Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 223 The Lord is the God of Judgment
Roger is an Armenian, believes in Orthodox Christianity, speaks Armenian, and uses the Armenian script, which has 38 letters.

Reynald was a Frenchman, a Catholic, spoke French and Latin, and used the Latin alphabet, which has 26 letters.

Alexandros, a mixed race of Greek and Turk, was an Orthodox Christian and spoke Greek and Turkic, but he was illiterate.

Antioch is a melting pot of nations, where you can find: Armenians, Greeks, Syrians, Arabs, Normans, Jews, Turks...

These people look different, speak different languages, have different writing systems, and have vastly different cultural customs.

But here they stood, staring at each other, brandishing their swords, ready to tear each other's flesh and blood.

What distinguishes them is not nationality, religion, or class, but simply that they each serve their own master.

Are they a mob?
Yes, it's a mob.

These mobs, gathered under the setting sun, were like puppets, numb and ignorant, mechanically obeying the incomprehensible and incomprehensible orders of their superiors.

Do they have their own thoughts?
Of course there are, but they are confined to their own small world and cannot go beyond it even a single step.

The country is the plaything of the nobles, and national affairs are nothing but the nobles' family affairs.

How can it be the turn of someone like Roger to evaluate it?

Following several trumpet calls, Roger, in accordance with the orders that had been agreed upon long ago, tightly grasped his spear and began to advance with the army.

In his field of vision, hundreds of meters away, the enemy, like his side, had deployed several shield wall-like infantry formations and were slowly advancing towards him.

Roger felt a little relieved.

He knew that his side was a mob, but fortunately the other side seemed to be the same mob as him.

Under the scattered flags of the nobles, there were different large and small military formations scattered in a disorderly manner.

Apart from the simple sound of the horn, which can give orders, there is nothing more sophisticated about it.

Is the other person also a farmer who was pulled out of the fields like me? Does the other person also have his own family?
Why did they go to the battlefield, holding spears and shields...

Just like me, I was forced to step onto a battlefield that had nothing to do with me because of the lord's family affairs, just to decide who will collect taxes in the future?

With every step forward, Roger felt his breathing quicken. When the two armies were within an arrow's distance of each other, the other side suddenly stopped.

Roger was a little confused about what was happening, but the infantry formation he was in had to continue moving forward.

Because at this distance, bows and crossbows are still not enough to cause effective damage.

However, as Roger's infantry formation continued to advance, he felt that the enemy's infantry formation became somewhat disorganized, and then several carriages were pushed out.

These carriages were not pulled by horses, but purely human power, and they were parked in front of the enemy's army.

Because it was too far away, Roger couldn't see clearly what was on the carriages. He just saw a group of people operating the carriages.

Out of his reach, some people were shouting wildly in French.

"Charge! 5 ounces!"

"Target! Southwestern infantry group!"

"Distance! One hundred steps!"

"Elevation angle! 1-40 mils!"

"Light it up! Fire it up!"

In places that Roger couldn't see clearly, the fuses were lit, and the nitrate-soaked paper strips sent sparks into the barrel of the gun.

Next came the chestnut gunpowder, which burned suddenly.

With a series of dull sounds, the iron ball was shot out.

Roger stood on a position a hundred meters away, holding the spear tightly in his hand.

Before he heard the sound of the cannon, his sight was attracted by a rapidly enlarging black spot.

The iron ball whizzed in from a distance, instantly transforming from an invisible point into a terrifying sphere.

He didn't even have time to react. He only felt the scene in front of him suddenly blurred for a moment, and the iron ball passed by him, bringing with it the smell of burning gunpowder in the wind.

Then there was a terrible dull sound beside me, and the sounds of the entire world were swallowed up by the impact of this moment.

Roger froze in place, his heart beating violently, and only a buzzing tinnitus in his ears.

Perhaps because God heard his prayers before going to the battlefield, he did not die.

But the team leader who saved his life, but whose name he still didn't know, exploded next to him.

The air was filled with blood mist, and thick blood, along with broken flesh and bones, scattered everywhere, spilling hotly on half of Roger's body.

He looked down and saw the fragments slowly dripping down his clothes to the ground, staining the land beneath his feet red.

The bloody smell, accompanied by fear, rushed into his nostrils and penetrated deeply into his lungs.

Roger's eyes became moist for some reason. His throat seemed to be blocked by something and he couldn't make any sound, but tears fell from his eyes unconsciously.

