Chapter 146 Evil Ritual

In the dim hall, more than ten candles were burning on an iron lamp stand filled with uncleaned candles.

The palace of Baldwin IV has always been like this. Because few people come here, and leprosy can also cause patients to be photophobic, it looks a bit eerie.

The king's personal servant, holding the magic-blocking golden sword, bowed at the door: "Everyone, please come in."

In the hall, Baldwin IV's somewhat thin body was sitting on a lounge chair in front of a lamp stand.

The young king took off his mask, his facial features and contours looked particularly soft, and he could vaguely see a delicate appearance that was somewhat similar to Princess Sibylla.

Coupled with the fact that he doesn't have a beard, he looks younger than Lothar.

"His Majesty."

Lothar crossed himself in front of him and said greeting.

He was obviously a little surprised by Lothar's sudden visit.

But he still returned the gift first, and then nodded slightly: "Ms. Jeanne, Ms. Prajna, and Ms. Fringilla, it's a pleasure to meet you three."

"Everyone, please take a seat."

He put away the books spread out on the table and behaved calmly and calmly, looking a little elegant and indifferent: "Mr. Lothar, you came here specially, what's the matter?"

Lothar said with a smile: "Of course I am going to meet His Majesty. I feel more relieved when I see that you are in good health."

Baldwin IV smiled and took a deep look at Lothar: "To be honest, I still understand you. There is no need for such false politeness between you and me."

Baron Godfrey made a good-natured laugh: "Some time ago, Lothar wrote me a letter. I thought he was going to invite me to Hebron as a guest, but I didn't expect that after just a few polite words, he actually asked me to Then support him with a group of craftsmen to build the city."

He paused slightly and then said: "At least you have to be polite."

Lothar said with some embarrassment: "There is no way, building the city is an urgent matter. New Habsburg is my hub connecting Hebron and Transjordan. Although the initial investment is a bit larger, once it is built, it will be able to provide me with Provide a steady stream of fiscal revenue.”

He changed his tone and complained: "You two should also know that I, the great Count of Transjordan, only have two fiefdoms: Hebron and the barren Yogurtsburg. Even the vassals under my command are stronger than me. ."

This refers specifically to Baron Argonne of Petra and Leonard, the former Count of Transjordan.

Baldwin IV said softly:

"Okay, stop complaining. The situation between Godfrey and I in Jerusalem is not much better than yours. Just say what you have to say."

Lothar coughed lightly and said, "Your Majesty, I have published a new book. I hope you and Lord Godfrey can help me spread it throughout Jerusalem in a short time."

He placed the Song of Winter and Summer on the table.

The cover is a giant dragon with fluttering wings composed of black and white stripes. Because there is a real reference object, it is drawn vividly.

There are also some illustrations of important characters. Although they are all black and white simple drawings, the style of painting is much better than the popular religious paintings of this era.

"If the quality is similar to that of The Witcher, I think it will become popular without any help from the two of us."

Lothar nodded and said: "Of course the quality is guaranteed."

Godfrey was a little confused: "Losa, I don't understand if this little thing is worth your trip?"

Because of the low literacy rate, the "The Witcher" that Lothar originally published made a small profit, but the printed commemorative edition of the "Bible" sold better.

But this income is nothing compared to maintaining an army.

"Also, in the book, I promoted many of my businesses, the most important of which is plate armor. This is related to the armor shop I plan to open in Jerusalem. If I can make plate armor popular, I think , this money is enough for me to maintain a standing army of five hundred people."

Godfrey smiled and said: "I have seen the half-plate armor equipped by your wing cavalry. The scene of the iron knight Lady Prajna charging on the battlefield is also fresh in my memory. I don't know where you got the blacksmith skills of Milan. A more skilled armor-caster, but the price of this plate armor must definitely not be low."

Lothar nodded and said: "Of course, but it's worth the money. I think that instead of letting those knights spend all their money on women and drinks to buy plate armor, it is better for them and us. It’s a good thing.”

Godfrey nodded and said: "This is no problem. If you need a store, I can free up a few for you. Anyway, I can't make much money in my hands."

Lothar thanked him again.

He didn't say that he was going to give Godfrey a set of refined plate armor because he didn't prepare one for Baldwin IV - after all, production capacity was limited, and Baldwin IV didn't show up, so there was no way to advertise for him. .

