Hans was somewhat puzzled:

"Sir, I don't quite understand why you asked them to prohibit occupying the houses of heretics? There are no ready camps here for them to rest."

"An unrestrained army will quickly turn into a mob of rioters and robbers."

Losa paused slightly, then added, "Moreover, the pagan civilians of Montreal are already struggling due to the 'Saladin Tax' and 'Unbeliever Tax'."

"If this continues, I fear Saladin will send spies to incite a rebellion."

The Saladin Tax refers to the tax levied to deal with Saladin, which everyone, whether heretic or not, must pay.

The Unbeliever Tax refers to the heavy tax paid by those allowed to keep their old faith without converting, which often takes up about half of an individual's income.

"Hans, you must know, the Kingdom of Jerusalem has nearly one million citizens, only one-fifth of whom are Christians. The Fire Worshipers living in Jerusalem do not resist the kingdom's rule, thanks to the efforts of successive Kings of Jerusalem. I do not wish for a group of fools to ruin this."

The Fire Worshipers in the Kingdom of Jerusalem are considered second-class citizens.

Yet, in most rural areas, they can still live according to their previous lifestyles, legally owning their land and temples.

In many villages, even the tax collectors haven't changed; it is just that the bosses behind them have shifted from Saracen lords to Frankish ones.

This has left the lower-class Saracen civilians with a largely indifferent attitude toward the existence of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Whoever rules here doesn't matter to them.

When the place was under Saracen rule, the chiefs, the sheikhs, didn't treat them any better than they do now.

Moreover, within the Fire Worship religion, there are factional divisions. The Fatimid Dynasty before the Ayyubid Dynasty believed in the New Fire Worship, and the hostility of the New Fire Worshipers towards the Old Fire Worshipers is deeper than towards the heretics.

As the saying goes, "Heresy is more detestable than heretics."

...

Returning to the room.

Prajna was still engrossed in reading a heavily faded old book.

Losa glanced at the cover, which seemed to be a Latin religious book that Losa could barely understand and had no interest in.

Prajna was undoubtedly a very knowledgeable person.

As a character with an Eastern background, she was not only proficient in Chinese, Japanese but also in Gaulish, Germanic Language, East Slavic, and Greek.

She even had some knowledge of the obscure Celtic language.

Furinjira was holding the Double-headed Eagle Badge, "talking on the phone" with the Witch Anna. The two were engaged in an intense discussion on how to counter Space Magic.

This sound transmission magic, if used properly, is very helpful in implementing a bureaucracy similar to the "county system," effectively strengthening central control over regions.

It's just not clear what the cost is.

Losa was lost in thought.

"It's already late, you two should wash up and prepare to rest. Although 'Journey to the West' is over, I still have many newer and more interesting stories."

Furinjira hurriedly "hung up the phone."

Prajna also put down the old book in her hand.

...

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three whole days had passed.

During these three days, one batch after another of dusty Crusaders arrived in Montreal.

This city, originally built to transfer goods and support the Crusaders in their continued Eastern expeditions, quickly regained its original form, transforming into a massive military camp.

But although there were many Crusaders, Losa was still somewhat worried.

Though the number of Crusaders reached nearly thirty thousand, the combat troops numbered at most ten thousand, with the majority being laborers and recruited peasant soldiers with little combat ability.

These recruited militia often routed at the first sign of trouble on the battlefield, and even with the power of faith, their performance might not be much better.

After welcoming the King's arrival, Losa met the King in the castle of Montreal.

Outside the hall.

Losa saw a familiar figure, carrying a sword and holding a long spear with a square banner tied at the top.

"Belian?"

Belian's face showed a hint of joy: "Good day, Sir Losa, long time no see."

Losa patted the man's shoulder: "Not bad, you're already a flag-bearing knight of the King's court. With you protecting His Majesty, I feel much more at ease."

According to Baron Goffrey, Belian had drunk a magic potion named "Dragon's Blood."

