Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks

Chapter 874 - 98: The Fourth Crusaders’ Eastern Expedition

Alexander.

The sky has turned to a dim twilight.

A sleeping soldier suddenly opened his eyes and was shocked by the circle of heads around him: "Heavenly Father above!"

"Quick, tell me, how did the decisive battle go?"

"Did we defeat those Brits?"

Looking at the eagerly awaiting faces of his companions, the freshly awakened soldier couldn’t help but laugh: "Of course, not only did we win, but we also had a very memorable feast; the girls from Texas were quite enthusiastic."

The soldiers in the camp immediately let out a chorus of unwilling howls.

From beside them, a sudden excited shout erupted from the camp: "We won!"

As if it was a signal, at dawn, camps everywhere burst into a thunderous sea of cheers.

The soldiers joyfully went outside the camp, and the officers, following Losa’s orders, commanded to move out large barrels of wine and dishes, setting up bonfires in the camp; the aroma of roasted meat spread throughout the whole Alexandria Port.

Some Crusader nobles who were sleeping soundly were startled awake and drew their swords: "Have the Saracens returned?"

After a long time, upon learning that it was Losa’s soldiers celebrating, they cursed softly and returned to bed.

Losa, standing on the highest point of the four-hundred-foot Alexandria Lighthouse, watched the scene with a smile on his face. The combat record was completed successfully, and he felt quite satisfied in his heart.

The residual effects of merging with the Mountain Spirit disappeared when he returned to the main world.

"Next, proceed methodically to reclaim the entire Egypt."

...

And just as Losa was preparing to devour the whole of Egypt, head upriver along the Nile River, bringing the fertile floodplains, river valley oases, towns, and villages under control, making the crown on his head well-deserved.

On the Adriatic Coast, gathered here, waiting to sail to the Holy Land in the Crusader camp.

The King Béla III of Hungary, dressed in Byzantine-style scale armor, wearing Saint Stephen’s Crown, accompanied by a group of Magyar light cavalry, arrived in the camp.

"Believers of the Heavenly Lord, standing before you is the bearer of Saint Stephen’s will, the King of Hungary and Croatia. I came here intending to join with you to go to the Holy Land and partake in the great sacred war mission."

"But the land where Christ stands—Jerusalem, and the Alexandria Major Archdiocese, have already returned to the glory of the Heavenly Lord. Now, is there still any need for us to go to the Holy Land?"

Béla III shouted passionately: "Did we come from thousands of miles, sell our estates, manors, and titles at a meager price just for a handful of soil from the Holy Land?"

Many Crusaders had no retreat.

Their travel expenses were funded by selling estates or even mortgaging territories, and the buyers were not easily dealt with, either the Church or Dukes staying behind, which is why they were stranded in the Dalmatian Region.

"So what do we do now?"

Many Crusader soldiers and nobles showed faces of distress: "During the most intense battles, we couldn’t afford the ever-rising ship fares, and now that the battles are concluded, we don’t know where to go for the sacred war."

Béla III raised his arms and shouted: "Believers, in the East, that empress of cities, the world’s throat, where countless silk, spices, gold, and silver flow in daily."

"Goods transported there can be sold in our territories at ten or twenty times their gold coin price after arriving."

"Egypt has already been recovered; going further would not achieve feats. The new Crusader King Losa is renowned for his stinginess and greed, all glory should belong solely to him, and he won’t share it with any of you."

Some doubted, but under these circumstances, it was not convenient to stand up and refute it. After all, Losa, no matter how generous, wouldn’t allocate territory to these latecomers who have not achieved any merit.

A Crusader noble shouted loudly: "Your Majesty, the Empress of Constantinople may possess wealth aplenty but won’t grant us even a scrap of it. What exactly are you trying to say?"

Béla III laughed heartily: "It’s not about what I want to say, believers, please listen to Alexios, a most orthodox descendant of the Imperial Family, from the esteemed Anglos Family in the Eastern Empire."

He pointed behind him at the Eastern Empire prince dressed in a splendid purple robe and crowned with a golden crown, who then strode forward and stood before Béla III: "Esteemed ones, the imperial throne is currently occupied by a shameless Ducas harlot who murdered the previous emperor, usurped the throne, and has waged war against the righteous of Sicily. Her crimes I can lay out for three days and nights."

"If you help me reclaim the throne, I’m not stingy with granting goods, titles, even the Empire’s territories in Asia Minor."

A group of Crusader nobles looked at one another, unable to fathom that Béla III’s offered path was to wage war against their fellow Eastern Empire.

Some Crusader Lords withdrew immediately, stating their participation in the Eastern Expedition was for redemption, Egypt has been recovered, and they could very well continue the fight in the Levant; directing swords towards coreligionists is unjust, akin to the ignoble mercenaries.

Nevertheless, more tenacious Crusader Lords stood practical.

Others stated: "Under His Holiness the Pope’s command, we’ve come to fight Eastern heretics. If we abandon this midway and turn against our fellow believers, it might provoke excommunication from the Pope."

Alexios IV laughed: "Esteemed ones, fear not. Should the battle be victorious, I will work towards bridging the divide between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Great Orthodox Church, aligning under His Holiness the Pope as the leader. Would he reproach you under those circumstances?"

By now, Alexios had convinced the majority of Crusader Lords present.

Remaining concerns essentially related to the mighty walls and fortifications of Constantinople; they lacked finances and could hardly recruit craftsmen to construct siege weapons, not to mention sustaining daily military necessities was challenging.

"As for the battle’s outcome, esteemed ones, worry not. I have secured an alliance with Venice, and they’ll supply all our military requirements in this venture."

"Additionally,"

Alexios IV laughed: "Esteemed ones, fear not. Should the battle be victorious, I will work towards bridging the divide between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Great Orthodox Church, aligning under His Holiness the Pope as the leader. Would he reproach you under those circumstances?"

By now, Alexios had convinced the majority of Crusader Lords present.

Remaining concerns essentially related to the mighty walls and fortifications of Constantinople; they lacked finances and could hardly recruit craftsmen to construct siege weapons, not to mention sustaining daily military necessities was challenging.

"As for the battle’s outcome, esteemed ones, worry not. I have secured an alliance with Venice, and they’ll supply all our military requirements in this venture."

"Additionally,"