I was a knight in the Middle Ages

"Is this the state of the Empire?" Murat followed behind Alpha, looking at the bizarre scene before him, and couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath, "It's rotten to the core, more thoroughly than hell."

Alpha remained silent, his gaze cold and profound.

He saw the empire's luxury and power, but he also saw the unfathomable decay behind that power.

This corruption did not originate from external enemies, but from within, from the insatiable greed and desire of these nobles who held power and wealth.

The knights returned from the bloody battlefield, carrying a murderous aura, expecting to enter the heart of an empire filled with the same order and power.

Little did they expect that they would step into such a decadent city filled with the smells of cosmetics and money.

Here, human life is as worthless as grass, openly priced and bought and sold at will;

Here, power and wealth can buy everything, including dignity and life;

Here, the so-called imperial glory is nothing more than a gorgeous cloak covering the corpses of countless oppressed people.

“Let’s go,” Alpha finally spoke, his voice calm and utterly unwavering. “This is not a place for us to stay.”

He led his knights, deliberately avoiding the noisy red-light districts and bustling commercial streets, and chose a relatively secluded path to head into the city.

They need to report to the Executive Yuan and must complete the registration before nightfall; otherwise, it will be considered a failure and they will be subject to the most severe punishment.

But the night in Haifa Port is just beginning.

Beneath the glitz and glamour, countless deals and conspiracies are being carried out in the shadows.

The empire's lifeblood was flowing, drop by drop, through these bustling ports into the pockets of the powerful and wealthy, nourishing the increasingly bloated and weak body of this vast empire.

Twenty-five knights completed their registration a quarter of an hour before the Executive Yuan closed for the day.

According to imperial law, they had one week to reach the holy city of Jerusalem.

At this moment, everyone was penniless and couldn't even afford the cheapest beer.

They could only slink back to the warship they had just "inherited" and wait for tomorrow to arrive.

Even though they deliberately avoided the main street and walked through secluded alleys, there were still rows of women selling their smiles by the door on both sides of the street.

They were scantily clad and tugged at passersby in the dim light.

The knights were so eager to see it that their steps became unsteady.

Unfortunately, he was short of money and dared not cause trouble in Haifa, a place he knew no one. He could only suppress his anger and keep on his way.

"Alpha, what did you see?" Back on the ship, Athena leaned against the cold gunwale.

She gazed at the still bustling lights of the harbor, her voice filled with disbelief, "Was that once invincible, thousand-year-old papacy defeated by such a corrupt and greedy empire?"

"Comfort leads to decadence." Alpha leaned against the shadow of the mast, looking at the bright lights in the distance, but his eyes were clear.

"Even the most powerful people of the past, no matter how enormous they are, will eventually be corrupted by this lap of luxury as long as they rest on their laurels. This isn't an empire; this is human nature." Alpha didn't want to delve any further into this disgusting reality.

"Fight me!" Agitated, Athena suddenly turned around, her eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

She desperately needed a cathartic fight to vent her frustrations, either to beat someone up or to be beaten up herself.

Of course, given Athena's current state, fighting Alpha would be a one-sided massacre.

"No using battle aura!" Alpha shouted, seeing her posture.

Alpha doesn't want to dismantle this newly acquired ship.

The battle is about to break out.

The two removed their heavy armor, leaving them only in close-fitting soft leather armor, and stood bare-handed in the center of the empty deck.

At this moment, the warships are their temporary domain.

There were no elaborate magic circles, nor the glow of battle aura, only the purest collision of flesh and blood.

Athena let out a low growl, no longer concealing her intentions, and launched the first attack like a cheetah.

Her fist tore through the air, whistling sharply, aiming straight for Alpha's face.

This punch was as fast as lightning, and its power was enough to split rocks and shatter monuments.

Alpha's eyes narrowed, but he didn't take the hit head-on.

He moved lightly, his figure like a willow catkin in the wind, and with a strange sidestep, the heavy punch grazed past the tip of his nose.

The force of the punch stung his cheek, but he remained completely calm.

"Too slow!" Alpha's voice carried a hint of mockery.

At the same time, he took a half step back with his left foot, exerted force from his waist and abdomen, and delivered a clean and decisive shoulder strike, slamming hard into Athena's ribs.

"Humph!"

Athena let out a muffled groan, but her reaction was extremely quick.

Instead of retreating, she advanced, using the force of Alpha's impact to twist her body and strike Alpha's neck with an elbow like a hammer.

"Ding!"

There was a crisp sound and sparks flew everywhere.

Alpha had somehow produced an iron rod, which he held behind his neck, precisely blocking the fatal blow.

The immense force made Alpha's hands go numb, but a smile crept onto his lips.

"Now that's more interesting!" The two separated instantly, then collided again in an instant.

They used both fists and feet, and employed both elbows and knees.

Athena's attacks were wide and sweeping, each move containing explosive power, forcing Alpha to retreat repeatedly.

Her fighting style is like her personality: direct and domineering, wanting to destroy everything in the simplest and most brutal way.

