CHAPTER 331: CHAPTER 24: BEAST BATTLE

"I concede."

Crown Prince Henry removed his helmet, his face filled with a bitter expression.

"It is an honor to have faced Your Highness and the elite warriors under your command."

Crown Prince Henry opened his mouth and said in a low voice, "Go savor your victory and bask in the cheers of the people, for this is what you deserve."

He turned around dejectedly and walked towards the exit of the arena, looking utterly defeated.

From Losa to Jeanne, three consecutive opponents crushed his arrogance and conceit into dust.

With the announcer’s announcement, the stands immediately erupted with thunderous cheers.

Victory!

From beginning to end, Losa’s side held an absolute advantage. The water-tight defense of the Eagle Banner Brigade also greatly impressed the citizens of Constantinople.

Even if they looked down on the Franks in their hearts, viewing them as barbarians, the citizens of Constantinople knew that the Franks were undoubtedly one of the most formidable armies of this era.

Furin looked proudly at the group of noblewomen and snorted, "See that? You bunch of blind women, my lord is the greatest!"

The expressions of the noblewomen were varied.

Some of the noblewomen had a puzzling blush on their faces, their expressions dreamy as they said, "That big brute is truly handsome. I think I might have fallen in love with him. If only I could spend a night with him..."

Furin was furious. These lowly bitches, how dare they utter such shameless words openly.

Chelina quickly grabbed her arm and whispered, "Don’t stir up trouble. Our lord has no interest in them."

...

On the viewing platform.

The envoy from Sassanid Persia watched this scene with disdain.

It is said that the Franks are brave and fierce, but seeing this today, it’s not much to behold.

Just a few deaths and they have already surrendered. For someone like Saladin to be defeated by these barbarians, it shows he was nothing extraordinary.

Anna said lightly, "See? Even the most elite soldiers under Henry Caesar are no match for the Empire Warriors. This collaboration should be led by us."

"This proves nothing."

Leopold’s expression was indifferent. From the moment Losa stepped into the arena, he had predicted today’s outcome.

"As far as I know, a rebellion against the Empress is about to occur in Thrace. I seriously doubt if Constantinople can honor its alliance to send troops at this time."

Empress Ragaya said lightly, "That is nothing for you to worry about. If even an outsider like Marquis Leopold has heard of the rebellion, it only shows that this so-called rebellion is nothing more than a minor affliction."

She then told the court eunuch attending beside her, "Summon General Losa to see me."

...

The Eagle Banner Brigade withdrew their formation and waved to the cheering crowd around them.

This is the exclusive honor of the victors.

Some of the roguish ones even focused their gaze on a few beautiful noblewomen, removing their helmets and incessantly whistling towards the stands.

Previously in the Hebron City Guard Army, they were all a bunch of seasoned rogues, extremely slick.

Losa smiled as he watched them enjoy the honors that were rightfully theirs.

The Royal Treasurer, the old eunuch whose face was full of wrinkles, walked onto the field with a broad smile.

"General Losa, His Majesty is summoning you."

"Alright, I’ll go right away."

Losa exchanged a glance with Jeanne and followed the old eunuch in the direction of the viewing platform.

Arriving on the spacious platform.

Losa could already see the Empress’s throne, facing away from him towards the arena. From his angle, he could catch a glimpse of the Empress wearing the majestic Triple Crown.

"Lord Leopold, long time no see."

As he passed by Leopold, Losa was the first to greet him.

Leopold smiled and said, "Yes, long time no see. But every time we meet, Losa, you always surprise me."

Thinking back to half a year ago, he had wanted to entice Losa with the title of Baron. Now Losa had clearly become the most formidable among the Crusader Princes and had even established connections with the Eastern Empire.

"When everything is settled, let’s have a good chat."

"Alright."

Losa smiled, passed by Leopold, and knelt on one knee before the Empress, saying, "Your Majesty, I am fortunate not to have failed my mission. Following Frankish tradition, I wish to dedicate this victory to you."

The Empress’s majestic face showed a rare gentle smile, "I accept it, General Losa. As a token of gratitude, I bestow upon you the privilege of accompanying me to the ceremony."

Is this considered an honor?

Losa was slightly stunned in his heart, but showed no trace on his face.

The Empress’s authoritative voice continued, "For this battle, every soldier of the Eagle Banner Brigade participating will be awarded fifty Suludes gold coins and silk from the Peloponnese."

Losa quickly calculated.

This is roughly equivalent to each person receiving a hundred Suludes gold coins, a hundred people amount to ten thousand!

Hebron’s half-yearly tax revenue was thus spent without a blink of an eye?

"Come sit here, General Losa."

Anna beckoned.

Losa lowered his voice and asked, "Are there any more competitions below?"

"Of course, there’s one more, the most exciting beast fight."

"What beasts? Lions, tigers?"

