CHAPTER 326: CHAPTER 19: THE GRAND MILITARY PARADE

"The book you’re reading deals with medium-level magic model structures, right? Stop reading it, those are outdated."

She casually stuffed the book back into the shelf.

"Come with me to my alchemy laboratory. There’s a small barrier here so I can examine the results of your learning over this period."

"Won’t it damage your barrier?"

"Don’t worry, it’s very sturdy. Do as you please."

"Majestic Purple Robe Princess, don’t say things that might cause misunderstandings, okay?"

Anna gave him a glance, tried another approach: "Don’t worry, your little tricks won’t even scratch it."

Losa raised an eyebrow: "You sure have a way of putting things."

...

The next morning.

At the break of dawn.

An eye-opening start with Anna waking Losa, and with Prajna and Jeanne, they helped each other dress in armor.

Accompanied by the veteran brigade under his command, after breakfast, they set forth to Saint George’s Church, Cyprus.

That will be their starting point for the parade today.

The veterans donned brand new white-black eagle cloaks, dried overnight with a spell by Anna after the servants cleaned them.

They carried heavy spears resting on their shields, one hand securing their waist-adorned sword scabbards, and wore helmets dyed red with vertical horsehair rows — these, too, were last night’s rush work by Anna’s men.

These items are purely decorative, having no use in battle and might even block teammates’ vision instead.

Looking like this, the veteran soldiers seemed like an ancient empire legion traversing from history, attracting the attention of many early-arriving noble officers.

"Whose army is this?"

"Has the Empire reinstated the Imperial Guard?"

People exchanged curious glances.

Greek nobles familiar with the Empire’s history were filled with curiosity but were reluctant to approach due to Losa’s clear Frankish barbarian identity.

The barbarian leaders couldn’t perceive the uniqueness of this army, only finding the equipment somewhat peculiar.

As daylight grew prominent, the parade formally commenced.

They proceeded along Mese Avenue, passing through Theodosius and Constantine Squares, heading east towards the Great Arena.

Along the route, citizens gathered holding holy images of the Heavenly Father, Holy Mother, and Saint Apostles, bringing families along, eager with anticipation.

"Here they come!"

"They are here!"

Accompanied by the cheers of the crowd, the first column of troops appeared on the street.

They were the first regiment of the Varangian Guard, all donned in splendid silk cloaks, under a banner adorned with lightning and a long face, holding kites shields, and gripping long spears, advancing in synchronized steps.

Following them were the Varangian Guard carrying two-handed axes, embodying what people expect of the Varangian Guard—individuals exuding fierce aura, bearing Greek-styled round shields.

The number of Varangian Guard varied; Empress Ragaya did not cut down the four thousand men Emperor Alexios recruited, keeping the number steady.

But such a large corps naturally can’t have every regiment as elite.

Only the most elite two regiments, totaling sixteen hundred men, participated in this parade.

Among the Varangian Guard elite, the expenses stack up compared to heavy cavalry.

In this world, aside from that Eastern Dynasty which also lost valuable horse breeding grounds, no other country invests such large expenditures in heavy infantry.

Behind the Varangian Guard were several hundred noble cavalrymen draped in large red cloaks, clad in various exquisite armors, with helmets mostly adorned with swan feathers and peacock plumes, and even their mounts covered in silk horse clothing.

These are the so-called Argentopulian Imperial Guard Cavalry, composed entirely of nobles and officers’ offspring.

Regardless of their combat prowess, just the equipment alone truly stands out.

These handsome and upright noble cavalrymen immediately sparked the crowd’s cheers, as compared to the Frankish barbarians, these Greek scions are whom the citizens of Constantinople prefer to admire.

They surely don’t recall these flamboyant figures’ disastrous defeat on the battlefield, which happened over a hundred years ago.

Following them was a detachment of armored cavalry with riding spears and bows hanging beside their saddles; they are dubbed the Vadarite Imperial Guard Cavalry, experts in the so-called Parthian tactics, mostly lightly armored archers, with a minority listed as armored cavalry archers.

Only the more valiant armored cavalry archers appeared on the parade ground, their mounts draped in full horse armor, even covering the horses’ eyes.

This indicates they possess exceedingly high horse control skills so that the mounts will not halt in the midst of a charge due to fear of flames or enemy’s spear formations.

Behind them, it was Losa’s platoon of veteran soldiers. In terms of numbers, they were far fewer than those before them, but each veteran marched in perfect unison. Their specially crafted lavish uniforms elicited waves of cheers.

