Temperatures don't get much cooler with the start of autumn.

As the sun scorched the earth, Jeanne stood under the awning, with a chilled wine in one hand, as she watched the contest between the Tiefutu with a hood and the armored archers with his masked helmets, waving her fists and shouting loudly.

Their black robes, all of them, made a clanging iron roar in the clash of iron and shield.

The two staggered by, took off their riding bows from their saddles, and aimed them at the straw man's target to draw their bows and arrows.

Soon, however, Jeanne returned to the tent in high spirits.

Lothar, who was processing the papers, asked without raising his head, "Who won?" ”

"It's kind of a win."

"After all, the two people shot the fixed target in full hit, and every stab attack can also accurately hit the key point of the straw man's target, and the weapons of both sides cannot break the defense, unless they are fighting to the death with iron bones and maces, they really can't tell the difference."

Lothar nodded.

The function of the Iron Float is similar to that of the mounted cavalry, which is a skilled archer and a super-heavy cavalry who charge a frontal assault on the enemy's infantry phalanx.

In addition to the Iron Floating Massacre equipped with Oriental Armor, equipped with Bow Riding Armor, Scale Armor, and Chain Armor, the two are surprisingly consistent in terms of combat style and direction.

Over time, the Iron Float formed formations under Lothar, both of which were the most expensive cavalry under Lothar, as were the archers, and many nobles privately agreed that this was another proof of the empress's favor for him.

Because they had the impression that there would be no other power than the Empire and the Sassanid Empire capable of raising such a high-priced cavalry force - and even if they did, they would not be able to do it.

Lothar put down the document in her hand and smiled, "You don't seem to be happy?" ”

She said with a straight face: "Yes, it's all because you made me a holy spear guardian, and now, they look at me like they are looking at the clay sculpture in the shrine." ”

"What's so bad about being admired by all people, and being revered and loved by them?"

"But I still prefer the way it used to."

Lothar teased: "Yes, during this time, people often come to me to pat them on the shoulder, thinking that I have the ability to send children. ”

"It doesn't have to be fake."

Jeanne tossed the glass onto the table and licked the stains from her lips.

Her sitting posture was still very lazy, and the legs that were tight and shapely, like a female leopard, could be faintly seen under the hem of her skirt.

"What, do you want to learn about my holy spear?"

"Here?"

Jeanna said with a disdainful face: "Forget it, you are not afraid of just letting Praruo bump into me, last night I obviously said that I would come to sleep here, but I ran back in a hurry halfway, and I took a special shower before going back." ”

Refreshed, Lothar approached Jeanne and was gagged by her raised hand.

"It's not dirty."

"What's my own?"

"It's because it's your own, so you don't feel awkward, don't you?"

If you think about it carefully, this is indeed the case, tiger poison does not eat children.

So, settle for the next best.

"Then kiss me on the cheek."

Jeanne waved her hand, and two red clouds rose on her cheeks: "Get out of here, Coors has been waiting for you outside for a long time, and your skin is really getting thicker and thicker now, you weren't like this before." ”

What is the reason why I was dealing with official business, and I rolled into bed with Jeanne?

Oh yes, it's the Holy Gun.

Outside the tent, Kurs looked at Lothar as usual: "My lord, there is a clergyman outside, who claims to be Cardinal Sebastian, leading a team of mercenaries who claim to join your crusade.

Sebastian.

"It's a familiar name."

Curos reminded in a whisper: "Before, it was he who sent someone to find Andreas and wanted to lease New Habsburg to establish a monastery. ”

"It's him."

Lothar casually asked, "How many people did he bring?" ”

"More than 2,000 infantry, looking at the equipment, it is quite good. More than half of them are elite crossbowmen, and the rest are fully armored halberders and armored infantry, presumably free mercenaries from the Apennines. ”

"Tsk, mercenary mercenaries are now going to raise the banner of the Crusaders and fight for God."

Lothar sneered, mockery in her tone.

Coors smiled: "It's like a vampire bat, even if it is a few kilometers away, as long as it smells a trace of blood, it will smell the news and swarm there." ”

"I'd rather call them a pack of hyenas."

Lothar laughed: "Let this Cardinal Sebastian go to the camp next to the knight's jousting ground to meet me, arrange some more guards, and give him a dismount, which may enable our cardinal to consider before speaking to me." ”

Cardinal Sebastian has a striking hooked nose, which makes him not look like an easy person to get along with.

But after the new pope ascended to the throne, he quickly rose to prominence and entered the College of Cardinals in the Papal City.

He didn't really have much worry about the meeting.

Because in his opinion, a person with a divine aura like the Marquis of Lothar is the most aware of the horrors of theocracy, not to mention that if the Marquis of Lothar covets the crown of the king, it is even less likely to offend him, the representative of the Pope.

Before they could get close to the camp, Sebastian and his servants saw the Varangian Guard, lined in two columns, with battle axes in both hands, placed on their chests, wrapped in iron armor from head to home.

These elite armor soldiers, without squinting, were murderous, so that Sebastian's originally arrogant mentality was immediately kicked violently.

Curos greeted him with a smile: "Please come in and see you, my master has been waiting for a long time." ”

Sebastian held up his momentum and said, "I've been waiting for a long time." ”

Curles's face did not change at all, and he opened his eyes and said nonsense: "Heh, my master is just taking care of official business, so he was not able to meet Your Excellency at the first time, after all, my master is now the sole commander of the Crusaders, and there are too many places to work hard in all aspects. ”

Sebastian gave Curs a deep look.

