Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 222 Why Fight
One thing Leonard had to admit was that he had miscalculated.

He did not expect that Garys would react so quickly. He took advantage of the situation and took Antioch from the other side of the valley while he was reorganizing his troops after capturing Latakia.

Originally, Reynald should have monopolized Antioch and marched his army southward, but because of Gairis's sudden move, Antioch was divided into two, and the two sides confronted each other over this rich land.

This is not good, very bad, the kind of bad that will cause trouble.

As an outstanding military general, Reynald naturally knew about the battles of the Crusades.

During the First Crusade, the Crusaders assembled an army of at least 30,000 and launched a siege on Antioch, which lasted for at least half a year.

Thousands of people died of hunger, disease or war, and all the horses became food. The Crusaders only managed to conquer Antioch with the help of cannibalism and the discovery of the "Holy Lance".

It can be said that among the many battles of the Crusades, the Siege of Antioch was the bloodiest and most difficult.

Let him lead a siege of Antioch with this motley crowd of less than 4,000 men?
Just thinking about the possibility gave him a chill.

Reynald knew that he had to mobilize the defenders in Antioch. This was actually the skill he was best at: releasing all kinds of false information to mislead the enemy.

When necessary, he could disguise his army as extremely weak to make the enemy relax their vigilance, just like in the Battle of Montgisard: at the critical moment, he led his army to attack and directly attack the relaxed Saladin.

Sometimes, he could show his strength to the enemy, causing the enemy to miss strategic opportunities due to hesitation, and then advance step by step, forcing the opponent to make radical moves, thus exposing fatal weaknesses, and finally being defeated by his precise and decisive blows.

The battle on the high ground in the southwest corner of the Galilee coast and the campaign to deal with his stepson Bohemond were vivid examples of this strategy.

These carefully designed tactics based on cognitive differences made Reynald a legend among the Crusader States.

However, this strategy ultimately has its limits.

When it comes to moving from the tactical level to the strategic level, Leonard seems to be unable to cope.

Saladin exerted direct pressure at the strategic level, forcing the Kingdom of Jerusalem to fight a decisive battle, and swept in with an upright force that was twice that of the Crusaders.

No matter how many clever ideas Reynard came up with, he had no choice but to retreat in the end, with running away being the only option.

"Let me see if you are as still as a mountain."

……

Faith seems to be very important. What one believes in seems to naturally determine whether one will stand in a certain camp.

But human beings are not such simple beings. Many, many times, for various reasons, Muslims can join the Crusaders and Christians will serve the Sultan.

After the Battle of Galilee, Saladin captured a considerable number of Turkic "Christians", even though these people claimed that they were Christians since birth.

But the marks left on them by more than a decade of Muslim life cannot be erased.

Saladin was able to forgive the captured Christian soldiers, but he still chose to show no mercy to these "apostates".

"Apostates" are more hateful than enemies.

Because of money, a large number of Turks joined the Crusaders, and because of money, many Muslims served Reynald.

Today, these Turks who came to Antioch are active on the land of Antioch, lighting fires one after another in those villages.

Leonard is constantly breaking his own lower limit, but as for the Turks, there is no lower limit at all.

They turned a fighting standoff into a carnival of looting.

This was to force the defenders in Antioch to take action.

Jos took out a simple topographic map and opened it. He first determined his position and then asked Russell, "Where do you think they will be?"

Russell drew a ray to the southwest based on his current position, and then pointed to a place which was exactly the junction of the hills and the coastal plains, and also happened to be the exit of a valley.

"It should be here."

Jos looked at the simple map from Antioch and touched his chin.

Now he is the captain of the second company, and Russell is the Paladin of the second company.

The Second Company is a mounted infantry company with a total of 140 members. It is essentially an enhanced version of the First Company and not a cavalry company.

There were 16 squads of 8 people, 8 platoon leaders and deputy platoon leaders, 2 company commanders and deputy company commanders, and 2 medics. As for Russell, he was not actually in the company's organization, but lived with the company as a clergyman who had received holy orders.

Jos had reason to believe that Russell was a military supervisor, but considering that Russell had received holy orders and had the equivalent rank of a priest in the church system, Russell should actually be a lower-level military chaplain.

Russell is required to step in for almost all matters related to faith within the company.

Whether it was the Sunday worship on weekends, the consecration of weapons on weekdays, or the sacrament of penance for the soldiers, Russell was in charge.

But Russell was not only their spiritual mentor, but also a comrade-in-arms.

Russell would participate in most of the company's training with them.

