I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 9

Song of Departure (4)

* * *

“Everyone, prepare for attack! Form a defensive line!”

“Defensive formation!”

Turkish archers mounted their horses and strung their bows.

As the horses moved, a hazy sandstorm obscured the view.

The gritty sand filled my mouth.

“It seems the young lord is right.”

Ganier frowned as he mounted his horse.

“I just saw a blade glinting. How did you notice from this distance?”

He shook his head.

“We’ll hear the explanation later. First, I need to kick the asses of those slow-moving subordinates.”

“Let’s gather the citizens in the center. It will be easier to control them that way.”

I shouted.

Good thing he didn’t ask for details.

If I said it was just a hunch, he’d be suspicious.

I looked up at the sky.

The sun was slowly sinking below the horizon.

The enemies were on the hill right in front of us.

Forty to fifty, maybe more.

No need to panic yet.

‘We have more numbers.’

Two hundred, combining infantry and horse archers.

Plus thirty knights in heavy armor.

I shook my head.

What we saw might not be the whole picture.

Then the figures disappeared.

They either went to the other side or were coming down the hill.

“We can easily defeat sea bandits. I’ll take my men and drive them away.”

Ganier said, pulling down his helmet.

“Please take command here, young lord. We can’t have the citizens scattering in fear.”

“Understood. I’ll leave the attack to you then.”

No need for me to blindly follow.

With my current skills, I’d only be a hindrance to the knights.

Ganier tapped his helmet and shouted.

“First, put on your armor, young lord. Even a blind arrow can hit a flying bird.”

He immediately turned his horse and rode off.

The other knights gathered around him.

Right, let’s get armored up.

Returning to the tent, Aieg rushed towards me, as if he had been waiting.

“Come this way, young lord.”

Aieg panted, holding a helmet and armor.

The blacksmith, Zernal, stood beside him.

“Did you come to help?”

“Yes, this little one is still clumsy. I came to assist. First, raise your arms.”

The two of them swarmed me.

Chainmail and hood, greaves [armor protecting the legs below the knee].

And a large great helm [fully enclosing helmet].

As I put on the helmet with soft cloth padding on the crown, my vision narrowed in an instant.

My breath hit the visor, turning into a cold mist.

I feel like Iron Man.

But I feel comfortable.

This psychological stability from the hunk of metal.

It felt like I could easily block any attack.

So that’s why Napoleon made his cavalry wear useless armor.

Fully armored, I waddled out of the tent.

“I’ll go with you, young lord.”

Aieg said, holding a bow.

Only a leather cap on his head.

“Where’s your helmet?”

“I’m not old enough to be issued a helmet yet….”

“Then wear this.”

I handed him the half-helmet I had been wearing.

Since I was wearing the great helm, I wouldn’t need it anyway.

“Isn’t this the helmet His Majesty used to wear? How could someone as lowly as I….”

“Just wear it without complaining.”

I put the half-helmet on him.

“It’s better for you to wear it than for no one to wear it, right?”

The three of us left the command tent.

The sun was barely hanging on the horizon.

“I thought we’d run into bandits on the way….”

Aieg muttered.

“Why does this kind of thing always happen at sunset?”

“Does this happen often?”

“There are many bandit groups around here targeting pilgrims and merchants. Well, it’s similar in other places too.”

Aieg shrugged.

“It’s where the Sea Tribe lives.”

Bedouins [nomadic Arab people].

In Last Crusaders, Bedouin horse archers were incredibly powerful.

Living a nomadic life, they turned to banditry for survival when famine or epidemics struck.

This won’t be easy.

Then, people screamed.

We turned our heads at the same time.

Several arrows fell on the outskirts of the camp.

Enemies on horses and camels approached us, shooting arrows.

“It’s too far to hit anything yet. What a waste of arrows….”

“They’re shooting to scare us.”

I said.

The people around us were very nervous.

If they panicked and ran away, it would be chaos.

“Let’s lead the way. Raise the royal banner, Aieg.”

If there was one thing I learned during my cadet days, it was that commanders should always be relaxed and confident.

At least, they should appear that way.

‘A flock of sheep led by a lion defeats a flock of lions led by a sheep.’

I mounted Bult and headed forward.

Aieg followed right beside me, holding the banner.

“Don’t be afraid! Lord Baudouin is with us!”

Zernal seemed to have noticed my intention and shouted loudly.

At the same time, everyone’s attention turned to me.

My heart was racing.

Adrenaline coursing through my body.

My face must be bright red.

Thank goodness it’s hidden by the helmet.

“Everyone, maintain formation!”

It worked.

People didn’t cheer, but the atmosphere was less tense than before.

The camels and horses turned and approached again.

Then, our cavalry appeared.

On the enemy’s flank.

The ground shook with the sound of horses kicking the earth.

“They’re clashing!”

Someone shouted.

Ganier and the knights quickly approached the enemy.

But the enemy immediately turned their horses.

A maneuver that suggested they had no intention of fighting.

A chase in the desert ensued for a while.

The enemy gradually disappeared from sight, increasing the distance.

Is that right?

I didn’t know camels were that fast.

People who saw it shouted.

“Sir Ganier has driven them away!”

Aieg also smiled, taking off his helmet.

“They must have been scared when they saw our numbers.”

“No, they’ll be back.”

I said.

There was no way they would retreat so easily.

I had a feeling this was just a preliminary skirmish.

I sighed.

It felt like it would be a long night.

“Tell the soldiers to strengthen the night watch. When Sir Ganier comes, send him to my tent immediately.”

* * *

Why is it that ominous premonitions never fail?

