Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 357: Sword Practice
The fall of Constantinople was a first in history, not just for the nobles.

Even for the professional rebel leaders such as the Paulists, this was unexpected and could be considered an event marking the change of an era.

In other words, the fall of Constantinople proved one thing.

The empire was far less sacred than its rulers claimed.

Even though there were emperors who claimed that they were the reflection of gods on the ground, and some who said that they were the masters of the world, those illusory imaginations had now been stripped of their underwear by the Latins, so there was naturally no way they could be said to be sacred.

After a Pauline worship service, Zoe announced bluntly to those around her at the gathering: "What better time than now?"

"The empire is now unable to take care of itself, the church is extravagant and debauched, and the nobles in the city do whatever they want. This is the call for the end of the world. If we don't stand up and change all this, then how can we still call ourselves true Christians?"

In the simple auditorium, other Paulicians who participated in the ceremony looked at each other, and each of them showed embarrassment on their faces.

Although the Paulicians opposed the state religion system, they did not abolish all the sacraments.

At least baptism, confession, and the Eucharist are recognized, so the weekly Eucharist becomes an opportunity for them to connect with each other.

The Pauline sect today is not the same as it was back then.

During the heyday of the Paulicians, there were still hundreds of thousands of core believers, and at its peak there were perhaps nearly a million. They even established their own country and waged war with the empire for decades.

As a result, the Pauline dynasty was destroyed and began to migrate in various directions.

Among them, the Paulicians who migrated eastward joined forces with local peasants in the area of ​​Lake Van in Armenia, and the Tonderak uprising broke out.

The people like Smbart and Soros mentioned by Manuil belong to this group.

Another group went to the western border of the empire. About 20 Paulicians came to Bulgaria and evolved into the Bogomils.

They then spread from Bulgaria to the whole of Europe through trade routes, where they evolved into the Cathars, Albigensians or Cathars.

It is also now making great progress in southern France.

In short, the Paulicians are the ancestors of the Christian heretical movement. Wherever there are Paulicians or Paulicians’ descendants, there are potential rebels…

But in Armenia, in today's Armenia, the Paulicians are just barely surviving, barely passing on some of their own culture.

After experiencing so many blows, how could one still have the energy to make a big fuss?

Noticing the big guy's expression, Zoe turned around and changed the subject.

"Let's not talk about the uprising first. What about the Turks? I mean, they might be bandits pretending to be Turks."

"In the face of those bandits, the manor can still say that they asked for help from the nobles in the city, but who can we rely on?"

Most Paulicians were quite disgusted with being dependent on the nobility. Even if they were forced to pay taxes to the empire, it was better than having multiple masters above them.

Although they paid taxes to the empire, it was clear that they could no longer count on the empire to protect them from looting at all times.

Naturally, it is better to rely on yourself than on others.

They didn't dare to rebel with such a small number of people, but they could still accept organizing a group of peasant soldiers to guard the house and patrol everywhere.

……

In early spring, in the caravan camp, Gregor was chopping wood with all his might.

They have been following the caravan for some time. During these days, they brothers were employed by the caravan. They could earn some pocket money every day and do odd jobs for the caravan, which made them become the caravan's servants.

The chores include but are not limited to chopping wood, fetching water, cooking...

Although this kind of life is not bad, it is obviously not what he wants.

Gregor imagined that the wooden stake in front of him was his enemy, and chopped at it with all his might.

He tried to treat it as a living person, no longer chopping wood, but rather chopping it randomly to vent his anger. This scene was also seen by Alexandros who was standing by.

He could only shake his head at this.

"Although an axe can kill people, an axe for chopping wood and a battle axe are two completely different things. The former cannot be used as a weapon on the battlefield."

"Given the choice, I would use a sword, not an axe."

Having said this, Alexandros drew the sword from his waist, handed it to Gregor, and asked him to try it.

The moment he grasped the sword, Gregor understood what Alexandros meant.

Compared with the sword, the axe in his hand was actually not much different in weight, both about three pounds.

But the feeling of wielding the two is completely different.

It is a kind of lightness, a kind of agility...

The sword is a very versatile weapon that can be used for both slashing and stabbing, and can also be used to deliver blunt blows with the hilt when necessary.

Similarly, the price difference between swords of different qualities is also huge.

There are swords that cost dozens of gold coins, are gorgeously decorated, and are of excellent quality, while there are also common swords that can be bought for just a few silver coins.

Of course, poorer people can choose axes as weapons, which are cheap and powerful, and can be even more destructive to shields.

But that also means a single attack method and difficulty in changing the direction of the weapon's attack.

Gregor tried to swing the sword in his hand, but he just couldn't get it right.

I clearly felt a very subtle feeling, but I couldn't seem to use it correctly.

Alexandros really couldn't bear to watch it anymore, so he just taught himself.

"Pay attention to the edge of the sword, and adjust your breathing..."

Recalling John's teachings in his mind, Alexandros corrected Greg's posture bit by bit.

It was John, not Garys.

To be honest, even though it may sound a bit disrespectful.

But the fact is that this is indeed the case. Garys really doesn't understand what swordsmanship is.

This doesn't mean he doesn't understand anything, but given his physical condition, he has already neglected the most basic requirements of swordsmanship...

For Garys, he just needed a sharp weapon, and the center of gravity of the weapon itself was meaningless.

No one can be faster than him, so naturally he doesn't need to consider any changes in tactics in case of blocking.

I didn't understand this at first, and I just went to Garys to learn a few tricks.

Although Garys knew the most basic swordsmanship, he just couldn't achieve the same effect as Garys.

It was not until I met Old John later that I realized that Garys was special and that his swordsmanship could not be replicated.

Then start practicing sword again.

Old John is now retired, and I don’t know if I will have the chance to visit him again.

Thinking about some things in the past, the teaching in my hands never stops.

However, it was at this moment that black smoke suddenly rose not far away.

(End of this chapter)