"In the face of strong enemies, fearlessness and bravery!"

Ulm raised the riding spear used during patrols, and the iris banner hanging from the spear's end fluttered in the wind, revealing a double-headed eagle about to take flight.

Losa bestowed upon them honor, titles, armor, weapons, and even endowed them with battle skills through miracles.

In their hearts, they deeply understood one thing: if not for Losa, they might still be mere farmer soldiers on some low wall.

"Protect the weak, be true to natural justice!"

The winged cavalry behind shouted in response.

"Winged cavalry, follow me!"

Ulm shouted loudly.

Otto looked at these sun-blackened faces with a complex expression, heads held high, as if before them was not the outcome of dying generously, but the imminent entrance onto a parade ground filled with cheers and glory.

He opened his mouth, wanting to speak but hesitated.

"Truly admirable knights."

"Perhaps some of them don't have the knight's title, but they are certainly worthy of the knight's name."

"Will I also have such brave and fearless knights follow me in the future?"

Otto lowered his head, silent for a long time.

...

The winged cavalry advanced slowly, gathering horsepower.

The leading Ulm was actually far less composed than he appeared.

This wasn't his first time leading troops in battle, but previous opponents were just some desert bandits, marauders, and thieves, incomparable to the well-equipped Mamluk cavalry ahead.

Behind, the sound of hoofbeats approached from afar.

Otto's chest bore the emblem of a red standing lion, exceptionally conspicuous under the sunlight.

Ulm exclaimed in surprise, "Lord Otto, it's very dangerous here, please go back quickly."

Otto, wearing linen covering his face, shouted, "In the face of strong enemies! What's the next line?"

Ulm instinctively answered, "Fearlessness and bravery."

"But Lord Otto, how could someone as honorable as you take risks with us?"

"Ha, what kind of honorable person am I? Only you would see me this way."

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Otto's face.

Habsburg is just a small family, how could he consider himself an honorable person?

"Besides, even a monarch of the Franks must fight on the frontlines."

"Let me charge with you, Ulm. If Losa were here, what would he do?"

Ulm was silent for a moment and then said in a deep voice, "If Lord Losa were here, he would charge with us and lead us to victory."

Otto was silent for a moment.

This answer surprised him a little.

Losa is also just a man with two legs, where does the confidence come from that he can lead a handful of cavalry to defeat an enemy at least ten times their number?

But none of that mattered now.

He took off the iron spearhead hanging on the saddle and replaced the old spearhead on the shaft.

This was actually unnecessary; he just wanted to ease his inner tension through such an action.

After all, Otto never considered himself a courageous knight.

Facing the blazing sun.

He said with a smile, "I am surely not as good as Losa, I can only charge with you. I hope we can all return alive."

"In the name of Habsburg."

Otto shouted loudly.

...

On the high ground.

Zane stood still with a team of Mamluk cavalry.

His expression was somewhat gloomy.

Zane actually did not want to lead his only precious personal guard to raid the border territories of Eira Port.

No one knew better than him that these newly established villages had nothing of value.

He also did not wish to confront Losa again.

Moreover, he felt that the Sinai Peninsula's territory was nothing indispensable.

What does the Sinai Peninsula have?

The northern coast is still somewhat favorable; at least it borders the Mediterranean, and the terrain is flat, with developed agriculture and commerce.

But Rauf's territory is all in the south, though it also borders the sea, it's mostly mountains and plateaus.

Besides, the vast desert in the middle is full of sand, and there are the wild and unruly Bedouin nomads.

Those tribes and settlements live off herding sheep and camels, poor as they are, and many still worship old gods, possessing some mysterious and unpredictable power.

Rauf can only say he "keeps them in check"; beyond his core area of control, not a penny of tax can be collected.

"Rauf has been blinded, he's too arrogant!"

"Without a powerful caster capable of restraining the enemy, what good are Scorpion-tailed Lion Knights?"