Because of the presence of Russell, the Paladin, Jos could clearly feel that the morale of the soldiers in the company was much higher than any other army he had ever participated in.

Without exception, the soldiers in the company believed that they were Christ's company, and they were connected to the Lord through Russell's belief.

Considering Russell's lofty status among the soldiers, even if the company's military decision-making power was in Jos's hands, he would still discuss the battle plan with Russell, so as to enable Russell to perform better in the subsequent pre-war agitation.

Looking at the place where Russell pointed, Jos couldn't help but sigh.

"They will be waiting there for us. Should we pursue them?"

Pursuit? The enemy was not retreating or fleeing. They were choosing a battlefield suitable for light cavalry and preparing for battle.

If they continue the pursuit, one can imagine what kind of bloody battle will be waiting for their second company.

In battles on the plains, they cannot pull the opponent along like they do in the mountains and hills. They are just mounted infantry and it is impossible for them to really fight on horseback. This is actually quite passive.

"Jos, why do you think they are going to wait and see instead of continuing to attack?"

"Because we are the biggest threat to them. As long as we are eliminated, the Turks under Reynald can do whatever they want in Antioch."

This is not a matter of self-conceit, but is based on the most basic war thinking.

On the side of Gellis, there were certainly more than two companies of horsemen, but being able to react quickly and entangle the Turkish light cavalry to stop them from continuing to plunder was not something that the knights alone could do.

As lightly armed cavalry infantry, their mobility is already the best among Garys's men.

Once this team of cavalry infantry was destroyed, the area around Antioch would become a paradise for the Turks.

"They probably have twice as many as us."

“But we can trust the prophets.”

Jos looked at Russell deeply. This was actually not their first battle in Antioch.

Out of the 140 regular members, only 120 remain combat-ready. The various frictions in recent days have made both sides exhausted.

Just as Reynald was unwilling to lead his troops to besiege Antioch, Gailis did not intend to engage in a long confrontation with Reynald in Antioch.

Saladin was eyeing the south covetously, and every minute and second delayed in Antioch would add more risks.

Reynald needed a decisive battle, and so did Garys.

The fuse of this battle actually fell on the troops that dominated the battlefield mobility of both sides.

Reynald's side was composed of Turkish light cavalry, while Gairis's side was composed of the second company's mounted infantry.

"Go inform the Prophet that the Second Company will complete the mission."

Jos said to the messenger beside him.

……

In Antioch in summer, the mountains are as silent as a sleeping beast. The golden sunlight falls on the foot of the mountain, dotted with fine dust blown by the wind.

Through the slight heat wave, the heavy and thick infantry armor reflected a little light.

On the plain, the two armies faced each other. Time seemed to freeze at this moment. The frequency and rhythm of breathing coincided with the swaying of leaves in the distance.

The infantrymen were lined up in neat rows, holding spears and shields, and the ground beneath their feet seemed particularly solid because of their weight.

Although 120 people are not a large number, their determined eyes reveal a tenacious belief.

The spears gleamed in the sunlight, and the shields were like steel barriers, silently conveying a heavy and unshakable power.

The mountain breeze blew, and the flags of the infantry swayed slightly. The towering mountains behind them became their last support.

In front of the second company were more than two hundred Turkic light cavalry.

The men's horses paced restlessly, with hot air coming out of their nostrils.

The earth was groaning, silently praying for the coming battle.

The goddess of luck did not favor the Second Company. When they were about to arrive at the battlefield, they found that the other side was ready for battle, while their side had not received any news of reinforcements.

At this point, when all the soldiers were preparing for battle, Russell also led the soldiers in pre-battle prayer.

"Eternal God, King of all creation, since you have blessed me to this moment, please forgive me for all the sins I have committed today in thought, word, and deed."

"And please, Lord, cleanse my humble soul from all filthiness of body and spirit."

"Lord, grant me peace in this adversity, so that I can call upon your most holy name every day of my life and overcome all visible and invisible enemies that fight against us and trample them under my feet."

"For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, to the ages of ages. Amen!"

"Amen."

When they had put their thumbs, index fingers, and middle fingers together and made the sign of the cross from top to bottom and from right to left, they all drew their weapons or checked the spears they were carrying.

Russell also chose to participate in this battle. In the past two years, he has traveled across the entire Levant, from the southeast of this ancient land to the northwest of this land.

From the desert Gobi, across the mountains and the Jordan River, to the Plain of Antioch.

He witnessed the injustice in this bloody land and followed Garys as he faced suffering again and again.

