Temple Sword

Chapter 123 Arriving in the North
1321th of St. James' Month (July), 7

Levice, Hungary

-

Gyula Kistaborchani, everyone called him Gyula.Looking out from the southeast tower of the castle he was in charge of, he didn't think anything was going to happen at first, but the view from above gave him a kick in the face from a horse.

"My God, so many people!" He looked away from the little window. "Like a flood..."

The powerful men of the white-haired castle owner who had experienced more than fifty winters, the captain of the garrison, the captain of the archer, and the centurion of the castle's military servants pushed each other and gathered at the crack opened in the thick stone wall.They also wanted to see the besiegers who had just arrived, but they didn't seem to have anything better to do anyway.

The besiegers set up camp, a few arrows away from the safety of the castle, where even the catapults of the Levice military engineers could not threaten them.

They stretched from the back of the forest, the seemingly endless procession forming a huge arm in a semicircle beyond the castle.

Even after three months of continuous fighting and the capture of five castles, the size of Miklos Gutkled's army still terrified those within the walls.

And when he reached Levice, 500 soldiers directly under the royal banner joined the attacking army, along with the army of Transylvanian governor Thomas Szechenyi, including four A hundred heavy cavalry, more than [-] foot soldiers and twice as many servants, and the camp of the archbishop and bishops, these people add up to nearly [-] soldiers and twice as many servants.

Gyula was a little sick to his stomach. He had never seen such a large army. There were 3 armored soldiers outside the city gate of Levice, plus the accompanying attendants, servants and various minions. More than [-] people.

I'm going to die here, he thought, leaning against the wall, taking a deep breath, we're all going to die here...

"Be prepared for a long siege!" he ordered his commanders and captains, before whom he could not show his despair. "Take the men of the castle, and lock up the food and wine! We will soon be out of supplies, and rations must be distributed wisely."

"Master Jiuluo!" The captain of the garrison stepped forward, "Please let me take a hundred cavalry to attack them!"

"Are you crazy, Francis?" Gyula blurted out, "Don't you see how many of them there are?"

"They haven't settled down yet," the captain said, "and they're not absolutely in danger. They're setting up their camp and they don't expect to be attacked."

"Maybe it's because they're smarter than you," the castle lord of Levice replied, shaking his head. "A hundred cavalrymen, I think you're crazy."

But the captain didn't give up his plan. "I don't need more help. If we slip out through the north gate, we can hide in the forest without being found. I know a trail that a hundred riders can pass easily. We can sneak up on them flanking that way and catch them off guard."

"Then what effect do you want to achieve?" Jiuluo waved his hand, he disliked his subordinate more and more. "You might as well take off your pants and pee on them, at least no innocent people will die with you.

What do you think you and your hundred people can do?You'll just let them die in vain!We don't have many hands, I need everyone in this wall, Francis! "

The captain felt that the castle owner was a cowardly bug, and he wanted to continue to refute, but he didn't want to make the already tense atmosphere worse.So he got up and rushed out of the tower room without saying a word.The crowd fell into an awkward silence, and Jiuluo spoke again.

"Commander," he coughed, "are the archers ready?"

"Ready, my lord," the man nodded, "but we only have two thousand arrows, so we must use them sparingly."

"Two thousand?" Jiuluo's tone was full of fear and confusion, "So few?"

"Maybe a little more than that," shrugged the archer commander. "We have tried to distribute the arrows evenly. We placed a quiver every four steps on the killing hole in the south. I have given strict instructions to everyone not to shoot blindly..."

"May God have mercy on our sinful souls..." Gyula prayed to himself.

How can I be so careless?I knew they were coming, but I didn't take it seriously, I didn't think they could hit this deep!In the past they have never succeeded in breaking through the outskirts of the highland provinces... God have mercy!

"We await your further instructions," said the centurion. "What do you want us to do, my lord?"

"Pray!" The Castle Master gave his last order, and walked out too.

The centurion and the archer commander exchanged glances, neither wanting to say anything more.And anyway, they didn't want to look outside.

---

The interior of Charles Robert's tent is almost indistinguishable from the throne room of a small castle.It was big enough to be the envy of a wealthy family, and when word got here the tents were as crowded as the halls in Timisoara.

"Don't set up siege machines!" After the guards pulled up the curtain for him, Antal heard the king's order. "Let's not attack. Tonight we have a feast to celebrate the success of our friend Miklos!"

No wonder there are so many people out there preparing beef, Antal thought.In fact, he didn't understand why Charlie wanted to hold a dinner party. Hundreds of defenders were still waiting for them on the city wall. Even if the army captured Levice, their battle was far from over.

How many castles are left, 23?He counted them quickly.Why drink early to celebrate?Is this the Frankish way of doing things that old chainsmith said?

"Everyone gets a double serving of wine at dinner!" Charlie ordered again. "It's the wine that should be shed today, not our blood. Ah, Commander Bartor," the king noticed Antal was Standing calmly behind the crowd, "Are you here for the banquet too?"

"Your Majesty, the banner team's camp has been prepared, and then..."

"Very well, as it should be!" The king raised his glass to him.

"...We are waiting for your next order." The knight finished speaking.

"My order is for everyone to rest today!" Charlie's voice echoed in the tent. "It's commendable for traveling so far with me in just one week, long live the army!"

Amid the applause of the court knights and commanders, Antar bowed halfway before leaving the tent.

"Lord Barto, after evening prayers, you and your attendants are welcome to my table!" The king stopped him.

"I am honored, Your Majesty." Antal bowed again, then left the king's tent and returned to his men.

As he walked, he thought that the king's behavior was a little strange.Already in Timisoara he had observed that Charlie Robert had changed considerably from his youth.

He wasn't as outspoken as he used to be: Charlie stopped calling him by his first name now, and he didn't speak to him in the tone they used to talk to in private.

Antares understood and accepted the fact that Charles had become a true king, a leader, not a friend of his subjects.

He fought with them, but definitely not as equal friends.However, Antal didn't understand what the celebration banquet was for. They had just arrived in the north, and he himself was not in the mood to celebrate.

Perhaps this is part of some strategy to show the enemy how little we take them?
Walking past the siege camp under construction, Antal could not help noticing how different the soldiers who had been fighting on the high ground since the spring were from the newly arrived regiments.

Although Miklos Gutkled's men looked dirty and tired, with worn-out and old equipment, but these were not the point, the first thing Antal noticed was their eyes.

Each of them has in their eyes what he once saw in William's eyes, hiding the terrible things that his adoptive father fought in the Holy Land for 23 years, and even he himself does not want to recall.

Antal felt uncomfortable meeting these gazes, he wondered what they would think of him, a knight who hadn't set foot on the battlefield in many years, with his blood-stained weapon, to claim the power of these men who had fought so long results.

The knight quickened his pace, leaving them behind as soon as possible, and thanked Miklos Gutkled for leaving the seriously injured in the castle he occupied. He couldn't imagine how dark those people would look at him .

(End of this chapter)