Lothar added: "One more thing, Your Majesty, if I want to regain the lost territory of Transjordan, will it be regarded as tearing up the peace treaty with Saladin?"

The lost territory here refers to the Port of Ella and the Diocese of Alandre.

They all belong to the legal territory of Transjordan. After Leonard's original dry land boating strategy failed, the army led by Adil pushed back and took them away.

Baldwin IV was silent for a moment and said: "If he wants it counted, forget it."

"But Saladin is most likely unable to get away now. He has focused all his energy on dealing with the internal rebellion. That little guy Saleh has done a good job, and the rebellion he started in Aleppo is also huge."

"In addition, the Sassanid King of Kings is said to have led troops to the border to question why he stopped fighting with us. He is very worried now."

Lothar asked: "So, it just doesn't count, right?"

Baldwin IV frowned: "Yeah, but where do you have the military power to attack two fortified cities now?"

Lothar said: "The defenders in these two cities are limited. In the castle of the Alandre diocese, there are only three hundred defenders. I plan to give it a try."

Baldwin IV nodded and said: "Yes, after all, you are a well-known teacher, but don't wantonly plunder villages and massacre civilians like Leonard did."

"I swear in the name of my heavenly father, I will not do this."

Godfrey smiled and said: "I think so too. Lothar is an upright knight, more chivalrous than most knights I have seen."

Jeanna, who was sitting aside, raised the corners of her mouth slightly.

He murmured in his heart: "Yes, even though I want to break the peace treaty, I am still a good knight."

Lothar asked again: "Your Majesty, how is the development of Uldin's religious order?"

"After absorbing some pilgrims, the total number expanded to fifty. I gave him a church at the foot of the Temple Mountain as the residence of the Saint LS Road Redemption Order. It is considered to be on the right track."

"Where's Hans?"

"He was leading people to hunt down a group of evil heretics... In the cellar of a tavern, they discovered the rituals performed by the heretics when they sacrificed a tampered statue of the God of Heaven."

Baldwin IV stood up and pulled out a yellowed book from the bottom of the bookshelf.

Lothar picked up the book, but before he got close to it, he smelled a stale smell. He tried to open it, and his brows immediately frowned.

The content is written in Greek, and there are many illustrations in it.

Even just looking at these illustrations composed of simple lines, you can feel a strong sense of evil and weirdness.

Baldwin IV said solemnly: "This was found from pagans."

"They would gather in a cellar at night and take the corpses of babies they had gotten from nowhere, tear them up, cover them in flour, and make a sacrilegious sacrament."

"Their leader, a man who claimed to be a bishop, persuaded the believers to sacrifice their own daughters and have sex with everyone in public. After the baby was born, they would cut the baby into pieces and mix it with wine and drink it."

"If Hans hadn't caught one of their followers by chance, it would be hard for me to imagine that such sins would still be hidden in holy Jerusalem."

Lothar said solemnly: "That 'bishop' is a liar?"

"No, the evidence shows that he does possess some extraordinary evil power. Of course, it does not rule out that it is just a way to deceive fools."

Baldwin IV paused slightly and looked at the three ladies behind Lothar. He said sincerely: "If we can get the help of three spellcasters, these demons who misinterpret the Bible will be brought to justice soon."

Prajna nodded slightly.

Fringilla looked at Lothar: "If you ask us to take action, we will definitely not refuse."

Jeanne frowned deeply: "Using children as sacrifices is an unforgivable sin. No one with a conscience will allow this to happen."

Lothar also said happily: "Leave this matter to me."

Fringilla has no human concept of good and evil. She is willing to blindly follow Lothar. Even if Lothar asks her to massacre the city, she will not refuse.

For Prajna, it's different. Although she doesn't care about many things, it doesn't mean that she doesn't have the concept of good and evil and right and wrong.

It's just that if Lothar forces her to do something that goes against her ideas, she may not refuse, but she will feel uncomfortable and disgusted.

Jeanne was completely different.

Lothar guessed that no matter how close she was to her, she would definitely refuse when he asked her to kill weaklings against her will.

This isn't a bad thing.

Because Lothar didn't want to see himself sink to that point in the future.