Chapter 88: The Council of War
Chapter 88: The Council of War
Lothar, dust-covered from his journey, returned to the main hall of the inner palace keep.
Under the scorching sun, the fully armored Winged Hussars were drenched in sweat. The Varangian Axe Guards, who had been riding packhorses, had already retired to Constance Manor midway to remove their armor and rest.
The climate of the Holy Land was truly unfriendly to the Franks, who mostly hailed from Central and Western Europe.
Lothar himself, however, was unaffected. The Blood Magic Specialization talent had altered his constitution, and with Banu, that mobile little air conditioner, accompanying him, he hadn’t shed a single drop of sweat despite being similarly fully armed, even wearing a thick arming doublet beneath his half-plate.
The gate guards brought over earthenware jugs filled with water. The Winged Hussars took them and, in twos and threes, found shady spots to sip water and rest.
Baron Godfrey, wearing a blue surcoat, arrived in a hurry with Balian and Knight Kevin.
Balian had now also been knighted by Baron Godfrey and was beginning to handle some military affairs for the Knights of Jerusalem. His face still held a trace of youthfulness, but he was much more composed than when they had first met.
The transformation from a blacksmith to a knight, a cavalry officer, and a lord was not an easy one; it required a great deal of time.