost of stopping the cavalry harassment. The exchange of prisoners of war was completed in August. At the same time, Basil II agreed to exchange Andrew, incidentally with Maffeo's corpse, for his general Narciss.

During this period, Egil captured more than 7,000 Eastern Roman soldiers. The number of Italian troops captured by Basil II, as well as those crusaders, exceeded eleven thousand. For the remaining 4,000 men, Egil promised to exchange them with 50,000 florin coins. At the same time, Basil II generously promised that Egil could collect the corpses of the Italians at will without spending any money.

"- is this guy addicted to death?!"

Andrew, who had barely gathered the fragments of his stump and had carved a face model out of a silver mask - like that - and the body of Maffeo had been placed in a marble coffin while using spices to mask the stench of the corpse. After the bishop had given the funeral, Egil returned to his tent, only twenty kilometers from Basil II. Then he listened to Foster's return, and complained so loudly......

Basil II did have the idea of retreating temporarily and then regrouping.

But it didn't run.

(To be continued.) [