When he returned to reality from his fear, the terrible roars, the screams of the soldiers and the neighing of the war horses, all the sounds came back like a tide.

When the battlefield was filled with the smell of sulfur, it became more like hell.

……

Conrad observed the effects of the artillery strikes. Even he was shocked by the appearance of this new weapon.

How could a volley of fire from about a hundred steps cause such significant damage?!

Indeed, although there were only four guns in this round of salvo, only ten people were killed in total.

But this kind of bloody scene has never appeared on the battlefield.

Under such bombardment, even Reynard's army formation began to waver.

After all, the other side is just a mob.

"Charge! 5 ounces!"

"Target! Southwestern infantry group!"

"Distance! Eighty steps!"

"Elevation angle! 1-00 mils!"

"Light it up! Fire it up!"

Another round of loud commands came from the carriage loaded with light artillery, and four iron balls were fired into Reynard's infantry formation.

Just like before, the number of deaths was still not large.

But such a fierce attack disrupted the opponent's formation.

The bow and crossbow shooting that was originally prepared became messy because of the artillery.

For the soldiers who were under the bombardment, it was like hell.

In the absence of restraint, some of Reynald's infantry began to flee before the battle even started, and more people began to beg for mercy from God.

In this situation, Conrad began to gather all the cavalry and put on a barrel helmet for himself.

His war is about to begin.

Beside him, the captain of the third company was also inspecting the troops. He was different from Roger and the conscripts who were forcibly conscripted by Bohemond and brought to the battlefield.

Each of these soldiers from Transjordan knew why they were here.

The Paladin in the company repeatedly preached to them and told them why they were fighting.

Fighting is not just about destroying your opponent, nor is it for the spoils.

They are coming to a new home, to peace.

They put on military uniforms in order to take them off, and they picked up weapons in order to put them down.

If they want their hometown to have long-term stability and peace, they don't have to pay various high taxes of more than 50%.

Then they need to establish a larger order, an alliance that can unite and fight against the feudal lords.

They needed to subdue Leonard and put the beast in a cage.

In their past lives, many people were beaten to death and then hanged at the entrance of the village because their families could not pay the heavy head tax.

Alhadi Town was even killed by the "butcher" with eleven shots.

Perhaps, those "tax farmers" and "butchers" have all been killed, but Leonard is still living freely in this world.

They came here with a simple sentiment, to demand blood debts be repaid with blood.

……

Antioch is a land of interweaving hills and plains, with many mountain passes.

Accompanied by the sound of horseshoes hitting the road, hundreds of knights were marching on the road.

Now, the main forces between Garys and Reynard are fighting a life-and-death battle on the battlefield not far away.

But Leonard was not there.

Relying on his familiarity with the battlefield terrain and after weighing the strength of the two sides, he decisively chose to make a detour with his knight detachment.

To put it bluntly, using knights to attack infantry head-on is an unwise move.

Moreover, all the mobile forces of Garys's side have been deployed to the battlefield. Even if there are some reserve troops, they are not enough to resist his flank attack.

Therefore, Reynald felt that he had seized an opportunity, an opportunity that was enough to defeat the entire army of Garys, reverse the situation on the battlefield, and turn defeat into victory.

To be honest, the overall situation on the battlefield was somewhat beyond his expectations.

Because Gellis's army showed greater tenacity despite being smaller in number, while the infantry he assembled were in a state of collapse.

In this case, his knights traveled through the mountain passes of Antioch until they were blocked by the oncoming forces, at which time they slowed down.

The setting sun was as red as blood, hanging heavily in the sky, the air was stagnant, and the smoke from the battlefield was floating in the afterglow.

Under the reflection of the red sun, Leonard's way was blocked by a figure, a figure that he felt vaguely familiar with.

Gellis stood there. Behind him was a battlefield filled with smoke and corpses, where thousands of people fought and bled. In front of him was Reynald and his hundred or so knights, armed with sharp weapons and fierce in their faces.

Gellis was not wearing armor, but only simple clothes. He held a spear in his hand, a sword at his waist, and several short spears on his back.

His image seemed particularly thin in front of these heavily armored knights, but there was no fear in his eyes, and even a hint of determination.

He spoke calmly:
"Your clothes are stained with the blood of innocent poor people whom you did not catch stealing from houses."

His words were not loud, but under the reflection of the setting sun, they were unusually clear, as if every word was chilling and penetrated directly into people's hearts.

Leonard thought this scene was a little ridiculous.

