Chapter 25: Preparing for Departure
What a minefield!
Siding with Banu would obviously cause Fringilla's affection to drop. And was Fringilla's affection important? Undoubtedly. He was currently just a knight, but if he could share Fringilla's talents, he could immediately master the mysterious blood magic, transforming from melee cannon fodder into a noble spellcaster. In the game, for balance, mages might not have been much stronger than archers, warriors, or tanks, and even had major flaws like being easily killed or having slow movement speed. But this was reality! Spellcasters were inherently nobler than smelly melee fighters.
However, if he were to side with Fringilla, the bond he had painstakingly cultivated with Banu would likely also fracture.
Lothar didn't weigh his options for long. From a purely utilitarian perspective, perhaps speaking up for Fringilla was more appropriate. But he had never been a cold machine that only considered benefits.
"Miss Fringilla, watch your words."
"I do not wish for you to clash with my most trusted confidante the moment you arrive in this world, not even verbally. As she said, I expect you to show at least basic respect in your words towards me, your lord."
"This world is not simple; there are many individuals more formidable than both you and Banu. Even if you were once mortal enemies, now that you are colleagues, you should cooperate."
"And you, Banu, I am well aware of what Fringilla truly is. So, if you are worried that I will be seduced by her, you have no need to be."
"Mm." Banu remained expressionless, but the system prompt indicating an increase in her affection showed that she was quite pleased Lothar had spoken up for her.
However, the fact that Fringilla's affection not only didn't decrease but actually rose a little was something Lothar couldn't quite understand.
Lothar let out a quiet sigh and said, "Fringilla, come out with me for a moment. I will introduce you to my followers."
The two went out into the corridor. Lothar paused, then said gravely, "I must warn you beforehand: restrain your vampiric nature. Do not lay a hand on my followers, and do not casually harm ordinary people. This is not the Blood Court. This is an unfamiliar world with witches, vampires, and demons; the situation is very complex. It's best not to casually reveal your unique traits."
"Vampires?" She licked the corner of her mouth. "There are vampires in this world too? I can hardly wait to meet these kinsmen and make them submit to me."
"If you can manage it, you will have your chance." Lothar paused again, then emphasized, "Remember what I said."
Fringilla smiled and curtsied. "Of course, my esteemed Lord. Any command you give will be unconditionally obeyed."
Lothar nodded. "Now, I must first get you a change of clothes. Though your current attire is beautiful, it is too out of place in this era."
"Very well, my Lord." Fringilla's attitude was very docile. But the "Affection Decreased" notification chiming in his ear still betrayed her true feelings. Was it unwillingness to be controlled, or unwillingness to change clothes?
Lothar gave Fringilla a deep look. Dealing with this female vampire, whose heart was black through and through, couldn't be the same as dealing with Banu. In her background setting, the humans who had died at her hands numbered not in the thousands, but at least Tens of thousands. She was an out-and-out demoness!
Lothar took Fringilla to get a set of very ordinary women's clothes typical of the era for her to change into. Like Banu, she was also required to wear a veil. However, as her hair was a rare white, she also had to wrap it in a headscarf.
'Ding, ding, ding—' The sound of affection decreasing three consecutive times confirmed to Lothar that Fringilla was indeed extremely averse to changing into what she considered such ugly clothes.
However, Lothar wasn't worried. He had already recalled his original settings for Fringilla. She was a young lady of the Blood Court who lacked discipline and had been unrestrained since childhood. Her parents had died at the hands of the Holy Court when she was young, leaving her to live alone in her lavish palace. Due to her exceptional talent and noble bloodline, she was a little demon king within the Blood Court whom no one could control.
On the surface, she was wanton and even seemed to possess a child's rebellious streak, often disregarding prohibitions to sneak out of the Blood Court and act recklessly in the human world. In reality, she yearned deeply for familial affection and love. She actually longed for someone to control her for her own good; to put it bluntly, she was a wild child starved of elderly affection.
The reason Lothar's choice to side with Banu hadn't disappointed her, but instead caused her affection to rise, was because she had never liked those who treated her differently solely because of her beauty. In her setting, any man mesmerized by her would have all his blood drained without hesitation. Therefore, as long as Lothar treated her like an older brother, caring for her and controlling her, her affection would only increase, even if she appeared rebellious and defiant on the surface.
In the game, players needed to promote her to Elite status to unlock Fringilla's setting details bit by bit. Only after reading these stories would they then specifically try to win her over. But Lothar was different; no one knew the personalities of these retainers better than he did. In a sense, all the retainers that could be drawn from the system were his children.
"Fringilla, this world is very dangerous. Banu and I once encountered a witch even more formidable than her. I know you love to be beautiful, but your safety is more important," Lothar said earnestly.
Fringilla paused, then hummed lightly and said in a very impatient tone, "I know, I won't cause you trouble."
