One week later.
In the vast sea of sand, a group of cavalry was moving slowly under the scorching sun.
In just a few days, from the outside appearance, Losa's skin had darkened considerably.
With a headscarf and mask on, he looked almost indistinguishable from the native Arabs or Kurds.
During this period, they encountered many dangers, the most thrilling was when they ran into Saladin's trusted chief minister and nephew, currently the Governor of Syria, Safudin, along with his cavalry.
Fortunately, Abdullah was clever and managed to get through it successfully.
Losa took out a water pouch, took a small sip, and asked the Kurdish chieftain beside him, "Where have we reached now? Have we entered into Sassan territory?"
Abdullah was somewhat puzzled by this foreign young man in front of him, who could withstand the desert's drought and heat so well: "What border? Here, the Lords and chiefdoms loyal to Saladin and the Sassanid King are like teeth in a dog's mouth, intricately interwoven, or like the grass on the Gobi Desert, swaying with the wind."
"I understand."
Translated, it means "as close as intertwined canine teeth" and "turncoat."
"So, if we target some Lords who are firmly leaning towards the Sassanid King and even openly opposing or resisting Saladin, would that work best?"
Losa pondered and said.
Playing this whole act, he couldn't guarantee that the Sassanid King would follow his script.
"Exactly, I know there is an oasis not far from here, which is Kokb's territory. He was once a vassal loyal to King Nuruddin, but after Saladin usurped the throne, he aligned himself with the Sassanid King and openly provoked Saladin many times here."
Losa was somewhat doubtful: "Shouldn't they be on the same side as you?"
Abdullah's face showed a hint of fierceness: "When Saladin led his army into Syria, we sought help from him, but he didn't send a single soldier."
"Such treacherous people dare to use the flag of the late king to provoke Saladin, which is an insult to us!"
Losa nodded, settling on this fortuitous target: "Then let's choose them."
"This Kokb, he resides in the oasis you mentioned?"
Abdullah nodded: "Of course, that's his base camp, and all of his vassal chiefdoms and tribes must regularly honor him there, offering tributes of cattle and sheep."
"How's the defense there?"
"There is a wooden castle, although the garrison inside isn't large, many cavalry squads are dispersed around the oases near this large oasis. Once the castle's garrison calls for aid, the surrounding troops will rush to support."
Losa was thoughtful.
The population the oasis could support was limited; exceeding the limit could cause rapid shrinking of the oasis.
This made it inevitable that there wouldn't be too many guards within Koqte's wooden castle.
"Looks like we need to act quickly. If Koqte's defenses are tight, we can't afford to spend too much time again and must swiftly change targets."
Losa and Abdullah discussed strategies and urged the team to speed up.
Before long, a scout came galloping swiftly.
He shouted loudly: "Ahead is a team of about a hundred men, they're Bedouins under Kokb, transporting tributes for Koqte. They seem unguarded."
Losa's eyes lit up: "This is our chance, we must first deal with these Bedouins! They're our key to infiltrating."
Abdullah nodded: "I understand."
Then, raising his voice, he shouted: "Everyone, prepare for battle."
A Kurdish cavalryman came over, handing Losa a bag of warhorse fodder, which besides grass, contained boiled beans and wheat bran.
This refined fodder was essential before a warhorse charge.
As Losa was feeding his mount, he conversed with this cavalryman: "Harden, is this your first battle? Are you nervous?"
Harden smiled gently: "Sir, I have already had my meal today."
Losa: "..."
Well, once again, a communication breakdown.
Harden was the youngest in the Kurdish cavalry troop, only sixteen this year.
"I thought I could already speak Kurdish."
Losa was slightly frustrated, he patted Harden on the head.
Handed the fodder over to Hans.
Then, holding the horse whip, he quickly climbed up a small hill in front.
From afar, one could already see a long caravan slowly marching in this direction.
Camels, warhorses, pack animals, livestock.
This was quite a sizable nomadic group.
A leader wearing a chain armor helmet, with purple silk lined inside, walked at the forefront of the group.
He wore a suit of shimmering scale armor, occasionally laughing and chatting with his subordinates.
They really didn't look guarded, not even deploying scouts, seemingly not anticipating any attack in the core territory under Kokb.
Losa turned back, waited for the cavalrymen to finish feeding their mounts with refined fodder, then mounted his horse.
Ordered: "Prepare to strike."
Losa wrapped his face with a scarf, his chain armor mask dropped down covering the face cloth.
He held the Winged Cavalry's Swallowtail Banner in his hand, lightly flicked it, and it changed to a banner bearing three blazing flames surrounding a Saladin's Eagle.
"Always remember who we are, loyal warriors under Saladin's command, I am your leader—Safudin."
He raised the lance, bedecked with a Swallowtail Banner, and told the Kurdish cavalry behind him: "Kill anyone who dares to take up arms against us!"
"Yes."
The cavalry immediately moved into action.
