A gull flew in the sky, hovered over the Scourge of the Seas for a moment, and then swooped down in a posture that slammed straight into the deck.

Bang –

Princess Anna, dressed in purple, reveals her figure.

She looked at the ghost ship, although she had seen the Scourge of the Seas and Captain Hogg before Lothar left, but when she saw it again, there was still a kind of visceral shock, what a terrible spell could drive so many dead?

Even a master who specializes in the School of Death may not be able to produce such a creation, right?

"Good day, Your Highness."

Lothar smiled and said hello.

Anna frowned, "You can't wait to go back to your big desert?" You've helped General Mikephros get the treasure back, and he's going to throw a banquet for you, which will help you a lot to boost your reputation. ”

The importance of fame in this era is undeniable, and a legendary knight, any high-ranking lord must be treated with courtesy.

This is something that really translates into tangible benefits.

But Lothar thought about it for a while, and still refused: "I don't like that kind of occasion very much, and, in the Empire, it is enough for me to have the connections between you and Her Majesty the Empress, the dignified princess in purple, it is always no problem to cover me, right?" ”

"Heh, it's fine, but it depends on my mood."

Anna took the box from Lothar's hand and weighed it: "Oh, it's not light, how heavy is this family heirloom ruby of Nikephoros?" ”

Lothar explained, "It's not as heavy as you think, I've wrapped a few more layers, after all, that thing doesn't need a light source to emit light on its own, and it doesn't have magic fluctuations, so I always feel that it's dangerous." ”

Anna nodded: "Okay, I see, I'll give this thing to Nikephorus, but what about your bounty?" ”

Lothar thought for a moment and said, "It's okay to redeem it directly to Nisya, doesn't her office there have reserves, I'll just take it." ”

…

In the wilderness.

"The flame is above!"

The servants and guards who escorted Princess Rosema stared in amazement at the huge oak tree that seemed to cover the sky and the sun in the distance.

Princess Rosema is Saladin's older sister, although her skin is still smooth, but the corners of her eyes have fine lines, like Saladin, her appearance is not outstanding, but it has her own characteristics.

"This is the sacred tree in the Frankish mouth?"

She stepped on a sturdy black slave from a dromedary hump, and perhaps so surprised that she didn't even stand still for a moment.

"What a marvel of such creations."

"Take a pen and paper, and I'm going to write it down."

Princess Hasma practiced at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the theological center of the entire Arab world, second only to Baghdad, where countless imams and scholars debated and taught every year.

But Rosema was not a theologian, she was not even very religious, and she liked to study herbalism, astrology, and agriculture rather than obscure scriptures.

Someone whispered: "I followed the caravan through here last year, how long has it been?" It's been a sea change. ”

"The Franks say it's a gift from their heavenly Father."

"Are they really blessed by God?"

Someone said angrily: "Blasphemy, this is the place where the first flame was born, and the great prophet returned to Hashem in an instant from the stone of Gudés (Arabic, meaning 'holy city', i.e., Jerusalem), which is of course the creation of the sacred fire, but the Franks stole it." ”

"These savage Frankish robbers!"

Rosema frowned, and then stretched out.

She instinctively resented the so-called holy war, but she knew that the legal basis for her brother's rule over the Saracen world lay in the promise he had made to regain the Holy Land.

So, war is simply inevitable.

The black slaves held up large umbrellas for Bathma, a slave from Nubia, who was selected through layers of body, burly and powerful, and at the same time loyal and reliable attendants, who were loved by the princes and nobles.

"There is a situation!"

Ahead, smoke and dust are everywhere.

A group of hussars with bright armor and feathers on their backs rushed slowly.

They were followed by a group of men and horses dressed in overlay helmets and full armor and chainmail lined iron horses, their outfits in an oriental style very different from those of the Franks.

"It's the 'Hussars'!"

In the ranks, a Turkic slave who had fought with the hussars reminded: "They are very strong in combat, do not provoke them, everything is for the safety of Her Royal Highness the Princess." ”

The hussars on the opposite side stopped on a small dirt slope, and they surveyed the convoy, and after a moment, they sprang out of it.

"I'm Ulm, the Earl's Commander-in-Chief, and the Honorable Guest is Saladin's sister, His Highness Rosema?"

"The master of my house is indeed His Highness Rosema."

The Turkic slave spoke.

As a Mamluk personal guard, although he was a slave, his status in the ranks was not low.

After all, the Mamluks, as an independent military group, belonged to the same system as the native aristocracy, and were an important support for Saladin, and it was impossible not to pay a high position.

"As a patrol officer, I have the obligation to escort you out of the country and ensure the safety of all the lives of your convoy in our territory."