"No, it’s a Tyrannical Dragon and a rhinoceros, both very ferocious Evil Beasts."

"Dragon?"

Losa keenly caught this keyword, "What does it have to do with the Tyrannical Dragon?"

"Nothing, the Tyrannical Dragon isn’t a real Dragon Species, it just happens to look like one."

"Like a giant crocodile?"

"That’s an apt metaphor."

As the Eagle Banner Brigade exited jubilantly, adorned with the silks bestowed by the Emperor on their armor, cheers filled the air.

Roaring sounds echoed from the arena.

At another opening of the Great Arena, a metal gate connecting to the beast cages slowly rose as the Beast Tamer operated the heavy winch.

Two fierce beasts burst out from their cages and charged out promptly.

They were at least five meters tall, the Tyrannical Dragon resembled a Tyrannosaurus, covered in pitch-black scale armor, its massive head filled with teeth as sharp as saws.

The rhinoceros had wrinkled old skin, with a crescent-shaped curved horn at the front of its head stained with dark dried blood, and its large eyes radiated madness and fury.

Losa frowned, "Aren’t you worried about these Evil Beasts going out of control?"

The walls of the Great Arena were barely three meters high at the lowest points; for these gigantic beasts, even the short-legged rhino could run up and possibly leap over them.

Anna shook her head, "I’m not worried, I’ve set up a Magic Barrier that makes these two beasts perceive the walls as an insurmountable abyss—your Witchcraft isn’t advanced enough to notice, so that’s normal."

At this moment.

The two giant beasts had already begun their standoff.

Both were fierce predators; if they met on the African plains, they would likely avoid each other.

But now they were famished, and with only each other in sight, the pent-up agitation and fury from days of captivity made coexistence impossible.

The Tyrannical Dragon kept circling the rhinoceros.

But the rhino, much like the strategy of the Eagle Banner Brigade, stayed put, turning as the Tyrannical Dragon circled to keep its horn aimed at the opponent.

Yet after a while, it felt dizzy, gradually losing pace with the Tyrannical Dragon.

The Tyrannical Dragon seized the moment and lunged at the rhinoceros, biting down fiercely with jaws like a guillotine, but its loose skin, akin to a leather armor, proved remarkably tough.

Failing to bite through the rhinoceros’ defense, the Tyrannical Dragon was knocked down by its swift turn.

Dust billowed, and people felt as though the earth itself was shaking.

In the audience, people held their breath, gasping often; such titanic beast duels were also a rare spectacle for the people of Constantinople.

Many noblewomen turned pale with fright.

The Sassanid emissary looked serious; for the Greeks to showcase such beast battles was a way to flex their muscles.

Losa said solemnly, "If these giant beasts could be tamed, they would be unbeatable on the battlefield."

Anna transmitted her thoughts, "Sadly, they can’t be tamed. They won’t even eat the meat given by the Beast Tamer. If they stay locked up, they would just waste away and die in the cold prison cells; better to entertain the masses with their blood."

"Do you know Rauf? He used to have Scorpion-tailed Lion Knights under his command."

Anna was slightly startled, "That Bedouin chieftain? Perhaps he’s a Wizard specializing in extraordinary zoology, or maybe an emissary of some African Evil God. As you know, that Wilderness Continent is so vast, it’s not surprising if some peculiar Power appears."

"Losa, I’m curious, what are you seeking Dragon Species creatures for?"

Losa did not reply directly, instead he changed the topic, "I’m curious too, when will the Treasure you promised me be ready?"

"Hey, if you don’t want to talk about it, there’s no need to bring it up—I wouldn’t default on you. I’ve been running back and forth lately, where would I find the leisure to make it?"

Losa glanced at her, frowned, and said, "By the way, have you spoken with that person by Count Leopold’s side?"

Anna glanced at Leopold in the distance, lowered her voice and said:

"We’ve talked, she neither wishes to join our Levant Wizard Association nor plans to get involved with the Witch Cabinet set up by your Crown Prince Henry—tsk, love always makes people blind. Even witches are no exception."

"Who would imagine that a witch, like me, who already has one foot in the Legendary Tier, would want to be a mistress to a Secular Lord?"

"Leopold really has the skills."

Losa expressed admiringly.

With a look that suggested he himself never lived off others.

At this point, the Tyrannical Dragon, which had been knocked to the ground, astonishingly crawled back up and bit into the rhinoceros’ short and stout neck covered in thick scales.

The rhinoceros struggled desperately, its skin and flesh being torn away, with the Tyrannical Dragon’s sharp teeth still embedded in the wound.

The now enraged rhinoceros unhesitatingly charged at the Tyrannical Dragon’s leg, its sharp horn breaking scales and leaving a deep bloody gash.

On the stands, people’s cheers grew louder and louder; such a bloody, do-or-die battle was what people loved to see!