Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 291 The Lionheart's Ambition
The port of Famagusta, Cyprus.

Famagusta is a port on the east coast of Cyprus. It is located east of Nearam and is a deep-water port. It is the gateway for trade with Levantine ports, and merchants on the Silk Road shipped goods to Western Europe from here.

This place is like a treasure pot, continuously collecting the wealth from the Silk Road.

This has been especially true in the past year. Ever since Cyprus was rescued from Isaac by Garys, things have been going well for him.

At the same time, the Crusaders who came from afar not only brought 12,000 people, but also brought a large amount of wealth originally belonging to Sicily.

This group of wealthy uncles ate, drank, and had fun on the island of Cyprus, spending lavishly and effectively boosting the local economy.

Of course, this is not to say that there is no cost. The local security environment has actually deteriorated seriously after the two waves of Crusaders stationed there.

Controlling the lower body is quite difficult for most armies.

This was especially true for the Crusaders of the 12th century.

Such incidents also caused quite a few repeated disputes between the Crusaders and the locals.

Among the many Crusaders, Knight Olson was especially so, and he was quite special.

People always have some inexplicable thoughts, both men and women have them, and these things are closely related to human biology. Quite a lot of men who are about to go to war, once they consider that they may never come back, will think about leaving their offspring and bloodline in this world.

As a famous knight, Olson had further ideas. He even planned to marry a local noble lady in a formal ceremony.

After the betrothal gift was given, the girl's parents, considering the influence of the Crusaders on the island, nodded in agreement without even thinking about why Olson was planning to marry their daughter.

As a result, the daughter herself was not happy, and a young lover appeared and eloped with her.

"Sir, are we really going to search them?" Beside Orson, his attendant William looked at the yard not far away where a large number of soldiers were stationed, and couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

Although William was a knight's squire, he was also the son of a knight. His father and Olson were brothers, and he and Olson were more like uncle and nephew, so he was quite comfortable talking to him on weekdays.

Olson received a notice from his own people that the couple had sneaked into the yard not long ago.

He was a little hesitant at first, thinking that the yard seemed to belong to the Kingdom of Jerusalem and seemed to be an embassy institution. But when he saw William's childish face, he became more determined to catch the couple.

After all, his brother's sons were old enough to go to the battlefield, but he himself was still a bachelor. Whenever he thought about the possibility of sacrificing himself on the battlefield and leaving nothing behind, he couldn't help feeling a little panicked.

This is not the typical way of thinking for Christians, but Olsson is not a typical Christian.

"Call more people over and let's talk to them first. If we can resolve it peacefully, that would be the best." Olson said to William.

While Olsson was gathering his brothers, the Kingdom of Jerusalem's company stationed in Cyprus was also being assembled.

The first and second rows, as mixed platoons with swords, shields and spears, were assembled in the courtyard fully armed, while the third row, as a strong crossbow platoon, stood firmly on some watchtowers behind the courtyard wall, guarding the surroundings.

When the Orson brothers had almost gathered, there were more than a dozen well-equipped knights and their followers outside.

The number of people on both sides was almost the same, but when the first and second rows rushed out of the courtyard gate and confronted the other side, both sides could still notice many differences.

The most obvious point is that the two groups of people have very different spirits. When the rows form a formation, the sharp murderous aura condenses in the air, making people subconsciously want to retreat.

However, Olson and his group were rather undisciplined. Although they exuded a brutal temperament, they were not concise enough.

In terms of equipment, the knights' armor is stronger than that of the first and second rows, and the armor of the first and second rows is stronger than that of everyone else on the opposite side except the knights.

"What do you think is their purpose in doing this?" Nicholas asked Marwan on the platform behind the courtyard wall.

Nicholas was now a Cypriot upper class, and Marwan became Jerusalem's ambassador to Cyprus.

It was Andre who went out to negotiate. On the one hand, the other party's status was not high enough for Nicholas or Marwan to come forward, and on the other hand, if a conflict broke out, there would still be room for reversal.

Especially at this moment when the British and French Crusaders are about to leave, any unusual sign may be Lionheart testing them.

"I don't know." Marwan didn't pretend to be profound. He just said he didn't know.

Not long after, a soldier returned to the yard from the previous standoff and explained the situation to Nicholas.

After hearing this, Nicholas's expression became strange. How could they possibly run into such a thing as an eloper sneaking into their yard?

Of course, the more crucial point is that it is impossible for anyone to enter their yard casually. Considering the patrol density and post duty arrangements of the mixed company, it would be a joke if someone could sneak in casually.

But the point is not this, or in other words, even if someone really eloped into their yard, what would happen?
Could they really let Olson bring his men in to search their yard?
Marwan said, "First of all, I can confirm that there is no eloped couple in my yard. There may be a misunderstanding, but I can't treat it as a misunderstanding."

“I represent the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Although my courtyard is not clearly defined, it actually serves as a diplomatic representative office. Any concession on my part will be seen as a concession on the part of the kingdom, and any weakness on my part will be seen as the weakness of the kingdom.”

