Preparing to Depart

What kind of battlefield was this?!

If he helped Prajna, Miss Fringilla's Affinity would obviously drop.

But was Miss Fringilla's Affinity important?

There was no question about it.

He was only a knight now, but if he could share Miss Fringilla's talent, he would immediately gain mastery of the mysterious Blood Magic and switch from melee cannon fodder to a noble spellcaster.

In games, for the sake of balance, mages might not be much stronger than archers, warriors, or tanks. They might even have serious flaws, like being easily killed or having poor mobility.

But this was reality!

Spellcasters were simply nobler than those stinking melee fighters.

But if he helped Miss Fringilla, the bond he had worked so hard to build with Prajna would probably develop cracks as well.

Lothar did not deliberate for long.

From a purely practical standpoint, speaking up for Miss Fringilla might have been the wiser choice.

But he had never been a cold machine driven solely by profit.

"Miss Fringilla, watch your language."

"I don't want you to come into this world and immediately clash with my most trusted friend, even if only verbally. Just as she said, I expect you to show your lord—that is, me—the most basic respect in your words."

"This world is far from simple. There are plenty of people stronger than both you and Prajna."

"Even if you were once mortal enemies, now that you are colleagues, you should work together."

"And you, Prajna, I know exactly what Miss Fringilla is. So if you are worried that I might be seduced by her, there is no need."

"Mm."

Prajna remained expressionless, but the notification that her Affinity had risen showed that she appreciated Lothar speaking up for her.

Yet Miss Fringilla's Affinity had not only failed to drop—it had actually risen a little. Lothar could not make sense of it.

Lothar secretly let out a breath and said, "Fringilla, come out with me. I'll introduce you to my followers."

The two went out into the corridor.

Lothar paused slightly, then said seriously, "I need to warn you in advance: restrain your vampire nature. Do not lay hands on my followers, and do not casually harm ordinary people. This is not the Blood Court. This is a deep and dangerous otherworld where witches, vampires, and demons exist. It would be best not to casually reveal what makes you unique."

"Vampires?"

She licked the corner of her lips. "This world has vampires too? I am already looking forward to meeting these kin of mine and making them submit beneath my skirt."

"If you can do it, you will have the chance."

Lothar paused again and emphasized, "Remember what I said."

Fringilla smiled and dipped into a curtsy. "Of course, my respected lord. Any command of yours shall be obeyed without condition."

Lothar nodded. "Now, I need to take you to change clothes first. What you are wearing is pretty, but it is far too out of place for this era."

"Very well, my lord."

Fringilla's attitude was very obedient.

But the notification ringing in his ear that her Affinity had dropped still revealed her mood.

Was it because she disliked being controlled, or because she did not want to change clothes?

Lothar gave Fringilla a deep look. He could not treat this female vampire, whose heart was black through and through, the same way he treated Prajna.

According to her character setting, if she had not killed ten thousand humans, she had certainly killed eight thousand.

She was a genuine she-devil!

Lothar took Fringilla to get an ordinary set of women's clothes for this era and had her change into them.

Like Prajna, she was also required to wear a veil.

Only, her hair was an uncommon white, so she had an extra turban wrapped around it.

Ding, ding, ding—

Three consecutive notifications of Affinity dropping confirmed for Lothar that Fringilla truly detested changing into clothes she considered so ugly.

But Lothar was in no hurry.

He had already recalled the setting he had originally written for Fringilla.

She was the unruly young lady of the Blood Court, lacking discipline and completely unrestrained since childhood.

Her parents had died at the hands of the Divine Court when she was young, leaving her to live alone in her own luxurious palace.

Because of her exceptional talent and noble bloodline, she was an untouchable little tyrant in the Court.

Outwardly, she acted without restraint and seemed to possess a child's rebellious streak, often ignoring prohibitions to sneak out of the Court and run wild among humans.

But deep down, she yearned for familial affection and love.

What she truly wanted was someone who would care for her enough to discipline her. Put simply, she was a wild child deprived of an elder's affection.

The reason Lothar's decision to favor Prajna had not disappointed her, but instead raised her Affinity, was because she had never liked those who treated her differently just because of her beauty.

In the setting, any man she ensnared would be drained of every last drop of blood without hesitation.

So all Lothar had to do was take good care of her like an older brother and keep her in check.

Even if she acted rebellious and unwilling on the surface, her Affinity would only keep rising.

In the game, players had to Elite her before they could gradually unlock Fringilla's profile, read those stories, and then specifically pursue her.

But Lothar was different. No one understood these retainers' personalities better than he did.

In a sense, every retainer available from the system was his child.

"Fringilla, this world is very dangerous. Prajna and I once encountered a Witch even stronger than her. I know you care a lot about looking pretty, but your safety matters more."

Lothar spoke earnestly.

Fringilla paused slightly, then gave a soft snort and said in an impatient tone, "I understand. I won't cause you any trouble."

Lothar's tone softened. "I know it's unfair to you."

