As they argued, a scorching wave of heat was carried over by the wind.
The two-winged, three-headed dragon brought with it a fierce pressure of wind. Its two clawed feet gripped the stone wall, its ridged muscles covered in jet-black scales gleaming like carved marble beneath the sunlight.
Humans had always been practical creatures. When one displayed enough strength, even a heathen monarch could win the reverence of Christians.
The Crusader noble who had just been loudly proclaiming that he would fight Lothar to the death now had trembling legs. Standing so close to the dragon, he could practically feel the heat of the three dragon heads' breaths above him.
It was an oppressive presence that could not be felt from afar.
If Saint George had faced this sort of dragon back then, he would likely have met a bitter end as well.
Some nobles, knights, and soldiers fled in terror, hiding behind the stone walls and screaming.
"God, don't let it eat me!"
Yet this fearsome dragon, which looked capable of devouring a hundred men in one meal, obediently lowered its three heads onto the square.
From atop the central red dragon head, the Crusader King, wearing a golden crown and a black Double-Headed Eagle cloak, stepped down the dragon's jagged, bone-spiked neck and slowly approached the crowd.
Many Crusader nobles stared with their mouths agape. The sight branded itself upon their lives like fire, becoming the most magnificent and soul-stirring miracle they had ever witnessed.
"Great Dragon Rider, God-chosen Crusader King, honored Basileus, Your Majesty!"
The Crusader noble who had openly argued with Bela III earlier approached with a fervent expression and dropped to one knee. "I am Charles of House of Montmorency. It is an honor to meet you."
Another Charles.
Lothar forced out a smile and