Their combat style was very similar to the European cavalry; they used lancing charges but switched to scimitars for melee once close.
Abdullah and Hans kept close to Losa.
Prajna and Furinjira stayed relatively far apart during this battle, as Losa had ordered Prajna to prioritize protecting Furinjira, a member of the Magic System Professions.
With the Bond Talent in play, there was no need to worry about being in immediate danger; it was entirely possible to hold on until reinforcements arrived.
For some unknown reason, the Kurdish Cavalry felt as if they were aided by some divine power during this charge, making it particularly effortless.
The steeds beneath them galloped, moving faster than usual by a noticeable margin.
...
The iron hooves kicked up clouds of yellow dust.
The sound was like thunder.
Upon realizing they were under attack, the Bedouins were extremely flustered.
At the forefront, cavalrymen in spacious white robes rushed to the front of the formation, attempting to resist the ferocious enemy to buy time for the infantry to prepare defenses.
The leader of the Bedouins shouted in both Arabic and Kurdish: "We are under Lord Koqte, who are you people? Is there some misunderstanding?"
Abdullah shouted loudly: "It is Koqte we seek. To dare insult my King Saladin, my lord Safudin will have Koqte's head fed to the vultures in the desert."
The tall Arabian horses kicked up endless yellow dust.
Losa felt the wind howling past his ears, his heartbeat gradually accelerating, yet his mood no longer held the same tension as it once did during charges.
He was already seasoned enough.
Slash—
The lance pierced through the throat of a cavalryman in front.
This was a well-equipped cavalryman, but his scale-armor neck guard utterly failed to stop the sharp lance, which tore through his throat.
Losa used his shield to block a Bedouin cavalryman's attack wielding a flail, feeling a numbing pain in the hand gripping the shield.
In a flash, he clearly saw the contorted face of his opponent.
Then, they passed by each other.
It was like a fleeting glance.
In Losa's mind still lingered the face of the prior enemy, while his lance had already pierced the shield of another enemy, sending him flying away.
Losa's own form was nearly thrown off by the force of the blow, but Hans, quick of eye and hand, steadied him.
Once he regained his seat, he realized that the one he had just dealt with was the leader of this Bedouin group.
Over forty riders had forcibly cleaved through the enemy formation.
This Bedouin cavalry unit immediately crumbled, with the remnants scattering in all directions, not daring to resist this devil cavalry, seemingly emerged from Hell.
Losa reached the rear of the line and looked at the chaotic convoy, raising his banner high and instructed in Kurdish: "Regroup the troops, cease pursuit!"
"Abdullah, go and persuade them to surrender; those who lay down their weapons may leave freely."
After eliminating the cavalry unit, the fate of this Bedouin convoy was practically sealed.
Yet, should they launch a forceful attack, it would not only consume time but could also result in more losses.
Abdullah contemplated for a moment, and then shouted commands for surrender in the few phrases of Arabic he knew.
However, the Bedouins responded with arrows.
Losa raised his lance, made indestructible by the Winged Cavalry's Swallowtail Banner attached to it, still stained with dark red blood.
"Since they are resolved to resist, let us proceed, charging in groups, and devour them bit by bit."
Losa gave the order.
Half an hour later, the dead-ender enemies were dealt with completely.
"Abdullah, tally the casualties."
"Six wounded, one dead, none severely injured. The enemy was not strong and was unprepared; many of them did not even wear armor. We executed a remarkable surprise attack."
"Well done."
Losa nodded in satisfaction, for unless faced with a group of peasant slaves and recruits, such casualty rates amounted to a resounding victory indeed.
The Kurdish Cavalry's elite level was in no way inferior to the cavalry under Baron Godfrey.
Someone approached, carrying a body and said something rapidly in Kurdish, the sadness plain on their face.
Losa looked at the familiar features of the corpse, remaining silent.
Harden was dead.
The sixteen-year-old who always grinned with two rows of white, neat teeth in a smile.
"Burn his body, Harden will return to Mitra's embrace."
Abdullah did not show much sorrow: "If this boy could have survived his first battle, he would have transformed into an eagle."
On the battlefield, the attrition rate for new recruits is the highest.
Only those who survive their first war can transform into veterans.
Sadly, Harden didn't make it.
Losa took off his headscarf, held it in his hand, and silently prayed.
"Let's go, before Kokb learns of our arrival!"
He raised his Flame Eagle Banner high: "Take this convoy, the camels, and the horses; we must disguise ourselves as a convoy paying tribute to Koqte, and we need to be quick!"
In the sky, vultures were already circling, and sooner or later, Koqte's soldiers would come to scout.
Time was of the essence.
After this battle, Losa successfully rose to level three.
Losa had not allocated his Attribute Points yet.
He was waiting for his Intimacy with Furinjira to reach Friendliness so that he could attempt to use her Bond Talent, Blood Magic Specialization.
If it proved effective, he would consider whether to add some Attribute Points to his Spirit.