The system prompt sounded as expected.

Affinity increased.

Veneto lay in the northeastern part of the Apennine Peninsula, between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, bordering the Austrian March to the north.

In the history of Lothar's previous life, Veneto had also been ruled by the Habsburg family for a long time, but that had been many years after Mediterranean trade declined and the Age of Exploration arrived.

At present, the Republic of Venice controlled the Veneto region.

As the undisputed king of the Adriatic Sea, it was one of the city-state republics with the strongest naval power in the entire Mediterranean Sea.

At this time, the only fleet on the Mediterranean capable of contending with the Venetians was that of Genoa.

Even the Eastern Empire, which controlled the eastern Silk Road and had once been the Venetians' suzerain state—while possessing the naval weapon known as Greek fire—had to compromise with the Venetians in many respects.

During every Crusade, any army wishing to travel by sea inevitably had to rely on Venetian ships.

The fact that the Republic of Venice had maintained its independence even while most of the states across the Apennine Peninsula had been brought under the rule of the Greater Germania Empire

spoke volumes about its strength.

Although merchants in this era were scorned and ridiculed, no one could deny that the immense wealth in their hands was beyond the reach of any feudal lord, even the Imperial Emperor.

In this era, as long as one had money, one could assemble large numbers of elite mercenaries, who were far braver and more capable in battle than levied serfs.

Ryan and Hans returned.

The moment he entered, Ryan began cursing in Swabian country slang. "Those greedy, despicable, hideous pigs actually dared to ask three gold coins for a single ticket! They're treating us like fat pigs to be slaughtered!"

Moder asked in some confusion, "Did you tell them we're going to the Holy Land to join the holy war?"

"I did. That damned bastard actually told me, without a care, that if we couldn't even afford ship tickets, then we'd just become thugs in the Holy Land, loafing around all day and tarnishing its name."

"I seriously doubt whether the Venetians truly believe in the Heavenly Father! They're no different from Jews—heretics who only pretend to believe in the Heavenly Father!"

Lothar could not help but laugh. "Perhaps the Venetians believe in Hermes instead."

"Her-what-mes?"

Ryan looked baffled.

Hans explained, "A pagan god once worshipped by the Greeks, one who presided over commerce."

In this era, the right to education was mostly controlled by theologians.

Even among lords, or even Kings, it was hardly uncommon for someone to be completely illiterate.

Ryan suddenly understood and awkwardly chimed in, "That's right. Those greedy Venetians are far less devout toward the Heavenly Father than they are toward coin."

"During the last Crusade, after the price had already been agreed upon, the Venetians still dared to raise it at the last minute. There was even a papal decree for it."

Lothar smiled. "It's fine. Just because he named such a high price doesn't mean everyone else will."

"This isn't the time when all the Crusaders are gathering on the Apennine Peninsula. The main Crusader force from Gaul is still preparing provisions and baggage trains, and they're still far from Veneto."

"They're raising prices far too early. Tell them that if they insist on charging more, we'll find the Genoese and take their ships instead."

As merchants, they traveled the Mediterranean Sea to begin with.

For a mere dozen or so berths, they dared to charge three gold coins per person. They truly took him for a gullible fool.

Lothar had no intention of showing himself personally. If he acted too approachable toward a mere merchant, they would instead take him for someone easy to bully.

It was not until the afternoon that Ryan and Hans returned again.

This time, though both men still looked somewhat displeased, it was utterly different from their previous gloomy expressions.

Lothar asked, "Did you settle it?"

"Yes, we did. One Solidus gold coin per person. Those merchants also tried to leave a loophole in the contract and put us in the lower hold. Good thing Hans can read—he spotted it."

Lothar frowned.

His fists clenched.

His fists clenched.

Lothar asked doubtfully, "There isn't another merchant house we can negotiate with?"

He did not want to take a ship belonging to such an untrustworthy merchant. He feared that instead of taking them to the Holy Land, they might try to sell them off as slaves in North Africa.

Of course, the only possible outcome of that would be them killing their captors and gaining the wealth of an entire ship.

The guards hired by the caravan could not possibly be a match for them.

Ryan shook his head. "No. Apparently, sirens have been appearing along the route to Crete recently, so the route has been temporarily suspended. Tomorrow, we'll have to travel with their caravan to the harbor and board a ship there."

"Fine."

Lothar nodded. He did not intend to waste another month or two in Veneto. The sooner he reached the Holy Land, the sooner he could begin working toward acquiring a fief.

With the system in hand, an extra month or two of development could make all the difference in the world.

As for the sirens?

He did not believe that, with Fringilla present, they would be unable to deal with a few monsters that relied on seducing people and possessed a bit more brute strength.

"Then it's settled."

"Ryan, Moder, Hans, the three of you should organize the villagers later and purchase a batch of metal spearheads and shields. If any of the bandits' weapons are still usable, keep them as spares. I plan to organize all the male villagers into pikemen first."

Pikemen were cheaper and easier to train than sword-and-shield soldiers.