Medieval Gacha Lord-Chapter 85: Treatment

Chapter 85: Treatment

Lothar, after being attended to by maidservants for his bath, donned a silk formal suit and walked out of the great hall. Uldin, still with that stern expression, stood under the blazing sun, unmoving. It was unknown how long he had waited.

"Been waiting long?"

"No."

"Next time, at least find a shade to wait." Lothar didn’t suggest Uldin wait inside, because he knew very well that for someone like Uldin, being in the same room as a vampire and a member of the Ghost Race was worse than death. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

"Let’s go. We’re going for an audience with the King."

Uldin said gravely, "It is a great honor. I have also heard legends of this Leper King. Although this world is an otherworld, I still very much look forward to witnessing this King’s grace with my own eyes."

Lothar and Uldin walked side by side down the long, dim, and somber corridor. The candles burning on the iron sconces had only a bottom stump of cotton wick left, inserted into the accumulated remnants of wax drippings.

After having an attendant announce him beforehand and receiving the summons, Lothar, bringing Uldin, stepped into the palace chamber that most Jerusalem nobles regarded as the King’s deathbed.

Incense still burned in the room, but it could hardly mask the faint, putrid odor.

Baldwin IV, seated before his desk, looked uncharacteristically energetic, forcefully pressing his seal onto the wax dripped onto a sheet of paper.

"You’ve come." He raised his hand, beckoning Lothar to sit, then handed him the paper.

Lothar was somewhat astonished. "Appointing Hans von Sego as Commander?"

Baldwin IV smiled. "He handled the Knightly Order’s affairs in an orderly fashion, yet you still only granted him the honor of Standard-bearer. This is not reasonable. Or is it because Knight Hans was once your squire, and you feel doing so would make people think you practice nepotism?"

Lothar paused. "This... Indeed, Your Majesty. I wish for everyone to consider me a just Grand Master. As long as they have talent, I will never be stingy with promotions, rather than only thinking of seeking private benefits for my own subordinates."

"Baron Lothar, your thinking is not wrong, but your method is problematic. If even your confidants cannot receive fair treatment, by what right can you make others believe you are a just Grand Master?"

"This..." Lothar wanted to offer a rebuttal, but meeting the wise eyes beneath the other’s mask, he lost the inclination to argue. "I understand."

Others wouldn’t understand his level of closeness with Hans, nor would they understand that Hans didn’t value these things. From their perspective, he had indeed treated this knight, who had followed him for a long time, possessed talent, and worked diligently without complaint, unfairly.

Baldwin IV spread his hands, inviting Lothar and Uldin beside him to sit, and said with a smile, "This must be the new parish priest for your fief, Mr. Uldin?"

Uldin bowed formally. "Your Majesty, it is a great honor to have an audience with you."

He sized up this legendary monarch who had left such a rich and colorful mark on the history of the Levant or even the world.

His expression changed slightly; in his eyes, Baldwin IV’s flame of life was already flickering like a candle in the wind.

Lothar spoke, "Your Majesty, Uldin is one favored by God. He is not a sorcerer, but rather commands sacred power originating from the Heavenly Father. This power can slowly heal all illnesses—so, I hope you will let Uldin try."

He told a white lie, not mentioning that Uldin couldn’t completely cure leprosy. But it wasn’t entirely a lie either; as long as Uldin could help Baldwin IV prolong his life, sooner or later, Lothar would find a way to save him.

"One favored by God?" Baldwin IV frowned. "Father Uldin, if you wish for a donation, I can grant you some gold coins right now. As for treatment, there is no need."

Even witches couldn’t cure leprosy. Long despair had both made Baldwin IV composed and also made him completely accept his fate of dying from illness.

For him, death was already a form of release.

"Your Majesty, please believe me."

Lothar’s firm expression made Baldwin IV sigh lightly.

He still held no hope, merely saying, "Lothar, I am very grateful for your concern for my health. As your patron and liege lord, I cherish our bond as sovereign and vassal. Therefore, I am willing to accept treatment from the person you have brought, but I hope this is the last time."

