novelnext Chapter 875 - 99: March on Cairo
Chapter 875 - 99: March on Cairo
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, two months have passed.
During this time, Losa’s conquest of Egypt has progressed steadily.
Hans, Baron Charlie, Venezia, and others have all been dispatched by Losa to lead armies in different regions.
In fact, the most suitable for independent command would be Orhan and Giovanni, but these two have their own matters to attend to in their timelines, making it impossible for them to set everything aside and be summoned for long.
Thanks to the propaganda and bribery of the Shadow of Darkness, the resistance of the Copts was not strong. Often, even before the army approached, they would choose to surrender voluntarily, including many Saracen nobles who converted to Christianity willingly.
Occasionally, those who stubbornly resisted would have their heated minds cooled down sufficiently after the Demon Dragon Ladon flew by. The truly fervent Holy Warriors had long gone to the battlefield voluntarily, without waiting for a summons.
Now, it was time for the last crucial node in the "recovery" of Egypt - the recapture of Cairo.
Cairo, located at the southernmost tip of the Nile Delta, is the pivotal city for ruling all of Egypt.
At this moment, it had fallen into the hands of Saladin’s and Adil’s half-brother, Governor Buri of the Fayoum Province. He and another brother, Turanshah, who controlled the Upper Egypt Province, provide mutual support.
After clearing the resistance in the Nile Delta Region, Losa rested for a while and then gathered tens of thousands of soldiers, advancing mightily towards Cairo City.
...
Cairo, Eastern Palace, Golden Hall.
This was once where the Great Shepherd of the Fatimid Dynasty met with ministers. After the fall of the Fatimid Dynasty, it became Saladin’s palace in Cairo.
Saladin’s brother, Governor Buri of Fayoum, sat cross-legged in the magnificent hall: "Gentlemen, the barbaric Frankish king will soon be upon us. Their knights are extraordinarily fierce, aided by a Demon Dragon. Even my two brothers were not their match. Many lords have abandoned their lands, fleeing overseas with their wealth and families. Now, what should we do?"
A confident Saracen general said, "There’s no need to worry, sir. Within Cairo City, we still have thirty thousand warriors willing to sacrifice for the Holy War. Supplies are adequate. Your brother, Governor Turanshah, is bringing another twenty thousand to Cairo City. By then, we’ll have fifty thousand troops defending the city. The Franks cannot possibly take Cairo in a short time."
Governor Buri gave a wry smile, lacking confidence: "The Franks may only be ten thousand strong, but their terrifying power never came from their numbers."
Demon Dragon, Witch.
To him, this was the key to the transformation of a minor Crusader noble into the mightiest of the Crusader Princes in less than a year.
A sage wearing a magical crown asked, "Have you written to King Saladin, my lord?"
Governor Buri shook his head: "No use, my brother only trusts Ahmed (Adil) among us; he has to confront both the Northern Crusaders and the Sassanid Dynasty simultaneously, and has no spare strength to aid us."
Saracens practiced polygamy and had many concubines who could bear children. Hence, relations among these half-brothers weren’t close.
Compared to the unattached European nobility, the Saracen’s polygamy and nomadic heritage often caused intense turmoil during the succession of monarchs, with frequent conflict and fratricide.
They just weren’t on good terms.
The atmosphere became tense, and many self-assured Saracen generals, who had hunted Scorpion-tailed Lions, Griffins, and other extraordinary creatures, didn’t hold much reverence for the so-called sky-darkening Demon Dragon.
They saw it as nothing more than the defeated and cowards exaggerating their enemies to excuse themselves.
But with both Adil and Saladin personally leading elite forces which were defeated by the Franks, they acknowledged the Franks’ strength.
A worried general said, "Sir, previously Governor Adil conscripted most of our elite. Although we have absorbed Cairo’s city guard, increasing our numbers, the combat strength has definitely declined."
Governor Buri frowned, "I know that, tell me your plan."
The general continued, "I heard Governor Turanshah has an elite unit of Mubari Venerable warriors. They excel in surprise attacks and, if we can pinpoint the enemy’s chief..."
Mubari Venerable, in Saracen language, refers to Duelists, typically tasked with dueling in the vanguard, akin to "Assault Warriors" in the Eastern Dynasty and have reaped significant gains in conflicts with the Sassanid Dynasty in Asia Minor and the Two River Basin.
Governor Buri’s expression softened: "That is indeed a plan. Turanshah and Adil do not get along, and his responses to summons have been reluctant. He has more forces left than we do.
Cairo is the last barrier preventing the Franks from advancing south. If he doesn’t want his territory reduced to ruins, he must meet my demands."
"In fact, sir, this is an opportunity. His Majesty’s health has been poor recently. Among his sons, only Crown Prince Afdal seems promising, while Prince Aziz and Prince Zahir lack capability."
Governor Buri quickly responded, "I’m not considering those matters now, only seeking to hold Cairo and prevent holy altars and temples from falling into the hands of heretic demons."
He had enough self-awareness to realize that if he could make the Crusaders retreat, it would be thanks to the protection of the Holy Fire, let alone defeating them or being appointed by Saladin as an heir and becoming the savior of the Saracen World.
That’s all nonsense.
Governor Buri hesitated, "You should know that without the aid of a Mage, it’s impossible to battle the Demon Dragon, yet the nearby Casters were summoned by my brothers, leaving only some Heretics..."
The group immediately understood; Governor Buri was referring to those still adhering to Ancient Egyptian Polytheism. Privately, many Saracens believed these, but it couldn’t be publicly acknowledged.
They all placed a hand on their chest, saying, "To protect the Holy Altar, cooperating with Heretics is a last resort. The Lord of the Holy Fire will forgive us."
...
By the Nile River.
It was still the dry season; the serene and clear Nile River was a breathtaking sight.
Unfortunately, the large army approaching on the horizon tainted this beautiful view with a layer of dust.
At the front were the Winged Cavalry in shining armor. The Crusader Banner and Double-headed Eagle Banner fluttered in the wind, frightening the people on both banks of the Nile into shouting "The Frankish demon is coming" and scattering in panic.
So far, Losa, originally just a Vassal Prince of Outer Jordan, had incorporated under his command the territories of the Sinai Peninsula, Damietta, and Semanude, the entire Nile Delta Region, as well as Alexandria Port and its western coastal towns.
In terms of area, the Egyptian region under Losa’s control was about the size of the Sinai Peninsula, but it was primarily the prime regions. Once Cairo, Giza, Fayoum Oasis, and other territories were taken, a march upstream to conquer the Nile River Valley Region would naturally follow.
On the Demon Dragon’s back, Losa held onto a bone spike on Ladon’s back with one hand, and the cape emblazoned with the Double-headed Eagle flapped in the cold wind.
After Prajna, Ladon also completed its advancement trial, a process attended only by Losa and Ladon, where they went back to the Ancient Mythical Era and participated in the war between Dragons and Titan Giants as a Giant Dragon.
Though arduous, the task wasn’t particularly technical, as in the end, Yesterday’s Giant Ship World concluded with the Dragons emerging victorious.
The two small Karamis merely needed to go through the motions.
Ladon’s form had expanded significantly, now over forty meters long, still far shorter than the hundred-meter Giant Dragon of its heyday, yet nonetheless a veritable Giant Dragon in its prime.
Having unlocked the Devouring Dragon skill, it could now swallow enemies into its internal space; before Losa acquired the Six-star Template, who was stronger between the two was genuinely a tough call.