Leonard looked at Garys in front of him and felt a sense of absurdity.

This scene actually made him feel funny.

Controlling trade routes, looting caravans, and extorting poor farmers are what he has always done. It has been so in the past and will continue to be so in the future.

And now, there was a person standing in front of him, accusing him of these crimes, as if he were some righteous judge.

If he had thousands of troops behind him, then what he said would be like golden words, and no one could disobey him in person.

But how dare this cricket, alone, bark so wildly?

"You, go get rid of that man."

Reynard instructed a knight beside him.

The knight silently adjusted his weapons and rode out.

His horse was covered with a heavy robe, and he himself was fully armored, holding a shield in his left hand, a sword in his right hand, and a spear on his back.

The knight felt that he needed to teach Garys a lesson, to make this overconfident man understand that he should be humble rather than arrogant in front of them.

There was a sudden sound of horse hooves, dust flew up, and the knights rode their horses westward.

He did not take Garys seriously and casually raised his sword, ready to swing it gently the moment he got close to him, and easily kill the man who stood there as if he was frightened.

Although the knight's movements were small, the speed brought by the horse beneath him gave the swing an unparalleled power.

However, an incredible scene happened.

At the moment when the knight's sword was about to hit the man, Gailis dodged and appeared two steps away from his original position.

The warhorse was still galloping, but the knight fell off the horse and fell on his back. There was a huge wound on his chest. A sharp spear tip pierced his breastplate.

Not only did Gellis dodge the knight's charge, he also counterattacked with his spear in a flash, piercing the opponent's chest with great precision.

“But if you say, ‘We are innocent; the Lord is no longer angry with us,’ I will judge you, because you deny your guilt.”

The cold voice came again.

This time, the knights' expressions became solemn, and disbelief gradually appeared in their eyes.

Some knights' hands holding their swords trembled unconsciously, and their eyes showed disbelief and panic.

He also pulled out a short spear from behind and looked at the other knight next to Reynard.

He slowly raised the spear, his muscles tensed as rocks, the veins in his arms bulging as he gathered strength.

He held his breath and concentrated. The world seemed to be quiet at this moment, leaving only the rhythm of his heartbeat and the rise and fall of his breathing.

Suddenly, the power burst out, and the short spear broke through the air, accompanied by a sharp hissing sound. The air was torn apart in an instant, and the short spear drew a blood-red straight line under the reflection of the setting sun.

The sonic boom followed, shaking the world like thunder.

The mountains bowed in submission, for this was indeed a punishment from God.

The short spear hit the target accurately, and the knight exploded instantly as if struck by thunder. Fragments of flesh, bones and internal organs splattered everywhere, covering half of Reynard's body.

This caused the sixty-year-old veteran to suffer cognitive breakdown.

This is impossible for a human to do!

"I will punish the world for its wickedness, and the wicked for their sins; I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud, and will humble the pride of the powerful."

The cold voice was Garys's announcement.

After making this throw, his right hand began to tremble.

By taking advantage of the uneven rhythm of time, an ordinary throw can be turned into a ten-fold increase in speed. For Garys, this is enough to make a spear break the speed of sound.

But, conversely, the reaction force generated by it also needs to be borne by Garys himself.

The average human body cannot withstand this kind of force. Even an extraordinary athlete would be knocked down or seriously injured by the reaction force.

But for Garys, it was just a slight weakness in his hands and a bit of discomfort.

The sun was half setting, and in the afterglow, Gellis stood on the ground like a statue. He blocked the knights' way alone, lonely and resolute, carrying the judgment of the wicked.

The knights were dumbfounded, expressions of horror spread across their faces.

Some people murmured, praying for Jehovah's protection, while more people could not help but step back, looking at each other with helplessness and fear.

They felt an irresistible force, the source of which was not an ordinary person, but some supernatural being.

Those stories about divine punishment and judgment now came alive before them.

They looked at Gellis as if he were an angel, and any thoughts of resistance disappeared at that moment.

Fear and despair surged over them like a tide, making it hard for them to breathe.

The knights behind Reynald gradually lost their fighting spirit, their hands were no longer firm, and the fear in their eyes became more intense.

This is not an ordinary war, but a contest between mortals and gods. They know clearly that mortals are powerless to fight against gods.

No one dared to step forward, no one dared to confront them, everyone could only stand still, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness and fear.

【For the Lord is a God of judgment, and blessed are those who wait for Him. 】

……

Antioch was the northernmost part of the Levantine lands, and Transjordan was the southernmost part of the Levant.

