Chapter 14: The Joust
Count Leopold was a young man, appearing no older than thirty, with short, curly hair, a beard, and pale skin. Today, he wore a crimson surcoat fastened with a golden belt. Servants, holding the train of his red cape, followed his every step as he approached the throne.
He stopped before his seat, his hand resting on the sword scabbard at his waist, which was inlaid with gold and ivory, further accentuating his noble and extraordinary bearing.
Lothar sighed inwardly: 'Though both hold the title of Count, if Count Werner stood beside Count Leopold, even if Werner were decked out in all the treasures he brought back from the Holy Land, he'd still look like a country bumpkin.'
In this era, the further west one went did not necessarily mean greater development. On the contrary, both the Eastern Empire and the Ayyubid Sultanate in Egypt were considered lands of incredible wealth and fertility. Count Leopold of Austria, who controlled the land trade hub between Western Europe and the Eastern Empire, clearly wielded considerable power.
Following closely behind Count Leopold onto the dais, however, was not the Countess. Instead, it was a mysterious woman wearing a shoulder-draped brown hood and a magnificent crimson gown, revealing only a delicate white chin.
Someone in the crowd below muttered, "This lady is said to be the Count's newly hired witch advisor. Some claim to have seen her in His Majesty the Emperor's bedchambers."
Another person showed displeasure: "Can such a wanton woman sit in a place of honor higher than ours?"
"Keep your voice down! That's a witch!"
"I heard that the Emperor's most trusted Count Palatine offended a witch and was turned into a rat on the spot by that evil woman. It was only when the Emperor intervened that she turned the Count back into a human."
The air was thick with whispers. Despite their gratitude to Count Leopold for hosting this grand event, people were still dissatisfied with his patronage of a witch.
Banu suddenly spoke, "Her aura feels somewhat familiar."
"Familiar?" Lothar was startled.
As if sensing something, the woman on the dais, after taking her seat, immediately swept her gaze over them. Lothar quickly lowered his head, a sudden guess forming in his mind: "Are you talking about the giant serpent we saw last night?"
"Mm." Banu nodded slightly. "She recognized me too. However, she probably mistakes me for a fellow witch. As long as we mind our own business, it should be fine."
"Mm." Lothar nodded, but he still felt uneasy. Competing under the gaze of a lioness that could kill you at any moment, even knowing she wouldn't actually leap down and devour him, still made his skin crawl.
Count Leopold raised his hand slightly, signaling for silence. Then, he made a sign of the cross before him and piously intoned, "Knights, nobles, freemen, praise be to the Heavenly Father!"
"For ever and ever, Amen!" the people recited devoutly.
Leopold continued in a solemn voice, "I thank all you brave warriors for gracing me with your presence here today. Evil infidels from the East now threaten the safety of the Holy Land. As knights of the Heavenly Father, we must emulate our forefathers, raise the crusader banner once more, and launch an expedition to the East!"
"However, I have reasons why I cannot embark on this campaign at present. I only wish to sponsor more stalwarts loyal to the Heavenly Father. In this tournament, regardless of victory or defeat, anyone willing to participate in the Crusade will receive one hundred gold coins for their travel expenses."
"Now, knights, show us your valor! In addition to sponsoring crusaders, I also intend to select a personal knight. Not only will he be granted the Vienna Woods as his fief, but he will also be entrusted with other important responsibilities."
Upon hearing this, the knights erupted. It wasn't just them; even some of the barons present looked eager to try. The Vienna Woods was a mountainous town. Although it couldn't compare to the wealthy city of Vienna, it was still a town—equivalent to a hen that laid golden eggs.
"Praise the Heavenly Father! Praise the great and generous Lord Leopold!"
Lothar marveled inwardly: 'What a grand gesture! A fiefdom of an entire town, given away just like that. Probably only a Margrave of Austria, still actively expanding his territory, could afford such a move. In all of Great Germania, apart from him, not even the Hohenstaufen Emperor could offer up a city as a prize for a knightly tournament, could he?'
Bout after bout unfolded. Each contestant was matched with an opponent by drawing lots. Winners advanced to the next round; losers were eliminated.
Lothar observed from the stands for a good while, and a thought couldn't help but form in his mind: 'Is that all?'
The skill levels of these knights were uneven, but so far, Lothar hadn't encountered an opponent who made him feel any significant pressure. He was somewhat surprised. 'Am I that strong, or are these knights too weak?'
A servant, acting as an announcer, called out, "Next up are Lothar von Habsburg of Aargau, versus Abelardo Medici of Tuscany!"
'Medici? Isn't that the illustrious family that ruled Florence for hundreds of years in later times?' Lothar's heart skipped a beat. He immediately stood up, beckoning Ryan to help him with his equipment and lead his mount to the entrance.
Lothar entered the field noticeably early. He waited for a long time before his opponent finally arrived, fashionably late. Abelardo wore a blue surcoat emblazoned with white fleurs-de-lis and rode a tall steed, waving frequently to the spectators in the stands, who responded with enthusiastic cheers. Clearly, the name Abelardo carried considerable renown.
In contrast, Lothar seemed rather obscure.
"Habsburg? What family is that?"
"Aargau, huh? That poor, remote region in Switzerland?"
"Don't talk nonsense! That Count is a formidable figure. His Majesty the Emperor holds him in high regard and even invited him to command the imperial armies."
"What does that matter? His father being formidable doesn't mean the son is, especially a second son."