He used to be accustomed to suffering, but the Lord's holy word says that all these injustices and sufferings can be changed.

Therefore, young people like him are no longer indifferent.

As Gillis once said,
【All true people should feel that a slap on anyone's face is a slap on their own face. 】【As true people and as a company of Christ, we should have the strongest aversion to any oppression and injustice in any corner of the world. 】

Two years have passed. The numb people are no longer numb, and those who ignored suffering are no longer indifferent. The blood of young people must boil once before it cools down with age.

He passed his boiling blood to everyone in the company through the Eucharist again and again. For these soldiers, they needed empathy and the firm belief that they were sacred.

This belief has driven them all the way to where they are today. Faced with the looted and burned villages, they are increasingly convinced that they are just.

This is the meaning of Russell's existence. He needs to teach, to instill, and to convey "empathy" and "love."

This love is the love of the Lord for all living beings and also the love they have for each other.

In this boundless love, the Turkic cavalry galloped, and the second company also shot the first arrow.

On this land, a short horn sounded, breaking the silence, and the Turks began to move.

They quickly dispersed and approached the infantry position like a flock of birds of prey.

The sound of horses' hooves rang out on the plain, raising dust. The cavalrymen's bows and arrows were already drawn.

But before these Turks drew their bows and shot arrows, the infantry's arrows had already hit their horses.

Unlike his Mediterranean counterparts of the same period, the infantry units organized by Gellis often had a higher proportion of long-range troops.

A large number of archers filled the army.

Although the number of these crossbowmen would reduce the impact resistance of the entire infantry line, due to the high morale of the soldiers of the Second Kingdom, Gailis felt that reducing the impact resistance to a certain extent would not be a big deal.

To be precise, the soldiers under Garys's command were not the kind of quails that huddled together for warmth. These standing troops of the kingdom were truly elite troops who could tear the enemy apart with their teeth.

Therefore, adding more long-range troops actually meant that the soldiers under his command would gain an advantage in the shooting battles with the nomadic Turkic soldiers.

According to the Lanchester square law, when any combat units of the two sides are fighting within each other's field of vision and firepower range, the strength of either side is proportional to the square of its own number, which is the Lanchester square law.

Of course, it can also be simply understood that in long-distance firefights, the loss rate of one side is proportional to both the opponent's military strength and its own military strength.

Of course, the calculation scheme of this equation is an extremely ideal state. It can only express the output efficiency and damage of both parties under a hypothetical condition.

But this also tells the players of war games how to make decisions when they have an advantage in military strength.

The Turks did not know what the Lanchester Square Law was, but they had vaguely discovered this concept through their experience in past battles.

The reason why they chose this open area as the battlefield was to fully utilize their military strength advantage.

Of course, there is another variable in the Lanchester Square Law, which is the quality of the soldiers participating in the war.

The range of infantry crossbows is often up to one hundred steps, which is much higher than cavalry bows in terms of both range and killing effect.

In addition, the armor-piercing ability of the cavalry bow is weaker, so the armor-piercing rate of the second bow should be higher.

Therefore, although the second company had fewer people, they were not actually at a disadvantage in the shootout between the two sides.

In this short and fierce rain of arrows, the Turks failed to break through the infantry's defense line in the first round of attack.

Then, the Turks changed their strategy, split into small groups, and moved around the infantry positions, trying to find the weak points of the Second Company.

The second company maintained a tight formation, holding spears, ready for battle.

Jos, Russell and others knew that once the formation was broken, the Second Company would no longer have any advantage.

"Steady! Steady!"

Amidst these shouts and calls, the Turks launched another attack.

This time, the scimitars in their hands flashed with cold light, and their target was directly aimed at the flank of the Second Company. Screams and horse neighs mixed together, and blood splattered in the dust.

The battle became more intense and neither side showed any intention of backing down.

The Turks relied on their speed and mobility to constantly look for flaws in the Second Company's formation, while the Second Company relied on the coordination of shields and spears to stubbornly block every attack.

In fact, the fighting between them was very restrained. They were testing each other again and again, and no attack was one that put all the chips on the line.

After all, the conflict between them did not actually decide everything.

【Blessed be the Lord, my Rock! 】

[He teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.]

[He is my loving Lord, my fortress, my high tower, my savior, my shield, in whom I take refuge.]

In any case, this battle was sacred to the soldiers of the Second Company.

Even though they are outnumbered by the enemy, they will never retreat.

