Chapter 97: Lothar the Brave
Chapter 97: Lothar the Brave
Flies buzzed incessantly around his ears. Lothar used his face covering to shield his nose and mouth; the thick stench of blood and decaying corpses was nauseating.
The Royal Knights had suffered heavy losses, but the Saracens, who had been at a disadvantage, had suffered even more grievously, especially their light cavalry who wore only leather armor or no armor at all.
The ground was littered with Saracen corpses, stripped bare of their clothing and armor; even some of their personal undergarments had been plundered by the sergeants.
Participating in a Crusade was a sacred mission, but if even the most sacred mission wasn’t linked to the plunder of infidel wealth, it would no longer hold its original appeal. Severed limbs and dismembered bodies lay strewn about, with dense swarms of mosquitoes and flies crawling over them. As vultures flapped their wings and descended, these insects would scatter in a swarm, exploding into a black cloud that hovered in mid-air.
Hans remarked with emotion, "My former instructor used to say that flies are the dead’s revenge on the living. The living kill the dead, and the dead breed flies."
Lothar chuckled lightly. "Your instructor was Knight Friedrich, wasn’t he? This is the first time I’ve heard he was also a philosopher."
Hans looked somewhat surprised. "You actually knew?"
Lothar recalled, "Knight Friedrich is a very capable officer. Though his personal martial skill is limited, his ability to train new recruits and boost morale is by no means poor. I very much hope I can summon him to work alongside you."
This Knight Friedrich was a five-star retainer; although his combat power was average, he possessed three aura talents. For such a retainer, who could provide buffs to an entire army, personal combat strength was less critical, especially since he was also skilled at training new recruits.