Chapter 96: Heavy Losses
Chapter 96: Heavy Losses
The sun blazed fiercely. The battlefield was saturated with the stench of blood. Fallen warhorses and human corpses littered the ground, attracting vultures that circled in the sky, almost blotting out the sun.
Lothar said in Kurdish, "Eunuch, order your master’s men to stop fighting. Otherwise, I will kill them all. Surely you can see that we already hold the absolute advantage on this battlefield!"
The eunuch’s expression was calm, seemingly unconcerned by the perilous situation he was in. He bowed his head respectfully. "You are more than welcome to do so, because I have no authority to command the Prince’s personal guard, nor do I have any obligation to help His Highness the Prince save the only armed force that still supports him."
Zahir, beside him, his face changed dramatically. Indeed, Aleppo and Northern Syria were now in the hands of his uncle, Sayf al-Din. He had already lost his recruitment base. If he were to lose this personal Mamluk guard loyal to him, he would truly become a prince in name only. By then, let alone vying with his brothers for the right of succession, even retaking his original territory would become an impossibility.
So, Zahir quickly shouted, "I will have them stop! Leader of the Franks, let us immediately cease fighting and talk peace!"
Lothar sneered. "Cease fighting and talk peace? You are mistaken. What I want is unconditional surrender!"
Zahir shrieked, "No, impossible! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning! You intend to execute all my subordinates after they lay down their weapons! That’s something you Franks are capable of!"
Lothar’s tone was stern. "I swear in King Baldwin’s name, after you and your subordinates lay down your weapons and surrender, I will not harm your lives. As long as Saladin pays the ransom, I will send you back unharmed."
At this point, the situation had completely tilted in his favor. But this Mamluk personal guard under Prince Zahir was indeed exceptionally valiant. Every second they continued to fight, more Knightly Order soldiers would fall. If this went on, the Royal Knights’ already less-than-abundant resources would be severely depleted, and in the subsequent wars, they would likely only be able to watch from the sidelines.
"If you do not agree, I don’t mind killing them all either—after all, the blood debt for massacring the village must still be repaid!"