Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks

When Losa led the team to Natawa Castle, the soldiers on the city wall were gathering the corpses.

The Double-headed Eagle flag still fluttered, but it was riddled with arrow holes, and the battlements were filled with arrows shot by the Saracens.

The rammed earth city wall, blackened by the flames of war, still bore several burnt siege ladders.

"The lord is here!"

"It is the Duke!"

"Quickly open the city gates and let the lord in."

The garrison exclaimed with a mix of surprise and joy.

Losa halted the team at the city gates, and over a dozen Winged Cavalry mingled in groups of three, including one Scout Cavalry without armor, scattered out. In the air, one could faintly see black spots vanishing into the clouds, silently swooping toward the Saracen falcons.

With several sharp cries, those tricky falcons disappeared without a trace, leaving only a few dark feathers fluttering down.

That was the Stone Gargoyle summoned by Furinjira.

And not temporarily summoned, but made in the alchemy laboratory from magic materials rich in spirituality, allowing it to be used repeatedly after soaking in the Sea of Blood.

This quality Stone Gargoyle has impressive combat power, and the Saracen falcons are no match for it.

Losa shouted loudly, "Where is the Guard Officer, let him come out to see me."

He did not rashly enter the city.

He led cavalry, losing mobility if entering the city, and he vaguely sensed a strange aura inside, hidden well but unable to escape his intuition.

On the city wall, the Guard Officer poked his head out, "Lord, I am here."

"Didn't you say many Saracens came?"

"Heavenly Father above, my lord. To resist these infidel dogs, I had to open the armory to the farmers seeking refuge inside. The infidel dogs couldn't storm in forcefully, and upon seeing our beacon fires, they retreated."

Losa turned to look at Cherinita, seeing her subtly shake her head, Losa sighed lightly.

It seems his intuition was correct.

He doesn't believe his people would betray.

Thus, only one possibility remains.

"Guard Officer, I remember your name, Matthew, correct?"

Matthew was thrilled, "Lord, you actually know!"

Losa smiled, for his current spiritual power, remembering some names and matching them to faces is not difficult; it just depends on whether he wants to expend the effort.

Though he likes delegating duties, he doesn't neglect everything.

"Come before me."

"Yes!"

Matthew didn't ask a question before jogging over to the city gate, fully armored, and ran without panting, saying respectfully, "Lord, what are your orders?"

"Matthew, you are from Florence, right?"

Matthew was puzzled but nodded, "Yes, Lord, my father was once a Florentine City Councilor."

Losa lowered his voice and said, "Matthew, do you trust me?"

"Of course!"

Seemingly feeling greatly humiliated by Losa's questioning, Matthew flushed red, patting his chest and declaring, "Lord, your soldiers never ask how many enemies there are, only where they are. As long as you give an order, I would be the first to charge anyone!"

Losa sighed, "Matthew, I asked whether you trust me, not questioning your loyalty."

"Of course, my lord."

"Matthew, you are already dead."

Matthew's face immediately became pale, stammering, "L-lord, are you joking?"

"I hope so."

"I am already dead..."

He somewhat blankly reached to touch his face, seeming to realize something, added strength, and with a little force, tore the skin, revealing the straw stuffed within.

"I... I remember now!"

His voice trembled slightly, with a suppressed sob, "Lord, we were harmed by the infidel dogs' demon technique, everyone died."

"I will avenge you."

Losa patted Matthew's shoulder, speaking softly in a low voice.

Matthew seemed confused; after Losa exposed his identity, his consciousness dulled considerably.

After a while, he asked, "Lord, we died for the great Crusade cause, can we ascend to the Celestial Kingdom?"

"Certainly, your sins have been cleansed, and you will ascend to the Celestial Kingdom."

These words were addressed to everyone.

The soldiers on the city walls fell one by one, with relieved smiles on their faces.

"God..."

Matthew murmured softly, as more straw burst through his skin.

The soldiers Losa brought immediately shouted alerts.

"Lord, please step away from him."

"This place is dangerous!"

Losa waved his hand, seriously observing Matthew's change; the straw, upon contact with air, quickly wriggled like venomous snakes.

Not just from Matthew's body.

All the straw filling the soldiers' body cavities surged out, transforming into clawed and fanged straw demon scarecrows, silently howling, seemingly unaffected by gravity, traversing the city walls as if they were flat ground, plunging down.

"Heavenly Father above, what is this devil?"

"Lord, should we retreat?"

"Hold your ground and await my order."

Losa waved his hand; the aura from these straw demon scarecrows is not weak, at least stronger than the Werewolf Abelardo he slayed at the start of his career, but for Losa, this level of enemy no longer poses a threat.

A Crusader Knight drew and set his bow.

The arrow directly hit the first straw scarecrow, yet it simply pulled out the arrow and stuffed it into its mouth, the pierced hole healing within breaths.

The horses restlessly paced in place, the cavalry accompanying Losa felt anxious but having undergone the baptism of combat records, they no longer feared such demons as before, quickly calming down.

"Use fire arrows!"

"Don't let them near!"

Losa snapped his fingers, and the temperature sharply rose, huge fireballs floating up. His grasp of flame magic in this world wasn't deep, but even at this not-deep level, with multiple enhancements, it's on par with most flame-specialized extraordinaries here.

Boom.

Each straw demon scarecrow burst into a torch.

Bang—

A burnt siege ladder suddenly shed its charred disguise, transforming into a vine bristling with thorns, striking toward Losa like lightning.

"Lord, be careful!"

A flash of azure light.

Cherinita slightly bent her knees, standing before Losa, as the roaring vine behind dispersed into countless fragments instantly, "Lord, I'll find the enemy caster."

"Prioritize your own safety."

Losa advised, somewhat uneasy, repeating, "Absolutely."

Cherinita halted her steps, somewhat embarrassed, nodding and replying, "I will, my lord."