Alpha is like a reef in the ocean, standing firm no matter how the wind and waves crash against it.

His moves weren't as flashy as Athena's, but they were all deadly, targeting the lower body and vital joints.

Sometimes it is like a serpent spitting its tongue, cunning and unpredictable; sometimes it is like a tiger descending the mountain, powerful and heavy.

"boom!"

Athena delivered a powerful spinning kick, striking Alpha's blocking arms squarely.

The immense force caused Alpha's feet to plow two deep furrows into the deck, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.

Before Athena could change her move, Alpha suddenly lowered his head and slammed his forehead into Athena's chin!

"Madman!" Athena cursed, but had no choice but to pull back and avoid this suicidal attack.

The two separated again, breathing heavily.

Sweat soaked their leather armor, and the air was filled with the smell of burning.

"Want to keep fighting?" Alpha wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"Fight! Why wouldn't we fight!" Athena's eyes burned with excitement.

This pure clash of forces, this brush with death, gave her an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.

Athena no longer held back, crouching slightly and assuming an ancient fighting stance.

Alpha's pupils constrict slightly.

He knew that Athena was about to get serious.

This time, Athena did not launch an attack, but waited quietly.

Alpha took a deep breath and launched an attack.

Alpha, like a cheetah hunting its prey, instantly closed in on Athena and unleashed a straight punch.

Athena moved.

Instead of dodging, she chose the most direct confrontation.

She also threw a punch, which collided violently with Alpha's fist.

"Crack!"

The sound of bones colliding is teeth-grinding.

Neither of them backed down; instead, they locked mortal barriers, locked in a contest of pure strength.

"Ah!!!" Athena let out a low roar, her muscles bulging, and her power suddenly erupted.

Alpha could no longer hold on, its feet left the ground, and it was forcefully pushed away.

Just as he was about to fall, Alpha twisted his waist and landed steadily with a backflip.

Before he could even stand up straight, Athena's figure appeared before him like a ghost.

A knee strike landed hard on Alpha's abdomen.

"vomit!"

Alpha bent over, his stomach churning.

Athena gave him no chance to catch his breath, grabbing Alpha's shoulders with both hands.

A beautiful over-the-shoulder throw slammed Alpha hard onto the solid deck.

"Boom!"

The entire warship seemed to tremble slightly.

The wooden deck was smashed into a shallow crater, and countless cracks spread out from Alpha's body.

As the dust settled, Athena, riding on Alpha's back, held a fist just inches from the tip of his nose, about to smash his nasal bone.

The battle is over.

"happy!"

Athena withdrew her fist, plopped down on the deck, and gasped for breath.

Sweat trickled down her cheeks and dripped onto Alpha's face.

Alpha lay on the ground, looking at the starry sky, and smiled.

He felt as if all the bones in his body were falling apart, but the restlessness and frustration in his heart vanished with the battle.

"You lost," Athena said, her tone devoid of victor's pride, only a hint of weariness.

“I didn’t win either.” Alpha propped himself up and sat up, rubbing his aching ribs. “But it was definitely exhilarating.”

The surrounding knights burst into laughter and applause.

Amidst this joyful atmosphere, the glitz and glamour of Haifa Port seemed to fade into the distance.

At this moment, they are simply warriors enjoying the battle.

In the stillness of the night, all was quiet except for the sky above.

Alpha lay nestled in its warm bed, embracing the stars, lost in a rare moment of tranquility and slumber.

However, this tranquility did not last long, as a rapid and rhythmic announcement was made.

Like a pebble thrown into a lake, it instantly broke the silence of the night and awakened Alpha from its slumber.

The source of the report was none other than Aslan, the captain of the Barbarossa family.

Moments later, Alpha was silently taken deep into a majestic and ancient castle.

The interior of the castle is dimly lit, and the air is filled with the unique aroma of aged stone and the sedimentation of time.

Alpha met Aslan in a secret room. Aslan was standing with his hands behind his back, staring at a huge map of the empire's territory on the wall.

“Lord Aslan,” Alpha nodded slightly, his tone questioning, “what brings you here so late?”

Aslan turned around, his sharply defined face now filled with seriousness and unquestionable authority: "Alpha, the Lord's plan is ready. The Lord and the Privy Council have decided to send your elite knightly order to Cairo, Egypt, with the main task of stationing and assisting in the defense of the Suez Canal area."

Of course, Alpha needs to form this elite knight order itself, and Alpha needs to consider personnel and resources on its own. Aslan will only provide an imperial document.

Upon hearing this, Alpha frowned almost imperceptibly.

Cairo? The Suez Canal? These were not his ideal locations for garrisoning.

Alpha knew all too well that the Suez Canal was nothing short of the lifeline of the vast empire's economy.

The wealth of the empire's many overseas vassal states had long been continuously transferred back to the mainland, almost completely draining them.

It is only thanks to the huge shipping revenue generated by the Suez Canal, this golden waterway, that it is barely surviving and maintaining a semblance of prosperity.