The pilgrim procession looked at each other.

"Would you be that kind?"

Ulm is neither humble nor arrogant:

"Don't get me wrong, I have escorted many pilgrim convoys, and Transjordan is the hub of the pilgrimage route, and my family has an obligation to shelter any legitimate pilgrim, not to have any other thoughts about you."

Transjordan's pivotal position is that pilgrims from the north either have to cross the desert farther away, or they have to travel south from the Mashreq region to Basra by boat into the Persian Gulf, and then around the Arabian Peninsula and into the Red Sea.

Time-consuming, labor-intensive, and dangerous, the Mashriq region was also the center of gravity of the Sassanid Empire, with the second capital of Sasanid besides Ctesiphon, Baghdad.

With Saladin's relationship with the Sassanids, the danger of this route was greatly exaggerated.

Princess Rosema spoke: "Thank you for your kindness, I would like to accept your escort, but now that we want to see the Sacred Tree up close, I wonder if it is possible?" ”

Ulm bowed his head humbly and said, "Your Highness, the sacred tree is here, and any legitimate pilgrim has the right to pay homage, and no one has the right to interfere with your actions as long as His Highness's procession has not violated the laws of Transjordan." ”

Princess Rosema smiled: "Saladin once told me that your lord is his approved opponent, and he is also an upright and upright knight, and you have such a demeanor as his subordinate, it seems that Saladin is right. ”

"Indeed, my lord is the most just and enlightened monarch I have ever met."

Ulm's swarthy face showed two rows of large white teeth.

Escorting Rosema safely across the border was an order that Coors delivered as soon as he received the news.

Even if he was destined to be an enemy, Curos did not want to be a thorn in Saladin's side.

In the city of Jerusalem.

Hans and his two colleagues walked into the tavern built in the shade, from which they could see in the distance the towering Tower of David, which was Herod's chamber and fortifications for himself.

Many cities of this era have such characteristics.

Each family built towers in the city under their control to monitor the movements of rival families.

The Knights of Jerusalem, led by Goldfrey, had a permanent company at the Tower of David, which was also an important arsenal with a large stockpile of weapons, arrows, and shields.

The tavern is still very lively.

The changes that Lothar brought to the city were enormous, and many of the knights of Jerusalem were now wearing new breastplates, embellishing their cuirass with various coats of arms and matching them with black chain armors.

None of Lothar's subordinates had completely changed their plate armor, even the more rudimentary cuirass, and the production capacity was not rich enough to equip every soldier.

Unlike Jerusalem, even knights who are relatively short on money are willing to grit their teeth and buy a cuirass for themselves because of the popularity of plate armor, and the rest of the supporting equipment can still be used to make a living.

The tavern was bustling with activity.

It was the hottest time of the day, and Hans and the others were also on patrol and were a little too much to stand the sun, so they decided to come to the tavern to drink two cold drinks and rest for a while.

"Grand Master, I have heard that Lord Lothar has won a much-anticipated tournament in Constantinople and has been appointed by the Empress as the Military General of Cyprus, do you think he will come back?"

"Of course, why do you suddenly ask about this?"

"Lately there has been a lot of discussion about this, and some people say that the Lord has turned his back on the faith and wants to convert to the Greek Church, and some people say that he has been favored by Her Majesty the Empress and has become a guest of the court."

The knight who spoke was a typical Apennine, speaking with gestures, but not as accented by a southerner like Cellinina.

Hans frowned, he had naturally heard of these rumors, but he didn't take them to heart, after all, he had only met Lothar for a long time in the world of combat records before.

He knew what Lothar was going to do.

"Something familiar to that man"

"Conrad!"

The knight suddenly waved his hand into the distance in surprise: "Here, I haven't seen you for a long time, I didn't recognize you just now, aren't you serving the empress in Constantinople?" ”

The knight on the opposite side was also a little surprised when he heard this: "Luca, long time no see." ”

Knight Luca solemnly introduced Hans: "This is my friend, Conrad of Montferrato, who once served the emperor in the Eastern Empire, not only married the purple-clothed princess of the Comunens family, but also sat on the high position of Caesar of the Empire. ”

Hans was slightly stunned.

According to Luca, this is a real big man, but in terms of appearance and style, it is really difficult to hook this person with that kind of big nobleman.

Conrad smiled and said, "Oh, Luca, the so-called power is like a cloud of smoke for me, I have renounced the title of Caesar of the Empire, and I am determined to participate in the war against the infidels and defend the Holy Land. ”

He turned his gaze to Hans again: "Fortunately, Grand Master Hans. ”