This resolute attitude makes the battle full of tragic color. Even though they know they will lose, they still want to entangle the enemy until the arrival of friendly forces, or until their entire army is wiped out.

Living towards death? That's it.

"By the intercession of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen."

When the horses' hooves vibrated, when the two teams were about to collide for the umpteenth time, perhaps it was God's mercy, or perhaps Jose Russell and others were simply not destined to die.

Another burst of horse hoofbeats came from afar, and the royal flag of the Kingdom of Jerusalem fluttered in the wind.

To the west, the flag carrying the Leonard family crest also revealed a pointed corner.

The battle for hegemony in the Antioch region also expanded because of this conflict.

……

In the distance, the clouds on the horizon were dyed blood red by the setting sun, and the battlefield was filled with the smell of blood and dust.

Roger could hear shouts in the distance and the wailing of horses.

It seems that the whole world is left with only bloody battles.

Roger carefully examined his weapon. To be honest, the changes that had taken place in these days left him confused.

A month and a half ago, he was still busy planting crops in his own fields.

Suddenly, Bohemond's conscription order broke his peaceful life.

I heard that they were going to go to war with the Kingdom of Jerusalem to seize Tripoli.

Just fight, Roger thought, he has no choice anyway, it would be even better if he could make a small fortune.

However, they had been traveling for more than half a month and the battle had not yet begun, but they heard that their lord's hometown, Antioch, had been attacked.

So the army hurriedly turned back to Tripoli, leaving aside the matter for the time being, and everyone rushed back in a hurry.

But before reaching Antioch, the 4,000-strong army was defeated by Reynald in the hills, and Roger was subsequently incorporated into the army by the new Prince Reynald of Antioch.

It was not until he was incorporated into the new army that he learned that the city of Antioch was safe and sound and that the fool Bohemond had been fooled.

Just when everyone thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, the new Prince Raynald of Antioch suddenly announced that he would recapture the city of Antioch.

These past few days, Leonard had been treating them to delicious food and drinks, so why did he suddenly move?
But Roger felt that it was actually a small matter. After all, there were only a few hundred people in Antioch, while they had thousands of troops. If they positioned their troops there, the enemy might just open the city and surrender, thus saving them from further fighting and sacrifice.

If that were the case, Roger could go home smoothly and continue farming. He was really tired of running around.

However, things went against their wishes. Before they set out, news came that the city of Antioch had been taken away by the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Is it first come first served when fighting in Antioch?

After many twists and turns and nearly two months of running around, the city of Antioch was finally stolen, and he eventually had to go to war with the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

So what was the point of traveling hundreds of miles back and forth for the past two months?

Is it to suffer a defeat, change a lord, and then fight the original enemy at your own doorstep?

Roger couldn't figure it out.

And to be honest, after witnessing the bloodiness of the battlefield with his own eyes, Roger had only a deep fear of war.

"Our Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..."

Reciting the Lord's Prayer, Roger asked for God's mercy.

He didn't want to kill, and he didn't want to be killed.

After experiencing the baptism of a real battlefield, he realized that the so-called glory had nothing to do with ordinary soldiers like them. It was something that lords and knights would talk about with relish.

And these conscripted peasants are the price of glory and the dust on glory.

The team leader came over and urged them to get ready.

The captain who had saved Roger's life was still their captain. When Reynard was recruiting the army, he replaced the middle-level noble officers, but retained these grassroots captains.

"I don't know who will win this time, but if you see something is wrong, run if you can. Don't stand there stupidly like last time. If you can't run away and want to surrender, don't look for those who are bloodthirsty. Look for those who don't have much blood on their bodies," the team leader warned.

Roger nodded. He understood that for them, the low-level soldiers, survival was the most important thing. Only by staying alive could they have a future.

A month and a half ago, he was secretly proud of being able to participate in the war, but now he understood that this war had nothing to do with him.

Reynald and Bohemond competed for the position of Prince of Antioch. No matter who became the Prince of Antioch, they would be lords and would collect taxes and conscript soldiers.

And what did the disputes among the Catholic lords have to do with Roger, an Armenian Orthodox Christian?

Now they were facing the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the ultimate battle was to fight for Antioch.

The other party was also a Catholic lord. No matter who became the owner of the land in the end, the result would be the same for Roger... continue to collect taxes and continue to conscript soldiers.

The days of suffering have no end in sight, and he is not willing to participate in this battle.

When Roger figured this out, he found that he had no will to fight at all.

And when he looked at his comrades beside him, he knew that these partners who were recruited like him also could not find a reason to fight.

(End of this chapter)