“Smoke has been blowing all night, making the horses and soldiers nervous. It seems they’ve set fire to the surrounding trees.”

“At this rate, we won’t be able to march properly.”

I rubbed my sleepy eyes.

Three people in the command tent.

Me, Ganier, and Marco.

The Bedouins had been scouting our camp all night.

Reconnaissance to check our defenses.

Even if we approached to fight, all they did was shoot arrows and run away.

“Why don’t we just follow them and finish them off?”

Marco asked Ganier with an angry expression.

“I heard that one knight can take on a hundred Saracen barbarians [archaic term for Muslims]. I guess that was an exaggeration.”

“They are thoroughly avoiding a direct confrontation. You want me to blindly chase them in full armor?”

Ganier frowned.

“What if other enemies appear and attack the defenseless main force? Do you think you can drag a tired horse and return in time?”

Ganier snapped, and Marco backed down, whimpering.

It felt good to see.

Ganier looked back at me.

“The real problem is that their numbers are increasing. It seems that surrounding tribes are joining the attack one by one.”

“It might be Saladin’s doing, young lord.”

Marco exclaimed.

“If Saladin is targeting you and us and ambushed us in advance….”

“It’s not Saladin who sent them. He has no reason to attack first right now.”

I said.

He had no reason to shake the peace agreement now.

Besides, he had a unique characteristic.

‘Saladin strictly adheres to agreements. Even if it’s an agreement with infidels.’

The ones attacking us now are Bedouin tribes.

That’s for sure.

‘There were a few events like this in the game too.’

Their goal wasn’t to kill us.

The benefit of killing us wasn’t that great.

What was more important was to steal goods and take hostages for ransom.

According to Islamic law, they couldn’t enslave fellow Muslims, but infidels were allowed.

Whenever food became scarce, Bedouin tribes launched attacks like this.

“The fact that they’re avoiding a direct confrontation means….”

Their strategy was simple.

To make us tired and fall apart first.

When the citizens panicked and the formation was disrupted, they would start the attack in earnest.

Until then, no matter how much our knights charged, they could ignore it and run away.

‘If we keep repeating that, we’re the ones who will eventually collapse.’

We couldn’t march while being attacked like this.

“Then how about this? We throw the Jews as bait….”

Marco clapped his hands.

“We can escape while they’re distracted! There’s no way the Saracens would give up so many slaves.”

“That’s a really convenient idea.”

I was so dumbfounded that I chuckled.

It’s a merchant-like idea, but….

Even when I played as you, I wasn’t that bad.

Then Ganier said with a thoughtful expression.

“If we could lure them close, the archers could take them out in one fell swoop.”

“It’ll be hard to lure them in on this open plain.”

I said.

The enemies knew that too, so they kept their distance.

Then what should we do?

There must be a way.

A way to trick the enemies and draw them closer….

Something caught my eye.

The camels outside the tent.

And the large pieces of wood piled up next to them.

The moment I saw it, an idea struck me.

“Then how about this? We pile up all the supplies, provisions, and food in a place where the enemies can see them and retreat.”

I said.

“If the enemies see the knights running away, they’ll feel relieved and come to steal the supplies.”

“Absolutely not!”

Marco shouted angrily.

“How much material and supplies did we from Venice put into this reconstruction of Eilat….”

“Of course, we’re not really abandoning them. It’s just a kind of trap.”

I said.

If we gave up the goods, we could go safely, but as Marco said, the loss would be too great.

“When the enemies get close to the supplies, the archers who are hiding will attack.”

“It’ll be hard for dozens of people to hide, let alone a few. Unless we make shelters in advance….”

“There’s no need. There are already plenty of large shelters piled up over there.”

I smiled and pointed outside.

The large pieces of wood from the disassembled ship.

“We can set that up on a hill or mountain. About a hundred people can easily hide there.”

“Ship pieces. It might be possible. The Sea Tribes often fight over spoils.”

Ganier muttered.

“If we pile up the supplies deep in the valley, the enemies will have no choice but to enter. When they fight each other in front of the spoils, we block the entrance to the valley.”

Suddenly pouring arrows and cavalry blocking the rear.

This seems pretty good.

The problem is finding suitable terrain.

“If it’s a valley….”

I looked at the map.

The old map only had rough terrain features.

It would be nice to have a local who knew the geography of this place in detail.

Wait.

We had one right next to us.

I called Aieg and ordered him to bring the Jewish chieftain, Emanuel.

After a while, a familiar face entered the tent.

The Jewish chieftain, Emanuel, whom I had spoken to a few days ago.

“I’m glad to see you safe, most high and noble young lord. To think you would suffer such hardship because of those barbaric bandits….”

“Was there any damage to your tribe?”

“Thanks to God’s grace, not yet… But all the children and women are trembling in fear.”

He sighed.

“Those Sea Tribes have attacked us several times when we lived in Eilat. Each time, countless women and children were taken as slaves.”

“If you help us this time, that will never happen again.”

I pointed to the map.

“Do you know if there’s a valley around here? The deeper it goes, the better.”

“If it’s a valley….”

The old man scratched his head and pointed to one side of the map.

“We used to call it the Valley of Stars. It’s so winding that it’s hard to get in or out.”

“We’ll have to find out exactly….”

Ganier said.

“But it sounds good for now. I’ll send a reconnaissance team in the morning.”

“Then let’s listen to the reconnaissance team’s report in the afternoon and make a detailed plan.”

I sighed in relief.

I never thought I’d be fighting my first real battle in a place like this.

But I couldn’t run away because I was scared.

‘I can’t get caught here.’

Then there’s only one option left.

To fight with all my might.