A Crusader with System in the Middle Ages

”Hello, Staler. Thank you for your support of Duke Robert.”

Eric extended his hand to Staler. Staler bowed, looking cautious and timid, and quickly stepped forward to shake it.

”It is what we must do. Between a depraved, foolish king and a benevolent and generous Duke, I think everyone knows what the right choice is.”

”Is that so.”

Eric chuckled and released his hand, then swung himself onto a nearby horse.

Robert looked at Eric. ”Eric, where are you going?”

”I’m going to circle the castle’s perimeter, see if I can find any weak points for an attack.”

Eric shook the reins, setting the horse in motion at a moderate pace.

”This castle is made of stone. There’s no way in but a frontal assault. Don’t waste your energy, Eric. Get some rest. We have to be on the road tomorrow.”

”Nothing is ever that absolute. It’s no trouble to take a look around.”

Eric waved his hand dismissively.

After the horse had taken a dozen or so steps, Eric suddenly turned back and shouted at Robert and the others, ”Everyone get down! Arrows!”

However, no one reacted except for the citizen representative.

Because Eric had spoken in Danish.

When the citizen representative realized nothing was happening, he quickly stood up. He instinctively turned to find the source of the voice, only to see Eric staring right at him.

The man’s movements paused noticeably before he turned away, feigning nonchalance.

’He’s a pretty good actor.’

Eric retracted his gaze and kicked the horse’s flank. The horse’s speed instantly increased, and it galloped out of the city gate.

He rode all the way around to the castle’s position.

Eric discovered that not far from the castle’s defensive wall was Luton City’s West Gate. From the West Gate, it was possible to hit the castle’s main tower with a bow and arrow, but the gate was currently blocked.

The people in the castle had probably guessed someone would try to break through here and had blocked it in advance.

But for that very reason, the area wasn’t receiving much attention from the castle’s defenders.

The windows of the main tower were primarily for archers to shoot from. Such windows are called arrowslits. Generally, to increase the wall’s structural integrity, the size of the arrowslits is reduced, and this main tower was no exception.

Eric rode to a high slope not far outside Luton City and looked toward the West Gate. Very few of the castle’s defenders were stationed in the position corresponding to the gate.

Eric returned to the West Gate. He crouched down and touched the soil with his fingers.

Suddenly, he seemed to sense something. Applying a little pressure, his fingers sank easily into the ground.

The soil was neither hard nor compact; it was actually soft.

This was new earth, at most two or three months old, and had only been crudely tamped.

Digging a tunnel wouldn’t be difficult. With enough people, they could dig to the lower level of the main tower within an hour.

The castle wasn’t large, and the number of defenders was limited. They would only need to position troops in front of the main tower to draw the defenders’ attention, then have sappers collapse the tunnel by fire to bring down the main tower. An attack through the West Gate would then allow them to take the castle in one fell swoop.

’But perhaps there’s an even better way.’

Eric returned to Luton City.

Because the citizens of Luton City had requested the attack on the castle themselves, and with Arno leading the assault, the castle defenders hadn’t launched any significant counterattacks and had simply holed up inside.

Consequently, the rest of Luton City, aside from the castle, remained largely unaffected. In recent days, villagers from nearby hamlets had even been coming to Luton City to sell their produce, and the citizens went about their business as usual.

After several days of travel, as soon as they arrived in Luton City, the Essex Knights led by Robert all made a beeline for the bathhouses, gambling dens, and other such establishments.

Eric didn’t carouse with the other Knights, instead making his way to the front lines before the castle.

Arno had left five hundred Knights to stand guard by the cover and earthworks in case the castle’s defenders launched a night raid.

The man in charge was a direct vassal of Odo, the Earl of Kent: Shuker Nejad, the Fortress Lord of Clare Castle. He was also Odo’s standard bearer and had been sent to act as Arno’s military advisor.

”Cultivator Eric, does the Duke have any orders?”

His reactions were sharp; he had turned to face Eric while he was still more than ten paces away.

”Is there a way to get this letter inside?”

Eric pulled a letter from his tunic and handed it to Nejad.

Nejad took the letter, glanced at the seal’s insignia, and nodded.

”It can be done.”

”It’s best if it’s delivered tonight. We’re leaving for London tomorrow.”

”What? This letter...”

”I’m not certain myself, but it might be useful. In any case, there’s no harm in trying,” Eric replied with a light laugh, sensing Nejad’s confusion.

”Very well.”

Nejad nodded.

He then beckoned to a man dressed as an attendant, said a few words, and handed him the letter.

The attendant took the letter, picked up a nearby Double Lion Flag, and began waving it at the people on the castle walls as he approached, step by step.

The soldiers on the main tower raised their bows and arrows, but lowered them upon seeing the letter in the man’s hand.

A short while later, the door to the main tower opened. A middle-aged man walked out, came before the attendant, and took the letter from his hand.

He then walked back into the main tower.

”Is that a battlefield custom? Trusting the other side during negotiations, even when you’re enemies,” Eric asked, looking at Nejad.

”No, I just thought I’d give it a try. Besides, attendants from England are cheap,” Nejad shrugged.

Eric: ”...”

...

Sometime near dawn, Eric was jolted awake in his bed.

Robert had kicked his door off its hinges and burst in to tell him that the castle’s defenders had surrendered.

Eric followed Robert to the front lines before the castle. Arno was already there, and that citizen representative named Stad was standing by his side, a grim look on his face.

The castle’s defenders had all laid down their weapons and were standing before the main tower, awaiting their fate.

”Nejad said you sent a letter to the people in the castle yesterday, and today they surrendered. You didn’t go and promise them a bunch of nonsense without my permission again, did you?” Robert said, looking at Eric.

”No, I only promised one thing: that we would stop the attack. I thought it was just a theory, but I didn’t expect it to actually be true,” Eric chuckled.

”What are you talking about?”

”The person you should be asking isn’t me, Robert. It’s this citizen representative. No, that’s not right. I should say, it’s the County Governor of Middlesex, the Lord of Luton City, Lord Ansebel.”

Eric looked at the citizen representative.