Sibylla sat next to Queen Mother Agnes, her expression was a little complicated.
It was true that she had initiated the duel.
But that was just a minor side effect of trying to control her own destiny.
She never expected that Lothar would reject the olive branch she extended and handed it over to Balian.
To her, what was the difference between Balian and Guy?
She didn't object, but she didn't expect much either.
Because as a princess, marriage is never involuntary.
"Mother, isn't this Knight Lothar just a knight without a fief? Where did he get such an army?"
"No, he is already Baron Lothar."
Queen Mother Agnes does not look old. On the contrary, due to proper maintenance, she is still a charming lady, and many nobles are willing to be her guests.
"Baldwin liked the kid and he was going to reuse him."
"My brother turns out to value him so much..."
Sibylla mused.
Agnes's smile contained a profound meaning: "Sibilla, you have to know that no matter who rules the kingdom, he needs capable ministers like Lothar to assist him."
"Sooner or later, he will be used for you."
...
At this time, the duel between the two nobles had begun.
Since Balian was not a knight, the battle between the two began as a foot battle.
Guy held a half-sword and did not use a shield. He had enough confidence in his swordsmanship.
The moment William Palace Minister and Bishop of Tire announced that the duel had begun, he quickly stepped forward and launched a fierce attack.
In comparison, Balian seemed a little unfamiliar. He held the shield with one hand and subconsciously stepped back.
Just when people thought this battle was without any suspense.
Just listen to a bang——
Balian held a shield and knocked Guy to the ground. He hesitated, dropped the sharp blade in his hand, and hit Guy's helmet hard with an iron fist wearing a chainmail gauntlet.
Punch after punch.
It was as clear as a church bell chiming on time.
The battle ended so quickly that before anyone could react, Balian gasped and staggered up from the ground.
Guy, on the other hand, has apparently fallen into a coma.
Lothar was surprised: "What's going on?"
When he visited at noon, Balian was still fighting with Kevin Knight. How could he suddenly possess such terrifying power now?
Baron Godfrey calmly glanced at Prajna and Fringilla behind Lothar, with the corners of his mouth raised slightly.
"You should know better."
Lothar suddenly realized.
Is it the power of a witch?
After a long time, Prime Minister William shouted in shock: "Belian, it was Balian from Ibelin who won. He successfully defeated his opponent and won the qualification to pursue His Highness Sibylla!"
The onlookers looked confused.
Is this a knight's duel?
...
The duel ended anticlimactically.
Guy, who with his brother had dared to rebel against the rule of Richard the Lionheart, attacked the caravan of Richard's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
The brave knight who killed two counts was easily defeated by an illegitimate son - before that, he was just a blacksmith!
No one could have predicted this.
Godfrey agreed with the nobles with a smile, and Lothar could even imagine how proud Godfrey was now.
"Not bad, Balian."
Looking at Balian walking up to the stands, Lothar went up to him and patted him on the shoulder: "You are very smart and know how to use your strengths and avoid weaknesses. You took advantage of Guy's pride and used your best strength to directly suppress Guy. So that he had no chance to draw his sword at all - I think when Guy wakes up, he will be so angry that he will beat his chest."
Balian's face did not show joy, but was a little uneasy.
He looked at his father and said in a voice that only the three people present could hear: "I used the power of the witch. This is not a sacred duel."
Lothar held Balian's shoulders and said decisively: "No, this is the power given to you by Heavenly Father under the guise of a witch!"
...
Dusk.
Lothar and his entourage formed a winding convoy and walked slowly in the desert.
Since the duel ended too quickly and there was still plenty of time in the afternoon, Lothar decided to leave immediately for his territory.
Yogurtsburg is not far from Jerusalem. It is also a territory located on the Jordan River, very close to Leonard's territory.
Yogurus sounds like a heavily Hellenistic name.
The rule of the Greek civilization here can be traced back to the Seleucids of the Diadochi state. Since then, after the long rule of the Eastern Empire, it has long been engraved in the bones.
Yogurtsburg was first built to prevent nomads in the desert from invading the imperial territory.
But now, things have changed and people have changed.
This is no longer a fortress in the border area, and the royal family's annual investment in repairs to this castle is pitifully small.
In my ears, the system prompt sounded:
You have arrived in the territory and activated all functions of yesterday's giant ship system.
You will start the furniture and building lottery, and the fixed number of draws per week is: 1.
When you enter the territory for the first time, you get the basic building, the Lord's Hall.
Lord's Hall: With additional comfort bonus, the followers living here will gain the effect of increased physical recovery speed.
After upgrading, you will get a higher comfort bonus and slowly increase the intimacy of your followers towards you.
"Have you entered the territory?"
Lothar looked far into the distance, and sure enough, he could see smoke rising from a village not far away. It should be the village affiliated with Baron Yogurts.
In the future, you can consider entrusting your subordinates with knights' fiefs.
"Order everyone to speed up and treat this as a marching practice!"
Lothar urged.
He couldn't wait to rush to his fiefdom to see it.
In the future, perhaps he will live in Jerusalem instead of his own territory for a long period of time, and even hold an official position in the palace.
But territory is his foundation!
After passing the village, the team only stopped for a moment. Lothar announced the arrival of the new lord to the villagers and then continued on the road.
Soon, they could see a lonely stone castle standing on the distant hills.
"Hans, use my banner!"
Lothar's exclusive coat of arms has been designed. It is a black single-headed eagle with its head facing to the right. Other than that, there are no extra decorations.
The defenders on the castle seemed to become restless after seeing a capable team.
Hans rode forward and ordered them to open the city gate and come out to greet them.
As Lothar's temporary heraldry officer, he presented the fiefdom certificate written by Baldwin IV to the castle guard.
The guard officer immediately welcomed everyone into the castle.
This castle is not big. Behind the heavily weathered city wall are stables, a blacksmith shop, a wood workshop, a kitchen, and soldiers' dormitories.
The main building is not spacious, and compared to the Eagle Castle in Allgäu, it is even shabbier. In addition, the climate here is far inferior to living in a manor in Jerusalem.
"How many defenders are there here?"
Lothar asked.
The guard officer replied cautiously: "Thirty people, sir, are all here."