"I hope so."

As soon as he entered the tent, he saw Lothar eagerly greet him: "Good day, Cardinal Sebastian, it is the greatest good news I have heard in this time that you can lead the army to help. ”

Seeing Lothar's respectful attitude, Sebastian secretly said that this was also a person who knew the times, and gradually let down his guard, and came forward to talk to Lothar eagerly: "The Marquis has been favored by the gods, and he slays the dragon with a holy spear, and every time he hears it, he also deeply hates not being able to see it with his own eyes that day. ”

The two exchanged a few compliments, and Lothar got to the point, asking Sebastian what he meant.

Sebastian smiled and said: "His Majesty the Pope learned that the Marquis had the ambition to enter Egypt and recover the Diocese of Alexandria, so he immediately sent a contemptible man to help the Marquis, and in addition, he also thought that with the leadership of the Marquis, the guardian of the holy spear, Egypt will be bathed in the light of God again, and at that time, the contemptible man will be the patriarch of the Diocese of Alexandria and personally crown the Marquis." ”

"Good!"

Lothar was pleasantly surprised.

He grabbed Sebastian's arm and said happily: "It is a blessing for me and all the crusaders to have such a theological attainment as the patriarch of the diocese of Alexandria. ”

Lothar smiled, but then as if she remembered something, her face changed suddenly.

"Oops!"

Sebasti also chuckled in peace and hurriedly asked.

Lothar said with a look of embarrassment: "Your Excellency must also know that when I was in Constantinople, I pledged my allegiance to Her Majesty the Empress, and at that time I promised to recover the Patriarchate of Alexandria for the Empire, and to transform all the altars of the Holy Fire into Orthodox churches, especially the Altar of the Great Flame of Al-Azhar, and I even promised to change it into an Orthodox Patriarch's Cathedral. ”

"And the Coptic righteous men, who wept bitterly to me about their misery under the pagans, and I relented in my heart and promised them to keep all the churches."

"In this case, I am really worried about whether there is any surplus church that can be handed over to you, Your Excellency Sebastian, as the cathedral of my Catholic Church."

Sebastian was dumbfounded, and before he could react for a while, he thought that the big thing had been decided, and there was such a reversal: "Lord Marquis, as a devout Catholic, how can you, as a devout Catholic, not consider the interests of Catholicism in the slightest? ”

Lothar also looked remorseful: "Yes, this matter is all to blame for my lack of calmness, seeing that Her Majesty the Empress is serious and the Copts are miserable, he made a decision with a hot head." Can Lord Sebastian teach me how to remedy it? ”

Sebastian was silent for a moment, and then said with some difficulty: "Why don't you give half of the Coptic church to the church." ”

This is already quite a compromise approach, after all, the Orthodox Church has the Eastern Empire in charge, although it is declining, but the empire is still powerful, and it is conquering cities in the Kingdom of Sicily, and it has the momentum of being a neighbor of His Majesty the Pope, and Sebastian does not dare to offend.

"No, no, no."

Lothar hurriedly shook his head: "Your Excellency, the Bishop does not know, Egypt has a large population, and Coptic Christianity is deeply rooted, and if he breaks with the Coptic Church rashly, I am afraid that they will form an alliance with the infidels—besides, I have always done what I say, how can I easily dismiss what I say?" This is not only damaging to my reputation, but also to my Heavenly Father's reputation. ”

Sebastian said a few more compromises in quick succession, but Lothar's head shook like a rattle, either this or that.

He acted so vigorously that the banter in his eyes was not concealed for a while, and finally angered Cardinal Sebastian.

"Are you playing a trick on a godly servant of God?"

Lothar also took off his disguise and wrote lightly: "With only two thousand mercenaries, you want to share the spoils at the table, doesn't Your Excellency Sebastian feel shabby?" You think I'm playing tricks on you, but I think you're wasting my time. ”

Bang –

The cardinal clapped the case: "Marquis of Lothar, you are so reckless, are you not afraid of the excommunication of His Holiness Majesty?" ”

Lothar crossed her legs on the table and said nonchalantly, "Then I will have to beg Her Majesty to pardon me on my behalf." ”

"I happen to think that the sacrament food of unleavened bread is a little unpalatable."

Sebastian was so angry that his face turned red, and after a while, he held back a sentence: "It's just... It's just deviant! People like you deserve to be the Guardian of the Holy Lance? ”

Lothar immediately sat up straight reverently and drew a cross on his chest: "This is the will of God, Your Excellency Bishop." Otherwise, it will be you who will take the holy spear and slay the demon dragon and defeat Saladin. ”

"Good! Good! Good! ”

Sebastian said three good words in a row.

"You must know that God can give you the holy spear and also make you lose it!"

Looking at the cardinal who was leaving in a rage.

Lothar sneered.

"I'm afraid he forgot that this is the East, not Western Europe."

It is true that the divine right of the monarch is granted, but he can find the empress to grant it, and he can also find the patriarch of the Coptic religion to grant it, and there are too many choices.

"Coos, shall we make a bet?"

"Bet on what?"

"Bet on whether he'll come back."

Lothar said with a smile.

Curs meticulously took out a handkerchief, wiped the place where Sebastian had been sitting, and said, "Honestly, I hope that this bishop, who smells of spices, will be able to retreat; But since you've made a bet, he'll be back. ”

(End of chapter)