Chapter 39: Setting Out
Chapter 39: Setting Out
Early the next morning, Lothar, mounted on his warhorse which had been meticulously cared for by his squires, rendezvoused with Baron Godfrey’s contingent at the city gate, accompanied by Banu, Fringilla, and Hans.
The hour was still early. On the boundless, dusky yellow desert, the line of riders resembled a winding column of army ants, with low shrubs dotting the landscape, making one marvel at the vastness of the world.
Knight Kevin, while peeling a pomegranate, chatted with Hans. "Squire... if I may be frank, you don’t quite look like a squire. Your coat of arms strongly resembles that of the knightly order formed by those Germans."
The Teutonic Order was established in imitation of the Knights Hospitaller and, in its early days, was also an organization aimed at providing medical aid to pilgrims and crusaders. It subsequently transformed into a military religious order, with its medical aid functions transferred to subordinate organizations. Due to its relatively late establishment, the Teutonic Order’s influence in Jerusalem was far from comparable to that of the Knights Templar; its power was concentrated in its fief of Acre and other northern territories of Jerusalem. Currently, the Teutonic Order was a close ally, or rather, a "vassal," of the Knights Hospitaller, both working together to counterbalance the aggressive and radical Knights Templar.
"It does look very similar, but it’s merely a coincidence. I am not a member of the Teutonic Order." Hans smiled politely. "Knight Kevin, are you from England?"
"That’s right. I was once a knight to King Henry II of England. I came to the Holy Land alone five years ago; I was very young then." Kevin smiled. "There are many men named Hans in Germania; it’s a very common name."
Hans replied, neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Kevin is also a very common name in England."
"Hans, can you tell me about your lord? I’ve heard from some pilgrims that he once killed a werewolf knight in single combat during a tournament."
"It is true." Hans’s face revealed boundless reverence. "Although Milord always has me run errands and do menial tasks, he is a great knight possessing both courage and strategic thinking."
Kevin looked somewhat incredulous, his gaze fixed on Lothar’s back. "Knight, do you assure me you are not deceiving me?"