His strength was no longer comparable to that of ordinary people.

"Sir, compared to you, I am still far behind. Please go inside, His Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time."

"Alright, then let's catch up after I come out."

Losa walked into the hall.

The original mess here had been cleaned up.

The broken walls and ruins were also repaired by masons.

Baldwin IV sat on the throne, still wearing a silver-gray mask, but the sense of lethargy on him had completely vanished.

"Have a seat."

Losa found a seat closer to the front and sat down.

"I heard that you defeated a Mamluk force?"

"Yes."

"What do you think of these slave cavalry?"

"Very formidable, they are divided into light and heavy cavalry, the former only wears leather armor or none at all, while the latter is armored cavalry used for charge."

"They can all use bows and riding spears in battle, even mastering the Frankish knights' specialty of lance charge."

Losa emphasized: "Moreover, they are far more adapted to the climate here, and have a large number of camels suitable for marching and transporting supplies."

Baldwin IV nodded slightly: "How did you defeat them?"

"Your Majesty, I must admit, this battle was won by luck."

"Their Commander, Prince Zahir, is an arrogant person who attempted to use light cavalry to block the foot soldiers of the Royal Knight Order and to crush our cavalry with armored cavalry in a frontal assault."

Baldwin IV mused: "But he achieved none of his objectives, did he?"

"That's right. If they had chosen to continuously harass us with light cavalry, destroying water sources along the way, and attacked us when we were exhausted, it could have been us tasting the bitter fruit of defeat."

"You're right, but he couldn't do that."

Baldwin IV pointed to the ground: "This is the land of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, his deep incursion proved that his supplies were limited, and he didn't dare, nor could he execute such tactics."

"You fought a beautiful battle, you and your father both possess extraordinary military talents."

"Your Majesty, you overpraise me."

Losa was not being modest; he truly felt that he won solely due to having strong enough hard power. If he had a choice, he would not want to fight such a hard battle that resulted in heavy losses even if won.

Baldwin IV shook his head: "If you held the position of Count Reynard, managing this place for several years, I believe the eastern border of the kingdom would be impregnable."

The two shared a bitter smile.

Baldwin IV's face showed a trace of worry: "Under Saladin's command, there are three thousand elite Mamluk cavalry, while we can muster at most eight hundred armored cavalry."

Losa nodded: "Indeed there is a difference in strength between the two sides, which is why I have always believed that a scorched earth strategy, relying on Jerusalem's walls for defense, suits us better."

Baldwin IV shook his head: "A monarch represents not only power but also duty. If I can't guarantee the obligation to protect vassals, Jerusalem would instantly fall apart."

Losa remained silent.

He knew this as well.

"If Saladin launches an expedition with three hundred thousand troops, we would surely win, but he only brought thirty thousand."

Baldwin IV sighed lightly: "Enough about this, let's talk about your matters— I heard that Count Reynard's son, Hanfry, died at your hands."

He paused, then added: "Really possessed by a demon?"

"Absolutely true!"

Baldwin IV chuckled: "Ha, that old fellow Reynard, if he knew about this, wouldn't know whether to thank you or hate you."

Count Reynard would be glad because it meant there was one less heir hoping daily for his death.

The hate comes because he and Lady Stephanie have no offspring, and now their only heir has died. If anything happened to him and Stephanie, the Royal Family would have the right to reclaim the Transjordan territories.

"Stay and let's play a game of chess, perhaps this is the last time we will duel as monarch and subject."

The atmosphere in the hall was a bit depressing.

This time, Losa uncommonly won against the king. He looked at the young king sitting opposite him in surprise.

The other's eyes were filled with worry: "Losa, if we are defeated, I hope you can disregard worldly views, immediately gather your subordinates, return to Jerusalem, and organize the city defense."

Losa nodded: "I will, Your Majesty."

"Then I'm reassured."

Baldwin IV said with a smile: "Let's play another game. The last one was me going easy. If you can win again, I will appoint you as the Lord of Transjordan."

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