In those days, diplomatic rules were not yet clear and explicit. In later times, under the norms of international law, diplomatic missions should enjoy extraterritoriality.

Although the location of a diplomatic mission actually still belongs to the territory of the host country, its internal space is considered part of the territory of the country concerned.

In addition, diplomatic personnel belonging to diplomatic missions enjoy protection from legal sanctions of the host country in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and they only need to pay relevant taxes to the host country at the same rate as their own country.

It can be said that slapping them in the face is slapping the face of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Although it is not clear whether Olsson's behavior is personal or has other meanings, in any case, they will not give in. If an armed conflict really breaks out, Marwan is already considering how to end it.

Outside, the negotiations between Andre and Olson became more intense, and Andre also knew what his actions meant.

But looking at Olson in front of him, he looked like a reckless idiot who really thought it was reasonable to bring people to search their yard. It seemed that he didn't consider how much trouble his behavior would bring to himself.

This made Andre doubt whether he could see through Olsson. Maybe the man in front of him was just pretending to know nothing.

However, just when Olsson was getting anxious and even planning to take action, a rider came from a distance, bringing the message from the top leaders of the British and French Crusaders.

The rider ordered Olson to leave immediately, and the others to disperse immediately.

This gave Olsson a way out, and Andre also told the soldiers behind him to be less tense.

An inexplicable conflict ended just like that, but after Andre came back and talked with Nicholas for a few words, their faces looked very ugly.

"The question that is unclear now is who instructed or guided Olson to come here to cause this. Was it Lionheart or Robert?"

"What do they want to do? Are they going to break the contract?"

"Not necessarily. Maybe he's just trying to test our attitude and see if he can raise the price. After all, the image we've shown before is a bit too reasonable."

Nicholas spat on the ground and expressed his disdain for such behavior.

"Did they get the results they wanted?"

"I don't know. Olsson acted too naturally. It's hard to tell if he had any ulterior motives."

On the other side, Robert, a high-ranking member of the Crusaders, also reported the scene to Lionheart.

"Your Highness, I can confirm that if a conflict had broken out, Olson would have no chance of surviving."

"Do you think so highly of them?" Lionheart said with some regret.

"Although those men's armor is not very complete, it has protection for their vital parts."

"There are 37 people in their squad. When they walked out of the gate and formed a formation, there was no need for anyone to emphasize their positions. For those soldiers, following orders and how to follow them is something that has been ingrained in their bones."

"When they advanced, the 37 always took their left foot first, and even the width of their strides was almost the same, which meant that they could even charge down that long street without confusion."

"If the enemy had ordered an attack on Olsson, those soldiers would not have hesitated at all. On the other hand, Olsson and his men had been indulged for such a long time, and they were no longer used to fighting on a disciplined battlefield. They were brave but not murderous enough. Once they became timid and failed to coordinate with each other, they would be defeated by a wave of attacks."

Lionheart was somewhat unwilling, because Cyprus was being too sweet, which made him have some strange thoughts.

A country without anyone to protect it, no matter how friendly it is, is actually a lamb to be slaughtered.

But as long as this country is willing to fight back to protect itself, then people like Lionheart will need to weigh the pros and cons.

"But do you think they dare? If a conflict really breaks out, they will not be facing a group of dozens of people like Olsson, but all of our garrison troops in Famagusta, a total of 4,000 people."

Robert also responded to this: "For some reason, when I was watching them from a distance, I felt that they really dared to do it. Their eagerness to try was very obvious."

Robert paused as he spoke. He could sense Lionheart's dissatisfaction with his words. He then asked, "Do you need us to test it again?"

"no need."

"why?"

"Because I just received news that the combined fleet of the Venetians and the Kingdom of Jerusalem easily defeated Saladin's Egyptian fleet two days ago and captured more than half of Saladin's galleys. This means that Saladin has lost the ability to quickly travel back and forth from Palestine to Egypt with his infantry."

"Now is a good opportunity. We can't miss it now. We don't have time to bother with these Levantines about money. I need you to gather the troops at hand immediately and land in Egypt first. They no longer have the power to stop us from landing in Egypt."

At a time when Saladin's fleet was weakened, the Eastern Mediterranean could be said to have completely become the backyard of the Christian fleet.

It is only about 450 kilometers from Famagusta to Egypt by sea. If you are in a hurry, you can get there in just 3 to 4 days by boat.

When Lionheart received the news that the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was heading south, he had already begun collecting food and fodder to prepare for the expedition to Egypt. It can be said that from then on, everything was ready except for the east wind.

The so-called east wind was the news that Saladin's navy had been defeated.

This means that Saladin will not be able to use the fleet to quickly pull his troops back to Egypt, and secondly, it means that when the Lionheart troops land, they will not be disturbed by the enemy navy.

As for the native Egyptian garrisons? As long as Lionheart was swift, then by the time he captured the first city, those garrisons scattered across Egypt might not even be able to assemble.

"Your Highness, where is our target? Alexandria?"

"No, it's Damietta."

(End of this chapter)