During these two years, Garys spread fire to the earth one after another.

But where the fire burned most fiercely was undoubtedly Transjordan.

On this land that Gellis has been personally cultivating for more than a year, many places are completely different from what they were two years ago.

Take the village of Skar for example. This river valley village, which has been away from Reynard for two years, has been completely transformed.

Even in August, it is full of vitality.

After the spring harvest in May, this land will usher in another autumn harvest.

As the breeze blew, the entire sorghum field undulated like waves, with the ears of sorghum swaying in the wind.

Because of the river valley canals, this valley plain can be cultivated all year round.

The village of Skar is also an experimental field for the four-field crop rotation system.

In the early Middle Ages in Europe, the main way of cultivating farmland was the two-field system, which divided the land into two parts, one for cultivation and the other for fallow.

Starting from the 8th century, the three-field system gradually replaced the two-field system.

The three-field system divides the land into three parts:
Fall sowing land: planting autumn sowing crops such as winter wheat or rye
Spring sown land: Planting spring sown crops such as barley, oats or beans.

Fallow land: Let the land rest to recover its fertility.

Every year, the three plots of land are rotated for use, forming a three-year cycle. This system has increased the utilization rate of land from one-half to two-thirds, significantly improving agricultural output.

However, because pulse crops require summer rainfall to succeed, the three-field system does not operate as effectively in the Mediterranean as it does in the north.

The village of Skar is located in the Arnon Valley. Due to the construction of reservoirs and canals, the local area has the water source foundation to break away from the two-field system.

However, instead of proceeding step by step, Garys suggested jumping directly from the two-field system to the four-field rotation system.

First, thousands of acres of farmland were divided into four parts: the first part was planted with wheat, the second part was planted with radishes or sorghum, the third part was planted with barley, and the fourth part was planted with alfalfa and rye.

These crops were selected to be well adapted to the climatic conditions of Transjordan.

There is no need to say much about sorghum. Alfalfa is a perennial legume forage grass with wide adaptability. It is drought-resistant but not waterlogged, and it likes light. It is suitable for growing in sandy loam or light loam.

The most suitable temperature for alfalfa growth is about 25℃. The planting requirements are that the total annual accumulated temperature is greater than or equal to 10℃ and reaches 2800℃, the annual precipitation does not exceed 400 mm, and the frost-free period throughout the year is at least 120 days.

It can be said that these conditions are well met in Transjordan.

Of these crops, radish is primarily grown for livestock, while alfalfa and rye are also forage crops.

As a result, almost half of the land is used to grow crops not related to staple foods.

This method of farming does not provide much staple food on the surface, but by converting a large amount of land nutrients into protein, it provides sufficient meat for the surrounding militia.

As a legume, alfalfa also has the function of fixing nitrogen and can improve soil fertility.

The four-field rotation is based on the three-field system, using the fallow period to plant crops such as clover, alfalfa, radish and hemp.

Although crops such as radish, alfalfa and clover cannot be directly used as staple food for humans, they can quickly restore soil fertility during the fallow period while providing additional protein output.

Although the four-field crop rotation improves land utilization, it does not significantly increase the total output of farmland. Its real advantage is that it reduces labor demand while providing more diversified agricultural products, including a large supply of meat.

Assuming that it takes 1000 workers to grow 100 acres of wheat, and half of the field is left fallow, with an acre yield of 100 pounds, a total of 5 pounds of wheat can be harvested.

However, if the crop rotation is changed to four fields, the busy farming seasons of different crops will be different, and a large amount of land will be used for grazing rather than farming.

只需50人就能管理这1000亩土地，最终收获2.5万磅小麦、约2万磅其他作物的产出以及每年3000磅的牛羊猪肉。

It can be seen intuitively that 1000 acres of land planted with pure wheat can produce 5 pounds of staple food, while four-field rotation can produce about 4.5 pounds of staple food and 3000 pounds of meat.

However, the pure wheat method requires the labor of about 100 farmers, plus outside harvesting teams, and there is a lot of idle time in the year, which leads to serious waste of labor.

By adopting the four-field crop rotation, only 50 people need to work for half a year to produce 4.5 pounds of staple food and 3000 pounds of meat.

In terms of the annual output of a single farmer, it has almost doubled.

And the large amount of meat output will lay a strong physique foundation for the people of Transjordan.

After all, how can those who eat grass compete with those who eat meat?
(End of this chapter)