Zane sighed lightly.

Master Shemir had already departed.

Although Rauf had newly recruited an old wizard from Black Africa, wearing a human bone necklace and exuding sinister energy.

But he did not believe that this Black Wizard could be compared to the renowned and powerful caster like Master Shemir.

If this Black Wizard truly had the skills he boasted of, Rauf wouldn't have recruited him; he would have already made it to Damascus and pledged allegiance to Saladin.

"Between Rauf and me, there are brotherly ties, but not much; more so because I still have value to utilize."

"But if I lose more troops, this brotherly sentiment will be exhausted. This battle may not be won, but it absolutely cannot be lost."

Zane was very steady, and although this lost the meaning of a surprise attack, he originally didn't care whether he could pillage a few unprofitable border villages.

"Look, sir!"

"Those are winged Frankish cavalry."

The Mamluks' faces were filled with humiliation and anger.

They had been soundly defeated by these Winged Cavaliers beneath Alandler City.

But when had they ever genuinely accepted it in their hearts?

"Sir, it's time to redeem our previous defeat!"

"We need to prove to you that the past loss wasn't because we were inferior to them, but because those damned rabble blocked our path."

"Did the hawk find no trace of other enemies?"

The Hawk Trainer shook his head and said: "No, there's only this cavalry nearby."

Zane fell silent for a moment and then waved: "Then finish them off, we should gain something from this outing."

On the hillside.

Dozens of Mamluks immediately drew their weapons without hesitation and charged down the hill at the Winged Cavaliers, like an outburst of flash flood, torrents of black surged forward.

"Winged Cavarly, follow me!"

Ulm shouted.

Plowing head-on into the enemy was the worst choice.

Winged Cavaliers were a very special cavalry unit; they were Cuirassiers, in a state between light cavalry and heavy cavalry, making them more mobile compared to cavalry of this era, without sacrificing impact strength.

"Their warhorses lack armor!"

"Aim for their mounts!"

The Mamluks shouted; they were seasoned veterans and knew the weaknesses of Winged Cavaliers.

However, the speed of the Winged Cavaliers was evidently beyond comparison.

Sparse arrow clusters fell behind them, none hitting the mark.

"These slippery Frankish barbarians!"

"Momo'er, take your men to block their path from the front."

…

Otto urged his warhorse with all his might; he was grateful that due to his patrol mission, he hadn't clad his mount in that mighty scale armor, otherwise he would have fallen behind.

The speed of these Winged Cavaliers was truly astonishing!

"They've split!"

Ulm's mood was extremely composed; he glanced back and shouted: "These bastards want to encircle us from the front; this is our chance, prepare!"

The terrain here was very complex.

The north of Sinai Peninsula was low, the south high, Mediterranean coastal areas were low plains, while the south was a plateau and mountains.

This allowed Ulm, after bypassing a small hill in front, the pursuers lost sight of the Winged Cavaliers.

"They have nowhere to escape, pursue them!"

The leader of the Mamluks shouted loudly.

Perhaps Eira Port had been Zane's territory, but it didn't mean the heavily armored Mamluk cavalry frequently performed border patrols.

They were heavy cavalry; this terrain was relatively unfamiliar to them compared to the recently arrived Winged Cavaliers at Eira Port.

The dust raised by the hooves fell on the face of the Mamluk leader, who shielded his eyes with his hand.

But when they burst out of the dust cloud.

The scene they saw caused their expressions to change drastically.

They saw ten Winged Cavaliers along with Otto, holding riding spears, lined up side by side.

Their formation was scattered, contrary to the Crusader Knights' usual tight formations.

Just as the Mamluks' vision was clearing.

Otto shouted loudly: "In the name of Habsburg."

"In the name of the Count, in the name of Winged Cavaliers."

"Charge!"

Riding spears leveled.

The horse hooves rumbled like thunder.

The Winged Cavaliers swept in like a storm.

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