Medieval Gacha Lord

The night was deep. Beneath a palm tree by the roadside, Fringilla, a smug smile on her face, continuously fiddled with the jeweled hair clasp—inset with red, green, and blue gemstones—atop her head. Every so often, she would adjust its angle and ask, "Milord, do I look pretty?"

"Pretty." Lothar replied perfunctorily, feeling somewhat helpless.

She was indeed very pretty. The problem was, this was the fourth time Fringilla had asked him this question. He stole a glance at Banu out of the corner of his eye and saw her also lift a hand to gently touch the gold necklace, set with an emerald, beneath her snow-white neck.

He couldn't help the corners of his mouth turning up, a sense of joy blooming in his heart. For the gifts he had given out to be received with such delight by both of them made his meticulous selection worthwhile.

Initially, he had worried that giving these two gifts wouldn't be as practical as using money of equivalent value to upgrade them. It seemed that no matter the species, females found it hard to resist sparkling gemstones.

"We've arrived."

The inn where they were staying was named the "Oak and Hazel." It had previously catered mainly to pilgrims coming from Saracen-ruled territories—mostly Jews and Coptic Christians.

Zoroastrians, often deterred by Count Raynald's past terrifying reputation, dared not pass through his lands. Even if they did, it would be useless; this inn's main business was its alcoholic beverage service, and devout Zoroastrians did not drink alcohol.

Therefore, after the outbreak of war, this inn's business, uncharacteristically, had not been affected and was, in fact, showing signs of booming.

It had to be acknowledged that, though both were infidels, Jews under Saracen monarchs lived far happier lives than under Christian monarchs.

For example, in Iberia, Jews living under the rule of the Umayyad Caliphate had a status not much different from Arabs; many even held high positions. They regarded this place as a land of opportunity for Jews, and large numbers of Jews migrated here from other parts of Europe.

However, after the "Reconquista" movement began in Iberia, Crusader kingdoms such as León, Castile, Navarre, and Aragon continuously expanded southward, conquering and subjugating. With every place they breached, they inflicted the same punishments on the local Jews and Zoroastrians, carrying out widespread massacres.

Following the original trajectory of history, it wouldn't take two hundred years before the Jews' last paradise would also be gradually eroded away.

Lothar's room was the most expensive "superior room" in the entire inn—a two-room "suite" which, besides a living room and bedroom, also had a small balcony.

The entire inn was occupied by sergeants and knights of the Royal Knights. Now that he had money on hand, he naturally no longer quibbled over such minor expenses.

The first thing upon entering the room was of course the routine card draw.

A moment later, a purple light flashed, filling the entire room. The light coalesced in Lothar's palm, forming a slender cavalry spear, about three meters long, forged entirely from black metal.

The moment he took it, Lothar felt a heavy, cold sensation.

This cavalry spear probably weighed at least a hundred pounds; if not for the fact that cavalry spears were mostly used in a couched posture rather than being brandished, he felt that no normal human in this world could possibly wield such a heavy weapon in combat.

[You have obtained: Cataphract's Lance. This lance is forged from meteorite iron, indestructible and capable of piercing anything. When charging, it increases the defense of the affiliated cavalry unit by twenty percent.]

[It can also be used to unlock Byzantine-style or Sasanian-style Cataphract Barracks, utilizing equipment such as "full scale armor, scale horse barding, mace, cavalry spear, cavalry bow, etc."

Recruitment price is 100 Solidi, warhorse must be self-provided.]

[Milestone Unlocked: Military District General (Under your command, you have at least fifty cataphracts serving you) (0/50)]

One look at the description told him this was an item corresponding to the Winged Hussar's Swallowtail Banner.

Lothar frowned. Whether cataphracts were practical had always been a difficult question; even the Eastern Empire and the Sasanians were beginning to phase out their use, which spoke volumes.

Because defense was only a secondary consideration for cavalry; the primary consideration would always be mobility. In World War II, if all the Blitzkrieg units had been Tigers, the Third Reich wouldn't have been able to "blitz."

If this cavalry spear had appeared in Lothar's hands at the same time as the Winged Hussar's Swallowtail Banner, he would definitely have preferred to use this spear to unlock a barracks and keep the Winged Hussar's Swallowtail Banner as an item, even if this spear was more expensive.

"Twenty percent defense… this isn't a game. An increase of twenty percent defense, its effect is entirely different from twenty percent speed."

The cavalrymen's defense was already strong enough; their weak points were the gaps in their armor. Even with an added twenty percent defense there, if it was meant to be pierced by a sword, it still would be. Human skin couldn't possibly be like Banu's—both soft and tough, and even slippery to the touch.

One could only say it was better than nothing.

After pondering for a moment, he decided to temporarily put this matter aside. In any case, he wouldn't be able to return to Jorgklusburg for some time.

This cavalry spear looked quite serviceable; keeping it in hand as a weapon was also good.

Hans was undoubtedly more suited for this equipment, as he had the "Sword & Lance Specialization" skill. Lothar had already witnessed the improvement this skill brought to Hans's swordsmanship.

If Hans could be equipped with such a divine artifact, his combat effectiveness would surely skyrocket.

But there was also a problem, such a heavy cavalry lance was also a huge test for the mount's endurance.

***

Outside the window, a sudden clamor arose. Lothar hurriedly rushed downstairs, his expression somewhat puzzled. "What's going on?"

Someone said indignantly, "Knight Pepin wants to duel a Montreal knight! The cause was him questioning our honor, even though we clearly captured the Saracen prince!"

Lothar frowned. 'Sure enough, I knew this bunch of grunts would forget my order and reveal that I captured Prince Zahir the moment they had a drink.'