CHAPTER 68: CHAPTER 60: THE CENTER OF POWER (DOUBLE-LENGTH)

With this half-body plate armor, Losa could even mount the horse by himself.

The helmet was a bascinet-style helmet, resembling a bird’s beak.

This helmet had air holes at the mouth, making it more suitable for fighting in the Holy Land’s scorching heat compared to the suffocating barrel helmet.

The visor design allowed Losa a broader vision in close combat or foot battles, and the curved faceplate was more advantageous for absorbing impacts.

Clearly, Losa was very satisfied with Marles’ craftsmanship.

...

The morning of the next day.

At this moment, the Jerusalem Royal Palace was hosting a grand gathering, with nobles of all ranks and status in the city attending.

The banquet was to welcome Count Thierry from Flanders, who was related to the Baldwin Family, both belonging to the Anjou Family, a branch of the Plantagenet Dynasty.

The atmosphere at the banquet was lively.

Count Tirry enjoyed the luxurious Eastern life with a mixture of astonishment and envy, as Eastern nobles were unparalleled in indulgence.

In just over a hundred years in the East, these Crusader nobles had become entirely different from their poor Western relatives.

This time, he brought along thirty knights and over a hundred soldiers and retainers.

Some were his vassals, but most were Crusader Knights traveling with him temporarily as he held the highest rank and served as the leader.

It wouldn’t be long before they would pledge allegiance to other local nobles.

Count Tirry didn’t mind this because he couldn’t afford to support so many soldiers.

He had just swallowed a piece of meticulously roasted lamb sprinkled with several grains of pepper when a tall, handsome knight approached.

The knight, his face flushed from too much drink, said, "Count Thierry, when will His Majesty the King’s Crusaders finally reach the Holy Land?"

The surrounding noise immediately quieted down.

Clearly, everyone was concerned with this question, but out of noble decorum, no one dared to ask it bluntly.

"Who are you?"

The tipsy knight, unfazed, almost blasted his alcoholic breath into Count Thierry’s face: "I am Guy of Lusignan, answer my question, Count Thierry!"

Count Thierry’s expression darkened; after hesitating for a moment, he mumbled, "Soon, His Majesty is mobilizing."

"Mobilize, mobilize!"

"Two months ago when I was preparing to leave for the Holy Land, I heard that several princes were ready to set out with their armies, but there’s still no news! Has Philip II, that bastard, forgotten the sacred duty he should fulfill as the King chosen by the Heavenly Father?"

Guy of Lusignan shouted somewhat irritably.

Count Thierry’s face turned red with anger: "How dare you insult my lord, the great Augustus, King of Gaul!"

Insult if you must, but don’t do it in front of me!

Count Thierry was well aware of Guy of Lusignan’s reputation—an exceptionally skilled knight in swordsmanship, utterly outmatching him.

Following protocol, he should now challenge the other to a duel to defend his lord’s honor, but the problem was he didn’t dare.

Guy sneered, "When I was fighting for the freedom of Gaul alongside my brothers, launching a raid on Enoli of Aquitaine, you were still bootlicking the German Emperor."

As the conflict seemed about to escalate.

An otherwise silent Count Raymond angrily interjected, "Stand down, whatever the reason, you must not slander a king’s pious heart."

Guy snorted and returned to his seat.

Leaving Count Thierry both embarrassed and at a loss.

The nobles present wore somber expressions.

Blame those damn Apennines people for resisting taxes, providing Emperor Henry with an excuse to march into Apennines.

Already on weak footing, where would Philip II, the King of Gaul, wish to see Emperor Henry easily conquer the affluent Northern Apennines?

Neither Philip II nor Richard the Lionheart, who possessed vast Gaul territories and whose authority in Gaul was even more prominent than Philip II’s, would dare to move while Philip II stood inactive.

In this era, Albion’s development was limited, and Richard the Lionheart’s core territory was still on the continent.

Even though Philip II and Richard were in their honeymoon phase, with Richard being the second son of the family who ascended the throne with much help from Philip II.

But in the game of power, for a king, no one is absolutely trustworthy.

"Philip Augustus has paused the Eastern Expedition for his own reasons. As subjects, or as Gauls, we should not question his actions."

(Augustus is an honorary title for the King of France, not a surname; Philip II’s surname is Capet.)

Count Thierry’s face was a bit awkward.

In fact, he had little loyalty to Philip II.

Legally, he belonged to Philip II but often flirted with the Emperor of Great Germania due to geographical reasons.

Yet, by kinship, Count Thierry felt more connected to Richard the Lionheart of Albion.

The once bustling welcome party had plunged into a series of dead silences, and Tirry’s presence rapidly plummeted from "center of attention" to rock bottom.