"Abelardo is a powerful knight named after one of the famous paladins who followed Charlemagne! He once swept all the tournaments in Lombardy. If not for his untamed nature, he would have long since become a vassal under some prince."
The buzzing discussion made Banu frown slightly. "You're all too quick to judge. If victory were decided by fame, then Abelardo might as well be declared the winner as soon as he enters, and everyone else can just concede."
"Hah, what does a woman like you understand?" someone said disdainfully. "For a knight, reputation 'is' strength." He looked at Banu with a sneer.
His expression suddenly froze. Even with her veil, one could tell from Banu's exposed eyebrows and eyes that she was an absolute, peerless beauty. He instantly changed his tune. "Milady, what you say actually makes a lot of sense. I am Knight Mergen of Lorraine. Milady, are you very interested in knightly tournaments? Would you like me to explain them to you in detail?"
Banu refused curtly, "Unnecessary."
Mergen persisted, "Milady, I am also a very skilled knight. I once achieved second place in a tournament held by the Duke of Lower Lorraine."
Banu frowned. Her hand, resting on the railing, tightened slightly, then relaxed, leaving a deep indentation on the wood, the fingerprints clearly visible.
Mergen's face instantly turned deathly pale. He had seen men who could break or crush such thick wooden railings, but he could never have imagined someone in this world capable of imprinting four clearly visible fingerprints into one.
"S-sorry, for disturbing you, milady. Please forgive my rudeness."
Banu waved her hand, shooing him away like a fly.
Abelardo's expression wasn't arrogant, but his eyes were extremely predatory. He sized Lothar up and down, like a wolf eyeing its prey.
"Your armor is from the hand of a great master craftsman in Milan, isn't it? I don't recognize your coat of arms, but I know the armor made by this craftsman is of excellent quality. A pity, though, that it and your mount will soon belong to me." Abelardo's silver-grey eyes were full of coldness and disdain. He had won the champion knight title in tournaments many times before. Clearly, he didn't take a little-known newcomer like Lothar seriously.
"Let's hope your skills are as tough as your talk." A slight, mocking smile touched Lothar's lips. He knew his opponent was a proud man, and such a tone and expression were most likely to infuriate him. And anger leads to a loss of reason.
However, the knight opposite him still had eyes full of calm and ruthlessness. The two emotions blended perfectly, completely unaffected by Lothar's provocation—confident, yet cautious. This was a formidable opponent!
He took the lance and shield from his squire, secured his helmet, and said, "Let's get started. The sooner I defeat you, the sooner I can dedicate this trivial honor to a lady in attendance." With that, he pulled down his visor.
Lothar donned his great helm, raised his lance and kite shield, instructed Ryan to have a replacement lance ready, and then urged his warhorse into a trot.
Abelardo was the first to pick up speed, launching into a charge. He protected the weak points of his armor with his shield, his lance held steady but with slight, almost imperceptible movements, keenly observing Lothar's weaknesses even as he charged.
'CRACK—'
With a shattering sound, both lances struck their opponent's shield simultaneously. Lothar felt a tremendous force slam into him, and he was thrown clean off his horse. His opponent didn't fare much better; both knights were unhorsed at the same time.
But being unhorsed didn't mean the fight was over. Abelardo immediately tried to remount, while Lothar did the opposite, drawing the arming sword at his waist and lunging at his opponent. In terms of horsemanship, he was not Abelardo's match. But in strength, he had the upper hand. Against such an enemy, he had to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses.
'Screeech—'
Lothar's arming sword tore a gash in his opponent's surcoat, then caught on the chainmail links beneath, unable to penetrate further. In movies, armor often seemed as fragile as paper. But in a real fight, one realized that a knight clad in fine armor was like an indestructible heavy tank.
Abelardo had no choice but to abandon his attempt to remount, drawing his hand-and-a-half sword to engage Lothar. The two clashed for more than a dozen exchanges, sparks flying from their blades. It was a match of equals; neither could gain an advantage.
Count Leopold, watching with growing excitement, ordered his attendants to separate the two. "The performance of both of you has been outstanding. There is no need to decide a victor at this moment. Let both advance, and you can settle the score in the final rounds."
The two had no choice but to stop and withdraw from the field. Lothar removed his great helm and mail coif, letting out a long breath. Ryan immediately handed him an earthenware jug filled with fresh water, which he drank down greedily.
Moder said respectfully, "Milord, this Knight Abelardo is very skilled. You are still young; it's best not to go head-to-head with him too recklessly."
Lothar nodded. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. If I can't win, I'll surrender decisively." Moder and Ryan's fortunes were tied to his; naturally, they didn't want him to risk his life in the tournament.
He walked over to Banu and asked in a low voice, "Is this too boring for you?"
Banu nodded lightly. "It is, a little." For someone of Banu's power, watching a knightly tournament was like watching ants fight.
"Wait for me a moment." Ignoring her puzzled look, Lothar walked straight to the nearby long table laden with a dazzling array of food, returning a moment later.
Banu suddenly felt something pressed into her palm. Looking down, she saw a handful of hazelnuts.
Lothar explained, "Eat some. Just to pass the time." Strictly speaking, Banu was not human. But she could eat human food; it just didn't matter whether she ate a lot or a little. She didn't need to replenish energy through such a primitive method as eating.
Banu didn't refuse. She shelled a hazelnut, popped it into her mouth, and nodded slightly. "Not bad. You should go rest. There are other opponents to come; you need to maintain your stamina."
"Alright." Lothar nodded.