Temple Sword

Chapter 200 Blood and Sword
1323, Moon of the Holy Virgin (August)
Visegrad, Hungary

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The whitewashed towers of the Church of the Virgin Mary can be clearly seen if one looks down the simple country road from the gate of the house in Antal Barto.

The knight's house is located on the edge of the Hungarian settlement in Visegrad, close to the German settlement, and it may have been a nobleman who supported Matey Chak in the past.

Antal didn't know whether the man had moved himself or been driven out, or had died in some siege, and when he reached this corner of the city, the house was empty, not even the previous servants leave no trace.

It was a long stone house with a tiled roof, and it looked like a place where rich people lived.It is built on a narrow frontage plot with gables facing the street and running back along the long axis of the plot.

At the end of the yard, there is a well, a woodshed, a storage room and a covered stable for five horses.

The first floor of the house has a kitchen and two bedrooms, one for Simon and the other for Varos and Bograka, because Antal doesn't want to hire new servants who are doing all the work of the house .

Lily Knight once had a very different dream, he had wanted to turn his Dubica estate into a village and then into a town, but so much has happened since then and all his plans have come between the two. In less than a year, it disappeared together with the last fragment of his happiness.

Antar lived on the second floor of the house. Starting from the arched corridor, he walked up a straight staircase to the upper floor. He first entered a gorgeous drawing room with a six-seater wrought iron candlestick hanging from the ceiling and a There is a row of carved arched pavilions.

Further inside is the spacious noble bedroom, which may have once been the residence of the entire family, but is now just a huge empty nest.

Despite the bright summer sun, the windows of the room were still shut, and in the oppressive gloom the Knight of the Lilies put on his armor.

He didn't ask for help, and reluctantly put on the soft armor and chain armor by himself, and then put on the famous lily cape, the original white wool had completely turned yellow by this time, and it was stained with blood and other filth. .

Antal put on his weapon belt and only tucked his helmet under his arm for the time being. His change of clothes and other items had been packed in a suitcase and handed over to the servants in charge of army supplies, along with his tent. On the carriage of the baggage train.

After everything was ready, he left the empty bedroom, walked through the living room he had never used, and then walked to the arched corridor outside, the glare of the sun made him stop, until then he Realized, it seemed like he hadn't left that dark room for days.

"Master Barto!" As soon as the knight walked down the stairs, Simon, who was also fully armed, came to his side. "I have prepared the horses, and we can go on the road at any time."

Behind Simon, two muscular war horses were waiting for them, already saddled and harnessed, and their saddle bags were full.

Antal nodded, "Then don't delay." His strange hoarse voice reminded him that not only did he not leave his room these days, but he didn't even say a word.

Not far away, Varos and Bograka watched anxiously as their master trudged wearily toward his horse, back slightly hunched, as if carrying all the weight of the world.

They had never seen Antar like this: always chest out, head held high, step brisk, even after a tiring day, he always lifted himself up with pride and inspired everyone around him.

Now the person who got on the horse before their eyes seemed to be not Antal Bator, but another person, a complete stranger.

Varos, who was used to being a guard, almost instinctively opened the gate for the knight and his attendants. When they passed in front of him, Antar looked down at him without saying a word, which shocked the former captain of the guard. speechless.

Lily Knight's eyes were stained blood red, with big dark circles beside them.Varos saw no hope in Antal's eyes, a lifeless, dull look, black with gloom and red with anger.

Simon bids the couple a polite goodbye, but Antal just nods sadly at them.

Immediately after Varos closed the gate and the two riders disappeared at the end of the street, Bograka threw herself into her husband's arms.

"It's terrible, Varos, it's terrible!" She burst into tears, "In this beautiful city, we seem to be living in a cemetery..."

"He's lost everything he held dear," Varos said. "There's no way we can understand how he feels."

"The past two years have not been easy for us, but we have picked ourselves up." She complained softly, but didn't know who to be angry with.

"It's true that we've had a hard time," the man agreed, "however, no matter where fate takes us, we've always been by each other's side, but he..." Varos didn't finish speaking, just shook his head. shook his head.

"Do you think he'll be able to return from the battlefield?" Bograka asked the question they both kept in their hearts. "Will he still be able to face his fate in peace?"

The man was silent for a while before answering.

"People say that hope is eternal," he said cautiously. "We can only hope that Lord Antal will overcome his sorrow and not rush to embrace the doom of self-destruction."

The army commanded by Miklos Gutkleder assembled in a wide open area southwest of the city.By the time Antal and Simon arrived, the army crowd had swelled beyond sight.

The knight and his squires guessed that they might be the last to reach the assembly point, the tents had been dismantled by the servants, and the loaded wagons were lined up on the edge of the forest, following the army ready to go.

There is still a colorful pitched tent in the army, with a huge Anjou flag flying above it.The two rode through the excited crowd towards the tent.

In front of the tent, the lily knight dismounted, handed the reins to Simon, and entered the commander's tent alone.

There were three people in it, all seated at a small table with bent legs, and Miklos Gutkled, who had been appointed governor of the southern provinces, had come with his troops from Sopron to oversee them himself. , he was studying the map spread out on the table.

On his right is the court knight Janos Bornemisza, who looks as if he wants to throw himself into battle immediately, and it is the third person who makes Antar frown slightly, the iron-clad Ester Wan Lakfee was sitting to the left of Miklos.