Following them were the Latin Knights Regiment. These knights from Central and Western Europe employed a spear-charging tactic, with everyone dressed in various cloaks bearing their family crests, and wearing round or square barrel helmets.

Finally, there was an array of auxiliary units, including well-known units like the Imperial Guard Archers Squadron.

However, as light infantry, their loose formation hardly made much impact on the spectators.

Count Leopold glanced at the young Crown Prince beside him and smiled, "The Greeks are showcasing their strength to us, Your Highness. What do you think of their army?"

Crown Prince Henry, a young man with golden curls and a prominent hooked nose, sneered upon hearing this, "Nothing but show. Greeks always like to bluff. Their only superior fleet has already met its demise in Cyprus. I truly don’t understand why Father wants to ally with these Greeks."

Leopold exchanged a knowing smile with the red-haired Witch beside him.

Compared to the cunning Emperor Henry, young Henry was still full of muscle and arrogant.

"I think I saw a familiar face..."

Leopold’s expression suddenly changed.

"That person... Is it Losa? How is he here and has become a general of the Greek army?"

Crown Prince Henry inquired in confusion, "Which Losa?"

"Losa from the Habsburg Family. In just half a year in the Holy Land, he replaced Count Reynard of Transjordan, and was promoted by King Baldwin to Vassal Prince of Transjordan."

Count Leopold mused, the young baron he once intended to garner under his flag now apparently stood on equal footing with him.

"Ah, it’s him."

A trace of jealousy appeared in Crown Prince Henry’s eyes. Losa’s fame had soared recently; the Gwent Card he invented had already become popular throughout the Empire.

The titles like Holy Land Guardian, Dragon Slayer, Werewolf Killer, Generous, Brave, and a series of other names resounded throughout Christendom with the return of pilgrims and caravans.

He snorted lightly, "I’ve indeed heard of this person. Just the other day, my father even hinted he might promote his father Werner to Duke of Outer Jura Burgundy."

"Heh, Count Werner’s military achievements are well-honored. He is an outstanding general, and His Majesty’s favor is understandable. He will definitely, in the future, be your loyal servant, Your Highness."

Leopold only smiled.

The thoughts of the young Crown Prince were really too easy to read, no wonder His Majesty the Emperor entrusted him with managing all the affairs of the emissary delegation.

Crown Prince Henry seemed eager, "Come, Count Leopold, let’s head to the Great Arena and teach those Greeks a lesson in true skills."

Leopold was slightly surprised, "Your Highness, are you sure you want to compete personally?"

Crown Prince Henry looked expectant, "Certainly! I have claimed the Champion Knight title ten times before. If I could encounter this Losa in the arena, it would be perfect."

Evidently, defeating the now-renowned Losa would significantly boost his reputation, which would greatly aid him in his future rule over the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

The military parade gradually came to an end.

Meanwhile, the Great Arena was also beginning to open to attendees.

The elegantly dressed nobles and noblewomen seated themselves at the viewing platforms at both ends of the Great Arena, while the commoners could only watch from the stone steps.

In the oval-shaped Great Arena, shadows filled the place from high to low, presenting a scene grandeur surpassing any tournament Count Leopold had ever hosted.

Furin and Chelina sat on the viewing platform of the arena, in a fairly decent position. She clung excitedly to Chelina’s arm, "Is the Lord going to come out from that door later?"

Chelina shook her head, "I don’t know."

She had little understanding of the empire’s traditions and couldn’t fully recognize Greek text, making most conversations around her sound utterly incomprehensible.

The surrounding Greek noblewomen eyed them with jealousy, murmuring mockeries about their lack of decorum and guessing them to be the kin of some barbarian leader.

The Great Shepherd Nestas II of Constantinople and several black-robed bishops watched stone-faced at the still-vacant viewing platform reserved for Her Majesty the Empress and the members of the Imperial Family.

Despite their disagreement with the Pope of the Public Teaching, they shared the belief that such barbaric activities spilling blood on the arena were certainly not something a devout believer ought to engage in.

At this moment.

The gates of the Great Arena opened wide, and heavy chariots, with two horses abreast, maneuvered by charioteers, entered the track. This was the opening chariot race, where bets could be placed in advance on favored charioteers.

The heavy wheels thundered over the hardened ground, and the chariots sped by without the slightest intention of slowing down, even on turns.

This seemed to mark the start of today’s tournament festivities.

The excited cheers of the crowd rose, faces flushed of those who placed bets, tirelessly cheering for their favored team.

With a loud boom.

A carriage toppled and sparked a series of collisions, where a young noble charioteer found himself trapped under the overturned carriage, crying out miserably.

This brutal scene ironically further fueled the excitement of the crowd.