Chapter 67: Werewolf Bloodline Enhancent Potion
The headquarters of the Royal Knights was located in a side hall in the eastern part of the Jerusalem Royal Palace. It had dedicated prayer rooms, rest areas, and a tournant field. However, unlike the small fortresses that served as the city headquarters for the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller, this place was not suitable for defensive engagents.
As Lothar stepped into the headquarters, the system’s notification sound chid.
[You have activated a new milestone: ’Leader of a Regint’
As a high noble within the Kingdom, you have shouldered the duties of Grand Master of a Knightly Order. This is a brand-new beginning. May you go further on this path.]
[Requirent: Beco the Grand Master of a Knightly Order, this Knightly Order must possess no fewer than one hundred cavalryn. (91/100)]
Lothar paused, pleasantly surprised. He didn’t recall designing such a milestone himself.
The "Leader of a Regint" milestone was actually quite easy to complete; he just needed to handle the "enlistnt" of his Winged Hussars.
The Royal Knights were a secular knightly order, not a military religious order, so it didn’t require lifelong vows, nor were the procedures for joining overly strict. Baron Godfrey, when he was Grand Master, also had his "private soldiers" within the order; after he was reassigned, these private soldiers were transferred along with him to the Knights of Jerusalem.
In the courtyard before the main hall, new recruits were undergoing intensive training. Lothar observed from the side for a mont.
The Inspector and the Treasurer, having received word, hurried out from the palace one after the other to greet him.
Before arriving, Lothar had done his howork with Baron Godfrey and had a basic understanding of the Royal Knights’ organizational structure. The Inspector and Treasurer, as the order’s most important logistical officers, were the first he needed to et to understand the order’s current state.
The Inspector also served as the quartermaster, overseeing the order’s ceremonial discipline and being responsible for procuring clothing—generally standard-issue surcoats or ceremonial attire. Additionally, he handled the estates of fallen knights and sergeants, sending their inheritances back to their families according to their wills.
The Treasurer, as the na implied, managed the order’s finances, including but not limited to collecting taxes from royal domains, paying stipends (essentially salaries) to poor knights, and handling all expenditures.
"Grand Master Lothar, I am Andrew de Porti, Inspector of the Royal Knights, from Valois in France. It is an honor to be received by you." The speaker was a middle-aged man with the neat appearance of a knight.
"I am Richard de Huesca, the Treasurer, from Catalonia in Aragon." This one was clearly dressed as a civilian official, not wearing armor, only a red and white hooded robe. His deanor was also more refined. One had to know, in these tis, many clergyn were formidable individuals capable of wielding a cross to bash an enemy’s head.
"My apologies, my Latin is not very good. We can communicate in French," Lothar said, then continued, "Andrew, please handle the enlistnt procedures for my retainers. Also, order custom surcoats for them that match their armor. Before the surcoats are ready, have the Royal Knights’ blacksmith brand their armor with emblems as a ans of identification for now."
Andrew imdiately accepted the order. "Gentlen, please co with ."
After the others had departed, leaving only Lothar, Banu, and Fringilla, he then inquired, "Richard, Saladin’s grand army is about to arrive; war might break out as early as tomorrow. I need to know the current combat strength of the Royal Knights."
Richard pondered for a mont, then said, "Grand Master, there are a total of eighty-four knights registered with the Royal Knights, but more than half have returned to the Continent and beco honorary mbers.
Currently, there are a total of thirty-four knights in Jerusalem, including yourself. The number of their squires is unknown; only fifty are registered. Altogether, that makes roughly eighty-odd cavalryn. There are also so knights and their squires stationed in various royal domains, but they should have all received His Majesty the King’s summons and will be heading to the Holy City shortly.
As for sergeants, the Royal Knights have a total of five hundred and four registered sergeants. Two hundred of them are dispersed among various royal domains; they may or may not be recalled with the knights—that point I cannot ascertain."
Lothar nodded, saying approvingly, "You are very sensitive to numbers. It’s clear you are a very ticulous person."
Richard bowed slightly. "I am the second son of my family. I once studied at the church school in Chambéry for three years. Compared to tedious scriptures and prayers, I prefer numbers."
"I am also a second son. I can’t even rember the nas of my younger brothers who were sent to monasteries," Lothar remarked with so feeling.