"Your Majesty, please wait and see." Lothar looked at Uldin and said, "You may begin."

Uldin nodded slightly. "Your Majesty, please sit down. Next, I will preach a sermon to you. During this process, the power of the Holy Light will shine upon you—but this is not the divine favor spoken of by Baron Lothar, merely a minor divine revelation. During this process, please keep this in mind, you must not move."

Baldwin IV glanced at Lothar and said with some resignation, "Heh, even if it’s just to make you give up hope, I will cooperate."

In a daze, Lothar felt as if he were an older brother patiently playing along with a younger sibling. This bond between lord and vassal truly felt weighty.

Uldin continued, "Baron Lothar, the treatment process will be very long. After all, His Majesty’s illness has been long-standing. During this time, please leave the room."

Baldwin IV looked at Lothar, a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

Lothar nodded. "Your Majesty, to tell you the truth, Father Uldin is actually one of my most trusted confidants. He only arrived in Jerusalem today. If you trust me, then please trust him as well."

"Very well."

Lothar placed a book on the table. "This is?"

"Your Majesty, you are a lover of books. I happen to have written a story. If the treatment is truly effective, please accept it as a gift to celebrate your regained health."

Baldwin IV paused, then nodded. "Alright, just leave it there."

He didn’t know why he trusted Lothar so unconditionally. He hadn’t even considered what a dangerous thing it was for a monarch to be left alone in a room with a stranger he had just met for the first time.

Before leaving, Lothar added, "Your Majesty, please summon your personal attendant beforehand and speak with him. Otherwise, I worry that during the treatment process, Uldin might suffer a terrible misfortune due to a misunderstanding."

Baldwin IV nodded. "I will tell Abraham."

***

Ulm and his Winged Hussar comrades greatly enjoyed the patrol, a duty that other Royal Knights considered tedious and dull.

When their magnificent warhorses carried them through the main streets, he could always feel countless pairs of eyes filled with envy and admiration.

This was an unprecedented experience for these former country peasant soldiers. Although they looked rather bulky after donning their surcoats, and it became unbearably hot after a long time under the scorching sun, the Winged Hussars still cherished their armor and mounts exceptionally, spending a great deal of time grooming them every day. This honor was enough for them to cherish for a lifetime.

"Have you found out anything?"

"It’s them!"

"We crossed paths that night. Though it was too dark to see clearly, there are few infidels in the entire infidel gathering place with such distinct characteristics as them."

"You go back and report. The rest of you, keep a close eye on them. Do not rashly initiate an attack before Milord arrives."

"Ulm, there are only a dozen of them! With one charge, we can completely wipe them out!" The others also looked at Ulm with eager eyes.

Someone muttered, "I know lords like Milord who cherish the lives of their subordinates are too few. But we are Winged Hussars, brave and fearless Winged Hussars! How can we not even dare to deal with such a small band of infidels?"

"Exactly! If this goes on, how can we defend the Holy Land and the safety of our Lord?"

Ulm looked around at everyone, swallowed, and said seriously, "Do not think about personal gains or losses. As you said—we are Winged Hussars, not those self-righteous knightly lords! For us, carrying out every one of Milord’s orders is the most honorable action!"

Ulm knew his companions were all feeling frustrated and wronged. Many knightly lords, even squires of the Royal Knights, often mocked them as merely an honor guard that had never achieved any notable merit and lacked much real combat experience.

But unreservedly carrying out Lothar’s orders had already been deeply ingrained in Ulm’s very bones.

Actually, Lothar’s reason for giving such an order wasn’t entirely out of concern for the safety of his Winged Hussars.

Fledglings always needed to be tempered.

But Lothar believed that these Turks, since they coveted the werewolf corpse, very likely possessed some kind of supernatural power and were not an enemy that a conventional army could easily deal with.

Tempering was not supposed to be suicide.

Winged Hussars were far more useful on the battlefield than in small-scale skirmishes.