Chapter 19: The Gifts of Gold
Chapter 19: The Gift of Gold
Lothar sat cross-legged on the bed, wiping the hand-and-a-half sword in his hands with a white linen cloth. The arming sword Count Werner had gifted him had finally met its end. This hand-and-a-half sword in his possession was a spoil of war, obtained after killing Abelardo.
With Abelardo dead, the ransom was forfeit, but his suit of armor and warhorse, according to the rules, now belonged to Lothar. Abelardo’s Arabian warhorse was no worse than Lothar’s own warhorse. Including the full suit of armor, even accounting for depreciation, it could fetch a high price of nearly one hundred gold coins.
Banu suddenly inquired, "As the champion knight, what reward is Count Leopold planning to give you?"
Lothar smiled. "Leopold originally wanted me to become his vassal—Baron of the Vienna Woods—and even painted me a pretty picture of being promoted to Count in the future. However, I refused. So, it was ultimately changed to a monetary sponsorship and a promise to send us supplies once we’ve established a foothold in the Holy Land."
"This promise is very broad. It could mean providing us with weapons, shields, armor, and arrows, or perhaps grain, seeds, blacksmiths, and craftsmen. There’s no specific amount, but how much we can actually get will likely depend on my performance and whether Count Leopold deems me worthy of investment."
"That’s quite normal." Banu nodded, offering no further comment. "Prepare for sleep."
After extinguishing the lamp, Banu lay down on the thin blanket on the floor, going to sleep as usual. But this time, perhaps due to their increased affection, the atmosphere between them wasn’t as distant as before.
In the darkness, Lothar gazed at Banu’s perfect profile under the moonlight for a long time, unable to fall asleep until her eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if she were about to open her eyes, at which point he hastily closed his own.
***
Early the next morning, Lothar visited Count Leopold again, politely declined an invitation to a noon banquet, and requested leave to depart. From the Count, Lothar received a heavy pouch containing a full one hundred Florin gold coins, recently minted by the city-state of Genoa, their quality far surpassing that of the Solidus.