After speaking, without waiting for Richard’s reply, he continued, "Master Richard, if we exclude the sergeants needed to guard the royal palace, how many n can I take with on campaign at most?"
Richard thought for a mont. "Milord, the royal palace is very large, and the number of guards required is not small. For normal rotations, one hundred and fifty n are needed on duty each day in various locations. If you wish to lead the order on campaign, you can at most draw upon three hundred sergeants, and that’s assuming all the sergeants dispersed in the various royal domains are brought back by the knights."
"aning, three hundred sergeants and one hundred cavalry, correct?"
Richard nodded. "Yes, and that includes the cavalryn you brought with you."
"I understand. Richard, tell about our order’s Commander. I haven’t t him yet. Hopefully, he’s an agreeable colleague."
The Commander was the order’s second-in-command. Baron Godfrey had been reassigned to the Knights of Jerusalem as Regent Raymond’s deputy.
Under normal circumstances, a Commander couldn’t challenge the Grand Master’s authority. But Lothar was a "parachutist"; if the Commander didn’t cooperate with him, even if he couldn’t render him a figurehead Grand Master, he could still cause him a lot of trouble.
Richard hesitated for a mont, then said, "The Commander’s na is Philip von Welf. He’s a decent man, trusts his subordinates, and his temper is... passable. I don’t know if his military talents are outstanding, but in internal affairs, even when Baron Godfrey was Grand Master, many matters were entrusted to him."
"Welf?" Lothar said with interest. "The Welf family of Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony?"
Richard nodded. "Yes, His Excellency Philip is the Duke of Saxony’s uncle. He is a vassal loyal to the Emperor of Great Germania and possesses a county in Saxony. Currently, he is only serving in the capacity of Commander and has not sworn fealty to His Majesty King Baldwin."
’It seems this Commander Philip has a rather detached status within the order. So, he’s actually a Count?’
"I understand. You may leave for now."
Lothar watched Richard de Huesca depart, then closed the door tightly. The enlistnt of his Winged Hussars should proceed smoothly; he had already received the notification that the "Leader of a Regint" milestone was complete.
The reward obtained from it was a 4-star item Card Draw. Lothar, without any hesitation, chose to use it.
Within the room, a cyan light flickered.
A mont later, a crystal vial, shimring with a cyan glow and filled with a dark red liquid, appeared in Lothar’s palm. The dark red blood was viscous, swaying gently within the crystal vial, like translucent jelly.
Its na was: Werewolf Bloodline Enhancent Potion.
[Grade: Extraordinary.]
[Upon consumption, grants the user the bloodline of a werewolf. If consud by a Common-quality retainer, there is a high probability they will advance to 4-star, gaining random talents and skills.]
Unlike the werewolf nad Abelardo whom Lothar had dealt with at the knightly tournant, in the ga world Lothar had created, werewolves were formidable magical creatures, in no way inferior to vampires, and could even be said to be mortal enemies of the Blood Court.
They resided in the Two Sicilies, hidden within human society yet superior to it, like puppet masters reigning supre over the teeming masses. Their influence extended into all walks of life. This was a highly intelligent supernatural species with considerable potential.
Considering he only gained three attribute points each ti he leveled up, equivalent to a 3-star standard, it didn’t seem out of the question for him to consu this potion himself.
However, sothing like a bloodline sounded unique. If he could draw a werewolf one this ti, he could naturally draw stronger, more potent bloodlines with fewer side effects later.
So, Lothar was only montarily tempted before imdiately dismissing the thought of consuming the potion himself.
He considered whether to give this potion to Baldwin IV. Werewolves, as a long-lived species, presumably wouldn’t be killed by leprosy. This could be considered an indirect cure for Baldwin IV’s foul disease.
Yet, he hesitated again. He knew Baldwin IV was not so rigid theologian, much less a religious fanatic who had gone off the deep end and saw heretics everywhere. But werewolves were not witches. In the Church’s propaganda, werewolves were out-and-out monsters; anyone, whether Catholic, Orthodox, or Copt, had the duty to hunt them down.
After a long while, Lothar sighed deeply.
’Let’s try it anyway. Baldwin IV has treated well. If I can free him from the suffering of leprosy, it would be a good deed. Besides, Jerusalem needs a healthy king to reunite its people.’
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