A Crusader with System in the Middle Ages

”Judas!”

”I would rather die than be a slave.”

”Genoa will never yield.”

”...”

The whispers from the nobles made the elder who had stepped forward pause. He was starting to hesitate.

”It seems a better solution is needed here.”

A voice rang out, and a fully armed woman strode in.

It was Matilda.

She was not in her usual riding attire, but a full suit of Chain Armor. Over the mail, she wore a surcoat embroidered with the Canossa Clan’s coat of arms. Her War Helmet was topped with a coronet that signified her Identity as a Marquis, fitted with four Golden Blades with a Silver Ball set between each one.

”The people standing here are self-righteous. They arrogantly and ignorantly believe that they themselves are Genoa, that they were born to rule here, as if God has already anointed them.

But they have all forgotten that to be born to rule, and to rule forever—that is a right belonging only to the Nobility. Under the anointment of the Church, God’s divine authority is combined with bloodline, and it is eternal and unchanging.

As for you, you have nothing. You are just a band of profit-seeking villains, more greedy than the Jews. You are not even qualified to speak of God. Your trickery and deception of the Genoese and many others have built your fortunes. This is sinful and detestable.

Therefore, the Genoese can justifiably and legally strip you of everything. They will take back all the wealth and status that were mistakenly bestowed upon you because you fooled them!

Everything you have comes from all the Genoese—whether they are traveling merchants, weavers, cobblers, pig butchers, or farmers, even beggars. Everything you have comes from them!

Many people here have already forgotten this, because it happened so long ago. So long ago that you villains only pay it lip service, mentioning it only when you wish to continue fooling them.

The anger of the Genoese proves that they deserve a better Governance Council.”

As she spoke, Matilda swung her Longsword and shattered a window. Outside, on the chaotic streets, the citizens of Genoa were roaring and shouting.

”Oh, I almost forgot. It seems they’ve already made their choice. It looks like their rallying power is much stronger than yours.”

Several citizens, likely leaders of the mob, stood on a pile of junk just dragged out of some nobleman’s mansion, shouting slogans they had just concocted, trying to ignite the fury of more citizens.

The streets were piled with nameless, mostly unrecognizable corpses whose silk clothes indicated their former Identity. Lingering fires from the Norman Knights’ siege burned the bodies, releasing a strange, foul stench that seeped into the room in just a moment, causing several nobles to instinctively cover their mouths and noses.

But what was even more jarring than the smell was the shouting of the citizens.

”That’s our money! Our money!”

”To hell with those greedy bastards!”

”Don’t be afraid! Don’t be timid! We’re just taking back what was originally ours!”

”Those money-grubbing villains should all be hanged!”

”God is angry now! This is all God’s will!”

”...”

In the end, most of them compromised.

They were willing to accept Tuscan terms of vassalage if they could keep their positions on the Governance Council, but they demanded a guarantee that Genoa would be a direct vassal of Canossa, and that Pisa would not be allowed to annex it.

However, a few nobles still refused to submit, vowing to die first.

”Indulge that rabble, and the shadow of the Patulin Sect will one day fall upon your heads.”

”They will destroy you, just as they destroyed Milan!”

”One day, they will send you to the gallows!”

”Your fate will be worse than the Marquis of Milan’s!”

”...”

As the few nobles were being dragged out by Knights, they continued to roar at Eric and the others.

The other nobles watched this scene and sighed. After signing their names and adding their thumbprints to the peace treaty drafted by Eric, they said no more, and then, one by one...

Matilda looked at an elderly nobleman, the current Governor of Genoa.

”What do you know of the situation in Milan?”

The Governor shook his head. ”We don’t know much. All we’ve received is confused information, and we can’t confirm what’s true or false. As they said, the Patulin Sect has had a terrible impact. The cities of the Milan Marquisate tried to trap the Patulin Sect within Milan City.

Trade and travel were completely cut off in an attempt to starve them into surrendering and releasing the Marquis. But it was no use.

The Patulin Sect’s influence continued to grow in the cities of the Marquisate. Soon, Pavia and Piacenza fell one after the other. They expanded all the way to Alexandria, almost unstoppable. Baron Turin had to ask the Marquis of Provence for help to barely defeat the Patulin army.

They were originally planning to attack Genoa, but fortunately, they had an internal split shortly before the attack. After that, news about them became even more confused. The only thing we can be sure of is that although they’re divided, they are still trying to expand—no, perhaps ’pillage’ is a better word.”

”Pillage?” Matilda asked.

”They don’t occupy cities, they just sack them. They may have reached their limit. They’ve degenerated into bandits.”

”What about Marquis Azo?” Eric asked.

”Reports say he has been released twice and imprisoned twice. He seems to be trying to ask for help, but with little success. His eldest son, Welf, the Duke of Bavaria, doesn’t seem to want to get involved and hasn’t sent any reinforcements.”