"Lord Barto, we are really honored by your presence," Miklos Gutkleder said sarcastically, his sharp and cold eyes staring at Antal relentlessly, "We thought You changed your mind."

Hearing the words of the scarred man, Antal didn't react at all.He knows how many rumors are circulating about himself behind his back, but he doesn't care what people think of him.

So he pretended that he didn't hear the sarcasm, he greeted the people present briefly, but he didn't look at Lakfei once, and then approached the small table, listening to Miklos' briefing.

As in the past, the earl from Sopron didn't make any detours this time and went straight to the point.

It turned out that Miklos himself arrived in Visegrad with only ten men, and the king provided him with a total of three thousand light and heavy cavalry for the campaign, not counting the accompanying camp guards, clergy, orderlies, cooks and other servants.

Antal was only told that he would be the commander of a thousand elite heavy cavalry, but no further details were given.

He also learned that Esteban Lakfi and Janos Bornemisza had been appointed two other commanders of the king's army: Lakfi led a thousand Cuman archers and Bornemisza the remaining The thousand soldiers under him were a mixed force of cavalry, infantry and archers.

Miklos left it to them to choose the captain, but for the sake of management, they should try to appoint captains in units of 100.

Finally, the route of the march. Miklos only roughly described the approximate route on the unfolded map: first they would start from Esztergom along the Danube, and then march all the way northwest to Sopron, where Miklos They would be joined by Cross's own six hundred elite soldiers and four or five hundred mercenaries.

Then the army will go south to Slavonia, and use the war funds provided by the king to hire more mercenaries along the way to supplement their ranks.

"I don't want to repeat it a second time. The villages and towns we marched through are all territories governed by the crown," the commander-in-chief said sternly, "No looting or use of force is allowed on the way, do you understand?"

After everyone nodded, Miklos immediately dismissed the three and let them start working. Antal rode on his horse again and found the legion he was in charge of. At this time, the servants had already dismantled half of the big tent.

Everyone in the army is very aware of their responsibilities. With the waving of the flag, the shouting of orders and the sounding of some horns, the southern expedition team of thousands of people lined up in neat rows and phalanxes in less than two hours .

The general of this battle, Miklos, gave the order to start, and the heavily armed crowd began to march steadily towards Esztergom.

After marching for a period of time, Miklos Gutkled suddenly appeared in front of the cavalry led by Antal, riding side by side with the lily knight against the sun just after noon.

"I want to have a few words with you privately," Miklos said to his commander, "that's why I want you to arrive at the staging area early so that I can talk to you before the commanders get together." You talk."

"I'm listening, my lord," the knight stared straight ahead stubbornly, "you don't have to hide anything from my squire."

Antal was about two or three horses ahead of the team behind him, and the front team was five horses away from them. It seemed that Miklos really didn't have to worry about what he said would be heard by others.

"Then I will tell you now," he said bluntly, "I know who you are, Antal Barto, and I know that His Majesty the King has loved you especially since he made you his knight.

But don't expect to be able to do whatever you want in my army!The king may forgive every mistake you make, but this time the king is not with us...  

Anyone who endangers the lives of my men or the success of our campaign will be severely punished, even you, do not expect any mercy, do you understand what I mean, Lord Bartor? "

"I understand." Antal still stared firmly ahead, "Have you finished?"

"No," the general continued, "there are two kinds of rumors about you. Some say that you are the king's pug and that you are not worthy of being promoted to such a high position. Besides, you can still be a king after you have committed any crime. Escape easily with impunity.

But there are those who say that you are an extraordinary man, a mighty warrior, a valiant knight who participated in the Battle of Rozgoni and many other battles, great and small, descendant of a legendary Templar...

You know, I remember your performance at the Battle of the Highlands.In Levice, I was there when you unscathed the night attack squad.

I also remember how you fought at the siege of Trencin, having seen it all with my own eyes, so I am inclined to believe the latter rumor more than the former.What kind of rumored person do you think you are? "

Antal finally turned his dark gaze to Miklos.

"I'm both," he announced in a lifeless voice, "and I'm neither..."

Simon, who was riding on the other side of Antal, shook his head secretly, while Miklos Gutkled stared at Antal with more angry and indifferent eyes.

"I'm just a man," Antar replied, turning his face forward again, "just a normal person, that's all."

"If you really are what the old warriors call the Knight of the Lily, then I'm glad you're in my army."

Miklos ended the conversation between them, and there was still no half-joyed look on his face.

"It all depends on which side of you you choose to show me, Lord Bartor. We'll have time to get to know each other better, but remember, when someone calls you the king's pug, It's called the Fist of the King, the Blood of the King, and I can assure you that these titles are no accident."

Just like that, the man kicked his dark horse, returned to the front, and continued to lead the army forward.

Simon looked at Antal curiously from the corner of his eye, but the knight was still staring at him blankly, and didn't notice Simon's sizing up. He didn't seem interested in anything recently.

The attendant wanted to know if István Lakfi, Miklos Gutkled, and Antar Bator were locked in the same room where they could do whatever they wanted regardless of the consequences. Will fight like a cock.

But no matter what Miklos said, before he became the fist and blood of the monarch, the lily was the sword and shield of the king, and Simon believes that this fact has never changed.

(End of this chapter)