The system notification chimed as expected. 'Affection Increased.'
***
Veneto was located in the northeastern part of the Apennine Peninsula, between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, bordering the March of Austria to the north. In the history of Lothar's previous life, Veneto had also been under Habsburg rule for a long time, though that was many years after the decline of Mediterranean trade and the advent of the Age of Discovery.
Currently, the controller of the Veneto region was the Republic of Venice. As the undisputed king of the Adriatic Sea, it was one of the most powerful maritime city-state republics in the entire Mediterranean. At this time, only the Genoese fleet could contend with the Venetians on the Mediterranean. Even the Eastern Empire, which controlled the Eastern Silk Road and was Venice's former suzerain—possessing the formidable naval weapon Greek Fire—had to compromise with the Venetians on many fronts.
In successive Crusades, if the main armies wished to travel by sea, they inevitably had to seek the aid of the Venetian fleet. The Republic of Venice was able to maintain its independent status even when most other states on the Apennine Peninsula were incorporated into the Great Germania Empire. Its strength was evident.
Although merchants in this era were despised and ridiculed, no one could deny that the vast wealth they controlled was something no feudal lord, not even the Emperor, could hope to match. In this era, with enough money, one could organize large numbers of elite mercenaries, who were far more valiant and skilled in battle than serf conscripts.
Ryan and Hans returned. As soon as they entered, Ryan began cursing loudly in Swabian rural slang, "Those greedy, despicable, hateful swine! How dare they quote a sky-high price of three gold coins per boat ticket!"
Moder asked with some confusion, "Did you tell them we are going to the Holy Land to participate in the holy war?"
"I did! And that damned fellow told me nonchalantly that if we can't even afford the boat tickets, we'll just end up as ruffians and idlers in the Holy Land, loitering all day and disgracing the sacred place. I seriously doubt if Venetians truly believe in the Heavenly Father! These people are no different from Jews, all heretics falsely professing faith!"
Lothar couldn't help but chuckle. "Perhaps, the Venetians actually worship Hermes."
"Her-what?" Ryan looked bewildered.
Hans explained, "He was a pagan god of commerce once worshipped by the Greeks."
In this era, the right to education was mostly held by theologians. It was not uncommon even for lords, or even kings, to be illiterate.
Ryan, realizing, echoed somewhat awkwardly, "Exactly! These greedy Venetians, their piety towards the Heavenly Father is far less than their piety towards coin. During the last Crusade, even after the price was agreed upon, the Venetians dared to raise it at the last minute, and that was with a Papal Edict involved!"
Lothar smiled. "It doesn't matter. Just because he quotes such a high price doesn't mean others will too. This isn't the time when all crusaders are gathering on the Apennine Peninsula. The main crusader force from Francia is still preparing supplies and baggage; they are far from Veneto. It's too early for them to raise prices now. Tell them, if they insist on adding to the price, we will go to the Genoese for passage."
As merchants, they regularly plied the Mediterranean. For a mere dozen or so berths, daring to quote a price of three gold coins per person—they were truly treating him as a sucker. Lothar had no intention of appearing personally; if he seemed too approachable to a mere merchant, he would instead be seen as easy to bully.
It wasn't until the afternoon that Ryan and Hans returned again. This time, although both looked somewhat dissatisfied, it was a completely different matter compared to their earlier gloom.
Lothar inquired, "Did you settle it?"
"Yes, we did. One Solidus gold coin per person. Those merchants even tried to put a loophole in the contract to place us in the bottom deck cabins. Thankfully, Hans is literate and spotted it."
Lothar frowned. 'This is getting annoying. My fists are itching.'
Lothar asked, somewhat puzzled, "Are there no other companies to negotiate with?" He didn't want to travel on the ship of such untrustworthy merchants; he feared they might try to sell them as slaves in North Africa instead of taking them to the Holy Land. Of course, the only likely outcome of such an attempt would be their successful counter-attack and the happy acquisition of a ship's worth of wealth. The guards hired by merchant caravans would be no match for them.
Ryan shook his head. "None. It's said that Sirens have been appearing on the route to Crete recently, so that route is temporarily suspended. We have to go with their merchant fleet to the port tomorrow to board the ship."
"Very well." Lothar nodded. He didn't plan to delay in Veneto for another month or so. The sooner he reached the Holy Land, the sooner he could start his plans to acquire a fief. With the system in hand, developing for an extra month or two could make a world of difference. As for Sirens? He didn't think that with Fringilla around, they couldn't handle some monsters that relied solely on ensnaring people and a bit of brute strength.
"Then it's settled."
"Ryan, Moder, Hans, the three of you will organize the subjects later to purchase a batch of metal spearheads and shields. If any of the bandits' weapons are still usable, they can be kept as spares. I plan to first organize the male subjects into spearmen." Spearmen were cheaper and easier to train than sword-and-shield men.